Blake

Hi Ed I'm surprised that CB doesn't carry the silicone lube. I'm not sure where you are located but usually any sewing or upholstery supply house will carry it. You might try Luberto's as I think that is what he reccomends for his machines. A Google search would probably find it. Sunbrand in Atlanta Ga. might also have it. You sure have a lot of questions about everything and I mean that in a good way. Knowledge is what will put you on the right path. What is your primary interest in leatherwork? Kind Regards Blake

Hi Ed I think that they might have meant for use in Needle Awl machines only as it could leave a lot of residue in the shuttle of a lockstitch machine. I use it in my Campbell and my Landis 3 but not with my cylinder arm Chandler. I haven't seen a need for lubricant with the modern poly threads but then again I don't do any high speed production work either. I like the paraffin with the linen thread as it does lubricate it while sewing and adds to the longevity of the stitch by coating it somewhat and protecting it from various elements. I don't dilute it. The Lily white oil that they speak of is pure mineral oil which doesn't attract debris like a motor oil will. I think what you may want to use is the silicon base lubricant for your lockstitch machine. Just my $.02 worth and you can keep the change. Oh, Thanks for the tip about burnishing. I will have to try it. Kind Regards Blake

Hi Ed Why is the emulsified paraffin not for use in the heavy stitchers???? I have been using it for a long time with no problems at all Straight out of the container. Also , I would not reccomend Neatsfoot compound or any oil as a thread lubricant. I have heard of using liquid soap but have no experiance with it. Kind Regards Blake

you can put me down as a volunteer. Are you going to form a show commitee or use the judges for that offense too? Kind Regards Blake Blake

Hi Bruce Sounds like everyone had a great time at the show. I hope to see everyone there next year. I have never used the ProCarv but I have used the Carv-Eze. It was just OK in my opinion. I got the same results with just plain old Photo-Flow from dark room supplies. I will have to give the ProCarv a try. Sometimes you have to maintain a good case for a long period when doing a fully tooled saddle with itty-bitty little flowers.(not my favorite to do), so I am always looking for an improvment. How would you compare ProCarv to Carv-Eze? Kind Regards Blake

--> QUOTE(Oscar B @ Mar 10 2007, 01:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would like to know if people use pro carve, if they have ever tried liquid saddle soap in carving water? Run accross some hide that soaked up water and stayed to dry to work with. A long time leather worker said to try some liquid saddle soap in the tooling water not much. Was a wits end so tried this out and have been using it ever since. It seems to take the wateer better, tool deeper and leaves a real nice burnish. Just wanted to know if any one else has tried this? Hello Oscar I like to try new things( at least it is to me) What is the mixing ratio and is one brand better than another? I have used Ivory soap ( bar only ) lathered up on a natural sponge and rubbed onto the leather with good results. This tip came from the late Bob Dellis. It sure reduces the drag on your swivel knife that you get from some saddle skirting. Kind Regards Blake

Hello Regis I think it is fairly common practice to have a stamp of some kind to identify your work. I think it shows pride in your craftsmanship and it also identifies it as made by YOU and not a copy or a knockoff. Many people buy handmade leather goods because they are unique and one of a kind or custom just for them. That almost can become meaningless without a makers stamp or mark. I have several stamps that I use. One is my saddle makers stamp that gives my name and location. I also have one that I use to mark books, spur straps chaps etc. It only says Blake Kral "Cowographer". I also had one before I sold my retail business and tried to retire that simply said Blake Kral Saddle Co.. That only showed that it was made by my company but not by me personally. Over the years I have had the pleasure of trading work with other craftsman and some of that work has become highly collectable but would not be without a makers mark. If you are considering buying one , A Delrin stamp would be a good starter and reasonably priced. After you use it awhile you may want to change it and that won't be as costly as a steel stamp. Of course there are exceptions. I reguested a Makers Stamp impression from a top Saddle Maker a few years back and he politely told me that he has never had one. That got me really looking at his saddles and they are all signed with a swivel knife and just plain old steel number and letter stamps that are used to mark steel. On the other hand his work in itself is his signature and extremely hard to duplicate. I can post a couple of pictures of my stamps if you are interested. Just my $.02 worth and you can keep the change. Kind Regards Blake

Stephanie was trying to find out how to convert those measurments to an actual pattern and then lay it out. I forwarded a diagram to her which is very basic and I will cover the variables with her via E-mail. If anyone else is interested, I will be happy to include you in the instruction and send you a diagram too. I have a painfully slow dial up so I'm not too sure I could do an online clinic. Maybe Johanne could answer that. Blake

Hello Stephanie First off, I really like your Handle. If I understand correctly, You are looking for the information as to how to measure and then lay out a custom pattern starting from scratch. The PV tape or CD on making chaps covers the construction but not the actual pattern making. It is not too complicated once you get the basics. I don't have a scanner but if you want to contact me off list I will be happy to discuss getting a diagram to you and discussing the variables involved. It sure would make a nice online clinic for someone to do. Kind Regards Blake cowography101@earthlink.net

Hi Tom Yep, that is what I need. The young lady that has been my supplier the past few years is moving on to boot making and will not have the time anymore. I thought that I would see if anyone on the group was interested before I contacted anyone else.. I usually order a few dozen rings at a time along with 8" shooflys for the girth and a few dozen smaller shooflys for bridles and also for zipper pulls on chaps. Thanks for getting back to me and any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Blake

Hello Everyone Is anyone on this list braiding Hobble Rings or Hitching Horsehair or making Shooflys? If so, please contact me. Thanks Blake

1. Purple rabbit fur 2. Buffalo or elk hide Does anyone know a good supplier? Hi Jessica Try "The Hide House Inc" located in Napa Ca. They show both in their catalog. Yes, purple rabbit among other colors. www.hidehouse.com 800 453 2847 I've had good luck with their leathers and the variety is great. Shipping is fast and painless. Blake

[quote name='Tom Katzke' Hello Tom Please post your opinions and conclusions of the conditioner after you have had a fair amount of time to evaluate it. Thats what I love about these groups, It is so easy to learn new things if you ask. Kind Regards Blake

Hello L J That mat'l has changed several times over the years. Some of the early templates became brittle with age. I don't know how much you need but any plastics company (JOBBER) should carry something similiar. I would check your yellow pages.. I have bought small sheets in small quantity from Hobby Lobby for various applications. Maybe someone on the list with more knowledge about plastics can tell us the exact pedigree. Blake

Hello Jim Thanks for sharing , Your work has a neat unique look. I really like it. Tell us about the construction. Its hard to tell from the pictures. Inquiring minds want to know! Best Regards Blake

Hello Tyson Welcome to the group ! You have a somewhat common situation. You have some variables that will always affect the results. The source and tanning methods of your leather will have a big bearing on the richness of your color. Some tanneries in other countries take some short cuts to keep the costs down or they just simply don't have the $$$$ for the best methods available today. The finish that you are after can be achieved easily with fresh quality veg tan leather and pure neatsfoot oil. You can take it a tad darker with feibings saddle oil with silicon. Neatsoot compound(not reccomended) will of course take it much darker. Olive oil has been proven over the years to be a decent treatment for some items but I would not reccomend it for a purse. It has been known to go rancid and insects are also fond of it. I have had good results using leather cremes rather than oil for a more golden color. Aussie dressing comes to mind along with leather dressings made by Stubben and Passier. You can sun tan the leather but it should be done before oiling and then in moderation. Items oiled with pure neatsfoot will lighten up over several days after treatment as the oil migrates through the fibers. A finish of Tan-Kote will give a mellow richness to the color and after it is dry, a more permanent finish can be applied over that. I know this doesn't really answer your question so maybe some more information from you will help . Bottom line is you are going to have to find the limits of the leather that you are using and then go from there. Kind Regards Blake PS Where are you located in Texas?

Hello Bruce Thank you for the clarification on the taps and cutters. A poor choice of descriptive words on my part and exposure of my limited knowledge about some of the methods. I have been curious about the laser engraved Delrin masters so if you would like to elaborate a little on your experiances I am sure it would be appreciated by all. What is the approx. cost per item?Its always good when you can get first hand opinions. Can you post a picture and an impression of one? I have always made my tap offs from leather mainly because they were quick and convienant and The other big reason for me is that I could make them to work with specific tools that I already have which in turn shortened the tooling time on gear that I was making. When you do it for a living, That has to be taken into consideration. I have leather tapoffs that were made many years ago and used hard . They still have life in them so I can't complain about the investment .Heck, I even have some given to me by Bob Dellis just before he passed away that he tried to use up over the years. That is indeed sad news about Mitch Botts. If I remember correctly, He was Jay Lynns Brother in Law and the machinest behind the company . Mitch will be missed by the community and I hope his passing will not change the company as they are one of the best out there. Good solid industrial srength tools. Kind Regards Blake

Hi Jim That is pretty interesting. You might even start a cottage industry if you could produce them in quantity. Have you seen the prices that Gore Tool gets for there aluminum taps? How large do you think you could go without it becoming unstable? I would imagine that the leather backing would help with that. I did some masters , Fully Tooled a few years back for a company that used them to cast or mould lamp bases out of plastic. after they were finished you couldn't tell it from the real thing unless you probed it. You could even see every flaw in the grain. Made me nervous and insecure about the future of leather work in general. Where in Alabama are you located?I'm an old "WAR EAGLE" Blake

Thank you for the compliment Shirley. I have a ton of those brass nails from a project that I did last year for an interior decorator. We did a complete office, Desk, chair, credenza ?(spelling?) computer desk, gun cabinet and picture frames. All antiqued oakleaf and acorn tooling. I don't care if I never do another oakleaf! The nice part is that The decorator will buy just about any decor items that I produce with those brass nails. Go Figure? A brass tack fetish maybe? I've been going to an unfinished furniture store and buying small items like night stands and end tables and covering and tooling the tops along with the nails and they are moving pretty good right now and I'm sure its the brass nails because anything that I've done without them was moving slow. Blake

Hello JoHanna A picture along with a model number would be nice. Where are you located? I have a client in Florida looking for machinery. Thanks Blake

Hello If the antique paste is cracking and flaking then you are leaving too much on. You should apply it well and then wipe off all the excess. I even remove most of it from the cuts using a shoe brush. It should only high light the tooling and it should only be used over a top coat or sealer. Its carrier is mineral spirits and that can be used to clean up some of the caked on antique paste or even as a thinner. The heal and sole dressing is water based and can usually be bought from any shoe supply company where they sell soles, heals and other findings.It can also be bought direct from fiebings or they will give you their closest pusher. It allows the grain of the leather to show so it doesn't look as artificial as some other products do. The edge kote is an entirely different animal and I will use it on some smaller items but I actually prefer the old method of hand rubbing the edges of most of my work using canning wax or something similiar. I have a friend that does use edge Kote as a dye in small areas when doing pictorial carving. The sheen on the Lone Star box is Tan-Kote applied after everything has dried a second coat would add more gloss. I hope that I have answered your questions. Kind Regards Blake

Hello JoHanna How do you resize a photo if it exceeds 500K? I think the ones that I am posting are too big when opened by Internet Explorer Blake

Your idea of a clinic sounds like a great idea. If you could post a picture of one, so I know what to shoot for that would be greatly appreciated. Well, I have to go give this a try now. Thanks again Blake. Lets see if I can do this right so the pictures aren't too big. they should be in JPG. Blake

Now, I'm interested in the color/finish technique: how did you do it? Hi, Sorry about the size. I'm not sure why, maybe our moderator can help and give me a few tips. I use FireFox browser and it sizes everything for me. I did open them with Internet Explorer and you are right, They are HUGE. I take a simple approach to finish, The first box & the spur straps is PURE Neatsfoot then background is dyed using dark brown oil dye ( Fiebings) then an acrylic finish, let dry and then Fiebings Antique paste. I like it better then the liquid antique stains and I also like the way the leather feels after treatment. The middle box is going to sound strange but it is one of my favorites taught to me by the late Bob Dellis. It is Pure neatsfoot again then given a liberal coat of Fiebings Heel & Sole Dressing wipe it off and apply again if you want it darker. It is water based and can be almost completely washed off if done within a reasonable time before it sets. Then I finish it with Tan-Kote. This stuff is pretty useful as a highliter too. Bad news, it only comes in the one color as the black just leaves everything a dingey gray. I have never played around with the black but given time I'm sure someone could find an application for it. If you would like , I could E-mail the pictures to you properly sized. Kind Regards Blake