electrathon

great looking work!

I like to use dr jacksons on holsters and belts that ar enot tooled. Sort of a wax/silicone like seal. Aaron

Tool, fold and stitch. Then start the finish process. Aaron

Bobby, Your tooling looks great, especially the double rig. Aaron

Welcome. Please post some of your work! Aaron

Impressive tooling

Neat Laq is solvent bassed. Very durable and chemicaly harsh. Eco flow is water based. Not durable chemicaly at all. You will not have good luck with any process that the top coat desolves the bottom coat. Aaron

When I am using a bigger tool, like a basketweave, I always use a dead blow. It stops the double impact from the bouncing. I have one I got a couple years ago and it is still working great. Another 10 years or so and it may fail. If it does I will pay another $6 and get another one.

Look about half way down the page. http://www.goodsjapan.jp/servlet/the-Leather-Craft-Items-cln-Lacing-Chisels/Categories I have every style i could find, these are hands down the best.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-lb-neon-orange-dead-blow-hammer-41796.html About half the cost of what you are going to pay for the bolts.

.

Barry King tools go for about $30 each. His knifes are $45 each and $55 for a maul. That comes out to $280 for a direct comparison to the Tandy set. For $1000 you could have a great set of BK tools. The Tandy set has a wooden hammer that it basically totally worthless, a knife that is usable, but not desirable and a set if tools that are far lower in quality than most realize (they are a big step lower in quality than most realize, not the same as normal Tandy). So yes, the BK tools are more, but they are ones that you can use, the Tandy tools are ones that need to be replaced. Buy the cheap ones only to know if you are serious, then as soon as possible transition to tools that are usable to create quality work.

You do not need stain or paint, you need antique for sheridan style. Basicly you tool, use a clear finish and then antique.

As to tools, the Tandy ones are low quality. I would buy a few there and then if you decide to learn more but from Barry King. Do not get overexcited and buy tons of Tandy tools, you will not be happy in the long run. As to finish, if you are tooling than I would still use Neet Laq. Tandy no longer sells it. Try springfield leather or sheridan leather outfitters. It is not called neet laq any more, but they will know what you want.

Are you planning on doing floral carving or stamping patterns or ? Fiebings dye is likely what you have. I have some that is over 15 years old and I still use it. Shake it well. There are exceptions, but in general, anything marked eco flo is inferior. The new waterstains are good. Some of the older products have been rebranded too and are OK. Aaron

I would suggest something like a sporan and add straps to the back so it could be worn like a tine backpack, or just carried. This pattern is easily alterable to any size you choose.

It would be interesting to try, but looks a little hard to control. You would have to use an angled blade and hold the knife straight up and down. I think with practice you would get the hang of it. It is a little on the spendy side, so hard to justify trying it. Aaron

Was trying to be funny. I am refering to the posts that the topic has nothing to do with anything.

From my experience, Yes, the Royal Meadow is close to the quality of American made leather. It feels much more like leather and less like poster board. Only issue, it costs so much you could buy top grade American leather for a lot less. Aaron

Good tips. Not there just needs to be a way to find the posts about sewing alligator that are titled, "can't figure this out".

Pete, I feel you have missed the point. I have not heard anyone tell you not to post, just not to be mean in posting. If the noob's stop asking questions then there will be very little posted. I really doubt that there is almost anything that has to do with leather not already posted. The forum could just be locked and a big sign posted, "USE THE SEARCH". All of the knowledge to the world is already contained within. It would be aesy and time convenient to keep up then.

Bruce, I want to add too. You have always stood as a shining example of whom I would like to be as talented as and who seems to have a positive grasp on life. Aaron

Hmm, I always thought an ambassador was one who was here to make others feel welcome, greeted, desired. Contributing members are those who have donated money to keep things going. Edit to add: This is the closest definition I could find for ambassador. An authorized messenger or representative. I think this is why this thread headed in a bad direction so fast. An authorized agent of this forum did not represent it in a friendly and inviting way. The forum was represented by virtue of the title and bad things were said to those who know less. This is a place of teaching and learning. We are all both teachers and students. Hopefully through time all here will be less student and more teacher. That is, unless we run off all the students since they are not smart enough to learn from us. Then we will end up with a group of old people who all know everything and a dead forum. Old timers likely remember where the roots of this forum started and how it grew into what it is and not what it came from. Everyone is welcome here, not just those that pay to get in.

In the old days bowl wax was commonly bees wax. Not sure when this changed. You were not wrong, just dated )

Thank you for posting this. I felt sort of bad last night a few hours after I posted, but you have reinforced my feelings. The more visible part of this that I see is that the original post was from an ambassador, it gives the impression that others feel like he does too, very sad. I have a story. When I first got into leather a few years ago I was in Tandy trying to learn and understand. I was feeling frustrated (still do on this issue) that Tandy primarily sells old, dated patterns from 50 years ago. In the discussion with the manager I brought this up and was told that if I wanted more modern information I should write a book and sell it myself. This angered me and that was before I knew that Tandy has chosen not to sell modern information but to continue selling dated patterns by choice. The other situation that still grates on me was I was trying to learn how to get the affect of antiquing. At that time I did not know what or why or how, just that I had seen finished items I liked the look of. When I asked how to do it I was told to buy stuff off the shelf and see what I could do to duplicate it. That was over 5 years ago and I still tense up when I think of the conversation. I left the store furious that day. To me I was told to stick it. Months later I was taught buy Chan Geer how to do it, I am thankful to him to this day. Aaron