electrathon

I would start with a basic pattern, either a rounder or wallet side. Have them carve it at least 3 times, the repitition teaches a lot. Then lace around it when done. Start with a simple tooling pattern and progress forward from there. Try posting an add on Craigs list similar to what you posted here asking for tools, you may be surprised at the donations you recieve. There are a lot of people who will step forwards to help you when they hear you are a disabled vet willing to help others. Aaron

Thank you. I liked the way the two colors contrasted each other. Aaron

If you can find a class Chan Geer is teaching. I am not sure if you are close to any areas he is teaching, you will need to look it up. He is an awesome teacher. Aaron

Awesome, stunning looking work. What do the ends look like? What is the purpose of the notches on the top? Aaron

What has really surprised me with leatherwork is that so few peole are willing to SELL their patterns. It seems to me that it is a huge source of income to someone with the talent to draw them up. Tandy basicly sells totally outdated patterns that were drawn long ago. Think about it like if your wife went into the fabric store and bought a pattern to make you a shirt. The pattern was drawn up on 1953. She comments to the store that it seems like someone in the last 50 years must have drawn up more modern looking shirt patterns. The store owner looks at her and tells her to learn how to draw patterns up herself. I do realize that there are people who sew that can and do draw patterns, many more can't. Many leatherworkers are copy people. I can copy well, I have no talent to draw.

Unfortionatly, my experience with contact cement is the stick is very proportional to the smell. One that does not smell will likely fail. Aaron

Your tooling is superb. Excelant to say the least. But the weave pattern makes me seasick just to look at it (I am very sensitive to this). I am not critiquing to work at all, but rather the pattern. Aaron

OK, yes. very cool.

Not positive about this time, but generally it is because people use off-site web hosting for the pics. Your filter stops the pics from coming through. It is also why if you look back in very old threads pics disappear, the off-site host removes the pics and then they are lost forever. Posting the pics on Leatherworker is the cure. Yes, this issue frustrates me. If I get online at break time it is amazing how many of the pics I can not see.

This is my latest. Pretty simple design. Cut in 3 pieces, hand sewn to join them together. About 8 oz for the front and back, 4 oz for the spine. Chan Geer pattern (because I have no drawing talent at all). Dip dyed in Fiebings russet, diluted 67% with isopropyl alcohol. Sealed with Neat-Laq, then antiqued with Fiebings black paste. The basket stamp is from Hides-to-Art. Laced in a double lace pattern with kangaroo lace. Aaron

There does not appear to be a starting point to the stem. In the bottom Left corner it just circles the flower. There should eb a beginning. Aaron

Is this information also correct for a 29 K? I recently picked one up. So far I have got it working and am using the needles and thread that came with it. As with most people here, I want to go as big as possible. Aaron

Find some E6000. It is like silicone on steroids. It will hold and still be flexable. Aaron

Pics always draw a better responce.

Donna, the Portland Oregon Tandy manager had left. She was the one that made the store a fun and comfortable place to shop. Durham, a long term employee (and former manager) is also gone. I am not sure of the circumstances, but am very sad. This store is one of the largest Tandy stores, much of it to the credit of the local employees. Aaron

Use only piesce about 6' in length, then splice them. If you try to do it with only one very long strand you will soon notice that your lace has worn out and looks tatered. It will also likely break from the wear before you are done. aaron

I make a lot of wallets and always use the thinnest leather I can. I tool them and generally use about 4 oz for the outside , then line them with pig (2 oz I think). I have never had one wear out that I know of. When I used to use Tandy liners they would come apart in about a year, so i stopped using them and make my own insides. One of the primary criteria in construction is to try to keep them thin. If people are not complaining about them being thick I would guess they are just being polite. Why in the world would anyone want to sit on a 2x4 all the time? Make them thick enough to hold up and no more. Aaron

If you said what you are willing to pay I think you might get more intrest. I have alot of these, might be interested in letting them go for the right price. Aaron

In my other life, I volunteer at the local high school helping to build and race Electrathon cars. If you are not aware of the program do a search for Electrathon America and you will find information on this great program. I figured a good idea would be to combine some leather into the mix. With the help of a forum member here (step in if you want credit) I had a logo turned into a stamp. I have made up a handfull of leather key fobs to sell as a fund raiser to help support our program (we get no financial support other than what we fundraise). I plan of selling them for a $6 Paypal. Hopefully I will get a few dollars for the program, combined with a fun leather project. Aaron

Your choices seem to be: Sell your products for less, assuming the quality is the same. Sell your products for more, because you sell better stuff. Keep changing what you sell, so you can stay ahead of her following you. Stay home fuming, upset she is outmarketing you. Sell at differant places than she is, so you will not have to compete. Demand from her that she market only approved products, so there will not be market compition. That is all I can think of for now. I recomend option two. Aaron

Two inlay ones I made:

I can't answer your question about the Rit dye but have a solution for you. Mix some black in with your blue, it will be more of a navy blue then. Practice on something you can ruin. Aaron

Cut the liner too big. Fold the holster and glue the liner in as close to the finished shape as possible. Trim off the excess. Aaron

This never developed forward. The closest is that there are a few classes held at the Tandy store. Bobby Rose is teaching holster class coming up (this weekend) if there are enough signed up. Chan Geer is coming back in September, his classes are always great weather you are a beginner to advanced. Call Tandy and talk to Donna, she has more information. Do this imediatly, there needs to be more for the class to happen. Aaron

Personally I think the new name would be worse to explain than the old. How are you going to say "Dover TN. Saddlery" over the phone? How do you say TN out loud? How do you type it into a search enging or a phone directory? What is wrong with "Rock Saddlery"? It is easy and sounds tough. Aaron