electrathon

You asked for comments, here is a lacing critique if you want it: Your holes are too big, too far in and too far apart. Slots look more profesional than holes, they fit the lace. Use round holes for round lace, flat holes for flat lace. When the holes are closer togeather the lacing looks "fuller" and more continuous. You already know about the flaw closing the ends togeather. Just watch the steps in the directions. It always seems like you are doing it wrong till you pull it tight, and it looks perfect. I like the flowers.

I have one of them too, best sharpening tool I have ever used. Loose the grit wheel though and replace it with a fine belt on a belt sander (about 240 grit). I can take an unfinished edge to razer sharp in a matter of a few minutes. Aaron

I'll have to look for some of it. Any idea how much it costs? OK, I DO know the answer.

Not that I want to sound overly stupid, but... How in the heck would you ever actually lace anything with stainless steel? Even is you could, I can not imagine being able to wear it.

I sent some through paypal. I don't have a lot to send but I do have a little, and if we all donate a little, it will be a lot. And bump for you. Aaron

I took another step forward. I have not been doing any leatherwork lately, but did look at ebay... I just bought a pair of nearly perfect shoes for $15 shipped. They come with the origonal box ( I will end up donating that to the local Tandy). I will end up using them for R&D, then complete they set I am working on. This is a fun project.

My leatherwork is totally and completely mechanical. I am great at copying patterns, can't draw for anything. Same in life, I am one of the best fix-it guys there is, but I am horible at designing things. Aaron

I really like the idea and what you are trying to do. I think shipping will be your downfall though. You will have $8 or so shipping each way, also about $2 paypal fee each way. For the cost of a blue gun it might be cheaper just to buy one that to try shipping it back and forth. If you lived in the same town and could stop by and pick it up, I think it might work out.

I have mailed a lot of items to other countries (not leather, just other stuff). Always US mail, never UPS (there are huge fees with them). I have had 100% success. The only thing you have to do differnatly is there is a form you have to fill out at the PO. I always declare the items as "gifts" that way they usually do not have to pay duty on them.

I think you have done thiis before. Very nice work. Aaron

I have never made a real chopper seat but I built a mini-bike chopper a few years back. I used foam carpet padding, glued togeather for thickness. It was easy to work with and readily available. It should handle water pretty well too.

I read through the posts and first off I want to say, I am not a saddle maker. But I think your question is too big. I have a suggestion: How about if you start another thread and possibly it can evolve into a teaching thread. You can start with a starting level question, post pictures and ask questions. Once step one is finished (hopefully a few makers will step in and all give suggestions) then you can show your progress and go on to step two. If done right this thread would turn into a tutorial with step by step construction. Show your mistakes, show your successes. Ask dumb questions, if you have them, so does someone else. You could end up with a thread that is many pages long that could serve as a guide to other beginners in the future. Aaron

Teh biggest beginning learning tip I can give you is to find some scrap and tool the same pattern 4 times. You will definatly be able to see your pregression as you become more stable at cutting and things start to smooth out with your tooling. Knife cuts should be about 1/2 way through the leather. The thicker the leather, the deeper you and cut and tool. Keep your background all about the same depth. The driven down area should be consistant. Buy an extra tool and grind it smaller. The craft tools are oversized. You need to be able to get all the way into small areas.

You are allowed to make a few dollars at a hobby. I no longer remember the amount, but it seems like it was around a coupe thousand gross per year. I find it hard to believe anyone would really set up a tax id, lisences and all for a few sales a year. You may quickly find that you are paying thousands a year (depending on your location) to sell something for $45. If you really want to be anal about it, running a business out of a house is against most cities zoning laws. It nulifies your homeowners insurance and it goes on and on. Selling a handfull of craft items is not a business. This is totally differant than selling all you can and going into production, this is learning a hobby and selling the finished work. And yes, I am not a lawyer, I am a mechanic. I had it explained to me a few years ago from the CPA doing my taxes why I did not have to report "income" for helping people fix their cars on the side.

I have been hearing about this. Unfortionatly, with the current administration, there is little that can be done. Most of the new rules that are flying through will not recieve congresional oversight, they are just being enacted, quickly and swiftly, because if they do not happen fast, they may not get through. Our rights as citizens are so trivial compared to the rest of what is happening this is a small issue.

Your tooling looks great. The coloring on the brown one is awesome. I admit, I an not fond of the pink. As to speed, it would take me at least 30 hours to do the same work. Remember that it is easier to learn to do good work and then speed up than it is to learn to work fast and then increase your work quality.

RTC from Bee Natural. When you use it just make sure you put it on generously.

Another step forward. I have the forms for the soles made. I am waiting for the formed leather to dry (one foot) and going to do a test fit before I do the other foot. I was PMed a scan of the continental gypsies, very cool. My initial plan was to make one set of the suburban ones, I think before I am done I will end up making both designs now. I get obsesed with these things and it can be a lot of fun to make them.

Thank you Gesa. Those are the first pics I have seen of an unfinished set. The pattern will help a lot too, I will mess around with enlarging it and see if I can get the sizing correct. It is interesting that thee were evidently at least two styles of these shoes sold. The pics to the right are of a differnat shoe. The soles are molded. I spent part of the day making a set of lasts to form the sole over. I will start with very thick leather and skive it down around the edges, then form. That is how it looks like they did them in the kit. Of course one of the issues with shoes is there are so many sizes. I am using a set of insoles out of my girlfriends shoes and a tracing around her foot to work with. If I can stay motivated, I should have this figured out in a few days. Been reading all I can about shoe and sandel making to get tips. Aaron

I got a few pics today.

Let me look at this and see if I am understanding: Say I own a company that makes bags. Very nice, very expensive high quality bags, the best of the best. The bags do not more than a cheap low quality bag will do, but they are great, stylish and a wonderfull item to set on a desk in front of a judge. It tells him I am the man, you can trust me. After scratching out a living making bags for a while, someone notices how great they are and orders 50 of them for the executives at the bank, the desire is for everyone that comes in to see that we are the ones that have things going on. It works. The compitition notices and you get an order for 500 more bags. Far more than your small company can make. You get a loan, risk everything you have and expand. You look into the market and find that bag makers average salery is about 50K a year. You hire a bagmaker and the two of you work real hard. You make all the bags and get more orders. You make a lot of money. Your risk starts to pay off, orders keep coming in. You give your guy a raise because he is a good bag maker (or is it because you made money?). There is another bag manufacture nearby. They do similar work but never get the sales or name recognition. It is all the place can do to keep the doors open. Your worker has a brother that works at the competitor. Should he be paid less money for the exact same work as your guy gets? The business will go under if that happens. The worker actually works harder than your guy does. Should his salery depend on the income of his employer? Or on the mean average wage of other workers in the area? Time gos on. The econony has issues due to no direct fault of your own. You have marketed to the wealthy for years, done well and now find yourself selling a luxury item to the despised in the country. The orders slow down. You are barely making it, even sinking. Would you cut the income of your employee? You are loosing money, if your employee reaped the benifits of the profit, does he also share the burden of the losses? My opinion on this. You desreve to be paid a fair wage reguarless of the profit or the losses of who you work for. It is wrong to say you deserve more (or less) money due to the income or loss of the business. Thsi is an oversimplification of the countrys economy, but hopefully it is full enough to get the idea.

Ed, I just wanted to say to you once again: I am enjoying this conversation and I really appreciate that we are both able to share drasticly differant opinions in a civil discussion. I find it both stimulating and interesting. Aaron PS: I just wish you were right like I am. LOL

Ed: I wasn't aware of these fees, but where does that money go? Does the largest portion go to medicare, medicaid, and public education? How much goes to businesses? Even if a large portion goes to these areas, how much actually goes directly to these areas and not businesses providing unnecessary and inefficient products and services for these areas? Government has got very good on charging "fees". All of the money goes to line the pockets of local government. System developement fees are big(this money is supposed to be collected and used to enlarge the system in the future, such as poo plants, water production etc.) parks fees (got to build parks so you have a place for criminals to hang out) inspection fees (around here, you will never pass an inspection the first time, they want the added hours of doing reinspections). Transportation fees are big(if you build a house, you will drive to it, so you have to pay a fee to the city to use the road). None of this money goed to private busness except possibly some that is paid through contracts for work done (such as well drilling , etc.)

I do agree with you that under Regan none of us were ready for the growth level of spending that came from congress when the "income" went up. Collected revinue rocketed up, spending went up even faster. So there is an argument that sound policies that create added income are not always good, because the out of control spenders can do more damage with more money. If his policies had not worked so well, the income would not have been there for the growth in spending that happened.

need pics