Cyberthrasher

Get yourself a rolling chair and you'll be set for quick maneuvering all around make sure you protect your leather well from any residual humidity in that basement. It looks like it's seen some moisture, so you may end up developing mold at some point.

nope, that should be the method to use. I suspect that, even though you didn't see any bubbles, there were still some irregularities in the Resolene's application. It looks like you have some streak marks there as well, which is what leads me down that path. Did you cut it 50/50 with water first? How are you applying? If you can't spray with an airbrush, the cleanest way to get Resolene on evenly is to use a lightly moist sponge (squeeze out any drips and then blot it off so it's almost dry) and then get a little bit of the 50/50 mix on there. Remember, several light coats is better than one or 2 heavy coats.

I've been wanting to incorporate it into some of my own style, so I got a bunch of the Dover Publications victorian books from Amazon to study and pull designs from. They're all copyright free and they're beautiful work to study. I have a close friend who's one of the top engraver's in the world, so I tend to be inspired by his work quite a bit, a lot of which contains classical "graver scrolls" that you find in these prints.

There's one that's KILLING me where one of the flames wraps around another. I missed the double bevel BAD!! It looks so unnatural and drives me nuts every time I see it!! But, I also know that I'm probably one of the only people who will ever notice it. Somehow I missed getting a closeup of it, but it's the pair of flames right above the "R". So much for nobody ever noticing

I'm late to the game here, but since you're still practicing it, I wanted to point you to Paul Burnett's tutorial on victorian work. A careful study of his freebie (and possibly the whole course if you have the money) would really bring this piece along. If you look at the Victorian course, there's an aside at the bottom that has a link to the "leather carving bundle" which includes 5 courses for $50 - Well worth it!!! Once you get into the free tutorials, it's "Victorian Project #1". Go over the tutorial on modeling tools while you're at it, since you'll need it for such a small piece. http://paintingcow.com/content/index.php/publications/free_lesson_sign_up/

It does kind of have an old Aermachhi feel to it, and that definitely looks like a softail oil bag. http://www.theworldofmotorcycles.com/_harley-davidson-m50-scooter-1965.html

Thanks everyone!!! I'm still trying to hold the secret from my Facebook page for another week so he doesn't stumble upon it The torture is killing me. It means so much to me to have professional musicians that I look up to send me emails full of "OMGOMGOMG!!", but it also means a lot to have people who know how to spot the mistakes say they like it It's funny you say it that way since I was listening to a lot of Kenny Wayne Shepheard while I was working on it

So, I work with an online blues instructor by the name of Griff Hamlin and we've become pretty close over the past few years. Every year he has a huge event at the Fender Center in Corona (where the custom shop is) and donates all the proceeds to Kids Rock Free. Well, his wife, who is also a huge supporter, asked me to make a bass strap for their son for his birthday later this month and she wants to present it to him on stage at the benefit concert. I was actually supposed to present it to him in person, but bills happened and I couldn't afford the flight and hotel (super bummer). Anyway, this is a pretty cool and long strap. I also had to add a bunch of adjustment since the kids only 14 years old and we want it to last really long time. It fits me at 6' 5", so it should last him a while. We were going to do red flames, but then he finally put his blue strings on his bass and happened to be looking at a strap that had blue flames, so we switched it up. The "R" in his name is also a bass cleff that's a close approximation to how he signs his name all the time.

Also, coastairbrush.com is a GREAT place to get excellent products and service. They also have a forum setup by their owner that's dedicated to Kustom Kultur such as airbrushing and pinstriping. It's a good place to get lots of help from the TOP pros. There are also some videos on tutorials on their site. it's also a good place to find information on the various compressors and how people feel about them. At one point I was going to buy an Iwata Ninja because it was low cost and an "Iwata" - then I found out that, as I already knew, even the best of names can produce low quality equipment. That's when I figured for the price, I'd be better off with a standard compressor since i don't need silence. I usually end up buying a lot of stuff from TCP Global, but never have purchased any of their branded products.

I work inside, but I have a basement work area, so my noise production is fairly isolated. I just can't do anything at night when I have insomnia since our bedroom is on the other side of my work area wall When I started, I was primarily focused on bigger areas, so the HF model was perfect. Now I'm trying to get into more detailed stuff, hence the change in models for me. Resolene will always be a "cover-all" approach for the most part, so that HF will still have its use.

Good choice I've been using the Harbor Freight model since I started, but just ordered a Paasche to allow some more detail work. I'll be using the HF for acrylics now. Keep in mind that those compressors can be noisy, so if noise is an issue, you may be better off getting a small one designed for airbrushing (since you say you're working in your office). They don't hold much air, so they run more often, but they are a lot quieter.

Master brand is another hit or miss knockoff. I read of some success and others that failed. For the price, you'd be better going with something else. If you're looking to start with that kind of budget, get yourself a Paasche VL or Badger 155 and a craftsman compressor. You'll want to make sure you get a dual action airbrush regardless. This allows you to control both airflow and paintflow from the trigger. http://www.ebay.com/...=item2c6c88b232 http://www.ebay.com/...=item43b8c8b93a I just use this Harbor Freight compressor. You'll want to get an air accessory kit as well (coiled hose, quick-connect fittings) and some moisture filters. http://www.harborfre...ssor-69269.html If you get an airbrush from Harbor Freight as well, make sure to get the Deluxe Model since it's the only dual action they have. It's actually a pretty good one, but I just figure if you're going to give yourself a good budget, you might as well get something that has easily available parts and service like one of the two above. Tandy actually carries parts for the Paasche. http://www.harborfre...-kit-95810.html

I had actually never had this problem before - then this topic comes up and all of a sudden it happens!!! At first I thought it was because I was at the bottom of the bottle. So, I opened the new bottle of black and got the same thing. No clue why all of a sudden since it's a good side of leather that's never done it before. But, I added some oil over the top and it all went away

My advice, since I kind of work the same way, is to case the entire piece and then wrap it in Saran wrap in several sections. This way you can pull off one section and work it without the rest of the belt drying out. Several re-casings will effect the leather, but many won't notice it. I usually do my guitar straps in either 3rds or 4ths. Within that section do everything in the normal order. If you can't finish that section, wet the back with a spray bottle then re-wrap it and put in the fridge to come back to later. I also keep my wrapped leather in a plastic bag in the fridge. Honestly I don't think that part makes too much difference, but I feel like it's an added layer to keep the moisture level right. Eventually you might move onto very large projects that would be IMPOSSIBLE to finish in one sitting, so it's important to find the method that works best for you now.

This is the stuff I'm using. I got it off ebay and it will last a LONG time. If you're searching, make sure to include "woodland scenics" so you don't get some not so family friendly results. http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/woo/wooc1204.htm?source=froogle&gclid=CPKkroTMz7UCFQk4nAodnDgANw Tina, as far as timing, I think it will be best used for me on natural stuff like one I'm just wrapping up. I just did one with the masking all around on natural and some flame work while I airbrushed the background black. I have about 2 hours into the masking on it and about 3 1/2 hours into the dye job. But, I should add that I was scared of the latex's ability to truly mask if it got fully coated with dye (my first test didn't go so well), so I hand brushed around anyway to keep from having to spray too heavily next to the masking. I think that time can be cut back pretty well with the multiple coats and less fear

Kevin at Springfield has a good newsletter on their site explaining what's going on there. ALL the leather prices are going up, regardless of vendor. http://springfieldleather.com/2013%20Info%20Letter.pdf

Tina, I started using the liquid latex sold for modeling (I'm pretty sure it was your recommendation) and I LOVE IT!!! The only complaint I have is that I'm not entirely sure it cuts down on my time because it takes a while to apply it perfectly. I'm sure I'll get quicker with it. It's just a matter of getting used to brushing on something that flows like dry Elmer's glue.

Steps 6 - 8. It's pretty much the same for any lacing technique. If you're only going through one piece of leather, then you can cut a slit in the edge to make a pocket for the lace to sit it, but make sure your leather is thick enough to do that first. http://www.kingsmerecrafts.com/page96.html

Yeah, I'm not very good at getting my brain to spew thoughts very well either There are times where people use the antique to color an entire project on purpose. Here's a good blog post showing some differences. The meat of it that I went looking for right now is about 2/3rds down and is titled "Using Resist - For Antiquing". This is actually from the leatherlearn.com website. I'm not sure why the finish archive links here, but they have all kinds of stuff for beginners and refresher courses. http://www.johan-potgieter.com/ll/?cat=8 Honestly I can't say why Super Sheen doesn't work with antique gel - I've never tried it myself but time and time again I've heard people say that it WILL NOT work.

I'm not sure I quite understand why you can't use contact cement on the back of it. But, I have some 77 that I use occasionally, but I really don't like the hold on it. I pretty much just use it for wallet liners. I don't think I'd trust it for a larger piece that may be subject to force.

Was this a miss-statement? If not, I think you may be a little confused on the use of a resist. Resist is supposed to stop the antique. So anything that you don't want to have the antique color has to be resisted. Regardless of how much resist you put on, the antique WILL get into the cuts and tooling, which is part of what it's supposed to do. But, on top of that, you'll find that Super Shene isn't a resist to be used with gel antiques. It pretty much only works with the eco-flow Hi-Lite in my experience. remember the steps. Dye resist with finish of choice antique reapply finish to entire project

I got the idea when I found out a current customer is taking all of the progress pictures I'm sending her and composing a slide-show for her son who's getting the guitar strap for his birthday (presented at one of their concerts at the Fender Center). Made me really wish I had more photos of me working!!

Yes, we're angry too It's a great job as always!! I'm actually thinking about a camera mounted above my workspace to take random photos here and there so I can actually get shots of ME doing the work, since nobody in my house is willing to work a decent camera for me.

I think the other thing along those lines is the method of QC. No manufacturing process allows for 100% inspection, but relies on a sampling process. Hopefully that sample will include any bad product that's being produced... But, a 100% handmade product is obviously checked and re-checked for quality from start to finish because a person's hands are on it the hole time.