radar67

Check out Joewoodworker.com He has plans to build your own vacuum out of a venturi for your air compressor. He even shows how to make your own bags. If you have a surplus of parts, you can build it rather inexpensive. He has a base kit for $150.

I use a #2 and #3 for the leather thicknesses you listed. The tool should have a number on it somewhere. The older tools have the number closer to the working end and the newer tools, closer to the handle. The tool is an edge beveler.

I've never used the product you use. Can it be thinner by heating it up a little? If you can get it thinner, it should spread easier and faster. I've used a product called Snow Seal on boot before and it was much easier to apple when heated. It was beeswax based as well. What is the consistency of the Aussie? Is is paste like?

I think the 7 piece set is a good starting point. Other tools I would consider for belt making would be a good strap and strip cutter, a good rotary punch, and a good utility knife. a NO 2 edger if you want to round the edges off a bit, and a good sewing awl if you want to make two layer belts. A groover and stitch marker would come in handy too.

That looks really nice. Simple and clean.

The small cases books from Tandy have a detail of how to make a handle that is just a larger version of the "bracer" fasteners. (bracers connect to buttons, suspenders connect with clips) I believe it is listed in the first or second one. Basically, you roll a piece of leather over a small strip if leather and sew it to get the "round" effect. the ends are left unrolled and un-sewn for the button hole slits. The end of the slit has a hole punched in it to give relief for the button "stud".

Slow the blade down to keep the poly from melting.

I'm a lefty too and use the wooden Tandy strap cutter. It works well, but get extra blades.

I spoke with my close Tandy store yesterday. Brian Cockshutt, the current manager, will be moving to Portland to fill the position. You will be getting a good man. He has always been very helpful at the store in New Orleans, LA. We will miss him down here, sure hope his replacement is as good as he is.

Gawdzilla, the vests, vambraces (cowboy cuffs), hats, and wrist bands are the main items sold at most of the conventions I have attended.

Tandy sells that clasp, and I believe I have seen it at Hobby Lobby as well.

Steampunk is neo-victorian science fiction. It is what the world would be like today if the industrial revolution had never happened and steam continued to be the power source of the world. The cuffs I make are steampunk inspired. I have several albums of pictures from conventions with steampunk themes on my facebook fan page (search Terry Stewart Photography). For those in the Oklahoma area, there will be a convention in Oklahoma City 15-17 Apr. Oklahoma Steampunk Exposition. I will be there. And yes, it is an excuse for us adults to dress up. It is a lot of fun too.

Alvin, the link is to a North Carolina company. You can order from the website.

Sounds like you may be using the awl as a stylus. That is way too sharp. Don't sand it or it will not work as an awl. I used an old ball point pen to trace with until I got a stylus.

I use the wooden strap cutter from Tandy. Once you get used to it, it does a great job. I also use a head knife for some of the longer, wider cuts. A good scribe line, as recommended above, helps a lot.

What type of scraps are you using? My first scrap were farm remnants. They worked somewhat, but was hard to get a good lasting impression. When I got my first real piece of vegi tanned leather, the difference in tooling was night and day.

What surface are you working on? You need a solid surface with no bounce to get a good strike. Hold a little pressure down on your seeders to help keep them from bouncing. On the smaller stamps a single good hard hit is best. On the veiners, hold pressure to one side for the first strike, then rock the tool to the other side for the second strike. My first attempts were on a TV tray and that was a fail. A rubber hammer is a fail as well. A good poly or leather mallet is best.

Didn't they cowboys use a rawhide loop over the hammer to hold the pistol in the holster? I've seen a few reproductions that do.

I would highly suggest a good strap cutter and a strap end cutting stamp. With that said, you can cut everything with a good sharp utility knife to get you started, just be careful with it. I use a head knife for the long straight cuts, but that takes some getting used to and it would eat your budget quick.

I watched the video on Tandy's site to get a grasp on the technique. I have to get eveything like I want it, and block the finished parts to get a good antique. I also found I was being too stingy with the antiquing gel. You have to use enough to keep the piece wet until you are ready to wipe it off.

I make bracers and started with the Cowboy Cuff patterns from Tandy. I found if you measure your wrist like you mentioned and use a center line to transfer the sizes it makes it easier to make a pattern. Once I get those lines, I select the pattern from the cowboy cuffs I like and transfer to the top and bottom of my lines. You also need to measure the distance up and down the arm between your circumference measures. I don't use laces, I use a leather "bar" and snaps to fasten the cuffs. For laces, I would allow about an inch shy of the actual measurements to be able to get them tight enough. Experiment with construction paper before you start cutting leather. It will let you see where the problems will be on sizing. Here are a couple of my projects.

Have you considered using an acrylic paint? You can thin it down and apply several coats to get it to penetrate the leather.

Thanks for the pictures Gawdzilla. Optical illusions can be confusing at times.