Cyberthrasher

I use Fiebing's bar and just rub it over my edge without water then go over it with my dremel burnisher. I'm not sure about the preferred speed on the drill press model. I set mine to about 15, sometimes 10 if it's already pretty smooth. The key is that you should have a fairly smooth edge already. Sometimes I need to take some 400 grit sand paper to it to smooth it out. If I'm working with a really fleshy piece, I've been known to go over it with some 220 first, followed by 400. It may seem like extra work, but it's really not that long. The last couple guitar straps I did only required a light run down with 400 grit (5 minutes tops) followed by burnishing with the saddle soap. Have a look here and see if this answers any questions about the use of the burnishers. https://web.archive.org/web/20160404033410/http://leatherburnishers.com/BurnisherFAQ.html try to maintain a single direction since you're laying the fibers down, preferably following the grain pattern if you can spot it. That said, I do go back and forth in short bursts (about 6 inch lengths) at first and then follow through with one more full length run in the same direction. But, if things are getting rough or just not laying down right, it's time to make sure to only go in one direction.

Just checking in before I get to work, so I don't have a lot of time to answer the questions. BUT, I've had several posts recently explaining the process of conditioning and using acrylic as well as finishing. I know a lot of that has been in conversation with Harag - perhaps he can pull some links for you and post them here. I will say that I have no experience with the Tandy pro water crap. Anybody who told you that neatsfoot oil and water dyes wont' work has never done it and doesn't know anything about leather. LEATHER HAS OIL IN IT - PERIOD. The neatsfoot oil simply replenishes those oils. When you oil your leather, it soaks in. This isn't like painting a car or something. Disregard any neatsfoot oil that says "Prime" or "Compound" - ONLY use pure. The others are neatsfoot oil with "other" stuff mixed in (no standard) to extend it - a lot of times including minerals which could have a bad reaction with the chemicals used for tanning.

Get rid of the Gum Trag man - it's just a glue. Glycerin Saddle Soap is all you need and you'll have a hard edge that's actually smooth and not just glued down to look like it.

Cool!! I recently made one for that same knife!! Do you happen to know how old it is? I made mine for a coworker's son and he was curious about the age.

Nobody needs to send anybody the patterns!!! The link to download them is on the FIRST post of this thread. There are 2 links there. The first one starts with the words "broken link" - it's broken and does not work. The second link works just fine. For those who can't find it - it's right here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-4Qszr7V8BTZ285RFVEQVdxNVU/edit

now just make yourself some covers to protect the leather. I made mine removable so I can still use the vise for other stuff. I like the idea of mounting to a board like that though. I have another one I may do that with.

That one hit pretty close to home considering I deal with that technology and EMC daily. Interesting to see what they went through on that. Though, some portions of that are technically wrong - but that's a discussion for a different group.

Yeah, I would love to know where that came from!! If I can tell that you ripped me off and just changed it a little bit to make it yours, I'm still coming after you. How would that work with any other kind of theft? Can I steal your car and give it a new paint job and tires, therefore making it "mine". NO, and the same goes for artwork/design. Stealing it is stealing it regardless of how much you change. Come up with your own thoughts. Now, that little rant had nothing to do with the overall issue here. We all know that this shotgun concho design wasn't stolen.

Along these same lines, I was reading an article the other day that was extremely similar and I thought of you immediately as I was reading it. A successful boot maker who was just doing small numbers was contacted by a major retailer to start carrying his items. When asked how they discovered him, they said they were looking around on Etsy for "American Made" craftsmen. Since then he's become quite successful. So, some real good can come from this if both parties are in it for success.

Not having any luck finding somewhere to buy in bulk, but I did a google search for "carabiner with screw lock dslr" and found a bunch of various places that sell them. This is where to buy the exact one you have shown here. http://www.best-buydigitalcameras.com/bluecell-quick-release-trigger-snap-hook-ring-carabiner-with-screw-lock-for-dslr-dc-camera-sling-strap/

Most of it's buried in these pages somewhere. I'm self-taught with nobody around to look over my shoulder. I know we have lots of UK members here, so perhaps one of them will be able to point you toward a good product that can be found over there.

I've never used pure Mink oil. I do use Montana Pitch Blend which contains it though. That's what I put on every item that leaves my shop. Experiment with your order of applying acrylic paint. You may find that putting Resolene on top of it will reactivate and cause a mess. I didn't use acrylic paints for a long time, partly because of that. I was recently taught to use varnish on top of the acrylic paint and before the resolene to separate the two. So far I've had awesome results with it.

Yeah, about the best I can say is to look at wood carving tools. There are probably a lot more options there.

Hey, Ed - Good to see you here!! I put it on heavy, say a 2 inch design, then go back over it again right away. It really doesn't take long to setup at all. I'd say 1/2 hour to an hour should be plenty. Just be careful when you peel it up. Any dye on top of it will likely still be liquid, so it will be easy to transfer onto your fingers and then onto the leather that you worked so hard to keep clean.

Yeah, they're actually called gouges. There are some called "V gouges" which I doubt will suit your needs, but there are others available that are more freehand in nature like the one you have here. There are adjustable gouges like this one http://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Adjustable-V-Gouge-31811-00/dp/B003VLDSFE and you can also look at various freehand groovers http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/product/craftool-freehand-stitching-groover-88074-11.aspx

You don't need to use mink oil if you're already conditioning your piece with the cream. They are BOTH conditioners. Over-conditioning can/will cause premature rot by breaking down the fibers. Resolene = water/UV resistant acrylic SEALER - MUST be able to adhere to the leather, not a wax coating on top of the leather Wax and oil based conditioners = May be labeled as a "finish" - they are just a temporary "polish" to be used at the end of your assembly. They offer water resistance as well as oils to condition the leather Now, think about the process you've laid out previously: Oil (with neatsfoot) Seal with water/uv resistant acrylic paint with acrylic seal with water/uv resistant acrylic condition with water resistant wax based oil conditioner (carnauba cream - not sure if it actually has oil in it) oil with mink oil Now, count how many times you're oiling here, as well as adding water resistance. preferred method: lightly oil with neatsfoot oil (lightly condition fibers) dye seal with acrylic resolene (protect dye and add water/UV resistance) condition with wax based conditioner (ONCE - to add a wax coating for further water resistance and polish things up for the end customer) send out door

I have no idea about it's intended purpose, but I would look around at various leather gouges and see if something like that might be available in different sizes.

I forget. Did you ever get this sorted out? Things got kind of busy around here and I lost track of a lot of stuff I was working on.

Why are we using Carnauba cream before finish and paint? All that's going to do is prevent your acrylic products from properly adhering to the leather. Remember, this is a FINAL FINISH product meant for maintenance - THE ONLY CONDITIONER TO USE BEFORE SEALING IS NEATSFOOT OIL. Any other conditioning product should be used LAST before sending it out the door. tool oil (neatsfoot - not mink or any other conditioner) dye resolene conditioner

Anytime guys.

use whatever the base of your medium is. If you're using water based dye - use water. if you're using alcohol based (spirit dyes) then use rubbing/denatured alcohol.

I use Barge. It's a little spendy, but it doesn't take a whole lot to get the job done, especially when you thin it. I've never had any problems with it.

It helps. If you apply really unevenly it's not going to do much, but it helps for a little bit of an "off" application. I use it a lot on black also for those times where some spots show up lighter than others. Just put some light oil over the top and let it settle to even out some of the color. One time it REALLY helps get a good dye job is when you're airbrushing your color in. The oil helps pull the dye in a little deeper, which will help prevent any future scratches from showing undyed leather.

Crisp and clean as always Renee keeps on asking little details about making seats.....pretty sure she needs to just buy a bike and make one!!!