Paulr

I know they would be a better machine and more enjoyable/efficient to use, but im still hung up on if i will really get my moneys worth from it. Mostly if i have no money left over for leather. Although after looking in the used machine area and seeing the top 8 posts selling used boss makes me feel like people out grow them fast.

You guys are the devil on my shoulder. Making me want that cb3500 or even th 4500. I still don't know that I can justify the $2000+ on something that is a hobby right now.

Im just worried that a 1/2in max leather will leave me short on some things and i will just end up wanting a heavier machine in the end. i just dont know that i can justify the $2000 if the $1000 will do it with a little more work

Im looking into getting a sewing machine. Most of what i would do would be dog collars, sheaths, and holsters, but might want to try some saddles down the road. I have narrowed it down to a tippmann or a cowboy. I know pulling the lever is going to get old fast, but im not looking to set up a commercial operation. I guess my question is if people have found that the extra $1000 really worth it when you are not doing it as a source of income? Toledo industrial sewing isnt for from me so that was a big deciding part on what powered machines made the short list. Im just trying to weigh the pros and cons against my wallet. Any insight would be helpful.

Thank you. Sounds like something in the 5-7 area should give me something to play around with. might need to pick up a gouger too.

Thank you guys. I will shoot them an email rather then just order off the site. I'm still a little torn between the tooling sides and a bend of hermann oak. This if more to play around with and practice so the cheap stuff might fit the bill for now. Not that I don't want it to look nice but I'm not sell anything so no one can cry about an imperfection.

What leather weight do you guys use for book covers? Also do you skiv it down where it folds around the corners to make it lay nicer or is that not needed? Thanks

Im looking to order leather but have never ordered a side online. I like what I have got from Springfield so was going to use them again. Im not sure if i should get the top or medium tooling sides. Is there a noticeable difference in the two? The other question i have is how the ordering works. When you put in how many feet you want do they cut a side down to fit or find one that best matches? Last but not least is the hermannoak the same thing just higher quality? At 1/2 the price it has me worried that the tooling side will be as bad as what i have got from tandy. Thanks

When i get to the end of a piece of thread, saddle stitching, im always at a loss for what to do to secure it so you cant see it. Will it hold secure if i back stitch it a bit? Thanks.

They make no mention of weight that I can see. I woul just ask the person how heavy they want it. That way if its not right it's not on you. If they don't list it i would guess they let you go light as its not for real protection like in sca.

You will want veg tan leather for just about any kind you could want to make. The weight will depend on the game. Some have rule on the weight. Dag and belegarth both are 12oz or 3/16. Reverse engineer a pic of armor you like on card board and lay it out and see how much you need. Copper rivets can be set with a rivet and burr setter. They are about 15 at tandy.

Could I get added too. Thank you

i just got the keltoi moc pattern and am about to put them together. i have never done these before and was wondering about the soles. should i use the same leather for the sole and in sole as the rest of it or should i use a heavier leather on the outside?

that makes life easier. thanks guys

I picked up some resolene and have seen that a lot of people mix it 50/50 with water. Rather then measure it out each time and hope i don't have left over is it okay to just mix the whole bottle at one time and save it?

a common way to attach them together is to run a few strips of thinner leather (or flat nylon belt ) on the underside. Its riveted to the leather underneath the overlap so you cant really see the rivets. It keeps it more flexible then if you rivet the pieces together. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=16175 its a different design but it shows the straps on the underside. You would just make the strips longer and continue them from one piece to the next.

im also curious about the leather used in pic 3. Im looking to make some pouches and i like the look that leather has. Very nice work.

So this is the one you think its done with? http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/6884-00.aspx I was looking at them last time i was picking up some stuff but didn't pick them up. Might have to give them a try. I did get some of the fiebings dyes and really like them, but my god is there a way to get it open without getting it on your hands!? I guess i could use gloves just didnt think i would need them to get the seal off the bottle. thanks again

i was looking at matting tool and i came up with 2 kinds. One has a checkered look and seems like a larger backgrounder. The other gives a bubbled look. Not really sure which one youre referring to. Thanks for pointing out their site. I had only ever seen a few colors in the oil. Sorry to keep bombarding you guys with question, but its been a huge help.

I noticed the oils only seem to come in a few colors. Does resolene work with spirit and water dyes too?

what would you guys recommend for the protective coat? It seems like the saddle tan comes in fiebing oil or the eco flow. I have been reading the water based run/smear so it would seem the oil would be the way to go.

so you think its just the saddle tan dye or saddle tan with yellow dye over top? That guitar strap looks great. Is it just multiple layers of yellow to make it darker? Sorry for all the questions i just have no experience with anything outside of one flat color. Thanks for the help.

thank you. i had never looked at angelus dyes before. I have only used fiebings and eco-flow. Are they comparable to fiebings? might be worth a try. If it was laser engraved do you think that doing large areas with a background tool are going to end up looking odd? i Have never tried it on a large space like that.

I just started doing some leather carving and could use some advice. I'm not looking at the construction of this as a whole just the carving and dyeing. http://media-cache-e...2483ad68d42.jpg It looks like the whole back ground area in this was gone over with a background tool. Am i right in guessing this? What would be my best option for the yellow parts on this? When i was looking at yellows at tandy and online the all looked too yellow or like they are not doing much more then adding a slight yellow tint to the leather. Any advice would be a great help. Like i said not trying to make the armor its self. I just like how the designs turned out on them.

HI, I’m looking to make a dome for a hat. I don’t have much experience with stretching/forming leather and was looking for some help. Can this be done out of one piece? It seems like this would leave folds but I don’t really know much about how far you can push leather. I was going to use 3-4 oz. I would like to eliminate any seams if I can. Any help you could give would be great. Thanks.