Cyberthrasher

catching up after a few days sucks... I went looking for that stuff that was "removed" the other day to see if it was in the adult section and it wasn't. Oh well. We still know who the cool people are.

Got pictures of any of them?

I knew I missed my calling

Well, the small items like that aren't something I would base my living on, but they are something to get the name out there and put some bread in the cupboard. That being said, if the craftsmanship is there, I'd say a better price for something like that would be $10 w/lighter included. I know you were just using the lighter case as an example, but you also have to remember to take your non-project specific time into consideration too. What about the time it takes you to sort through suppliers and find the best deal on products to use? How about driving/gas time to the post office to ship the items out or drive to a booth? What about the time you spent asking this question on how to better run your custom lighter case business? It seems like nickel and diming things but they are all valid "costs" associated with getting those little lighter cases out the door (and any other item you happen to create). And really, a cool Bic lighter case for $10 is a good deal. There are lots of other discussions on pricing and the various formulas people use, but in the end you gotta charge a price that suits the item while still giving credit to yourself as an artist and the overall amount of time you put in. I started using an Android app on my phone that tracks time and where it all goes (as well as p/project, expenses, tax, revenue, etc...). It's called FTS Timesheet and really opens your eyes to all the stuff mentioned once you get it setup right.

Enjoyment Achieved!!

Perfect lines Bro! I actually thought it was going to be smaller from the way it looked in your hands earlier, but it fits the bike just right (as if I would expect anything different).

Montana Pitch Blend is a nice finish that does good waterproofing and isn't anything that will crackle. It's more of a lotion that helps bead water off. I use it on EVERYTHING I do because you never know when something will be exposed to a little water. It also gives a nice little satin sheen that I really like. The leather dressing is what I use and the little tub will go a LONG way. http://www.montanapitchblend.com/ I'd also highly recommend staying away from the bellies. They stretch and sag and go all kinds of bad things.

The main difference I see is how frequently I have to re wet the leather. If I do a good overnight casing I usually get pretty far before it feels like I'm drying out.

Adam, have you reviewed Bob's article on casing? http://www.leatherworker.net/Bob%20Park/Casing%20Leather.pdf

rubber cement if I'm using a poster board or something. Other than that I usually just use packing tape since it's sitting right next to me anyway. I quick case with my backing on, if I do a full soak it and let it sit overnight casing, then I'll do that first and back it before I start working.

The M885 is another good choice that's a little bigger. Here's 13 pages of tools to choose from (the m885 is on this page). http://springfieldleather.com/category/14/194/Stamping-Tools/?page=8

wherever you get them, I'd try to get the full set if at all possible. Makes it really nice for getting into different areas or doing larger areas quicker. I like your bike too

That might work, but I'd probably use it as a last resort and try to keep the leather as dry as possible in the process. You might just try to cut through the glue first with a razor blade to separate it.

Maybe a time-zone setting or something? I see you location says Hong Kong, so that shouldn't be it.

The shipping may be hurt, but I'm pretty sure Springfield will be willing to ship to you.

McJeep sounds like he's got the main problem covered. You just really need to make sure you're holding that beveler against the back of your cut line. Don't be afraid to make multiple passes either. The other problem I've had at times is getting my cuts too deep to the point where it just ends up looking like that in the end, so watch your cut depth as well. Like everything it just takes a lot of practice. As to "why", without the cut you're just compressing the leather which will allow it to return to its natural state down the road. If you cut the line first, you're physically altering the leather in a way that it could never return from, which will make your tooling last a lot longer. Also, cutting the line just makes it that much more defined which will really make your art work stand out.

The idea's there and that's the important part. I'm promising myself I'm going to get to work on my friend's wallet tonight (sorry, shovelheads took priority last night), so I'll grab a piece of scrap while I'm at it and do a side by side showing the technique.

You'll be fine. Think of a triangle with curved sides, kind of like the celtic Trinity symbol or something. That will save your work and give you the right shape too. As for the swivel knife vs. stylus - I would still cut it and if you want to open up the lines a little with the stylus or even running the beveler over it by hand (just slide it along like the knife), that would open everything up to take color easier and still make the tooling last longer. I find myself using my speed beveler like this all the time on decorative cuts to double bevel them lightly and open them up a little bit. That's what I did on the belly/neck of my dragon.

How big is the dragon? It would probably be better to hit it with the swivel knife using a light touch instead of the stylus. That way the marks will be a little more forgiving to the constant wear and tear of a butt sliding around on them

Took a break while I debate on whether or not to wait on 5/7 oz for the sides. Thinking 8/9 might be pretty hard to form around some of those curves. Also need some more cash flow to get the 1/4 lace I need and I'm being indecisive about whether or not to background the whole thing or not (most likely not). You know, just being OCD. Think I'm going to start my buddy's wallet tonight.

Should be fine. Luthiers heat up old glue and remove it on guitars all the time.

Can you tell what type of glue it is? If you can't just peel it off, then I would try a heat gun or hair dryer to loosen the glue up.

Chancey knows I kid I'm actually keeping my eyes out for something smaller like a 650 or something to work over with my daughter before she's ready to start riding.