bluesman1951

Thanks for your words . Sometimes its impossible to filter out the junk in life .Days full of frustrations .Using public transportation will make you a little nuts ,combine that with computers and you have no chance at all .LOL Has any body noticed that spell check dont work here ? I have 6 new designs on the bench at the same time now adding to the frustration level. My patterns normaly make things easy and now for some reason they all seem to be just a little off . I am missing the mark by a quater of a inch every where . Cant seem to find the center of any thing . Any way enough of my stuff . I am gratful you took time from your life to write . For that I thank you sincerely . Bill

Thanks for your words.I get that permission thing every time I wish to look at a picture. Yes I am logged in . Guess its just me having problems . Iam gratful you took time to say something ,thats nice of you . Bill

I am at a loss for words my life is filled with way too many NO's . Road blocks to every thing . Time to unplug all this technology stuff and go for a long walk . Bill

Hello from Albuquerque New Mexico. Welcome !!! looking forward to seeing your work . All my very best . Bill

You can use some wallpaper with a self glueing back just peel the back off the wall paper and lay the hide down on the paper and smooth out flip it over and cut with a rotary cutter and straight edge . Then simply peel off the wall paper . This trick works well with thin leathers and the lace cutter from Tandy gives the leather some body it dont have on its own . I still believe a 4inch wide 36inch long by 3/16 pexi glass straight edge is the only way to go ,used with a 60mm rotary cutter . Its wide enough not to move end to end and the 3/16 thickness prevents the blade from doing a up and over causing injuries. With this set up you can cut lace strings ,5 to a inch perfect end to end the length of a hide . Personaly I woud rather have sharp things moving away from me rather than pulling a razor towards my body . Hope this helps . Bill

Every things these days is throw away . We cant fix any thing any more . First its the machines then one day it will be our turn to be obsolete . I never touched a computer before my 60th birthday ,thats a late start and I am not sure its a good one . If you wish to see me zone out and my eyes glaze over .Say to me "All you have to do is......." This guranteed to bring on a catatonic state . LOL Hope you enjoy your new TV . Thanks for you words and the story ,I enjoyed that a lot . Bill

Thanks for your words . Dont really know what to say because I dont understand all the computer stuff you spoke of . For me it either works or it dont . I am just too darn old to be putting up with a bunch of changes ,I like it when things work the way I rembered them . As the days stack up I would like to feel smarter rather than dumber with each passing day . LOL I am unhappy and sad with this I enjoyed being here and seeing all the work now am just frustrated and annoyed . Bill

Phil,Thanks for your words! I had a favorite radio program I listened to for many years every night at bed time . The station folke decided to drop that program in favor of something else. That day I turned the radio off and it has not been turned back on in two years now . I listened for twenty years to that program and for me it was like loseing a old friend . Yes I miss the flags too ,it matters when you reply to something ,simply cant tell a guy in Russia to go to Tandy or buy something thats common to you in the states ,when he or she simply cant get that item . Makes you look like a fool ,and reminds others that life is just not like it is here for all . Thats unecessary and unkind . I dont know about you but I dont like feeling like a idiot or being told no to something . Right now every time I click on the gallery photos I am being told I dont have permission to view those . PERMISSION!!!!!!!! I dont need any bodys permission to see any thing that infuriates me to no end . Whats up with that any way ????? I have days full of NO's and annoying stuff every day ,people making decisions that affect your bottom line in a negative manner . What I need in my life is less things to click on ,less buttons ,fewer complications , and less annoyances . Right now I am sure I dont like the changes ,do you think removing the flags made any bodys life better ? No I think not and yet a decision was made that affected all in some manner ,and for what ??? Too make it better ??? I dont think so !! I want to thank you sincerely for your thoughts and words . Dont know what I am going to do ,I do know I am not going to deliberately going to annoy myself with something that has become difficult to use . Bill

I am a old man ,new to computers and I cant stand change ! I suppose the computer is not the place for me then . Some one put a lot of work into this new look here on this site . On one hand I should be honouring the work done on the other hand all I can think is "OH NO NOW ONCE AGAIN I FEEL LIKE A IDIOT " . I hate stumbling around blind trying to find out how things work after changes . I have always said if it works why change it ? Most of the time I end up frustrated and just go away after changes ,sad because I like this site and the people . As I get older and the world changes I feel less competent with each passing day . This is frustrating and I dont really know else to say . Its hell getting up each day and feeling like a idiot when you cant make things work . I am part of the on /off crowd why does one need more buttons than that ? What will come of this I have no idea ,will I be able to make it work I dont know . For now the familiar is gone and I am lost ,thats my problem for sure . Thats my two cents !!

Hi ,I dont know any thing about fashion things like these . What one can do is respect the artist and the time spent from conception to completion . Each cut from the layout to the step by step assembly for that you have my applause . You need some feed back from the women here . Just a short hello from America one artist to another . Keep on trying ! Bill

David ,The link I gave you will take you to site with hundreds of pages of leather how to's . Might as well make a launcher on your home page so you can return with a single click. I think you will find many things of value there if you choose to look . Best wishes for many hours of productive leather working . Bill

I like it a lot very nicely done ! I am not sure you said you laced it a couple times ,are you having trouble with that ? If so try looking at this site www.kingsmerecrafts.com The double pass edge braid is nice ,on this project I think its worthy of the time it takes to do the triple pass edge braid . Regardless its a mighty fine project and you should be proud of the work you have done . Bill

Experience has taught me that a proper jig and a efficient method is the only way to do this . Buy the tool .I book marked a site that sells a better version of the spot setter you showed here . PM me and Ill find it and send the details . Check www.goodsjapan.com for this tool . If they are not straight they will not sell then you have wasted time and material and a booth fee . I must say your question was well prepared and executed with all the pages to make your point . These shows are full of pros and may not be the best place to get your feet wet in this arena .If its just about fun then why not try who knows what will happen . You will get a education one way or another . Good Luck !

Very nicely done . Size is just right . Dimensions are key with these projects. My compliments sir a fine job . Time well spent ! You should be proud of this . Bill

Well said ,very well said ! It matters not which sex made a project just that its well done . I offer as proof of this : www.twistedfringe.com Brenda and Steven Lampman are they the best ever I dont know ? Are they mighty fine you bet . They are expensive and they sell all they make . Do I wish I was that good ,you bet I do !!!! My hats off to Brenda any day of the week ! Steve is a mighty good man too . They work together on these bags and are famous here in the South west. . Shila Love makes some right fine medicine bags ,she is now retired from the business but in her day a signed bag from her was a collectors dream . I have been doing leather to long to even care about the petty side of this stuff . There is nothing new under the sun in this day and age. When I get tired of making stuff I will teach or quit altogether .

People all have opinions some founded in fact others in fantasy. Sad part about people with delusions is that after they have told the lie often enough in their minds it becomes fact . LOL The pretenders and fakes are exposed by simply looking at the work . Some people lack education and vocabulary to properly express them selves so the over used phrase comes to the front " Best I have ever seen " Truth be be told their experience may be very small ,sadly that makes their statement true ,but of no value at all . Life is too short to be schooling people about talent comparisons and skill levels . I would be up set but if my work was selling and I was happy with my life I would let my work speak for itself . Either buy it from me or someone else it dont matter to me . I followed some one on the way up and someone is surely following me now . I have maybe 6 years left before my kids will not let me play with glue and fire or really sharp stuff so it just dont matter . Every one knows who the liars and pretenders are and even a idiot can see the difference in quality .

Bags all cut ,trimmed and holes punched . Got the strap holes left to punch . This is the way it looks when all the pieces are placed in relation ship to where they go . Going to talk to my contract sewing person Tuesday and see what is needed to make sewing these fast and efficient . Going for the seam less look with seams inside . The flap gets the 3 pass Spanish edge braid . Goin shopping for buckles next . I have some hot red patent Leather coming Tuesday so I may do some art work on the flap ,spider or something depends how I feel . Skulls would be bad to the bone too. Still workin that out in my head . I have 8 cut so I can do a bunch of different ones . One day at a time . Today its soft leather bags for another order . Bill

I have them all cut out and the holes punched except for the straps . Ill lay a complete one out later this evening take pictures and send one to you so you can see the assembly process in relationship to the pieces . I am using a heavy chap leather dont know the weight off hand ,but its stout for sure . be glad to share my pattern with you . I can put it on graph paper and ship it in a tube ,just glue it to some hard board and cut it out sand the edges ,punch a few holes and off you go makin saddle bags . Glad to include some notes with the patterns as well . Just let me know . Bill

Stunning ,beautiful ,gorgeous ,superb , magnificent ,incredible, timeless, you are gifted like a concert violinist of the highest order. You have done to leather what a superb musician does to music . I am in awe ,my compliments to both you and your teacher . This is what standing ovations are made for . Well done !!!!!!

My son who lives in Brazil will be stateside in October . I wish to gift him a wedding album ,I dont do any tooling at all not my thing . So I want to combine some things I have seen here : Steam Punk designs (He is In Construction ) so gears, wheels machines etc. would be nice . She is a real Brazilian princess,just as sweet as they come . So something on the cover needs to reflect her sweetness and the joy their combined lives will bring . I have pictures of them together if that helps with the inspiration . On the cover I want it to say , "Once Upon A Time " just like a old leather bound fairy tale book . I plan on finding some custom hand made paper to fill the inside . These two are going to do big things in their lives so I would like this album to be treasured . No way I am rich and I know I am asking a lot I dont plan on haggling over this ,as I have seen the quality of the work here . Simple fact is I will either be able to afford you or not . He will be here October 13th for how long I dont know but I would like him to be able to return with it to Brazil . No dimensions just yet am still looking for the custom paper ,that will determine the final size . So if you are interested shoot me a private message and we can talk further . Thanks Bill

Wow ,very nice !!!! Arent enough fancy words to put here to say what I think of your project . Standing ovation!!!!! Well done sir your wife and you have done a superb job ! Like very much to see more .Welcome to the site ! Bill

First day laying all the bags out . Bill

Glad you enjoyed the music ,may I suggest on You Tube : Playing for change "Stand By Me " Good Vibrations" Tuba Skinny "Feel My Leg " Grandpa Elliot " Back door Man " and IZ "Ill be there for you " Imelda Mae <Proud and Humble That should keep your shop rockin for days . All the playing for change music is great they use all the money from the videos to make music schools for kids across the world,thats a good thing Bill .

Hi ,I must be from another planet . I would never be using a steel rule as a straight edge for cutting . I have a 3 and a half inch wide 36" long Pexiglass straight edge 3/16 thick . One you can see through it , its wide enough not to move ,long enough to do bigger leathers ,the shoulder provides enough height to give the blade a 90 degree angle when cutting . As a bonus it keeps the blade from doing a up and over when you cut . I use a 60mm rotary cutter for all cutting its a push away from you action instead of pull to you action with those carpet knives . All the leather I use is deer skin so we are on opposite ends of the spectrum here in regards to leather . Sorry about your pay cut ,our season is ending so I am having a sales decline ,so I know well the money shortage . Good luck time to get creative . Bill