Grandpa

I bought a small palm sander from Harbor Freight, works great!

I use the simple $4 stamp from Tandy, then add my initials using a 1/8" alphabet stamp set.

I did use one but think I may have been too light on it. It shows in the pic but you have to look close. I'm thinking a bit heavier will add better definition.

Excellent, looks great and I'm sure will be appreciated. Keep it up!

I'm pleased with everything but the Elk, the face looks goofy, and the Moose, but only because its on thin leather so it lacks definition. The Longhorn is on med and the trio on thick leather. Time to do 2-3 more elk/deer heads so I can get the shape & shading definition down better. I've lots of room for improvement but one never gets better w/o practice.

A portfolio for an 8½x11 tablet. It was a lot of work and a ton of fun to do. My first basketweave pattern and my first critter too, a squirrel. Double loop laced, pig skin for the liner and Acorn Brown all-in-one as it best matched the liner. Since its for me (I'm retired) I opted not to put a pocket on the left flap for papers, nor a business card holder. Papers can easily fit under the tablet<G>. I've a small slit in the center to clip a mechanical pencil into. Its not perfect, far from it, however it was an excellent learning project and for me a functional one for notes I may do for leathercraft or other hobbies I have. It was fun making something freehand.

I checked out the chart yesterday and they pretty much dropped the 'tree' tools and retained only the F912's in their place for that work which is what they offer as the replacement. 913's/914's/873/874/921's/922-3 etc are history. The book showing various tools and those tools no longer being available thru them - bummer! I have tha F927 and for the smaller trees it does a super job on the outter edges. I searched the web for the older ones too and no luck but think I may be able to do a little filing to tweak these two I bought so the impressions look better. Never thought a Fir/Spruce could be so hard. Pine is a piece of cake though<G>. I'll figure it out, no danged tree is going to halt my Pictorials and Figure Carving. My poor painting skills might though...

Ahh Ha! I wasn't aware of that. As I look at the impression of these, and then those in the book, it seems like he may well have thinned down and curved the bottom side of them removing the distinct sharper edge, which it looks like would account for what the book impressions have. I may do some minor modification experimenting with mine and/or try modifying a veiner as some already have a similar size and curve. Annoying for sure<sigh>. Thanks for the info!!

This is the tool pair (F912 L&R) used to do larger Fir & Spruce trees as per Stohlman's Pictorial Carving book. I've tried over and over for the last week to get trees to look similar to those in the book with no luck. Maybe its me but it almost seems like the tool impressions in the book are slightly different (yet similar) than the actual tool impressions of the ones Tandy sells and that's why they don't look the same. My local Tandy folks have had the same result as I too. Has anyone used these successfully and if so can you provide some advice, tips, tricks? TIA...

I'm interested in doing some acrylic leather painting if you will, scenes, critters, maybe flowers etc. I note several references on the 'net saying one should ensure the acrylic paint used is for leather, and others who make no mention of it at all. I've been told too that acrylic is acrylic is acrylic, that it doesn't really matter if it says "for leather" or not. Most items I'd do wouldn't be intended for heavy use, like a wallet for instance, but some could be for light use, like the writing tablet portfolio I'm doing now. Most would be framed pictures though. So I turn to those much more learned than I and ask: Is acrylic paint "for leather" a necessity or will pretty much any acrylic paint work on leather? Any other tips, tricks or comments would be greatly appreciated by this newbie leather painter. Edit: Should have mentioned that the painting would be over carved and tooled images as opposed to just paint on flat leather.

I have the HF set and use them for putting my initials inside of Tandy's generic makers stamp. They work excellent for that purpose. TAP LIGHTLY or the heads impression will imprint in the leather, however practice will get you there. HF sells larger size sets too but I find the ¼" to be suitable for what I do.

If I may be so bold - I'd be more inclined to simply make one out of an existing stylus by filing/sanding off the end and lightly rounding the tip to a fine rounded point. Or as mentioned, a fine tipped ink pen, another excellent idea IMO. I prefer using the standard tracing film too and hesitate to use something as fine as saran wrap as I'd probably push too hard and tear it or make holes, however a page protector sheet might fill the bill well as they come in a couple different thicknesses. I'll be attempting to do just that with a paper inside and the image of a critter on it soon for my notebook project. I like the idea of using clear packing tape too for smaller things, great thought. Now to experiment a bit with clear transparancies in my inkjet. Dang I enjoy this forum!!

Harbor Freight happens to have an amusing security bit set that has some nifty shapes one can do stamping with. I have this one and like the variety, and the price. http://www.harborfreight.com/100-piece-security-bit-set-68457.html

Not for me, and the projects I've used them on so far were not dyed or stained either. If you freehanded something they ~might~ but mine were within shapes I'd cut & tooled so they had concise borders & the colors stayed perfectly within those bounds. They also work great as a fill for stamped letters/names. No bleeding whatsoever. A lot of people in our local group use them and really like the end result on a variety of projects vs using a dye and brush method.

Saturate - you must have gotten a bad one. Mine are much thicker tips so perhaps that's why mine work ok. With mine I press the tip down several times which goes back up into the body of the pen or press and hold for maybe 5 seconds max and the ink inside saturates the tip. I have them for both gold and silver, which I apply to the item I want to color ~after~ adding an undercoat of sheen and letting the sheen dry first. Sheen first lets the silver & gold stand out, otherwise the leather soaks up the gold and silver and no color shows. Then seal again with sheen. For other colors I use Sharpie's, which for the last few projects worked perfectly w/o any undercoat of sheen. These are just regular Sharlpie pens, not the push the end to wet type like you have. I did roses, green leaves and brown branches and they came out great. I only use the sheen undercoat for the metallic color(s). Much easier than using a paint brush however both of mine were smaller projects so a Sharpie was a great fit. On a larger project a brush or whayever may be a better fit. I of course seal all that w/ sheen too. If you've not tried Sharpies, do so, the results are awesome.

Are these the type of pens that require the tip to be depressed so the fluid will wet it? I've some older silver ones that require that to use. On mine you place the tip on a piece of paper and push down and the tip goes back into the body of the pen.

I've been off the forum for a couple years but not from leathercrafting. I've done a number of kits and am ready to do a little freelancing now, a portfolio/notebook and a shoulder bag. Figure carving is my newest endeavor so that will be part of these two projects. They may be ambitious projects and toolings but something I'm excited to try so it's time to go4it!

I thought the kit was quite pricey too so I'm embarking upon my first scratch project, that being a shoulder bag and a portfolio to hold a tablet - instead of a briefcase - even though I'm retired<G>. I found two really nice pieces of leather big enough for both projects for $25ea @ my local Tandy, plus plenty left over to make a two piece strap and some other projects. I love oak leaves so I'm using two patterns from Stolhman's Vol 1 design book (by Peter Main) of tracing patterns for oak leaves, flowers, roses & scrolls. One for the portfolio face and the other a larger pattern for the shoulder bag face. The portfolio will have a large squirrel inside the perimeter pattern (my first wildlife image too) so I've been practicing on wildlife using some really good books on the subject. So far so good! The squirrel came from pics I found searching the Internet. I hesitant to do a basket weave on the backside because my last attempt at basket weave really stunk, but with practice... It will be lined and have a pocket flap for papers to lie under like portfolio's do. I intend to lace its perimeter w/ regular 1/8" or 3/32" contrasting colored lacing material. The portfolio will open 180º to lie flat and I'll thin that using a palm sander instead of grooving it, what was recommended for being a better means for a folding portfolio. I'll thin the perimeter some too so it'll be easier to lace because its thinner and hopefully will make the leaves and squirrel pop out a bit. The shoulder bags front flap will have another oak leaf surround, but larger, and some wildlife form inside of it, a different squirrel, or an elk, bear or moose - still contemplating. I may make the flap of thinner material than the body of the bag so its flexible and easily lifted, but who knows for sure on that yet. This use a 5/32" contrasting colored latigo on it, probably laced instead of whipped. Yes, ambitious for sure, especially for me, but I've given it a lot of thought & figure it's time to bite the bullet. I've done enough kits I want to freelance a bit, and I'm getting a lot of encouragement and ideas from my local Tandy guy. I figure when all is said and done my total investment in materials for both the bag and portfolio will be under $100 which is worthwhile IMO. Just as a point of interest, I have no connection to Tandy. I'm just a Grandpa that really enjoys the hobby, have made all my grand kids several items, purses, belts, wallets, journals etc & now want to try something different before the big dirt nap arrives as I'm for sure not getting any younger.

Ok, my interest has been piqued, I'd like access too please.

You can copy the saved image into Word, or the freebie Micro$oft compatible office application "Open Office" and resize easily from there. If you don't have it as a file but can see it on your monitor -=AND=- have MS Vista, you can use the snipping tool which is included(under Accessories) and copy, paste, resize, save etc that way. You can save the captured screen image as a file or as I mentioned, paste into a document and save or print etc. I find images I like then copy/paste (or use the Snipping Tool) them into a Word doc. Later on I open the doc, click on the image, resize or copy/paste to another Word doc and print so I have the pattern as a hard copy to trace onto tracing film or directly onto the leather. Works for me!

Is any of this open to the public, like viewing the works and such or does one have to be a IFLG member to attend - in any fashion? John D.

Would you believe this book is available at Border's Books(the big Nat'l chain) for $9.99? And to top it off, I was able to use a 33% off coupon for my copy so it cost me about $7.50 w/ tax. Excellent book for sure! John D.

Thanx for mentioning the Albuquerque show. I'd no idea we had such coming and will be sure to attend since I live in Abq and enjoy leathercraft. I'm "ASSuming" that the show will be held at the Marriott where they guild recommends people get reservations. I didn't see a site other than the hotel on the web page for it. FWIW, the International Balloon Fiesta will be held here(Albuquerque) Oct 1-9, a HUGE event, and rooms are very hard to obtain for it. And the weekend after that is NewMexPex, our annual stamp show/bourse for all you Philatelists(stamp collectors). John D.

Excellent ideas everyone. Thanx so much for your responses, most appreciated! John D.

So lets assume that one finally creates a pattern they like for something, maybe a small cell phone case. What is typically used to create a template for this pattern? I'm not talking about a carving pattern but rather a pattern you'd use to trace onto leather and cut out, like the outline so to speak. Thin cardboard, thin plexiglass, masonite, posterboard? John D.