Mike516

I never did this, but if I ever found an old couch I was going to strip, I would definitely try this... how about dry cleaning it? You can do it at home if you have a dryer. Not sure if they're specifically for use on leather but you buy these dry cleaning bags and the instructions are on the box. Maybe try a test piece first to see what it looks like when you're done. They sell other dry cleaning stuff that doesn't use bags, but I think I would try the one with the bags.

I got the new burnishers today. They're really beautiful and run smooth as bull hide. I'm sorry what you're dealing with with your Mom, but I appreciate that you are still there for your customers. Thanks again.

I'm not using an extension. Both bits vibrate any higher than speed 6 so bad that they make a buzzing noise. It's not the dremmel because all of my other tools are smooth at any speed. I just figured because they're hand made they aren't made perfectly true straight.

I just got a couple of the dremmel burnishers and was wondering what speed you all use to get the best edges. I have never used a power burnisher before, and was surprised at how bad they vibrate after speed setting #6. Thanks.

Yea these photo tents are great. I have 2 sizes of the table top ones that fold up and unravel and hit you in the face if you let it go...not that it's ever happened to me but I've heard They aren't as big as those, but some come with different color backdrops and lights, so might wind up being about the same cost and don't take up a lot of room. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=light+tents+for+photography&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=18118127747&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1241678428340333827&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_2j3qpaopk3_b

I feel bad now - I been all over you guys for these burnishers. I had no idea you had family issues. I hope your mother feels better for the holidays.

Makes sense, thanks!

I also assume (I know) that distance from the pieces would be important for resizing?

Thank you, but I cut some strips from some scrap-ish leather and I'm going to take pics with a tape measure to give better perspective of the sizes of the images. I do appreciate the offer though.

The impressions are good and so are the pictures. My issue is that as I get new stamps and add the pictures, the pics aren't always the same so it looks butchered together. As far as stamps, I have about 40 or 50 1" X 1" stamps with no handle and another 15 or so with handles of various size from 1/2" to 1 1/4". This poses another problem. Trying to get all the stamps to look scaled to each other. I'm trying to give some kind of perspective of their sizes. And I have a limited number of pictures I can use as well. Showing the stamps in leather would be optimal and I would prefer to see an impression in leather when I'm buying a stamp myself. But my customer base are not leather workers so I just want a clear picture of my stamps. My initial plan was to do it on two semi large odd shaped pieces of 6-7 oz I have that I set aside for it. But my wife had suggested not wasting it and looking into another option, so I figured it didn't hurt to ask. I think I'll go for my original plan of stamping in a grid and taking pics of blocks of them, then I think using photoshop to put them together will be easier than doing them one at a time.

Is there any way to get ahold of this guy other than email? I'm trying to order a couple of these, but having to wait a couple of days between replies is getting frustrating. Or maybe someone can do me a favor if they have a way to contact him, ask him to check his spam folder just in case my email went there. It happens.

I want to take better pictures of leather working 2d and 3d stamps to show as options for custom made stuff like dog collars. I will admit freely that the pictures I have now are, to be completely honest, awefull and amateurish. Instead of wasting good leather, I was thinking about making impressions in something else and taking the pics individually, then photoshop them together with labels into one or two pictures. The question is, what should I use? I thought about clay, but what kind would take a nice stamp and photograph well? Or what other material would work better? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Mike

Disregard. Of course I post this then look at my inbox again and there's the reply, sorry.

I sent an email to LeatherBurnishers@yahoo.com last night. I just wondered how long it usually takes to order these and if it's possible to order online. I didn't see any way other than by email and haven't heard back from anyone today.

I only have 4 machines left myself, although my one industrial Singer is in my shop and is going to get overhauled at some point so I can learn to use it. I don't sew at all but I like these things a lot. Part of my business is buying at estate sales and reselling. No one around here has any interest in the old sewing machines so first, they were selling them really cheap and second, if they didn't sell they take them to the dump and they become landfill. It pains me to think about that so I was buying them and trying to resell them to people that would appreciate them. But they don't sell real well and I started to run out of space and my wife began giving me a hard time about them. I sold one of my ones in a ornate cabinet for 200 bucks to some guy who wanted to make it into a table or something. So I started telling all the estate selling people about that. So one by one, I'd go to their sales and they'd be like "oh yea the Singer, that's a real gem, retails for 200 bucks, but you can have it for 150." Same machine before I told them what I got for the one I had they were selling for 15 or 20 bucks lmao. So that has cured me of buying the old machines. But now they all think I'm full of crap because one of them asked me about that one I sold for 200 bucks and I think they don't believe me now because they can't get the 150 bucks they now inflated their prices to, the greedy bast@?0$! Saw a red eye today and was proud of myself because I didn't even ask how much they wanted. Of course my wife was there and nearly had a stroke when I opened the top of the cabinet... "Oh no you don't!!!" I think I'm cured.

I do have an image in my head what I'm hoping it'll come out looking like. If I can get close on my first go, I'll be happy. My main problem with all of my first run projects is that I have NO patience. Like you mentioned, I'm one of those people that want to have it and see it and touch it and rush through the process and basically ruin it because I didn't take my time. I'm really going to take my time with this.

I'm paranoid about moisture getting into the mechanism. Thank you for the input but I think I'll wrap in it in saran wrap. It's easy enough with no downside I can think of. Can't wait for the book now, but I have so many orders for other stuff I hope I can do this sooner rather than later.

This was probably the easiest instructional read I've ever seen. Usually I go cross eyed and forget what I'm reading after the first paragraph. If I was a kid nowadays I'd probably have ADHD or ATV or A&P or somethingerother. But this was entertaining as well as explained this for a beginner such as myself in such a way that I get it. Ordered the book today and plan on trying this for my favorite nekkid handgun. Thanks for posting this.

I wondered about using the gun itself but I figured a dummy for 25 bucks or so is cheap enough that I wouldn't have to worry about the finish on my own gun. Maybe I'll try and wrap it like you said and just use it. Thanks for the suggestion.

Or is there anywhere that sells used dummy guns?

Yea, the thing about SL is their customer service. I've only dealt with them once, but the woman I spoke to was so nice I'm sure I'll be back. In this day and age where good customer service is pretty scarce, not to mention based in this country, it's nice to speak to someone for a change that seems genuinely nice and speaks a language I can understand.

I need a dummy gun to make a holster for a Walther PPK-S 380. Don't care what color or what condition, as long as it can be used to make an accurate holster. I want to try my hand at holsters and start with one for myself and my favorite handgun. I can pay with PayPal. Thanks a bunch. Mike

LMAO!

Yea, I have Tandy bevelers and have had not one problem with them. You just have to get the angle right.

Looks great. You're doing an awesome job with it!