NVLeatherWorx

There is a chance that the glue used may have had some part of this but the overall culprit here is a total lack of maintenance and care on the seat, @nrk has pointed out. Anytime that leather is wet it needs to be dried completely and then conditioned to replenish oils so that it maintains its strength. Leather also loses these oils when it is exposed to heavy sunlight which dries out these oils. And, if you don't use a leather item frequently, sometimes even daily, it will not absorb any of the natural oils from skin or other contact and will dry out. Cracking like this is the result of being drier than a scorching Summer day in Death Valley, and I can tell you from experience that is a type of dry that you do not want to experience for yourself. The cracking issue that is associated with the carved and tooled image is again the result of inadequate conditioning and it was also most likely a bit older piece of leather that had been sitting around for awhile.

I actually make my own blend using Pure Neatsfoot Oil (byproduct from the cow), Filtered Organic Beeswax, and Pure Raw Cacao Butter to create my own concoction that I use on every piece I make and also sell. The trick is in the ratios and that is where each one of us who makes our own blends kind of keep the recipe close to the vest. I have another local leather craftsman that buys a tin of it every few months to use for his Mustache wax (one hell of a handlebar mustache going on this one).

Springfield has some good leather, just watch the "Bargain Basement" pricing, I also get some of my leather from The Hide House (www.hidehouse.com); they have a very clean European import veg-tan that comes from a very quality and well known pit tannery that is also not overly expensive.

You should have 1/8" to 3/16" through the leather to ensure ample security when you set it. Same goes for rivets.

Good eye @battlemunky there are quite a few insect bites which cause these little welts and spots; you don't see them as easily when the leather is still all natural but they sure do come out once you add some color to it. This leather is of a very low grade/quality, looks like it is Tandy's Craftsman Oak because you get this with every one of the hides of that particular product line. Cheap priced leather is typically cheap quality leather so if you are really looking to put out works and products that have a clean professional look to them you need to stay away from the cheap stuff.

It could indeed be Super Shene, Resolene, or even Clear-Lac (lacquer based) top finish. I use all of these based on what the overall final appearance is intended to be. The glossiest of them is the Clear-Lac.

I would hazard a guess based on the image that the detailed color elements are indeed acrylic/Cova Color and that the main portion is a deep Antique of some kind that has been applied over a resist to give the shading around the main art element (the Skull). But, that is just a guess. Of course, it is an Educated guess because that is how I do it now and have done for some good many years. Doesn't mean that is what was done here though. Nice wallet.

@Ragingstallion called it quickly. Another thing to be aware of is the Craftsman Oak is the lowest grade of leather that you will find anywhere and it is not worth trying to ever get anything out of it that you plan on showing off because it isn't for that level of work. The price is very enticing to many leather workers, especially newcomers, but it does not produce positive results as you have already learned. Truth be told, none of the Tandy leathers are for any solid quality items but at the with the Oak Leaf line you can get something at least looks good. Just take a piece of each one of your leather and look at how the grain structure and the surface look. You will notice that there are most likely several flaws that are visible on the surface of the Craftsman Oak leather while the other one may look much cleaner without all of the bumps, scars, etc.; this is something to keep in mind every time you purchase leather so that you can make sure that you are only getting clean leather that will net the look that you want. On that note though, welcome aboard to the world of leather. Yes, it is addictive and it only gets worse.

Scribe a light line where you want your stamping and then align the stamp with the line while also making sure that the edges of the stamp just barely touch each other as you move along your line. Try to not to overlap if you can as it can create a visual alignment issue that can be quite noticeable sometimes. It all takes practice and we have all been there at one point in time so just keep working on it and it will become second nature to you.

Then you need to quit using the term "Casing" if the only thing you are going to do is wet topically. Casing is a process that has been in use for a very, very long time and there is a record of its history and the process that supports the process. The more modern approach is to use a sponge, wet to a degree, let is soak a bit, touch it up and then start to work the design; this process does not qualify as "casing" in the defined word of the process, it is merely wetting your leather so that you can work on it. There are indeed many methods that are outlined and they all use the term "casing" but there is a defined method that meets the actual meaning of the process and there is only one true method. Call it what you want, Old School, Traditionalist, Originalist, whatever, but those of us who have spent years learning the true craft of leather work and learning the old ways that, in some cases, date back Centuries, we honor the traditions of the trade and respect the craft to its fullest. Shortcuts to us are just an easy way out and don't render the results that are achieved from sticking to the traditional ways and methods. No disrespect to anyone out there but maybe the proper use of terminology compared to the actual process being used should be given a bit more attention.

Casing is more than just adding water to the leather over a short section; to properly case leather you need to make sure that it is moistened extensively and then given time to establish itself. The best method for belts (and this is what some would call the "Old School" way) is to immerse the entire strap into a container of water (I like to use warm water) and keep it in there until you do not see any bubbles coming out of the leather. Now, take that strap and set it out flat on a countertop/benchtop for about 5 to 10 minutes so that the water can absorb into the fibers. After your absorbing time roll the strap up and put it into a Ziploc style bag (I use 1 gallon bags) and let it sit for about 24 hours so that the moisture is well absorbed into the leather. After you have now Cased the leather (that is what you just did) take the strap out and check the dampness of the leather; if it feels cool to the touch on your cheek then you are ready to start tooling. As you are tooling you can apply water to the leather as needed to keep the moisture content where it should be without risk of losing your tooling definition or burnished detail elements. Once you have totally finished a section of the belt there is no need to continue to apply moisture to that area; just maintain moisture where you still have to work. There are plenty of articles on how to properly case leather as well as a huge number of YouTube videos that explain the process. Casing is a timed technique and not just a wet sponge dragged across the leather. Give it a try on some scrap pieces first so that you can get the feel for it and do some tooling on those pieces so you can see the difference it makes versus just using topical moisture methods. You will notice the differences for sure.

Thanks for the link but the Tesla interiors producer is named Deahan Solution and they only work with leather and other natural materials, no artificial materials.

I have been able to use the 1/8" open backs very successfully on belt/strap ends where I have folded it over for the buckle. I typically skive the end (as is recommended) which allows me to easily tighten the screws down so that they hold. The advantage of using the open backs is that you can get them tighter than a traditional Chicago screw because you don't have a limited depth on the cap end. That is where knowing how thick your overall depth that is to be secured is so that you can best choose the proper material to secure it. The measurement of a screw post, all types, is identifying the distance between the inside of both caps when installed to its full depth, they can be used to secure thicker measurements.

In fact, they are and that is what is the most comical of the whole Vegan thing in the first place. To live your life thinking you are "saving" something by not eating it and using its skins for daily use items and thereby doing your part to keep this planet alive yet you espouse the greatness of artificial products and they help you in your cause when they are really nothing more than toxic chemicals and other hazardous materials as you pointed out. The biggest thing to take away from this whole post in the first place is that we had a person from the "movement" jump into our forums and try to make their voice heard. However, their voice fell flat because their direction was misguided, their material was flawed and full of grammatical errors, and they were stupid enough to try it in a place where everyone knows more about their "cause" than they do.

Make it easy on yourself and quit using metric measurements and decimal points, take your basic leather thickness (i.e. 8 to 9 oz. = 1/8" thick), and then multiply it by 2 if you double it over without any skiving. If you skive then measure how thick one layer is and multiply by 2. I would use nothing longer than 1/4" on the screw and I would recommend that you look at the open back models which are available in both 1/8" and 1/4".

Nice! Way to go Dwight. I have also used Chicago screws on some models and put a dab of Loctite in their to "seal" the deal.

Funny you bring up Tesla and the upholstery idea. The makers of ALL of the Tesla interiors is based right here in my hometown and I haven't seen a single piece of artificial "leather" in their building. They use very real animal skins that have been tanned to create their leathers that are used for everything inside the Tesla vehicles. So, if someone sold your Brother on "vegan" for the leather he is going to be pleasantly (maybe) surprised because it should be real leather. The one thing that Tesla does not do is go cheap on anything that is associated with their vehicles and Mr. Musk has made it abundantly clear in his business plan and model that the Tesla vehicle line is a very high-end Luxury line intended to compete with the big Sports car brands of the World. Hell, they don't even use fake wood, it is very real and very expensive. But you are right on the fact that you just can't make this $hi! up. It will however go away if we can all find a way to quit acknowledging the concept and just don't give it any "air time"; eventually when you stop talking about something it just starts to slowly fade away and "die" off into the Sunset (or was that "ride" off into the Sunset? Hell, it is all the same).

First of all welcome to the show. I have been using double cap rivets on the collars and leashes that I make for many, many years now (since they first came out in fact) and have had no issues with them at all. I use a steel double cap version (Tandy sells them and there are other sources for them as well). Typically when you read about the misadventures of someone with rivets, snaps, etc. it is because they were not properly used or set in the first place and this is totally in the users hands. The best rule of thumb to go by is to size your rivet (works with snaps and the like as well) to the overall thickness of what you are securing. For example, if you are making a collar using 8 to 9 oz. leather which is approximately 1/8" thick then you will be securing approximately 1/4" thickness when you have it folded over which suggests that you select a rivet that will extend through both layers (or how ever many you have it folded if more) plus approximately another 1/8" maximum through the other side for the cap. In the case of 1/4" the best rivet would probably be between a Medium (5/16" post) and a Large (1/2" post). The Buckle Guy sells rivets that have post lengths that are easier to get to match your needs but they are all manufactured from solid brass. However, I use rivets from them on many other things that require strength and durability and have yet to have an issue or a failure of the product. As long as the right materials are used and properly set using the correct tools and techniques you should never have an issue with anything.

Amen to @battlemunky I first read the original post much earlier than the rest of you and opted not to say anything until I had a bit to think about it. I too read it as an attempt to push a product or agenda and still do at this point. I thank you for your approach on this one. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and all.

There is an abundance of information that has been posted over the years under the topics of Marketing and Advertising that should help you get going on this. It may take you a bit to find everything you are looking for as there are thousands of posts out in there but that would be the go to place here for that.

The Tandy version is the same as the rest of the "run of the mill" burning sets that you can buy everywhere else and they are ALL garbage. If you are looking to get into the Pyrography on a serious note then you will want to start checking Amazon and sites like that for the professional grade kits. They have a cost to them but they are heads and tails above any of those simple kits/sets that you get from Tandy and the like. Tandy stands by everything 100% but all you have to do is watch their Clearance specials to see what is really a dead item for them, whether defective or just not popular, and watch how fast they dump stuff.

Considering that this post originated over 5 and a half years ago that is no surprise. Should kind of expect such things to happen.

I cut from full sides as I have several items that use various parts of the hide. For example, you want to cut your belt straps starting along the spine area of the skin so that you are getting the tighter fibers in the belt straps whereas the belly and softer areas are great for items that need to be a bit more flexible and supple. Using a full side also gives me the luxury of being able to make longer belts where needed which you don't get by using smaller cuts or pre-cut straps. For the lining part of the leather you may find that the softer belly portion of the hide is better but that is up to you how you go about that part; I kind of take it in the middle for an even balance of fiber structure and suppleness.

I am in agreement 100% with @alpha2 here. I have been cutting my own straps for decades and it is so much more cost effective. For my double ply belts (which are custom request only) I use an 8-9 oz. outer strap with a 5-6 oz. inner strap so as to ensure that there is no sagging/stretching over the life of the belt being used. I also saddle stitch everything to add even more security and long life to the product (it does take some time but I have been doing it this way for over 40 years and have never had anyone come back with a stitching issue). One thing of added benefit (and you don''t hear this said much) is that when you are fitting the two pieces of leather together it is best to give the belt a slight bit of shape (give it a little curved form along the length) so that it will wear in a bit faster and easier for the end user. This also keeps the lining leather from developing that "wrinkle" effect from being bunched up when worn around the waist. It almost acts like the belt was pre-formed to the customer and ever since I started making my double layered belts this way the customer satisfaction has gone through the roof. Good luck with you project and hope to see some examples once you have something ready.