Sylvia

I got a poly headed mallet from these guys (the 11oz one for 9.99) and I like it a lot for tooling. I also bought a 16oz one from Barry King and I find it too heavy for tooling... at least until I get used to not trying to drive the tool through the table. I've been told that rawhide is old technology and they require replacement due to their becoming ratty over time. Syl

Good solid surface like granite to work on, a decent maul/mallet with enough heft to compress the leather when you strike (11-16oz), and a solid table. You can also do some things to acoustically deaden the room. Like rubber cups under your table legs, heavy insulation panels around the walls and ceiling.

Yes, Gum Trag will do that. My local Tandy warned me about it when I ordered mine. It looks like you might have used a brush to apply it... I only use my finger and I have a paper towel handy to wipe my finger as a need to. I even found a recipe some where for a dye resist that takes Gum T and Sulfur to resist indigo dye. When I've had trouble with mine... either slipped or got a darned finger print... I've taken action right away with Fiebings Dye Prep,(everclear booze, sudsy ammonia mixed with water) then deglazer with a cotton swab. When it's dry I touched up the color. I don't know how it will work with well dried dye though. Good luck.

I've seen this guy's things before... he's in the Czech republic... how long did it take for the stamp to arrive?

Now this is an interesting project well beyond my abilities. Are you making a costume for a rock band or movie part?

I hear this kind of thing a lot when it comes to playing guitar. Especially, when young ones want to play as well and as fast as their idol in 3 days and feel frustrated and discouraged when they can barely make their fingers fret the proper notes/chords. Usually what the answer they hear is.... "Slow the heck down and learn to practice accurately.... then speed will come." I find that leatherwork teaches patience. It takes a huge amount of time and practice, along with a measure of artistic ability to get to the level of the pros. I can tell you that like anything worth while, it takes practice. Lots and lots of practice. Our leather idols didn't learn this over night and probably not in a year either. They had mentors to guide them, and took the Time to learn and practice their craft. Like Cheryl says... we have a tendency to tackle things beyond our current abilities. Perhaps it's time for you to slow down and choose practice projects just beyond your current ability. That is to say... if you can turn out an awesome belt... choose something slightly more challenging. All too often (and I've done it too) people jump right into the deep end and try to do the most difficult project when in reality they are just learning. Then frustration sets in because they didn't meet their own expectations, due to a lack of ability. Then, if they don't quit, 5 years later they attempt the same project with some trepidation and find it turns out great. The difference in this case is the years of practice they've gained.

LOL! No nooses for you young man! I sure feel for you. I know neck and shoulder pain myself.

Forgive me Northmount... but that sounds to me like an ergonomics problem. Sitting hunched over your work with the elbows too high. Try repositioning your chair to see if it improves.

Nice bit of ingenuity at that link. I like that.

Ronin As you see, you are going to get some conflicting opinions on what you SHOULD buy. I personally like the vintage craftools. I'm talking ones that are marked Craftool with no Letter preceding the number on the tool, ones that are marked Craftool Co. USA and even some Craftool USA ones. The craftool with no letter and craftool co. usa were all hand ground tools... some of the Craftool USA ones were too, before they changed over to a casting method. If you can... visit your Tandy and look for the best quality of each of the individual tools... as it can vary from stamp to stamp. Compare them to what you already have. You'll notice quite a bit of difference even from 7 years ago to now. As far as dyes going bad. Eco flo CAN go bad if it freezes. Spirit dyes can evaporate even when the bottle is closed. I have an ancient bottle of Omega brand that has evaporated to almost nothing. Anyway the 3 tools that I really wanted when I returned to leather... were. 1. a Decent maul/mallet http://www.wrising.com get at least the 11oz poly mallet (about $10... say Sylvia sent you, check out their 100 pk of daubers for cheap too) 2. A GOOD swivel knife that has ball bearings. I have a Barry King knife and a stainless (discontinued) Al Stohlman (on sale at Tandy until 6/15/12 $14.99 with gold membership) 3. a metal ruler or square. As for carving floral. You'll want a good assortment of bevelers, pear shaders, veiners background tools and petal lifters. In reality you could probably "carve" just about anything with a manicure kit... but it would mean a lot more hand work to get the look you want. Have fun shopping!! Syl

I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree. A craftsman is a highly skilled artisan who made things to last. As example, think of the the "craftsman" house. Wood was carefully formed into windows, stairways, built in cabinets. When the western world became consumers we got used to shoddily made manufactured goods which would last only a few years before they were set out with the refuse. Funny, that now people seek out craftsman made items and pay a premium for them... then restore them to their former glory instead of buying new. Some where along the way folks who still made things in fabric, wood, and leather became hobbyists instead of highly skilled business people and called what they did "crafting." Through the years "crafting" mistakenly became a "dirty word" and something bored housewives did to pass the time. In fact the word "craftsman" is still defined as n. A man who practices a craft with great skill. And "Craft" is defined as An activity involving skill in making things by hand.

Hi Rosi: What I learned from the manager at my local tandy... is that resists like supersheen won't resist dye, stains, or antiques... only highlites. Go figure! S

Hi Sly.... Syl here. lol I'm in Caldwell. There are a few of us Idahodians here.

Squid: Do you have a sharp punch for making the holes? The snaps need to fit in the hole pretty snug. You could also try a closure I used on a prototype until the snaps arrive. It does require punches and a knife. On this one my straight cut was too long, you only need it long enough to accommodate the width of the other end. Here's some pictures. Keep in mind the closure can be inserted from the outside to the inside provided there is enough room to do so... and this works best with pretty heavy and stiff leather.

They made a couple blocks for me. One for the hefty handle and another that is about 2 inches wide and relatively rectangle. They were in prototyping mode so I don't have info on prices. They are really good folks so feel free to email them or call. Explain what you need and see what they can do for you.

Hi Wxp: years ago Tandy put out a book called Sandal Making. It's hard to find as a hard copy but you can find it at http://www.leathercraftlibray.com https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/p-1153-sandal-making.aspx?

Thanks Cheryl. I think I am just going to antique it. I don't feel like fiddling with loads of colors.

I took a little of the sides of mine but nothing of note, my main goal was to sharpen the bevel. If it were me I would probably measure and cut the plastic to narrow it almost as much as I wanted, taking some from both sides... then do the shaping and smoothing with a file. Let us know if you find any issues we should know about.

Ok.. I'll call in a few mins.

Well golly, it's only a whole continent away... That's no problem at all in these modern times. And you would because you like me even if you think you don't...

So the "tingling" must have been the phone ringing when McJeep ordered. I wish I could order but it has to wait.

he he he... I think Tim's ears were burning.

uhmmm.... care to let me borrow one to try? LOL

Oh SNAP!!... so much for my "secret" LOL I've looked on your site a lot. I might be interested in one of the wooden tool holders if you can pm me a picture.