Tree Reaper

Thanks for that link, I was looking for high density foam for my press.

That's a terrible thing to cope with, you will recover in time. I hope you had insurance to cover most if not all of the damage. Deal with it the best you can and try not to let it consume you too, your family will over come this. Kevin.

You might find a small pin punch helpful, once you get flange off you can punch the rivet through the hole. Good luck.

If you drill a rivet it's bound to enlarge the hole, I find it better to grasp the edge with diagonal pliers and break the flange off by twisting it back and forth.

You might look at braiding.

Very solid looking, nice work!

That looks really nice, very nice.

You could dampen the leather, put a damp rag over it and let the mold eat it for a few days then clean it.

Get better dye. eco flo stays on the surface and doesn't penetrate the leather. It helps if you wipe the leather down with alcohol prior to applying the dye, this helps remove any contamination.

Welcome sammi, no need to apologize for not speaking English, you'll do fine through the translating. Kevin.

Yes, that strap. Just a different way to conceal the ends.

That looks very good. You can bury the strap ends through the front, between the leather and under the stitches to make it cleaner looking.

I find the 40 durometer too hard unless you have a dummy blank. If you mold a jack knife with 40 at 1 1/2 - 2 tons the rubber will not reach the bottom of the knife and if you go beyond that with the pressure you could easily crack the knife handle.

Repetition makes you a better leather worker, the next one is always better that the last. It takes time so take the time to do it right.

Use a single on the corner. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/Use-Diamond-Chisel-Set-3009-00.aspx

Hi Mike; Nothing too fancy, just a little extra work to make it work. I use a simple wood block about 1 1/2 inches thick and then I glue a piece of plywood to the bottom to strengthen it. You can buy router bits in any size you need, rout the block of wood, I rout about a 10 inch grove in the block and this makes two ends where I can get two separate cases from each mold. I glue a piece of formica to that and rout that out, this really helps to protect the top of the mold. I make a matching piece to go inside the groove minus the thickness of leather, the last one was made with clay that can be hardened in the oven. Use a piece of plywood on top to press on. Cut a square piece of leather, soak it for twenty seconds, work it into the groove and then put it in the press for a couple of hours then take the mold with the leather and put it in the oven to harden it.

If you want perfection, like anything else it's more work! I make a form and use a press to help form the leather. I started doing it like you are and wasn't happy with the results.

If these are young dogs, that's their nature. If you beat them they only learn to fear you, the stuff you value should be kept out of reach or the dog should have a kennel. There's a certain responsibility that comes with having a pet.

I've been taking Colloidal Silver and it has stopped the cough.

http://www.paragear.com/templates/parachutes.asp?group=34

That is most likely .8mm

If the project is large enough you can use it but it's a little overkill for the smaller pieces. You can buy it at Tandy in Spain. http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2012/01/20/465833/243294/en/Tandy-Leather-Factory-Announces-Opening-of-Leathercraft-Stores-in-Spain.html

Ken, it's nicely done, good job. I'm not a big fan of that style of loop but that's personal preference. You can add to it by using a design like the english point on your strap ends where they are stitched to the belt to make it more appealing but it looks very good.

It will stitch well away from the edge nicely but if you try and sew 3/16-1/4" along the edge the leather will get pushed down through the hole in the plate. There is a narrow slotted plate for this purpose but you can't use the feed dog.

.8 is heavy almost like string but I have stitched with it. That whipping twine for rope is on the heavy side. Most standard stitching thread will be between .5 and .7mm.