DoubleC

Hi Frontline. I'm not sure I can answer your questions but they are sure interesting. I've only used edge kote once on a dog collar that was already black oil dyed so not sure it will ever show bleeding. I 'accidentally' made a tie dyed guitar strap once, LOL and decided to act as if I meant it. It cam from using saddle soap to burnish the edges before I dyed so I sorted that one out. But that light color doesn't have edge kote on it either. I dye my edges the same color as the strap because I have a shaky hand problem and would have a darker color all over the strap itself. Then I burnish it and that makes it darker than the dye anyway. I do all of these things by hand because I like to. I know some people use burnishers on dremel sets, or drills if they have a big set up like that. If you mix your resolene or mop 'n glo 1/2 qnd 1/2 water it gives it a nice mellow look when buffed by hand. I use a couple of thin coats. If you use it straight and too heavy a coat it can look like kinda plastic when you've finished. I know this wasn't an enormous amount of help but others will be along to add. Cheryl

LOL, TB, you're preaching to the choir to a lot of folks here. We ALL sound like we work for SLC because we like their products and customer service so much. This was an excellent tip. Cheryl

Thank you all so much for your input. It's really made the decision much easier. I can see a lot of applications for this and I need some help with any thing a strap cutter won't handle. No I need a LOT of help, cheryl

Hi Mike. this is the one I pretty much have decided on that I found at Amazon. Like the guillotine model it has a replaceable titanium blade but it is a rotary cutter that locks into position before you make your cut keeping up to 30 pages of paper = 6oz leather) locked down. Kinda pricey for me but not so much as a table set up cutter and anything has to be better than what I do now :-) In the reviews it was noted by some that making a two motion cut worked better on the heavier things. Cheryl http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AE67Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=AQNACJEM8PUJ1

Thanks Tom. Cheryl

I don't know what a paper cutter with a rotary blade is Tom. Do you have a link to one? Thanks, Cheryl

I talked to a woman at staples about a heavy duty one that has a titanium blade. And she actually had one she used for her quilting. This is a 30 sheet cutter. http://www.staples.com/Westcott-TrimAir-Titanium-Wood-Guillotine-Paper-Trimmer-with-Microban-Protection-12-inch/product_887012 She said she thought it would handle the 6 oz easily because it cuts up to a 10th" or that's what 30 sheets of paper is. Higher oz she said I could use the blade to hold the leather perfectly still while I ran a box cutter along the paper cutter blade. And replacement blades for this is only around 7 bucks. Now we just need to see how WinterBear's experiment works out!!! I so need a solution for straight lines and for my guitar straps I have a regular strap cutter, but anything over 4 inches and I'm doomed no matter what I try. Cheryl

Exactly like that. I'll need to call them to find out which kind will cut leather. Thanks so much Chavez, Cheryl

I have long wished I had a cutter for leather that worked like a paper cutter. Then one day I was watching a video for another reason and saw one being used but didn't note the video for that purpose. I am so bad at my cuts still no matter what I try and I can think of a lot of ways this could be used but don't know what to search for. It's not a power tool, or attached to anything, it literally had a grid on it and a handle you used to cut a piece of leather just like a paper cutter would have. Thanks, Cheryl

Thanks so much Jake. I'm glad I used soapy water on it to begin with and I'll continue to do that. It really did a nice job of sharpening my end strap punch, oblong punch and round punches I use. I have a heavy or whatever that grit is and a fine one and used both on the tools. Even tried sharpening my awl on them but that didn't work so well. Guess I'll continue to strop it :-) Well when I get a new one, want a smaller round blade instead of the diamond shape one I have right now. On plain ole veg tanned light weight layers it works fine but add anything else into the mix and it either pushes them away or the holes are too big. Looking to upgrade that soon. Not sure that's actually an upgrade but rather a choice of what I think I'll be able to handle better. I got this one in a lot on eBay and I love it, it's the old, vintage wooden handled type but not a shaped handle. I saw one that is a longer handle and shaped so I can really get my hand on it. This one I have to push on the butt with my palm and doesn't take long for my hands to say they're quitting Fickle hands. And I'll PM you with any questions I have with my other tools as they need sharpened. Cheryl

Thanks Jake, I'll check it out. Cheryl

Yes, thank you Phil, it was well worth it to me. I would never have thought of doing it. I swear I learn something new every day here. Cheryl

Oh man what a score!!! I'm so very jealous of you and happy for you. Cheryl

You could try going over it with a lighter dye in the same family of colors. I don't know if that will work but it's worth a shot. Cheryl

I just learned something new too. I had a strap I put on my messenger bag I think could have benefited from oiling it first, but it's loosing up from wear, and following my usual process. But I bet a little oiling before would have helped. Thanks Phil. Cheryl

Actually no, I don't usually aim, I don't usually cross my happy dance with wanting to kick myself. But if I added more arm movements right now I'd probably wanna slap myself upside the head instead. The stupid tractor was my idea (love this guys music and he sings a lot of songs about disappearing family farms, small towns turning into ghost towns, things like that. He considers him the singer for the blue collar people who identify with their way of life disappearing. So I said, 'do you care if I try to put a rusted, broken down tractor on it?' So of course I cut it out like a TRACTOR, LOL. I mean I'm working on a 2 & 1/2 inch canvas of a guitar strap and I put stacks, the steering wheel, etc. Did I wonder how I was going to sew those without splitting them? ANYHOO, up doing the happy dance again to whit flag by Dido because the tractor is done The state will be easier (she says just like she actually believes it, well because she's deluded!) Yeah I like the color combos. I was so glad when he decided on dark brown. I was tearing my hair out trying to make it work with the light he originally wanted. Every time I finish something like this I think I'm not afraid of anything anymore and that lasts until I pick up the next project!!!!!

Hey Chavez, can't answer about highlighter. My choices this month was that, which I'd never used and antique which I had. As you can see should have tried the highlighter, LOL. I've heard they're easy to use but not so much about what they'll actually DO. Hope someone can step in and tell you. Cheryl

Hi Chavez. Just went through that myself, and bought a tan antique to go over a dark brown. Didn't work Not for me anyway, but what did work was not forcing the dye into all the cracks and crevices which gave the carving a lighter color on it's own. I really like the effect and so did my customer. I'm sure others will have more help on this. Cheryl

George there ARE no dumb questions. I'm working on a guitar strap right now I dyed yesterday and it was like working with a board. But then I burnished all the edges and holes and just working it with my hands softened it up some. And one I am finished I use bag balm on it and work the leather with my hands a good 1/2 hour and the straps just drape. There is no reason why you couldn't condition it BEFORE it's formed rather than after the project is completely done. I would suggest you put your finish on first a thin coat only because I've never used vasoline or bag balm before I put a finish on so done know if it would pull some of the finish off. Then after you have it completed you could put another thin coat of finish on. It doesn't matter what kind of dye you use I don't think because I've used both. The dye just makes it stiff and working it will make it soft. Roll it under AWAY from the grain side or it will wrinkle. I roll my straps end to end when I'm conditioning and then roll from the opposite side. I hope this helps. Cheryl

I am too Phil. Where are they HIDING there happy dance. But I've slowed it somewhat since I'm having to use a finishing nail and hammer to put my sewing holes on the overlays because my awl is making too big of holes and splitting the leather Painstaking one hole then hurry and sew while I can still find it. I'm working on the tractor right now, decided to do it first since it was going to be the hardest, pic below. I used a multi-technique on this strap and I like to happy dance a kick to my hind end

OMG I just grooved a stitch line on the guitar strap I'm working on and didn't screw it up......doing the happy dance

I do new designs all the time and that's really fun AND frustrating. I do custom things for people, and when I make things without a customer in mind it's always been a new design so far. So I'm always pushing my own envelope but it's frustrating because I don't have too many things I can fall back on that's in my comfort zone....I don't really have a comfort zone. Cheryl