Glendon

That's pretty awesome. You never know who you;re going to meet when you have something interesting to talk about, or in this case, sell.

I am by no means an expert, but here's the answer I got when I asked this about an arbor press a month or so ago. People were debating whether break cleaner was safe or not. Some people were saying that it might speed up corrosion and shorten the life of the machine, even if it wasn't immediately obvious. What was recommended to me to try first was a green degreaser called Simple Green. You can pick up a bottle at most auto shops. Worked very well for me.

Out of curiosity, I checked with Kevin over at Springfield Leather Co. Any traditional bark tanned leather is hard to come by. Oak bark specifically, he said is pretty much impossible in any kind of consistent quantity or quality. The only exception I've seen is the one tannery I linked to above. Any number of members here could create the exact belt you want using modern veg-tan and dying it to your preference. A true oak bark belt however would be hard to come by. tannerbates.co.uk might be worth contacting to see if they would be willing to do a custom project.

Like everything with leather, it depends on application. Chrome tan is usually cheaper and easier to come by, but over time it can damage metal because of the chemicals used in the tanning process. So bad idea for anything that is going to have metal sitting up against the leather long periods of time. Oil tan is much more weather resistant, but some people don't like the waxy oily feel. Veg tan is the safest option, but of course is usually going to be the most expensive of the three in the same weight. And chrome and oil tans can not be stamped. Personally, I like oil tan for bags and pouches. For hunting gear especially, some weather protection is important. With chrome tans, you're pretty much done. About the only finsh you can add is some wax. Veg tan of course you'd have to go to town on to get it oiled to the right level or use acrylic finishes. You could always use a veg tan trim or panel if you'd like to do s stamping pattern, but ya I would say try out an oil tan and see how you like it.

Out of curiosity, I flipped through the OTB catalog and found exactly 3 buckles with antique copper as a finish option. Here are the item numbers, C-1592, C-2010, C-1593. The first one is 1in. The others are larger. Everything else is your standard brass, nickel, silver, and black enamel. Hope this helps.

The simple classic designs area always the best looking. I like the color choice. Thanks for sharing.

Ok, I'm going to point you to http://www.tannerbates.co.uk/sales/the-oakbark-leather-belt because I can find exactly one professional tannery that does oak bark tanning http://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/, and not many more places that sell finished goods. Some of the friendlier leather suppliers might be able to track the leather down for you, but it looks like you will have to do some leg work yourself if you really want this belt. Sorry.

Then I would use the playing card case pattern, but use a box of the right size as your form. Maybe the cartridge case on page 27 is more what you want. If you don't want to mess with wood forms, another option might be HDPE plastic. Depends on what is easier for you to get hold of. I use the plastic because I live in a city with a local plastics supplier comfortable working with poor artists on small projects, and there are few lumber yards. If the wood forms are easier fir you to source, that's what I'd use.

Hi all, Would anyone happen to know where I might find a pattern for golf club head covers? I know there are places that make them out of leather online, but I think they might have developed their own patterns. I can do my own patterns for basic shapes, but I can't get my head around the odd shapes needed to make something like this.

Fingerless gloves. http://springfieldle...appa%2C1-1-2oz/ http://www.glove.org/default.php Seriously, great project. Make a normal pair of gloves, then cut off the tips of the fingers right at the first knuckle so you still have your finger tips for fine control. There might be more professional sewing tricks out there, but this works.

Best place to start would be the Art of Making Leather Cases books. Great starting patterns in there for briefcase / attaché case style bags.

Just checked my copy of The Art of Making Leather Cases. The bowling ball pattern / instructions are in vol. 2 page 87. At least in the most recent printing they are.

My personal opinion is that it's a "leaf" pouch. It's not supposed to be perfectly aligned. If it was perfectly symmetrical like it came out of a factory, then it would look off.

Marble is more traditional in leaherwork I think. Don't quote me on that, but its the feel I've gotten. But granite is the better material. Granite is harder, so will not chip near as easily if you clip a corner or something. It's also more likely to dull your blades then get scratched. Marble can be etched by mistake. Granite is also nearly impervious to spills. Marble can be stained by dyes. Granite won't in most cases. Basically, marble is a softer more porous store. Given the choice, I'd go with granite.

Hi there, This probobly should be in the help wanted forum. That being said though, depending on the details, what you are looking for should not be that difficult to do. You'll probobly want to check with a couple of the U.K. members of the board for someone with experience with Oak Bark leather. Are you looking for a particular style? Modern dress belt or a more traditional look?

I am pretty sure that the 800 number is U.S. only. They wouldn't want to pay long distance on an international call. 800 numbers aren't known for the best per minute prices. I hate to say it, but I think a cell call to their direct number might be your best option. I don't know how Canadian cell long distance works though. Here in the U.S., long distance cell calls to North America are usually free or very cheap.

Might be interesting as someones first project. You'd definitely have a handle on bag making by the time you're done, but I'm with you. It's a bit overkill. If you're actually hauling that much gear, a pack makes more sense.

How are they set up for ordering? It looks like from their website that they're used to face to face custom stuff. I may just have to give them a call and ask. Those do look like some nice template sets.

You are not going to find free shipping at too many places. Leather simply has some weight to it, so they have to charge shipping. The $10 - $12 amount is typical. The only company I know of off hand that does free shipping is waterhouseleather.com. They do not sell tools, finishing products, anything like that. They sell leather. As for avoiding tax, try Springfield Leather Co. Very good people to work with. They were a Tandy store that was bought out by the manager. Just to offer some advice, this is why people don't make $40 - $50 orders. I save up a couple of projects until I have a $100 order. When you're doing that, the $10 shipping doesn't hurt as much. If nothing else, leatherwork teaches you how to plan.

There are a ton of options of course, but the two main tanners people seem to go for around here are Herman Oak and Wickett & Craig. I personally buy most of my leather from Springfield Leather Co. Kevin and the ladies over at Springfield have always been great. But to be honest. everyone who advertizes here seems to be a solid option.

Chaves, the gadget plus iPad / iPod or Android app you are thinking of is called Square. A lot of the dealers and artists at anime conventions have started using it in the last few years. The fees are a little high, but not insanely so I don't think. A swiped card transaction costs 2.75% and a typed in transaction costs 3.5% + 15 cents. Ya, that's higher then the 20 cent average per transaction a merchant account would cost, but that is with no monthly fees, no minimum transactions, no set-up fee, no nothing.

Thanks. A flat edge did the trick. Just took a little more force then I was expecting.

Quick follow up question. I'm just now getting around to using a beveled I bought awhile back. Is there a trick to getting this stuff off? It's like melted on. Not like it's designed to peal off.

Not my favorite color personally, but I like the design. Sometimes a nice big bag is just what you need. Not a ton of little pouches and pockets and everything.

I found the same thing when I was researching before starting my leather hobby. A lot of the bigger more hobby focused storefronts allow you to order online, but leather is still mainly a one on one personal relationship business. You could spend hours searching online for something you could accomplish in five minutes with one maybe two phone calls. It's something us younger guys have to get used to.