Studio-N

thank you.

To see the others, I think you can just view my profile and then check my content. Some interesting points- some forms are actually silhuettes in the original woodworking models. Some are the results of the limitaion of the tools (including the leather). The facial features for instance are small in what is typically a 12 inch model. Once I reduce that to 3 inches, the eyes nose and mouth are but a blip although technically still there. I am using a 1/16" ball nose bit to do the carving, However those blips are thinner than 1/16" so as a result they don't get put in, or if they are in, the leather can't stretch enough to get up into that tiny recess. The end result is only the 'hint' of a face. Of course, an embossing stamp is just a tool and is often just a starting point. It takes a lot of the big work out of a project and details can still be put in manually. I have a customer who is using these and he still goes thu and bevels around the figures and adds in little detail. The end result is he has taken what I give him and greatly improves it for some very nice results. I'm trying to make some stamps that can stand on there own but there is alway the human touch that's needed. Cheers!

thanks Chris.

these were all done on the CNC.

This was done for a boy scouts customer. Again, remember that these are converted from some models for woodworking. So much fun, so little time in the day.

And Even More Embossing Plates Completed for the same customer.

I've been keeping busy. These are some new embossing plates I did for a customer.

I'm going to answer the question with the following story that happened today: I got contacted with an email from someone who wants a custom engraved (and personalized with name) wallet. Ok, quoted price and delivery time. Comes back with wanting me to make it and IF she likes it she'll buy it. I explained it is custom work and I'm happy to do a mock up of the artwork and once approved then I'll make it and invoice it. Came back again with the same BS. So I declined the job and she got all butt-hurt over it. Good luck finding someone that wants to get stuck with a wallet they can't sell. and especially at the low price I quoted. I told you this story so I can tell you this story: I don't have these problems on etsy. When I get contacted for a custom order, I roll a custom order for them. Etsy's tool is much better than ebay for custom orders. Yes, they pay upfront to get the order going - no different than if it is a retail order. The customer ALWAYS has right of refusal after seeing the pictures. They always have buyer protection from paypal. so getting them to pay for the order up front has never been a problem. And because I care about my reputation, I'm always happy to take it back with a full refund (only happened once in 15 years). The key is communication. If it is taking longer than expected, drop them an email. send them a picture on where you're at. Most people (except the woman from my story) are understanding. So I say go for it. Cheers!

I had the same thought - shroud of Turin version.

I'm surprised no one caught this on the last batch I put up. The photo on the right is the first one I put up. The problem is - it is inverted. Notice the eyes and nose are pushed in. The one on the left is the corrected model. much improved. I guess it is because it is such a recognizable figure I only took a cursory look at it and said 'yep, that's him'. cheers!

thank you. I'll put up some more soon.

No denying it!

couple of other wallet back plates. Mustang.

had a very busy week doing these for a customer. All are 3" high. Only showing the results. the plastic die is pretty unimpressive. Some of the tinyist details such as the faces of the bears or in the religious scene aren't there, because frankly at that size the detail is smaller than the width of bit so it can't get in there. Customer was ok with that, since it is something he can put in by hand or with the swivel knife. As before all are on delrin plastic. The axes were done on the laser, the rest on the CNC machine. None of these are exclusive stamps, so they are available if you need them. Cheers!

Love the look!

geez. I didn't realize the C dollar had dropped vs. the US dollar by that much. I'm sure they will be raising the US prices too.

Did they give a reason why? The evil empire usually waits until March to raise their prices and put out a new price guide.

Sweeeet!

It might be a patent leather - which means it is highly coated to create a shine.

All jokes aside, you're doc is right. I had a customer who was a saddle maker. He did the leather work, and his wife did the dyeing (without gloves I might add). His wife developed a skin cancer which the doc determined was due to all the dyes. So yeah, be careful. Disposable gloves are worth it. Cheers!

what's wrong with dyed hands? It's your badge of honor.

Check out the engravers forum at http://www.sawmillcreek.org where the subject is constantly disgussed. Basically, the two best known american brands are Universal Laser Systems and Epilog. These two are also the most expensive of the lot. But they have the best support. Everything else discussed is basically a Chinese model. ULS is what I have and for a 14 year old workhorse it is still going strong. ULS doesn't get a lot of press because they seem to mostly cater to industry (thier mistake because they have great products). Epilog has learned to cater to the hobbyist as well as business. A look at eaches websites will show you what I mean. All I will say is that when you read the discussions about problems and breakage - ULS does not come up very often. When I buy my 2nd machine it will be a ULS. Cheers!

very nice work. thanks for sharing.

thank you Chris

thank you. Yes, a press is necessary. the shop press does it all at once but it can be done with an arbor press. Basically arbor press has a 1" square ram. So start in one corner and press. Move over 1 inch. Rinse and repeat until you've covered the whole back. You can then come back and overlap where needed. cheers!