Tree Reaper

If it doesn't work to your expectations it most likely could be corrected by simply having the blade reground to a different angle but before you do that I would suggest having the blade sharpened by a professional. I wouldn't expect it to be perfect coming from Tandy but that doesn't mean you can't fix it.

My next awl will be made with a pin vise to get into tight places. I'll use a wooden handle that the pin vise can be set into but leave three or four inches of the vise outside the handle.

How do you plan on shaping the blade?

A finished Osborne awl blade is 7/64" wide, 3/64" on the flatter side and my preference for a blade length would be about 1 1/4" outside the handle, the Osborne is only 1".

Nicely done Nige. Thanks for your time and effort in making these videos. Kevin.

The flat side is handy when you are stitching something with high sides, it allows you to get closer so the blade enters straight and not at an angle. I made a handle but buy the blades. I haven't made a blade but I think you'll be looking at shaping, hardening and tempering prior to sharpening.

Using a nylon toothbrush lightly will help clean the stubborn ones but be sure to wear safety glasses if using the brush with chemicals.

I would wash them and try soaking them in CLR for a few minutes then wash them again.

The thing is, you are only spreading the leather apart, you aren't removing it like a drill bit would so it will work itself back together so I'm betting it won't be an issue for you.

A round awl blade will run about 2mm at the center. The problem with making a small hole is getting two thicknesses of thread through that small hole. You can use a 2mm awl blade and if you don't like the size of the holes just hammer the thread down after you're done stitching.

You could hand stitch it to the edge or stitch it to a piece of fabric and put the fabric between the layers of leather and machine stitch it.

Ostrich works.

Some kind of foil sleeve for the cards with a foil flap that closes over the open end, I'm guessing. Difficult to prove without an RF tester.

I would use denatured alcohol on the fresh leather and after that neatsfoot oil. If you see any sign after that then let the neatsfoot oil soak in for a couple of days and then try a deglazer..

If you use the C clamps use them with the screw down so you don't end up with metal flakes on your leather.

I was reading up on it and it appears the RFID chip signal is omnidirectional.

I don't have a tried and true answer but hanging them outside on a clothes line in the fresh air won't hurt them.

That's pretty much what I do, over stitch or back stitch, leave about 1/8" of tail and melt it down and press it into the stitch hole with my thumb on both sides. When hand stitching I can put both ends on the back side.

You can buy aluminum tape with an adhesive back that would easily stick to the inside of a wallet back. It's used for taping duct joints.

It might be time to consider lining wallets with foil to prevent credit card fraud. http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/lLAFhTjsQHw%26sns=em

I use a press for 3D stamps so that might be a consideration for you, it never fails to leave a deep impression. Even something as simple as a 6 inch C clamp might work better for you.

What are you using to put the leather on to stamp it? Which tool are you using to put in the 3D stamp? The larger the stamp the more pressure it will take because of the larger surface area. Do you have one of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftool-Ram-Foot-Heavy-Duty-/290313567372?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4398097c8c or a hefty handle?

Joe; It's an idea that worked for you and you were good enough to share it with everyone so if people want to modify it in any way to make it work for them then all the power to them. You deserve a lot of credit for not only the time spent on designing and testing this idea but more importantly sharing it and allowing people to decide for themselves what they want to do with it. Good work!

The only thing I didn't mention is the 1/2 inch router bit is a half a hair too large to get a friction fit so when I inverted the stamp to place it on the leather the individual stamps would have fallen out so to keep them secure I used rubber cement in the groove of the jig and it did the trick.

It can be made fairly quickly, I think this wooden one I made took about twenty minutes on the router table. If I was using it a lot I would have one machined out of metal but with the wood I can make a strip three feet long and just cut a new one if I needed it. Here's an end view ...