28ist

AODfan, Welcome to the forum. I'm also a hobbyist from Tulsa. I only do a couple pieces a year but I have enough crap to be a full fledged leatherworker so let me know if you need anything. Got plenty of scrap leather. PM if you'd like.

Str8line...thanks for the recommendations. Once a month or so I'm on the road to/from St. Louis and I usually buy all of my stuff from Springfield Leather. Next time I'm going through I'll pick some stuff up and see how it goes. Thanks again for the reply.

Cyberthrasher...thank you much for the link. Great info that I was looking for.

I'm a complete leather hobbyist. All of my projects have been stuff I've made for personal use (small bags, shell pouches, ect). Everything I've done has been hand stitched. Last night I started thinking about using lacing on my next project. Problem is I have no idea what I need to get started. As a hand stitcher I know at minimum I need thread, needles, and an awl. Can someone point me in the right direction as to what tools and/or materials I need to get started. Also, does someone have a good basic info source on lacing such as a book or dvd?

Sylivia...thanks for the video. I think something along these line will work for me. HellfireJack...I've tried the french edger route but getting a nice 45 without some sort of template is beyond me, "a bit of practice" is an understatement. Leatherworking for me is a hobby and like most hobbies I just don't get to spend as much time as I'd like to.

Can someone explain the best way to cut/bevel two pieces for joining at a corner? In wood working it's easy with a mitre saw or mitre box. But I'm not sure how to do this with leather. In one of Al Stohlman's books it has various patterns for making box like items with 45 degree joints but it doesn't say how to make the cuts.

Yes. I usually spray on a light coat of neatsfoots or two before applying dye. The neatsfoot slightly darkens the leather giving me an idea of what color of dye to use. In some cases the neatsfoot adds enough color that I don't use any dye. After dying I spray on another light coat of oil before proceeding.

What are you using to apply the oil? I had much the same problem until I started airbrushing the neatsfoot. My process is oil, dye, oil all with an airbrush. Believe me, I'm far from being an expert but it seems to be working for me. Hopefully more experienced posters will have more advice

I see a bunch of different modeling tools for use when carving. Round spoon, fine stylus, large undercut, ect. Which tools are recommended for someone (me) who is thinking of doing some basic tooling? I'm not worried too much about price, I just don't want to purchase a bunch of tools that might get little or no use. Anyone have a recommendations on "must haves" for a beginner?

Got it. Sew and treat as a single edge. Thanks for replies.

I'm working on a project that when done will have multiple layers sewn together. In the past I've finished the edges of each piece before sewing them together. Is this the best way to do this or should I finish the edges as a whole after they've been assembled? Sorry for what is probably an inane question but I'm looking for suggestions before I continue.

Thanks Bill. The biggest thing I was afraid of was having my pieces shrink if I cut them to size first. I'll use your rough cut/final cut suggestion.

Working on my next project and I'm thinking about trying my first dip dye attempt. Should I cut all my pieces to size and then dip or should I dye then cut? Is there a proper way to do this or is it more of a preference thing?

I was in Springfield a couple of month ago on a job and stopped in just to check things out. I'd ordered from them in the past and wanted to see what the store was like. Hardwood floor, wood paneling, and the beautiful smell of tanned leather gave it an old country store feel. While they were very busy, every employee stopped to say hi and ask if I needed any help. I walked out a little lighter in the pocket and will definitely stop in again. Good people and good prices.

I'm a hobbyist but I've made a few things now and I've decided to get a stamp and mark future projects. If for no other reason maybe in a hundred years someone will pickup a piece at a garage sale, see my mark, and do a little research on me. It's my way of extending my life. One thing I'm trying to figure out is where to mark my works. Is it better to stamp out in the open where it can be highly visible or is a more discreet placement better? I'm sure there's +/- for doing both but I was just curious and looking for opinions.

Just a quick question about dyes. What it the purpose or advantage/disadvantage with the use of oil dyes? Are there applications where oil based are better than spirit based dyes? I know this is a basic question but I'm new at this and I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around the various dyes, conditioners, finishes and such.

LOL. The idea is to have a place rest your break open type gun (over/under or side x side) while it's in the open position. Barrel rest are not intended for use with semi-auto or pump action shotguns or any type of rifle.

So, I've been on a business trip in Auburn Maine for the last 10 days. Before I fly up here I packed a few small pieces of leather and some basic tools knowing that I would need something to keep me occupied while at the hotel. The pics are of a barrel/toe rest for use while shooting clay target type sports. The leather is from a 8-9oz low grade tooling side with a piece of lizard skin on the inside. Actually I only think it's lizard as it was part of a grab bag I purchased from Springfield Leather and none of the pieces where labeled. I sanded the edges with 150, 180, 220, 400, 600, 800 & 1500 sand paper then finished with the saddle soap and canvas method. I then sealed the entire piece with Fiebings Bag Kote. And finally I put on a coat of melted soy wax then buffed when dry. Nothing special here folks just wanted to share. The leather wasn't in the best shape to start but I'm happy with the results. The best part is I'll get a chance to use the barrel rest this weekend when I attend a sporting clays shoot in Rhode Island before flying home to Tulsa.

Just wanted to finally chime in here. I've been reading this forum for a couple of months now and I'm enjoying the wealth of knowledge. I just got into leather crafting as a hobby. I'm a competitive shotgun shooter (well I shot in competitions which is different than being competitive) and just wanted to make a bag and pouch I could carry around the field and now I'm kinda hooked. I travel nearly every week for work and leather work allows me to carry a project with me so I have something to do at night. At any rate I just wanted to say HI and thanks to everyone who takes time to help us newbies out. Cheers

I am also new to leather working. The one thing I've noticed is that the quality of leather does make a difference (at least to a hobbyist like me). The first few things I tried to finish were with "economy" leather and the edges come out horrible; I just couldn't get the fibers to bind together well enough to get a nice edge. Now that I am using better leather with a very tight grain (fibers) my edge finishing has improved tremendously. I've used Hide Pounder's instructions with great success. That's my view from the hobbyist corner.