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Do a search for block dying and block removal, this comes up every few months. The basic idea is to wrap a block, 2x2 works, with some t shirt material and use it to apply dye only to the high points, or you can remove paint from a smooth surface leaving it only in the low places.

If you want to make it a signature... click on the arrow next to Sign Out on the very top right. Go to My Settings and then Signature. What ever you put in your signature will be added to the end of all your posts.

I got a paasche vlstpro because it was the only one I could find that had a nut to hold the paint bottle on, instead of just a friction fit. I was worried that if the bottle fell off it would ruin the piece I was working on.

According to the Weaver catalog the stain is oil based and can be mixed with harness oil.

Angelus makes a line of neon leather paints. They also have glitter paints. http://angelusshoepolish.com/collections/angelus-neon-leather-paint DTS leather in El Cajon CA carries the full line. Ray

You could try putting the leather directly on a concrete slab, sidewalk, driveway ect. and give it a wack. If you get a good impression then its is defiantly table bounce. If not try a heavier mallet. If you do get a good impression try putting your slab directly over one of your tables legs. This should help reduce some of the table bounce. Ray

This is the same question that brought me here. The search term you are looking for is "Block Dying". There are several old threads on this. The short how to is, wrap a block of wood with a layer of t-shirt put some dye on it and lightly drag or stamp it across the leather. Done right, the dye will only touch the highest points. I have tried it but with only limited success. Ray

I have a LU2-400, it is an older single needle version of the machine. A friend dubbed it "The Beast". I have sewn 13 oz sun forager tent canvas on it flat felled and it hardly even noticed anything is going through. I have sewn everything from 2 layers of denim to a 1/2 in. stack of veg tan and it has no problems. I used thread from T40 to T140 with just minor changes in the tension. The only bad thing I have found is that it is finicky about having tension on the thread tails for the first 3-4 stitches. Making sure that the take up arm is exactly at the top helps a lot. I use a sew off pad so the threads are anchored and I have something easy to hold when I start the next seam. I think I spent about $600 for it 10 years ago.

This is about the 20th time I have come back to look at your bag. The bison looks like it's really soft and I love the texture. I was wondering where you got it. I looked on the web and didn't find much and nothing that looks like what you used.

Hi Paul, I just ran across this a few days ago. I had never heard of a stirrup plate before. It looks like it gives you a little lift, 4-5 mm, up off the plate. http://leatherworker...showtopic=51037 I think the noise may be the hook hitting the needle. If the rolled edge of the sheath is dragging on the bed some distance from the needle it has torque/leverage and could be deflecting the needle. Try this... make a stack of leather like the sheath but without the fold so it is flat. Run it through, if it doesn't make the noise, dummy up a sheath with the fold and put something slick between the bed and the fold to reduce the friction. I'm thinking a piece of zip lock bag, slick magazine cover, Mylar, or even satin ribbon like you would use to wrap a gift. It may not eliminate the noise but, if it reduces it you will know what the problem is and then the stirrup plate could be the answer. Best of luck, Ray

It looks like the bobbin thread is being pulled to the top. It's eather to much tention on the needle thread or not enough on the bobbin. Make sure that the bobbin thread is under the flat spring on the bobbin case. Mine always comes out becouse the spring is not forked. Also heavy, hard leathers need a larger needle, If you are using a needle that is less than a size 20 try using a bigger needle. Hope that helps. Ray

I was about to ask how to do this but, it sounds like block dyeing might be the answer. If so is it really that easy? A t-shirt and a piece of 2x4? Do the red first and then just put the black on like a stamp and an ink pad? Thanks, Ray