electrathon

It is amazing what a good job it does and how fast and easy it is when you get it set up right! Glad you got it. Time to be Snoopy dance now.

Ed LaBarre, leather artist-teacher-toolmaker will be teaching in Portland Oregon Oct 31-Nov 1 2016. The class will be hosted at Oregon Leather in the old section of downtown Portland Class cost will be $150 for the two days, materials included. We will be making a wallet, tooled with an Orchid on the front and Ed's unique style of curved basket weave on the back. Bring your own tools but do not be intimidated if you are a beginner, we will accommodate you! Contact me to register, $50 holds your spot in the class. There is a 10 person maximum for this class. Aaron Williams

Those look good, I really like the style.

If Lisa doesn't have them try shoedo.com. I agree, the lasts are one of the hardest parts to building shoes, your choices are very limited.

Pig would be good if it does not have a hard glazed finish like much of it has. Veg tan would be ideal.

Suede is a poor choice for a lining material. It can attract and hold dirt, potentially harming the finish on the gun.

My brain was not working correctly this morning. What is the fourth one specificity?

Shoe equipment Not positive about the first one, some sort of a finisher for soles. The second one is a Landis3, for cutting soles, skiving the edges on leather. Third is a nailer for heals. Not sure about the fourth specifically. If you are making shoes and need this stuff $200 is a great deal.

Hard to get a good specific picture. I think the main issue is not having the foot too tight. The feed wheel needs to slip a little bit, like a car tire on ice. It will push it forwards, but it has a hard time doing it.

The primary difference is that better steel can be sharpened to a better edge and will hold that better edge longer. Any knife will cut, a great knife will cut better, cleaner, smoother. Think of of it like music. A K-Mart guitar plays music, a Gibson guitar plays music better. But yes, they both work.

Not a good idea if you are using alcohol based dyes. If you are using water based it would work. You have to dilute with the base solvent the product is made from.

I have the same skiver. First off, most people have dull blades. You said you replaced the bell already though, so maybe. It does sound to me like you are using the feed to draw in your leather. When I adjust mine to do that I will get fubar too. I pull my leather through, it works well, the feed rollers just assist the feed rate. Think of it like this. The feed rollers can't push the leather into the knife or it will wad up into a ball because it is soft and spongy, so you need to hold it firm.

There is a backer board that you laminate between two layers. Tandy sells it, and other places.

Douglas tools is supposed to still be in business, Sheridan leather is gone. Not the same place, sort of. Father and daughter, but separate businesses. Do not know how to contact Bob Douglas though.

Good example of the difference between holes verses slits.

Kind of creepy post...

I wanted to vouch that what I have seen so far from this magazine is pretty good. It is interesting to see the work and style of the other culture that is similar, but different to ours. I recommend downloading the free edition above.

Some Tandy stores sell very low grade Herman Oak, call it #1 and price it as premium. If you want to buy it from them expect to pay more than twice market value for it, and you will hate Herman Oak after you see it. Most of their leather is from undisclosed South American tanneries. They do have some European leather that's pretty nice, pretty expensive, but nice.

The nails you are talking about are used to temporarily hold the shoe togeather until you can sew the upper on. The nails are pulled as you sew. The steel plates you are referring to are generally not used during hand construction, so they are removed.

yes

Thin it with water, think of canned milk for consistency.

I still have the first bottle of gum trag I was sold many, many years ago. It sits right next to the bottle of AstroGlyde. I have speedy stitchers too, at least I acquired those with bulk purchases.

Tricky wording for Mexican tanned leather. Not a slam on ALD quality of leather, but they sell Mexican tanned hides. Herman Oak and Wicket and Craig both tan in the USA.

I have made a few of these years ago (we were heating batteries, electric car racing) and I used a cooler (insulated box) a thermostat (about $5 each) and a hair drier. You drill a hole in the bottom and feed air in from the drier, a hole in the top to let out the warm, moist air. The thermostat will cycle the drier so it only runs when heat is needed. If you do not move fresh air in you are building a terrarium and you may end up with lots of mold in the drier.

No brand names, almost any quality craft store brand should outdo the Cova Color though. Dilute it down and use multiple watery coats, not a thick pasty coat. I would likely seal it with satin sheen. Nothing will be water proof on leather, just water resistant.