electrathon

Very cool. I would have likely got all excited and bought it too.

Use the chisel punch for most sewing. Loose the big eye needles and get harness needles, a lot stronger. Normally you do not need to tie knots, you backstitch 3 stitches. I pull my needles with pliers all the time, to me tighter is better. Aaron

You could measure it to see what is going on. 1/64" = 1 oz.

Your floral tooling looks very nice. The only issues I see in the pictures (I am guessing this is what you were less than happy about) is the assembly. I see some issues around the handle. As an overall though it is very good.

Keep in mind a ball point pen rolls smoother than a stylus, and it leaves a line on the paper so you can see where you have already traced. You can use a red pen so that it really stands out and seran wrap between the paper and wet leather keeps your paper dry. You will need to replace your pattern every time, but most states have photocoppiers nowdays, so that is no big deal either.

The leather will need to be damp, not wet for the brand to look good. Also do not over heat it. My hot press works best at about 350 or so, depending on the leather. It only takes about one second contact time. Too long and it will blur the edges. Aaron

Or just make him a new one out of leather (to match).

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I like y-knot lace

Chan geer has a set of videos out that are very good and easy to follow/understand. Sheridan leather sells tham.

You will hear many differant opinions on what is best/ what works. Paul Zalesak is one of the best leather knifemakers out there with a lot of metulurgy to back it up. Here is a link to his site. http://leatherwranglers.com/tips.html

Looks like elephants. Very nice.

I will step in but others may have better info. My guess is that it is not leather, it likely is reconstited leather (think particle board instead of plywood). The stuff is not strong and does not last, but in the store is hard to tell apart. Any stitching you do will likely tear out too. If the front piece is actual leather than you could open up the piece and replace the end piece that is damaged.You can use almost any material, since you can barely see it. Matching can be tough. On the wear spots, i would just use a leather conditioner on the total sofa and deal with the wear. Old leather= character. Aaron

Any leather that is "soft" really can not be tooled. Vegtable tan is firm and hard and will take the denting and cutting well. You can brand it.

Try using Renia glue. Amazing stuff, will make you wonder why you are sewing too. It smells very bad if that bothers you. Aaron

Good advice from Dwight. I would add to this that you should start/practice on something else. You are looking to undertake a very advanced project, learn a little first on something else that you can screw up and not be upset. Make a coin purse to start. Move on to a baseball cap, and if all is well, move on to the jacket. If they d not look good, make a few more practice pieces first. Aaron

I don't know how you can keep speeding up ad sowing down like that... Good video.

While it looks like he learned great on the uppers I am betting they are not a good design for walking on sharp recks. They are looking good!

Had to look up what a javelina is. What is the purpose of the excess tooled leather loop added to the holster? It does not seem to add any function but would interfere and catch as you wore it. As to critique, your basket weave stamping seems to be very shallow and wandering. Also, you have the basket weave coming in from two directions, looks like you stopped and restarted at the wrong angle on the other side of the numbers.

Interesting. E6000 is amazing but is so thick and goopy I would have never considered it for use as a leather glue. Worth a try.

Either product will likely be OK, they are both cleaners. The biggest issues you will have is with oils and dirt that have accumulate on it. Gum trag will likely work to hold the fuzzies down. Glycerin soap will too (I have not used gum trag since I was first sold some years ago by Tandy, then I learned that glycerin soap was better and cheaper). You can slick it down with a piece of denim or canvas. I don't ever use Edge Kote, so no help there.

Those needles are worthless (just my opinion) unless you like your lace to fall off. Use the needles with a hole in them and one prong. http://springfieldleather.com/32433/Needle%2CLok-Eye-Lacing%2C-100pk/ I looked on Tandy's site and it looks like they are not there any more. These needles are easily 5 times less likely to fall off. Aaron

When I first read your post yesterday I thought you were going to have a mess. You got good products and if you get away on anything with re-dying, black is it. If course, shoe polish would likely work too.

Is it black? What kind and brand of dye did you order?

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