electrathon

My biggest pet peeve on a forum, and this is huge big, is when someone asks a question (and I would say 100% of the time it is because they are looking for an answer) and they are told by someone to,"use the search". I can not think of a bigger, more arrogant, belittling, a hole statement to post than that! I have seen a group of old timers on here recently posting this. I see red ever single time someone posts it. If you do not want to answer someones questions, use the mouse and select another thread. You take your time to belittle and try to humiliate the new people, this might as well be a punk kid forum. Some of the old time people on here need to be embarrassed by their attitude. This is a place of learning. Most new people are here to learn. My second biggest pet peeve, and this is just a little behind the first: Telling people who are trying to learn to do it themselves and tell us how it worked. People ask questions to learn the answer, not to be belittled and humiliated. Now I got angry, need to stop. Aaron

Step up stirrups. Available in two colors, semi-gloss black and alluminum powder coat. The left stirrup has a drop down loop for mounting, it automaticly folds up for riding. These are brand new. There are a limited number available. $160 includes shipping to you in the USA. I have a friend that designed these and there are a limited number left. These were asked about in another thread so I thought I would post them here too.

Step up stirrups. Available in two colors, semi-gloss black and alluminum powder coat. The left stirrup has a drop down loop for mounting, it automaticly folds up for riding. These are brand new. There are a limited number available. $160 inclufes shipping to you in the USA.

Think of it like a checkbook cover, only larger. It can be one piece or three, that is up to you. You also have a tuckable slot in the flaps for the bible to slide into. The one in the pics is a total of 5 pieces. The hardet part is making it fit snug without it being loose, you want it to fit like it belongs on it. Aaron

I know a guy that made a bunch of "step up stirups" a while back. Not sure if he has any left. They folded down for climbing down and then swung up into a normal style stirup after you were mounted. I will ask him if any are still available. Aaron

AA = Alcholics Anomious. Many people get sober and carry their book for years. Book covers are a good sell and the books are all the same size. I am assuming you are not making 2000. If you are going small scale you will need a press and plates made. You can hand sew but for any sort of production you will need a machine. I would suggest making a few covers that do not have embossing, learn to edge and finish and sew. Then figure if you want to have plates made and learn to emboss. Aaron

This is a big bite to start with. I would suggest some practice with a few smaller pieces. The smaller pouches on the side would be great starting points. If you pattern them and get the hang of it then step up and try to get the full project. Make your patterns out of paper, butcher paper or brown grocery sacks. Tape them togeather for fit and layout. Then transfer to the leather. Practice sewing on smaller projects, like a dog collar or coin purse.

It sounds like you want to make AA book covers, possibly with a particular pattern you like. You will need to have a plate made to do the imprint. Depending on your exact artwork will depend on the cost and difficulty of the carving. You will need a press to do the imprint. Then you will be moving on to sewing and finishing. A lot will depend on if you want to make 20 or 2000 of these to determine how you will proceed. Aaron

This is a pretty wide question. How about if you post a picture of the style you are looking for and we can narrow it down from there. Aaron

Do you have a side view? Trying to see how the lock/clip works. Aaron

Does it make a difference if the pitch is from pine or fir trees? We mainly have fir trees around here. Aaron

Yes, we are on the same page. My point is to never give away (or sell) mistakes. A guy I know constantly tells everyone that, "No one will notice but you". It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I feel that everyone will notice, they will just be to polite to tell you, "You do poop work". The worst work you do is your reputation, it is your personal level of quality.

This always amazes me. Letting someone have your mistakes is a huge mistake. To that person, it is your best work.

Buy a tannery run "TR" hide. They are relatively cheap (about $120 I think) and you will get more usable leather than you will if you buy $120 worth of scrap. As a side the TR Herman Oak hides are far better than you would expect from "flawed" hides. Aaron

They are not real Damascus. They have a thick solid core of steel, laminated with layers of thinner outer layers for appearance. This is not a quality knife. Aaron

Ed, When I saw this was you posting I knew it would be good. As always, amazing work. Aaron

I did find some of Chans Patterns at Hides to Art. http://www.hidestoart.com/hides_to_art_web_11-10-10_012.htm No videos though.

Chan is internet resistant. PM me and I will send you his phone number, he will sell you one. Aaron

I am a day late, but I was tired last night. I taught a basketweave class at Tandy yesterday.

You can not beat Chan Geers videos. He is likely the best teacher on sheridan tooling.

Fiebings ox blood and Fiebings black. About 3/4 ox blood, maybe more. do test samples, let them dry before you decife if the mix is correct. Differant leathers will be differant shades, so test on the same leather as you are using. Aaron

Of course it is up to you. But if it was me, I would say it is OK as long as the stamps are the same , only a differant size.

I do like the look of the covered round bottles. Round bottom boiling flask is out of the TV series Breaking Bad, was not sure if anyone would recognize it. I few of the kids that I teach Electrathons with wanted me to teach them to make Hacki Sacks. Not sure in any of them are willing to work hard enough to actually sew one though. After about 10 minutes they will want to go to the store and buy one.

I like it.

Those look like round bottom boiling flasks.