Mike516

I bought a stamp from the maker from China. Pretty impressed actually. I'm using it to brand my logo onto the flesh side of my items with a heating iron. I was wondering how you clean the brass stamp after use. Also, do you clean it when it's hot or after it cools down. Thanks.

I was searching the forums on this topic and came across this thread. I contacted the Etsy guy and he seemed very nice, but he was hard to communicate with. If you're going to use him, make sure you are very specific about what you want. Also, make sure you know how to size your logo exactly. I sent him my logo and he said he couldn't make it because the letters had to be 1/8 inch tall and all the same thickness. So I resized the logo and the letters so at 3/4 inch overall they'd be in the correct proportions, and changed the font and he said the letters were still too small and he wasn't willing to let me try to resize it again. He didn't say why, but I suppose it's a lot of work entering the info into the CNC machine, I don't know. But you're only going to get one shot at it, so make sure it's right the first time. Again, seemed like a nice guy, so nothing bad to say about him, but I only got one shot at getting it right.

I understand your frustration, but I honestly feel like SLC is trying to do the right thing. I had a very minor issue with my last order and a 2 minute call got it straightened out right away. I have had my suspicions that Tandy is doing numbers 3 and 4. I don't know about number 1, but if it's number 2, then shame on them. Definitely some odd stuff going on with their leather, both the size and quality of the stuff. It's too bad too because they're close geographically, which equals convenience and expedience, but when I start to feel like I'm being taken advantage of, I have to call it quits. I'll just keep on top of my supplies and make sure I leave plenty of lead time to place orders.

Thanks Paul. I picked up a roll of rubber shelf lining while I was at HF. There is absolutely no rebound with the mallet on this granite, so I probably didn't even need it. But I'm not lifting the slab again to get it out even if I wanted to lol.

I think they didn't mean that hand tools wouldn't work at all. I think they didn't understand what I wanted to do. They probably thought I wanted to put a counter top like edge on it. They were extremely nice and I wasn't going to argue. I figured I'd be able to figure it out and knew there is always someone here that did 'it' before.

I was going to do that because of the sharp edges, build a box for it. But I really wanted the edges to not have a lip on them. So I went to HF as was suggested and my father-in-law told me to use the 4 sided diamond file for 10 bucks and it took the edge off in less than a minute. I don't know why the granite people were so insistent that hand tools wouldn't work. Possibly because they didn't understand I just wanted to take the edge off and not hone it down to rounded. Anyway, here is the result. I can't believe how heavy this thing is. I hope I never have to move it again.

Thanks guys I will try your suggestions. The HF dremel bit looks like a good idea. I've had a lot of luck with them and it looks like they have a couple of options that might work. As for the granite person...the one I spoke to seemed like the woman in charge or possibly the owner. She doesn't do the actual work but she's definitely the one who gave me the cut for free. The guys working there just do what she tells them. I make leather dog collars so I'm going to make a personalized one for her Maltese. Never made one that small but I think I'll be ok, just needed to order a small buckle.

This is what I was looking at to put under it: http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-W1322-Anti-Vibration-24-Inch/dp/B000OQTV2I/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8 Unfortunately, they all use machines or power tools for rounding the edges.

All good suggestions. I think I might go with rubber padding like they use for roll-away drawers and cut to size. The thing is 2 1/2 inches thick and 20 X 25, so I don't think it's going to move around very much. I could barely get it in my car it's so heavy. I was hoping after they cut the jagged part of it would be a little lighter. I'm a little concerned about my HF workbench holding up LOL. I have another small issue. Like I said, they cut the jagged end off for me and cut off the side that had cement on it for free so I'm not complaining at all. Matter of fact I don't know them and they didn't have to do this so I want to make the owner something for doing it for free. And they're nice super straight edges, I couldn't be happier. But the edges are pretty sharp. I was wondering if there was anything I could use to file them down just so they're not so sharp? It doesn't have to be a lot, just like 1/32 of an inch. Just to get the edge off it. And it only really needs to be the edge facing me. I only work from one side of it and no one else should be near it so not worried about the other edges. I just don't want to put holes in all my t-shirts leaning against it. I'll have to start telling people I have moth problems Maybe there's a sand paper I can use. I have the standard compliment of tools; drills, roto sip, sawzall, skill saws, etc so nothing like they show in how to video's and don't really want to buy one to edge like 2 feet once and never use it again.

That's not a bad idea, thanks!!!

I found a rather large piece of broken granite with three decent edges and I'm having the jagged end cut off. I'm having it cut to the width of my HF workbench so it's gonna be around 20" X 25" with 3 raw sides and some cement, which shouldn't be too much of a bother since the only side I'll need to contend with is the one that's being cut today and she said it would be straight. I been using a sink cut out for the last few years with a poundo board under it and I like the way this works. Is there anything similar to the poundo board I could use to put under the larger piece of granite? Maybe something that I could cut to size myself. It should be around 19 X 24 with a half inch less on every side, so pretty specific.

You're not going to become a master leather worker in a couple of days. You also don't need to buy the best tools right away. Tandy is good for a beginner as long as you watch that they don't take advantage of you and do your research before you buy a lot of stuff there, then you can upgrade your tools as you get better and learn what you really need. Casing is probably the most important thing you'll learn and it takes practice. It took me a long time before I really got consistently happy with my casing. It's something worth investing your time in because once you get it where you like it, you'll never forget how to do it. See the threads offered above and don't get discouraged.

I just returned a hide to my supplier and was told they don't have anything decent right now (not looking to bash anyone so I'll leave their name out of it). So I called SLC and we'll see what I get. Can't be any worse than dealing with what I been dealing with. I wish I was closer and could look around their store but it's too far so I'll have to live with internet orders. By the way the shipping thing is a promo until January 31. If it goes well maybe they'll keep it, so go buy some stuff.

This is a good option. Thinking about looking for a new supplier. What kind of leather are you guys getting from SLC and what do you use it for?

That would explain their poor customer service then. They really need to at least call and let people know if something will be missing from an order. I'm sort of in a kind of vortex where I live. There are three Tandy locations that I will randomly get my internet orders from. I never kept track of the difference because I don't really have the time to make notes with every order. Maybe I should start doing that. Probably easier to find a new supplier. It's hard because good or bad I know what I'm getting from Tandy. The materials I've learned that are good there and I get from them regularly are pretty consistently good, but unfortunately the bad is pretty inconsistent. You never know when someone there is going to do something that will screw me up. This last buckle order could have lost me customers, and I don't have the shop space to keep a large stock of everything I might need. Don't know what I'm gonna do. And I'm going to start doing this full time too, so I need a reliable supplier at this point.

I need a new place to get supplies. I've been ordering stuff from Tandy for a few years now. Little glitches here and there, someone will call and tell me something is out of stock or I'll get charged a little more for shipping than what was quoted online. But this last order totally pissed me off. I get my order and I'm missing 8 of 10 buckles that I had ordered. I called the store, and the guy tells me they only had 2. So I said but I need 10, you don't have them so you just didn't send them? He tells me somebody should have called to tell me they were out of stock. I mean, I could have ordered them in the meantime from somewhere else. I asked him when they'd be in and he said the next day. So I asked if they planned to send them out when they came in. He says yes of course, I'll send them right out. Good thing I used brass buckles I already had because I never got them. I know I need to keep more stock on hand but at this point I think Tandy has lost me as a customer. They were pretty easy to order from and seemed to always have stuff in stock. But I'm good and annoyed at them right now and they're too far from me to even have the prospect of a lunch date. Maybe I'll try SLC. Does anyone use them at all? Is their stuff any good?

Thank you, yes that is what I meant. I was trying to use the search function at the top right on this forums main page. I'll try google as you said.

Ok I'm going to play with that. Thanks again.

Yea that's probably not an adjustment I want to mess with. Thanks guys, back to practicing. That's probably the only way I'm going to figure this out.

Or how do you use the search function so I can look this stuff up for myself. I put keywords in but it seems the system shows unrelated threads.

Please excuse the wobbly stitches, I literally have been sewing for 2 days I don't know if you can see it, but there are marks the shape of the bottom of the foot.

Ok that makes sense. Thanks guys. How can i keep the marks out of the leather from the foot? I want to eventually stain first when I'm confident I can sew without screwing up the lines, but I don't want the marks in the leather. I'm sewing the leather bone dry and the foot is smooth, but I'm still noticing marks along the stitch line. I'm going to try and see if I can get a closeup picture, but I was wondering if this is a common problem.

Ok thank you! Have you all ever heard that you could damage something inside the machine if you turn the handwheel backwards? Someone told me this yesterday but I said if you're not supposed to turn the handwheel backwards, then why can you? Seems to me; if you shouldn't, it wouldn't.

I have a servo motor and I have the speed turned all the way down to its lowest setting for practice. Should I turn the speed up?

Someone told me never to turn the hamdwheel on any sewing machine backwards. Is that right? Also, it seems like the machine doesn't get started unless I start with the needle up like it needs a running start. Why is that? I apologize for the stupid questions but I'm really new to this sewing stuff. But I want to learn. Thank you