Cyberthrasher

Hmmmmmm, maybe he should spend more time learning how to properly craft leather instead of worrying about filing patents. Maybe if he figured out how to edge something he wouldn't have to worry about losing money from people supposedly copying his design. But yeah, he doesn't have a case in my non-legal opinion. His "band" consists of ACTUAL shotgun shell pieces (which ARE NOT bullet cartridge elements - a shotgun shell and a bullet cartridge are not the same). Your concho was never part of a shotgun shell, only simulated to look like one.

Definitely worth trying out. I use it on top of all my stuff, finished or not. It works well on its own if the item isn't going to see constant wear (like my wife's kindle cover), but I also apply it to all of my guitar straps and belts after the Resolene. But, keep in mind it will have to be allowed to sit at least overnight so that the oils can leach through the finish coat before buffing. I also instruct my customers to do the same once or twice a year.

YES!!!! But make sure you're using a respirator and NOT a dust mask. The dust mask won't do anything. I'm also currently looking for a way to work a hood system into my work area because the particles linger for quite some time. I also have a problem with my respirator not sealing correctly because of my beard, so I really have to work on getting those particles sucked away.

Just gotta jump in and do it. experiment and find what works. mixing the right orange will take some work, so you'll have plenty of scrap around to try out the different techniques.

I just did some more searching and Google provides a better view of the patent information for anybody interested in gathering evidence http://www.google.com/patents/USD677191#npl-citations

PM me any info you have and I'll see if I can gather any further information. I tried searching FB for anything with "Grizzly Collars" and came up with nothing. It was small print, but I could have sworn his patent showed a listing to an etsy store. I could be wrong though.

For clarification as you're asking for help, there are different techniques required for Dyes and Paints. I'm pretty sure you're talking about oil DYE here, so we need to make sure we're referencing things right. Otherwise someone might give you bad advice without knowing it. Acrylics are always PAINT, DYE is never PAINT or ACRYLIC. DYE penetrates the leather and changes its color, PAINT and ACRYLIC sit on top of the leather.

Do you have a color wheel? Red and Yellow make orange - both of which are available in dyes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_wheel How: The same way you dye it any other color How do you make it black? Brush on the black dye There is no white dye so acrylic is your only choice. Test it to make sure the white you choose will cover the orange.

I summed it up here. Pure is pure, compound is neatsfoot plus whatever else they decide to put in it - no standard http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=47642

I'd say no difference. Let your workspace/process make the decision for you. I have a large flat bench and I prop up a beer box as an easel to work on by just laying the straps/belts across it. That allows me to keep my hand and arm locked and move my body side to side to get straight and even passes. Just try it and see what works best for you.

That's good info and the reason I've been recommending the Paasche over the HF models as of late, though they are good if you're willing to figure them out (and possibly deal with returning a bad one). But, I believe the Paasche "H" model is an external mix. For whatever reason, I'm just not fond of the idea of external reason. don't ask me why. I know A LOT of people have recommended the Passche VL, which is basically the exact same kit at the exact same price, accept it's an internal mix. That's my #1 airbrush right now (I also highly recommend Coastairbrush), though I do use my HF still for applying Resolene and anything else that can get gunky.

No problems!! I try to help out as much as possible. Nearly every bit of information I have came from these pages somewhere. Sometimes it's just hard to track it all down.

I don't know anything about headstalls, but normally I would try to completely finish an item before assembly. But yeah, you will want to apply some kind of finish over the top to protect it. That strap has Resolene on it. Also, be sure to give the oil quite some time to soak in before adding more to adjust the color. I like overnight, if not a full day. And remember, don't saturate it with oil. Just put light coats on to change the color. If you saturate it you'll run the risk of destroying the leather's integrity. The reason your sponge job didn't work is probably because you didn't have enough in it to squeeze out and into the tooling. You were essentially block dying it.

head down to the "motorcycles and biker gear" sub forum and there are several pinned tutorials right at the top of the page. The top one from David (latest step by step seat build) is a really good one that should answer a lot of your questions. Read through the whole thing and let us know if you have any more questions http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showforum=63

Oil dye is still dye, so you're going to get that color out of it. It sounds like you're wanting to get an oil tanned color. In that case, just apply neatsfoot oil (pure) to the project and let it darken. here's an example of one I did where I just used oil on it, no dye.

If you type in something like "what airbrush" in the search, there's lots of stuff available. Here's a sampling. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=46201&hl=%2Bwhat+%2Bairbrush http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=44869&hl=%2Bwhat+%2Bairbrush To sum it up. Get a Paashce VL and a standard compressor then get to work practicing. I recommend the Harbor Freight models a lot, but they are a cheap alternative - low cost with some occasional problems. If that's all you can afford, make sure you get the deluxe model that's dual action. But, the Paasche sprays better and has parts more readily available at most art stores, including Tandy. I'm pretty sure that first link has a complete list for a setup.

How much deeper do you want to go? Honestly, it looks more like you're just hitting the limits of the stamp. Looks like you need to rock it side to side and corner to corner to make sure the whole impression is a consistent depth, but I don't see any real problem with the overall depth. I would suggest ditching that brick and going to a counter fabricator to ask them for a sink granite sink cutout. They usually give them away since they have to pay by the pound to have them hauled off. It will be a lot more dense and have a finished surface that won't damage your leather.

I just went looking for the like button. Laughing smiley will have to do.

Another aspect that I haven't had a whole lot of time to look into. When I look at the subscription prices, it says "annual commitment, billed monthly". So, that means you can't say "well, I only need Photoshop/Illustrator this month, so it's only $50 and I have access to everything." You actually have to pay $600 for the year in order to use it once. But, I did just notice that they're offering "Single" programs for $20 a month with limited support and access. I whole-heartedly agree with Kate's analysis of the situation. Especially as someone who deals with IT support for a living, I can see their concerns with streamlining their cost in relation to man-hours required for support. But, I've never personally used the products anyway, so this is just more reason for me to promote Open Source for the home/small user

I used a poly mallet for a long time with great results. First thing I'd look at is your casing if you're pounding that hard. Sounds like your leather is dry. Depending on the stamp, you may need to rock it corner to corner to make sure everything is stamping evenly.