Cyberthrasher

That's a "Small" portion??? WOW!!! The guy's obviously subcontracting you and trying to run a business without a license/tax Id (he makes several points toward the end there that are obvious that he's making them for other people). It's also clear that he knows more about leather than you do (in his head). These are big dollar items and he's in over his head. I'd just get the lawyer involved now to CYA.

Nope. It's all in how you hold it. Tooling leather isn't about force, it's finesse. The weight of the maul/mallet should be all you need without swinging it. I use an 18oz maul for my regular tooling and just cup the head of it in my palm, rocking it up and down with my wrist - no arm motion whatsoever. If I'm using a mallet, I still hold it up close to the head and use the same motion. The only time I ever give a swinging motion is when I'm using a mallet on stamps - like the alphabet stamps, in order to give it a swift even blow in one shot.

That's the most important part. Buy my theory, don't buy it - no problems If you're happy with the results, keep at it. I only offer my theory on it for those who may see something lacking and feel they need a change. I did realize here that it may have seemed like I was saying YOU were doing it wrong. Rest assured that I wasn't, only simply referencing your comments.

As the casing document states - pull it through slowly until there are almost no bubbles left.

You can try it with the sheen. I just haven't had any good results with that stuff. I would never trust it with an outdoor product, but that's just me. Resolene takes a little bit of practice to figure out how to apply it, but it's not too difficult and will offer good protection - both water and UV resistance.

The ones I can think of off hand who do it are: Barry King http://www.barrykingtools.com/ Clay Miller https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leather-Stamps-by-Clay-Miller/120176791368237 Welker Handmade Stamps http://elwelker.com/elwelkerleatherstamps/Welker_Handmade_Leather_Stamps.html

Consider what the bubbles are - air that's trapped in the leather being forced out by the water. The point of casing is to get an evenly distributed level of moisture throughout the leather and especially in the core. Once all the bubbles are out, you know the core has moisture. If you're only letting it sit for 30 minutes before wrapping it up for the night, you're not getting the best casing you can. I usually give mine an 1 1/2 - 2 hours before wrapping it up. So yes, it does take longer to "dry" to a point where you can let the moisture distribute, but you'll be getting moisture in the core instead of just the outside layers. This will make your tooling that much better and stop it from drying out as quickly once you start the work.

Ok man, you're trying to use stuff that was designed for swinging, not tapping. Get yourself a maul or something. If you must use one of those, suck up on it and hold it as close to the head as possible. But, since you're buying stuff, just go buy a Barry King maul or mallet. The shipping will be a little more, but you'll be getting something that was designed for what we do, not for beating the crap out of something.

For brushing, they were "ok", and I'd definitely be willing to use them again. The application had a little to desire. They're great for airbrushing as intended (though I haven't done that on leather). I'm liking Golden Fluid right now (they have beautiful metallics), but I know Angelus acrylics are really good and formulated for leather, so you may try that to start with. I wasn't happy with that white at first. It was pretty hard to brush on evenly without brush strokes. But, once I applied that varnish it smoothed right out and looked beautiful. I try not to use acrylics whenever possible. This one was going to be natural lettering, but I got some black where it didn't belong and decided to go with white. I have another one on the bench that's getting gold acrylic. I have a bottle of Golden Fluid gold sitting there ready to go for that one.

I've had some issues with mold in the past and that's the only reason I started using the fridge. BUT, that was only after the piece sat wrapped in plastic for a couple of weeks. The ONLY purpose for keeping it cold in my eyes is to keep the mold from growing. If you're going to be working on it that quick, just slap it in that Styrofoam cooler after you wrap it up in plastic. I find the plastic helps to even out all the moisture, and then while I'm working I can simply unwrap the portion I'm working on without causing the rest of it to need re-cased. I actually plan my plastic wrap out for that. Say I have 3 sections with design work, I'll wrap each section with its own piece of plastic wrap and just make sure they overlap. That way I'm never unwrapping the entire piece at once. The only time I need to remoisten things is when I'm doing really detailed stuff that takes a while in small areas.

As an example, here's a guitar strap I just did with this technique. I used Createx airbrush acrylics (brushed on, not sprayed) since it's what I had available. Then covered the white with the Liquitex varnish, then applied Resolene over the entire piece.

Nope, other way around. The Resolene is a much more stable product, especially for outdoor use and water resistance. IF you apply it directly to the acrylic paints, it can reactivate them and make a mess. So, put on your acrylics and let them cure, then follow it up with the varnish. I was recommended to use Liquitex Satin varnish - but it's available in various levels of gloss. The satin was a little difficult to find online in small amounts. But, once that's applied over your acrylic paint, let it cure, then go over with the Resolene.

Well, my first questions is what effect are you looking for that the dyes can't give you? The only thing missing from good dyes is the color range. IF you have to use acrylics to get a color match, take a look at what brand of acrylics you're using. They're not all made the same. From there, look at your sealant. I've had excellent luck with Resolene on top of acrylics. But, one thing you'll want to look out for is that the Resolene can reactivate the acrylic paint. Another member here introduced me to varnish as an isolator between the acrylic paint and the Resolene. Aside from the fact that it isolates the paint and Resolene, it also offers another solid layer of protection from rub off, and all in all makes it look a LOT better.

Save the contact information for your cards and use the makers mark as a signature. If it's well designed and you work on your online presence, people will be able to find you that way. Remember, tagging your pictures here (and anywhere you post them online) with a likely search phrase is the most important step. Think about the person who finds your work somewhere and has no idea who made it. What are they going to search for? Since my logo is "HK", I come up with as many tags as possible to link my name with that logo. So far any searches just come up with Hong Kong leather, but I'm getting closer

Not sure. I know most people deglaze after tooling and before dying since that's when your hands transfer the most crud to the leather. I can see where the alcohol might do that if applied heavily though.

Well, I wouldn't buy quarts just yet. Get yourself some small bottles of various colors. They'll last you longer than you think. I do use some Fiebing's regular dye (spirit) for colors that aren't available in the Pro Oil and I haven' really seen any issues with those. But, I haven't done full coverage with them either. Right now I've only used the blues. Don't worry about taking classes. Just practice and be honest with your work. If something doesn't seem perfect, figure out what you need to do to fix it. There are plenty of good examples around here and on the internet in general that you can compare to. That's the only education I've had in leather and for some reason people treat me like a pro or something. But, on the other hand, don't let that experience be a judgement against ALL Tandy employees. I've known of some good ones out there. It's just that in general, I hear a lot of stories like that from people. My main issue with Tandy is the inferior products.

Don't know about the carnauba cream, but make sure the neatsfoot oil is pure neatsfoot oil and not compound or anything like that. Compounds aren't standard, just a little neatsfoot oil with "other" stuff added to extend it, including minerals that can stain and react with the tanning chemicals. If you're looking to use the Carnauba cream for conditioning, just get some Montana Pitch Blend, or Pecards Leather Dressing. They'll last forever and provide excellent protection and conditioning.

might not be as strong, but it's worth a shot. I use it for thinning all my dyes when you're technically supposed to use denatured, so why not try another use? Fiebing's Deglazer is "basically" denatured alcohol Just did some brief research and it looks like it should be easily available in California. Just go to the hardware store in the paint section. I get mine at WalMart because I'm cheap and never remember until we're there.

Use some denatured alcohol and wipe it down once you cut your piece off. As long as your hands weren't oily when you messed with the hide you should be fine. I get a pretty oily face and tend to wipe at it a lot, leaving my hands pretty oily at times. So that's why I wash them quite a bit.

Yes, if your hands are dirty/oily you'll see lots of problems. I don't deglaze my stuff at all. I do, however, religiously wash my hands with dish soap before handling customer leather.

First off - You don't have to use Glycerin "saddle soap", any glycerin soap will do. I get mine from Springfield Leather. It's also available at many Farm and Ranch stores. That's also where I get my Barge cement and thinner (Springfield). You can use other stuff available at Home Depot. You DO NOT need a Tax ID to get things from Springfield, and I have absolutely why they would do something so stupid as to require a Tax ID in order to buy a specific product. Montana Pitch Blend is available direct from the manufacturer or on Amazon. I just buy direct. Google them and you'll find it. Now, the bleeding. That's the words of someone who doesn't know how to seal their items. The Pro Oil Dye has a lot more pigment in it, which requires buffing (ESPECIALLY if you use it full strength). Missing that step alone will cause excess bleeding. From there, it's obvious this person has never put a finish coat over it. But, that said, I have several items that I've done with NO finish coat and they don't bleed. One of them I've been wearing on my wrist for over a year day in and out with tons of sweat and my arm isn't colored at all. Think about their statement for a minute: "pro oil dye will bleed through any products used on skin or indoors....should only be used for outdoor working leather." Now, what happens to leather that's subjected to the elements? it gets WET. Leather getting wet is what causes it to bleed. An item is a lot less likely to bleed out if it's indoors because it's not subjected to moisture. Now, if you're dying the flesh side of something and you're wearing it, it's likely to rub off. STILL NOT A PROBLEM!! Just seal it with Resolene and send it out. I have several belts and guitar straps that are being worn on top of white clothing with the flesh side dyed black and sealed with Resolene. NOBODY has complained about bleeding onto their clothes. Oh yeah, and remember, Tandy is a good place to get started, but if you want to do professional high quality work you're going to have to leave them behind and get better products from other sources. They'll give you advice for craft goods, but the majority of stores aren't good for much else above that.

basically that. Start with your length on a posterboard template. Cut off the length that you'd like to use for the buckle end, then figure out the length you need for the rest just like a belt. That's essentially what you're making, a belt with disconnected ends.

Tandy has a good video. I've used it with success on a few items. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/Mold-and-Mildew-Treatment.aspx

As with edges, Gum Trag is a crutch. Also, it's quite abrasive and harsh. If you're applying it to the back of something, that can cause some discomfort. When I'm treating the flesh side of my work, I give it a light sanding with fine grit then just moisten it with a sponge and use a bone folder to slick. If there's lots of flesh hanging off, I shave it off first, then sand and slick. Remember, Gum Trag only glues down the fibers. A good edge/back will have the fibers removed and then simply burnished down to a smooth finish. What's going to happen when that Gum Trag eventually wears off? Everything it was holding down will now be free to pop up and ruin the appearance of an otherwise good piece.

There is one time I was trying to remove some finish and used denatured alcohol. Ended up going through and removing dye in a way. I was actually removing the top layer of leather in the end. So, I ended up sanding the whole thing up, leaving some color here and there and calling it "road worn". Came out cool looking for what it was, but definitely not what I would call a good technique for lightening dye in any normal situation.