bruce johnson

It is working for me, so I will have to leave it up to more knowledgable computer folk than me. It is a bg file and I've been told that can be a problem for some systems? Hopefully someone will help us out here.

I thought from your original post you were looking at the handcrank strap cutting machine that Weaver sells. I don't know anyone who has one. The other options are the powered strap cutters that the sewing machine sellers have too. With any of these there are blades and spacers. You set the spacers to the width straps you need and run the leather through. It can make multiple strips in one pass. If you are looking at hand strap cutters - good advice so far. Like Horsehairbraider, I have run a lot of skirting through a wooden strap cutter. The original design seems to work the best. They are a hardwood and seem to track true. Not the most ergonomic for extended use, but will do the job. The blades are pretty much protected within the bars, so pretty safe also. I use razor blades in them and break off the excess length that sticks out. If they track true, the blades last quite a while for me. I have a few drawgauges, and thanks to a local tool collector - seem to be getting a few cool old ones. The old ones have different handle styles and shapes, with and without triggers, etc. and were built for workers. It is pretty cool to pull a strap with 100-150 year old tools. The new Osborne blades are OK, about like most other blades - the old ones are better, but maybe not worth chasing all over to find them. I have been getting draw gauge blades from Bob Douglas that Bill Buchman makes. They are the best I have used. They have a little wooden handle on them that makes it easier to hold onto when you sharpen them. That handle is also pretty handy to reach under and use your left hand on to steady the pull when you are cutting heavier or harder leather. I recently got to try a plough gauge. It was pretty slick, but they are pretty spendy new and when they come up used. I smoked a deal on one last week, and have used it for 5 days. I can see it fast becoming my most reached for strap cutter.

The reverse hook buckles seem to hang on alright. The others with pins that have some hook do alright too. The ones that are a little straighter have the problems sometimes. I have seen some guys drill a small hole near the tip of the pin and then run a small cotter pin through to secure them. I have seen some that had a little washer soldered on after they were through the belt too. I have seen some with a rubber washer sort of like an elastrater band put on the hook after it is through the belt. One guy used a small blob of gripdip for tools that he painted on. You could pick it off if you needed to remove the buckle. I have had the pleasure of snapping off a pin trying to bend a little more hook in it. That will make you say some things your grandmother wishes you didn't.

TK, Pretty ranchy looking, I like it. How did you attach the buckle so it stays? I have seen a few ways to do it, and still haven't figured which way is best.

We reached 100,000 posts on the forum this morning. Someone more official than me can verify this, but it appeared to me it was Bob who hit the mark with his reply in the sheepskin replacement thread. Personal thanks to all who have helped make this forum what it is.

To avoid picking the stitches, one of my old friends gave me this tip. I think he let me pick several before he told me, just so I'd appreciate it more. Before you mess with the the woolskin at all, skin the top stitches on the skirt. You can do this with a sharp gum tool/patent leather tool/freehand stitch groover/compass style stitch groover with the loop type blades. You probably can do it with Douglas' stitch groover also. Run the groover tool over the top stitches and cut them down or severely weaken them. Then loosen the woolskin and pull it off. The top stitches will mostly all pull through when you pull the woolskin off. It is a heck of a lot easier than ripping the woolskin with an old french edger and then picking. Besides the factors mentioned already that figure into the cost, I also look at how the skirts are attached. I charge more for sewing pocketed bars back on than for lugs. It takes me more time, and I usually bleed (repeatedly) from feeling for the awl tip coming through.

Russ, Looks very good. I like the browband with the initials especially. I really like Dale Bass' silver too. He does some quality work.

Little John, Good looking setup there. It is also good to see you posting over here. Looking forward to seeing more.

I respect a lot of tradition. That said, if rules had always been followed, there would be no Sheridan style to begin with, the variations there are of it, or many other styles now.

Tony, Here is another link - Another Barnsley info site. It looks like they started in some form in 1836. I am not sure if they were in continuous business or under the same family management the whole time or not.

RDB, Basically a plough gauge is a strap cutter. The front of the blade is sharpened and it is pushed into the leather rather than pulled like a draw gauge. I have some neat old draw gauges I have come across and like them. I got to use one of these plough gauges at my friend Giovanni Zapetta's shop a month or two ago. I had not had the opportunity to try one before that. Different people I have talked to would not part with theirs for love or money once they got one. My Australian buddy here has his dad's old Dixon and said I'd never regret getting one.These are pretty pricey to buy new. The Dixons run a little over $600 here, and are just under $500 before you get them shipped from England. I have just been hanging out looking for one to try at the right price. Andrew, I am attaching some pictures of it. I got it on Ebay last Sunday. The markings on the bar are Geo Barnsley & Sons, Sheffield, England. Above that is the logo with the shoe. The match number is on the free end of the bar and on the guide fence just under where the blade slides through. The guide fence has the same tool maker's mark on the outside front. It has the thumb screw adjustment for the roller height on top. The width adjustment has a thumbscrew at the back of the blade slot. It has some age on it, but is tight. The blade is a Dixon. I am kind of thinking the blade might be unused. There was no edge to speak of on it. Almost like the old ones came from the factory - shaped but square, the bevel and edge are left to the user. The handle is cracked but the blade sits in it solid. If it ever gets loose, I can replace the handle. This blade is at the front of the slot, so it has its whole life ahead of it. I sharpened it up and it is the real deal. I stripped out some breast collar tugs and it was smooth. Here is another link to some Barnsley shop pictures I found - Barnsley shop pics. Thanks for any information.

Anna, It really is one of those questions with no answer. Some customers insist that they go through the tree. Others are just as insistant that they not be drilled. Some of it is regional bias and some is individual. If a customer has no preference it is a toss up and I go with the saddle's usage. Arena saddles - no, using saddles - yes. For the non-drilled I use screws, not nails. For the last few years I have been stringing the drilled ones through the tree only, not going through the skirts. I drill the holes and then remove the rawhide between them to let the strings in. It makes a smooth profile on the tree bottom. Then I just go on and attach my skirts normally. It is also easier for me to drop the lugs, run a new string through and pound it flat than to have to fish one through the skirt too. I use screws for my lugs, so zip-zip they are off and zip-zip they are right back where they were.

I just got a Barnsley plough gauge, and am wondering if anyone could have some insight on dating it. Pretty good condition tool and definitely some age on it. The bar and guide fence both have match numbers of 58. I know from my draw gauges that the older shops would mate the frames and bars up by numbers within a run of tools. That was when they were hand made and due to slight variance needed to matched. I am not when sure when the companies here in the states stopped doing the matching numbers. The HFOs, Francis & Ward, and other oldies pretty much all have the matching numbers. I don't think I have any of the CSOs after the Harrison move with numbers. Does anyone know if Barnsley had the matching numbers throughout their time in business or just early on? From what little I can find on the internet, Barnsley changed from Barnsley and Sons to Barnsley and Sons Ltd. in 1948. Mine is marked as Barnsley and Son (no Ltd), but not sure if they changed the tool markings to include the "Ltd" after that or not. Any information is appreciated.

Josh, Another good job here. I like them a lot. My wife is not a real fan of meanders. After seeing how you used yours, she really likes how you used it to frame the wheel and not as an outside border. Good thinking outside the box.

Elton, Right on with that! It is that time of the year too. Being a loyal Cubs fan, I'd have to say Bob smacked this one out of the "friendly confines" and onto Waveland Avenue. Go Cubs! Bob, You guys just keep raising the bar. Outstanding stuff. Long live cowboys!

Steve, Probably my favorite yet of the ones you have posted. Great one.

Josh, The divider is some oiled and finished 3 oz commercial oak from Siegels that we doubled over, glued, and stitched the bottom edge. That particular leather has some stiffness that I like for the divider and lining for these. The divider doesn't go quite to the bottom of the case inside. It lacks about 1/2" and that flexibilty makes it easier to reach in than if it was fastened firm at the bottom. I normally just put penloops on the divider, but have done custom ones with pockets for other stuff too. Ed, These are just simple glued up raw edges I edge beveled and slicked. The edge dressing and wax combo slicks the gusset leather as well.

Ed, I'm not sure what an integrated binding is. I edge beveled with bisonettes. I applied some Ron's-like edge dressing and then some of my wax blend and slicked them on Norm's wood slicker on the drill press.

James, We've all been there. There seems to be a lot of variation and no predicting what benefit auctions will do. My son is an auctioneer and has done 3 in the last two weeks in the same town. One had a good crowd, was up 1/3 over last year. Last Friday night the art auction was lighter attended, but the ones there brought their checkbooks and averaged a little over last year with fewer buy-backs. Yesterday a sell out crowd and seemed to be down with one marquee item off 2/3 vs. last year. You just never know. I would look at your deal from a few angles. First off the youth center has $65 more than they had before and that is why it was there. Your name is out there. You have the experience of making it, and can probably do the next one smoother and easier, although the pictures look good. We'd all like to see our stuff sell great, and on another day it will. I have some standard kind of donation items I make to some groups. I have had the same item bring $300 and $2000 to basically the same crowd. I have had over the top stuff sell for half what I'd expect, and some average stuff outsell itself hugely. Now a few things I do at a benefit auction - live or silent auction. I really do not want to have something sell for half value and then have to make another just like it to sell to a customer the next day. I consider what I pay at the auction to be a donation to a group I support and donate to anyway. I am not afraid to have someone bid on my item on my behalf. The auction staff at many benefits usually has a bidder or even several with the pre-sale proxy bids, reserve, and buy-back bids in their pocket. They will bid on it, call it sold, and the smooth ones will never show what is going on. If they don't have someone covering bids, have a friend bid on it for you. Nothing kills a benefit auction like an announced no-sale. Also sometimes there is only one person interested in an item. They make a low opening bid and then nobody challenges them. They get a bargain, and would have paid more. The organization doesn't get the proceeds they deserve. There are some tax benefits for donations and some purchases with charitable groups. Check with a tax advisor on that.

Marlon, It was previously cased about 16 hours with the water/lexol/baby shampoo mix. The leather was oiled with a mix of NF oil and med brown ProDye that night right after stamping. No additional dye, antique, or Hiliter on this. The burnish came from using a stamp with some checkering and hitting a whopper maul. Not only can Harvey line this stamp up, he can swing that maul enough to get good even color and depth. The finish is Fiebings Leathersheen.

Actually the impressive part of this is that Harvey stamped all of this in one evening. He knows this stamp well, and is about as good with it as anyone is with a block stamp. The back is a section of this stamping also, in an area about 15x 11. He did it all using his 4# (yes, 64 oz of Barry King maul). He made anywhere from 2-4 hits per impression to get the corners even of this stamp.

Amen to that. I use my bell knife a lot more than I thought I would.

James. I think it finished out very well. I like the design a lot, and hope it brings the bucks. Good job. You also have the same issue I did photographing the few I have done. The mirror usually reflects me taking the picture. Photo composition tips anyone?

I am sitting here wondering why a guy with osteochondritis dessicans (OCD - a cartilage development problem) is so hard to work with. A little Google work and I find that it stand for something else too. I would seriously talk to the guy. Tell him 100% up front, no changes after he approves the design, and let him know the limitations of what he is asking for (all the lettering). Make sure YOU have the Bible in hand and you measure it. Keep it until you are done. Bibles come in all sizes and even one batch to the next of the same ones you ordered last time may change size for no apparent reason. He has leveled with you about a problem he may have (or may just be a real picky customer and saying he is OCD). Level with him about the terms and then ask him point blank if he can hold up his end of the bargain. He might just be honest enough to say no, and then let it go. If he says yes, look at the money first.

Bree, I may be wrong about the cause, but I think I feel a song coming on...... Rollin', rollin', rollin'. Rollin', rollin', rollin'. Rollin', rollin', rollin'. Rollin', rollin', rollin'. Rawhide! Hah! Hah! Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', Though the streams are swollen, Keep them dogies rollin', rawhide. Through rain and wind and weather, Hell bent for leather, Wishin' my gal was by my side. All the things I'm missin', Good vittles, love, and kissin', Are waiting at the end of my ride. Move 'em out, head 'em up, Head 'em up, move 'em on. Move 'em out, head 'em up: Rawhide. Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, Ride 'em in, cut 'em out, Cut 'em out, ride 'em in: Rawhide! Hah! Hah! Movin', movin', movin', Though they're disapprovin', Keep them dogies movin', rawhide. Don't try to understand 'em, Just rope an' throw an' brand 'em. Soon we'll be living high and wide. My heart's calculatin', My true love will be waitin': Waitin' at the end of my ride. Move 'em out, head 'em up, Head 'em up, move 'em on. Move 'em out, head 'em up: Rawhide. Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, Ride 'em in, cut 'em out, Cut 'em out, ride 'em in: Rawhide! (Rollin', rollin', rollin'.) (Rollin', rollin', rollin'.) Hah! (Rollin', rollin', rollin'.) Hah! (Rollin', rollin', rollin'.) Rawhide. Hah! Rawhide!