Clay

Yes I use the contact cement for gluing up the boards. I have used this procedure for making several different size pens so it should work just fine for the 7mm tubes. On the neats foot and lacquer I first put a little neats foot on a rag and apply it to the blank while it is turning on the lathe until I get the color I like. You dont have to press very hard for this. I do the same thing with the lacquer. When doing this be VERY carefull not to let any part of the rag get caught up on the lathe. ClayM.

Turning Leather On A Lathe (Making a Stacked Leather Pen) I got the idea for the stacked leather pens after my first trip to the Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show in Sheridan. I was amazed by the quality of leather work and also the tools that I saw there. One of the items that intrigued me the most were the mauls made by Barry King with the stacked leather handles. After talking with Barry and learning that they were turned on a lathe I decided that I was going to find a way to make some thing with stacked leather. Upon returning home I made a trip to my wood working supply store and found my project. The supply store had kits for wooden pens. I bought several and went to work trying to figure out how to make a leather pen. The first ones I made were not very good but I eventually came up with a way to do it that works good for me. When picking out the leather try to avoid any soft or stretchy leathers. Fleshy leather or belly leather is not good either. I like to use the firm leather from the back area of a side. I also like to use leather that has already been tooled like projects that have mistakes or practice pieces. The swivel knife cuts make for interesting marks on the pen. Using different weights of leather is another option. Once the leather is chosen I cut it to similar size pieces and begin to glue it together. The staked leather needs to be slightly taller than the tube that will hold the leather blank. Before applying the glue I use a leather rougher to scrape both surfaces of the leather to insure the glue has a good bond. The last thing you want is for the piece to come apart on the lathe as you are turning it. I use a mallet to pound the pieces together as I am gluing it up. 　 Once I have my leather "board" built I use wood clamps to press it together. I find that it helps again to keep the pieces from coming apart when turning. From this point some wood working tools are needed to continue. When the glue is good and dry I use a band saw to cut my blanks. The kits come with instructions and dimensions that the blanks need to be cut to and they vary from kit to kit. For this kit I am cutting the blanks at ¾ inch by ¾ inch. 　 When the blanks are all cut I then prepare them for turning. The blanks are turned on a mandrel and they need to be drilled. Each pen kit has different size tubes and the blanks need to be drilled so that the tubes fit tightly. They are drilled through the center. After drilling out the blank I will insert the tube. I use sand paper to rough up the outer surface of the tube then apply contact cement and push it into the blank with a tool. The blanks are turned on a mandrel so that they can be done uniform and precise. Again each pen kit has different size requirements. The mandrel has three bushings that you turn the blanks down to. I turn the leather until it is just a bit bigger than the bushings. Then I will sand the banks the rest of the way. I start out with a coarse paper usually about 100 grit and work my way to 2000 grit paper so that I get a super smooth surface on the blanks. I use neats foot oil and a lacquer to color and finish the blanks. They are then assembled according to the kit instructions using a vice to press the pieces together. When the parts are assembled an ink cartridge is inserted and the pen is done. ClayM.

Very cool Bruce, I especially like the dancing skeleton.. ClayM.

Hi all, It is not the best thing I have ever done by far, but it is done and that makes me feel good. It was good to get the tools on leather and grease up my stamping elbow. I figure if I tool a few more items then I might not be so rusty.. The item is a puzzle piece for the Dakota Territory leather guild. The guild purchased a side of leather and cut it into random pieces and gave one to each member to tool how ever they wanted to. When the pieces are all done they will be put together and hung up in the Tandy store in Rapid. It is a fun guild project and it will look very cool when it is done. ClayM.

Update on available stamps The stamps available are as follows, 14 small smooth flower centers, 13 medium smooth flower centers, 7 large smooth flower centers, 3 x-large smooth flower centers, 3 medium smooth bevelers, 1 small smooth beveler, 2 smooth pointed bevelers, 1 lined pionted beveler, 2 checkered pointed bevelers, 3 large checkered bevelers, 2 medium checkered bevelers, and 3 small checkered bevelers. Thanks, ClayM.

While I was organizing the tools and stuff that I got from Billy I found a box of what I thought was just bolts so I put it aside and forgot about it. I was looking for a smaller size bolt today so I opened the box. Much to my surprise and excitement I found nearly 70 stamps that Billy had made. They are older stamps made out of nails, and before he changed his stamp style. Some of them are a little crude and slightly dirty but they all work good and leave nice impressions. I would like to sell them because they are wasted if they sit on my shelf, but as I did not make them I feel uncomfortable selling them, so I am going to donate 50% of each sale to Cowboys for Cancer Research ( http://cowboysforcancerresearch.org ) This was a charity that Billy was very much involved with, he dontated a compleatly floral carved saddle to them. The stamps available are as follows, 15 small smooth flower centers, 14 medium smooth flower centers, 7 large smooth flower centers, 3 x-large smooth flower centers, 2 meduim lined flower centers, 2 large lined flower centers, 2 x-large lined flower centers, 3 medium smooth bevelers, 1 small smooth beveler, 2 smooth pointed bevelers, 1 lined pionted beveler, 2 checkered pointed bevelers, 4 large checkered bevelers, 4 medium checkered bevelers, and 5 small checkered bevelers. I am asking $30 each and $5 shipping for the first stamp and $0.50 each stamp after that. Pm me if you are interested. I have Paypal. First come first served.

made a set of matching low angle bevelers in seven sizes. They are cut at a 15 degree angle and are checkered with a #4 file. ClayM.

I have been playing around trying to teach myself hopw to use some of the tools and equipment that I got from Billy. I have made a few stamps and while they are no where near tha quality of Billy's or Barry's or Bob"s ( maybe your name needs to start with a B to be a good tool maker?)They did come out good and are usefull. A couple of meander stamps and a bevler

Thanks Troy! I dont remember packing an engraveing ball when I moved all of this stuff but there are a few mor boxes that I have not unpacked yet.. I knew some one on here whould know what it was. Thanks again. ClayM.

This was in one of the boxes of stamp making tools and stuff that belonged to Billy Wootres. I have no idea what it is and was hoping that someone could identify it for me. When I look at it I see a miniture pipe bender. I am prity sure that is not what it is, so if any one knows please share. The tools are not that big about two and a half inches long for the L shaped pieces and the T handle is two inches by two and a half. The little parts are around a half inch and the smaller ones are about a fourth of an inch.

Finished the last bench lat night. Now I just need to organize all my junk. If any of you have any ideas on space savers please share them. I am alrady going to use Ann's drawer idea. I had to get the materials to build the drawers that I wanted because I could not find any manufactured drawers that were big enough. Bench #3 in place Bench #3 with shelves added. All my junk that has to be organized.

Ann, Great idea on the drawers for the cutting table. I will def add some. Thanks. ClayM.

John, the mill lathe is made by General Machinery. It is a Harbor Freight inport. The mill does swing out from the lathe.

Finished bench #2 today. I added the legs and shelves. it is solid as a rock. I also hung some shelves on the wall above the bench. I found a cool thing for hanging tracing film and other paper rolls. It is a shoe rack but it works great for this too. I started on the new cutting table. It needs a piece of plywood for the storage area underneath. ClayM.

I started on work bench number two this morning. I thought I was done with it, but after looking at the photo I think it needs some more legs in the middle and a shelf under the side across from the drawers. I spent half the morning trying to figure out the layout for the rest of my tables and assorted equipment. I am barely going to have enough room to walk around once I set it all up but it will fit. The space I am using is 18 ft by 16.5 ft and I am using it all up. ClayM.

John, Thanks for the suggestion. I have 8- 2x3's supporting the weight of the rock. They run from left to right from the front of the bench and are attached to 2x4's that run from the back to the front. Then to go over kill, I have another 2- 2x4's that scab it all together. I will post a picture of it later this evening. I see your point of adding a little more support to the front edge. Will look at it some more..Thanks I just finished the shelves for the lower protion of the work bench. They came out ok but I had to re-cut one of the shelves to get it to fit. Here is a picture of the bench with shelves added.

I have started on my workshop and I can hardly wait till it is done so that I can start pounding leather. The first project I have done is a new tooling bench. There is a space in the garage in between the water heater closet and the heater/ac closet that was just the right size for a tooling bench. I think the space was ment for a freezer. I used a quality particle board with a laminated surface for the top of the work bench. The front edge of the bench is set back 10 inches so that I could have the bench under my elbows with out having to lean forward as much. I cut out the center so that I could drop the granite slab in and make it flush with the surface. When it is all done there will be shelves both under the bench in the space to the right and left of where I will sit and also on top of the bench. I have a tendancy to over build and this thing was a beast to get inplace by myself. but I think it will be sturdy and make a good work bench. I plan to build another 8ft x 4ft cutting table and a smaller 8ft x 2.5ft counter type space when this bench is done. Those along with more shelving and I will be up and running!

I have knives from Barry, Midas, Tandy, Henley, and LeatherWrangler. I must say that I use Paul's knife the most as it is always sharp and ready to go. The blades are very easy to keep sharp. The knurling on it is slightly coarser than the others and I feel that I can control the knife better. The cool colors that they are available in is kinda neat too! Mine is green. ClayM.

Thank you guys, I went to Austin yesterday and paid a visit to Dennis at the Austin Tandy store. I plan on going back next month for a visit to the guild meeting there. Other than that I haven't had much of a chance to find any other places to visit yet. I can't wait to get a work shop set up. For now it will be my garage but not till I figure out how to cool it down a bit. ClayM.

Now that I have moved to Temple, Texas, I am eager to start tooling again, but will have to wait unitll I can get a work shop set up, will be weeks or months away. Is there any one on here that lives in or near Temple who would like to talk leather? I would like to learn more about the area and what the leather market is like here. Thanks, ClayM.

Phil, I do a lot of leather turning. What works for me is to use the stiffer leathers from the back and butt of a side and stay away from the belly leathers or streachy leathers. I make a lot of pens and pencils with leather. I use contact cement and a vice to press the leather together. I usually turn it like I would a soft wood start out slow then for the final polish fast as it can go. As for the tools I generaly use the flat skew to shape it then medium grit through very fine grit sand paper to smooth and finish. Wax polish works good to get a good hi gloss finish and a little neatsfoot oil for color.

Kate, I dont know if he does or not I will ask him next time I see him... ClayM.

I can only take credit for the idea and the red paint the rest was done by Wes. He is probably the best floral tooler around Rapid.. ClayM.

I haven't had the chance to share much lately but this is just too cool not to show every one. it is an open and closed sign for my store. I came up with this idea a while back but have been to busy to build the sign myself so I made a bargain with Wes Mastic of Bader's Saddle Shop here in Rapid. At first he was not sure if it would work and he actually had to redo it twice lol! The sign has a slider that is on rails that are stitched onto the main piece that can cover either the closed or open lettering. The back is fully floral tooled with a thank you for the customers as they leave the store. All the letters are painted with red eco flo cova that has been watered down a bit and sealed with two coats of super sheen to make them realy stand out.