bruce johnson

I think it was Pete who asked how to do this pre-crash. I posted this little demo the night before cyber cardiac arrest. Here goes again. I used some scrap I had, didn't case it very well, and here it is. I do this a couple different ways, and will demo this one first. In the first pic I have centered the makers stamp, and started the pattern. I usually stamp a row at a time, and start at the top. For no particular reason, I started this one at the bottom. Once I have stamped up to and kind of around the makers stamp, I shot some faint lines to guide the stamping on the other side of the makers stamp. I stamped partial tipped impressions around the cut border and the makers stamp to fade them in. In the second picture I have filled in the pattern. In the third picture I have gone around the cut border and makers stamp with beveler. You can see that it took out the crisp outer line of my makers stamp. In the final pic, I have gone around the makers stamp and cut border with a border stamp. To crisp up the makers stamp and re-establish the outer line, I carefully reregistered the makers stamp into the original impression and tapped it.

Hilly, I have used the ProCarve for several years, and like it. It contains an antifungal, and I was having mold problems before I started using it. I have not tried the new Ecoflow alternative, and my TLF guy doesn't know for sure if it is antifungal. Does anybody know?? He was out when I last ordered, so I have yet to try it. I really started using the Procarve after a couple guys from down south told me that gear they made from leather that had been cased in Procarve failed to grow mold even on the finished product. Whatever the antifiungal is (reported to be a eucalyptus derivative) remains in the leather enough to slow mold growth? I am a little old-fashioned I guess. Most all of my stuff has been cased. I tape the backs, wet it up good, wet it again in about 10 minutes, and bag it for 8-24 hours. That leather (doesn't matter whose it is) will cut better, stamp cleaner, and give me better color. Ocassionally I have to do the Tandy class quick case, but the results are never the same as if I had let it sit and really soften, even out, and the fibers swell. It takes some palnning ahead, but the results are worth it to me. A few reasons I can think of as to why your leather seemed to dry quicker with casing solution than without. The amount of moisture may be the same, but the CS water has lower surface tension and penetrates faster. That water doesn't evaporate any faster, but will penetrate to the deeper layers faster, leaving the surface realtively more dry. The other may have to do with the leather. Some tannages with more oils hold the moisture in the upper layers, while the CS water penetrates that faster.

I sent a copy of the ebay listing to a tool guy. It is probably a Eureka pattern channeler. It is designed to edge and cut an angled channel with one one pass.

I sent a copy of the ebay listing to a tool guy. It is probably a Eureka pattern channeler. It is designed to edge and cut an angled channel with one one pass.

Luke, It is on ebay, and the picture of the working end is pretty out of focus and probably not the best angle to show the working end. I suspect it may be a shoe makers tool of some kind, probably is a variation of a channeler. The ebay pic shows a tip on the shank almost like a common edger. I am not finding anything quite like it in my Salaman book, Dictionary of Leather Working Tools. There are some sort of similar looking channelers. It is an HF Osborne, so that narrows down a time frame on it. It is not the run of the mill tool for sure.

Carl, I posted a geometric pattern my wife did with a McMillen meander stamp. Someone else did post a picture of some work with one of Wayne's block stamps. I have about 4 or 5 of Wayne's block stamps, a braid stamp, and a propeller (3 point snowflake) from him. You used the right adjective - "intricate". Big Wayne does some great stamps and is good to deal with. I'll be calling him after the first of the year (new tax year) for some more stamps. Got my eye on a few.

Tim, The angles on the top of the wooden ones I have made are 90 degrees (45 per side). At that time 90 degree bars were the standard. I padded the top of the forst one with carpet only. Issues - the bars racked on it. Second edition I added a piace of old 1/2" saddle pad at the front and back. Then covered it with carpet. It made a pcket for the rock of the bars to sit down into. Much more stable. Do it like my second.

Ed, I see, said the guy who didn't read closely. I missed the part about you changing the feed dog too. I was visualizing my Adler's toothed feeddog beating on the bottom of a slotted throat plate. You might need to grind a bit off, or if it has the elongated screw hole like a toothed feed dog, just lower it more. It is strange that it seems to require less bobbin tension. You would think the pull of the takeup arms and tensioners on top and the bobbin tension on the bottom shouldn't change. Listen to what the machine is telling you it wants, it doesn't always read the "book". I don't see a big difference between the oval or diamond hole in the smooth feeddog on the 441s. Biggest problem I had with the Adler was the smaller round hole in the feeddog. The 205-64 doesn't have a lower needle guide and the needles will deflect on some hard leather or following old needle holes in curled leather. When I used a bigger needle and it deflected even slightly, it missed the hole, made a spectacular sound as the needle snapped, and sent you looking for the end. I had been forwarned of that happening, and heard the stories of not finding the needle end. It rolls around in the race, makiing grooves in something that ain't supposed to be. It can also bend or break feed dogs, so that needed to be checked too. Regarding the oil hole, mine get changed enough that oil spot gets hit.

Ed, I have never had to change the presser foot height on mine when I change plates. Your setup with the Neel machine is pretty different than mine, so you might need to. My edge guide is also way different than yours. The Ferdco guides are not a low profile guide, but I usually am sewing with a right foot with the stirrup plate, and that does limit the effectiveness of the edge guide. I am usually sewing closer than the the foot width. Your feed dog system on the Neel and mine on the Ferdco are way different. Mine is smooth and has a diamond-shaped hole to bring the needle into line as it passes the hook. It does not skim the throat plate. My slots line up on all the plates the way they came, so I never had to mess with them either. The screws for my plates are pretty thin headed. If you can't find them at a decent hardware store, the sewing machine folks can ship them to you. Surprising how many screws and bolts can be bought at the local hardware store. Regarding your question in another thread about your feed dog coming up through the slot in the throat plate, that is very reminiscent of my Adler 205-64. I think you will have to change settings to go with a new setup. FWIW, I liked my Adler a lot. I am happier with two 2000s sitting here than one 2000 and the Adler. I would set it up with the smooth plates and leave it. The one thing we have in common is that my raised plates don't have that center oil hole either - never noticed until you brought it up. Your current setup is so different than mine, and I think talking to Ryan and seeing what he says about heights and grinding would be prudent. As an aside, my 2000 is pretty similar to the way Artisan sets them up. You can download the manuals off Artisan's website. Happy Holidays,

Kevin, Thanks, I think the beveling really sets this off. I used to see this stamp used with no beveling and it looked like the rope was pressed into the mud. I never liked it much. Ropes are dimensional. I have done this so much now I go by eye. I scribe an outside border line lightly first. I set the first impression and line the next one up on it and eyeball the border lines. I have taught a few people to do this type stamping. The big key is to maybe stamp 3-4 impressions, back off and look to make sure the angles and borders are lining up. Kind of like setting posts. Back off and look at the whole line once in a while. You really can't get too far off in 3-4 impressions, and can slide the next couple back to whatever you need to get back in line. If you go a long ways, then it is pretty obvious. The big key is not to try fix a mistake in the next impression. Fix it a little on the next, a little more on the one after that until you are back to right. You can do two parallel scribe lines to keep the stamp lined up, but much like my basket stamping, I line up the angle and right side of the stamp. The left side just has to follow. I have also seen templates and devices (LCSJ article?) to line this stamp up. I would find them cumbersome and more time than they are worth. Like most basket and geometrics, train your eye to see the little places you are getting off before they become big things. This is one of those stamps that a little practice pays off. I can run one of these pretty fast and accurate. Even though there is a stamp impression of the rope and one bevel hit on each end, I can run it. This is among my "included-no upcharge" borders, like the cam/half round border stamps. I have had a few emails about this stamping today also. Mostly this question. I also stamp brands and initials with this stamp. I will work up a little tutorial on making curved corners, center ovals, and brands/initials. It is gonna be a few days, because of the holidays. Want to try something else cool? Try matting around a barbwire stamps. That makes what I consider a pretty overused and stale pattern (although popular) more palatable. It really looks like barbwire then.

Bill asked me to post this little deal on stamping a rope border. I whacked this out in a couple minutes one morning. I do a lot of western things, and this rope is my most requested border. This is all done with Tandy stamps. I used the #957 rope stamp and a modified #803 beveler. I took a small circular stone on the Dremel and ground out a curve on the toe of the stamp to fit the curve of the rope border. Takes about a minute. I have attached an impression of each stamp, the linear pattern and then how I handle corners. It is pretty self explanatory. Any questions. fire away!

Pete, I start my basket stamping either from the top or bottom border, never from the center. I stamp a row at time and do not follow the "line". I am going to do a tutorial on basket and geometric patterns. It is going to be little less involved that I previously wanted to do, but I am having to pull in my wings on things like comparing quality of stamps, and some patterns they published once but no longer do. I will get going on it soon. Bill, I do still have that piece, I have been chasing it around my desk for a while, and it is right here. I'll add a thread under "stamping".

Pete, I stamp my makers stamp first. I do my basket stamping as normal after that. When I get close to my maker's stamp I do partial tipped impressions. Just tip the stamp to not hit the makers stamp. Much like stamping up next to a border. To fill in around it sometimes I will lightly scribe lines to keep my stamping pattern lined up in the two dimensions. Once you make friends with your stamp you can tip them and stamp right up to a border, a silhouette, lettering, or makers stamp and not hit it. I little bit of matting or beveling to fade and you are set. Most of the time I will lightly bevel or background around my makers stamp, and then use a border stamp around it. I use the same borderstamp I use on the inside border of the stamped area. I have seen guys cut stamps or have "half-stamps' made. It seems like overkill for me, because I never use the same partial impression, especially on inside borders with an angled BS pattern.

Ed, I can't believe I left that one off. I bought a quart a few years ago, and used it up pretty quickly. I was in my experiemental mode then and tried other stuff, and finally replaced it the last time I saw him. A thinnish liquid that applies easily and does a good job, especially with a little friction like on the wooden burnisher. Not sure what all is in it. If you let it dry in the tub, it leaves a really hard wax. I like it for heavy edges on skirting that I am not going to dye. Good stuff. Like Kevin, I use glue on some edges too. The white glue thinned just like he said. I rub it hard and build up some heat. It makes a great edge, but takes some work. I like it for things like saddlehorn and leather covered stirrup edges. I have had problems with it cracking on things that flex much like planners and belts.

David, Is that the same edge polyurethane that Bill Gomer used in his video? Where can it be bought in a decent quantity? I can justify gallons, but anything larger is overkill for me. Thanks.

Art, Ok just watch my hands. buddy. Just kidding. I usually punch them so the point is up. That way if a customer ever takes it off, they can at least relace it on the traditional way when they get confused. I start with my lace going down the two lower holes from the front. Put a half twist in the lace in those holes, so the grain side is up. Bring the lace around the edges of the strap to the front and back down the orginal lower two holes. Then on the back side bring the tag ends up through the top hole back to the front. Split them and take each on down and through each lower hole to the back side. On the back side slip the ends under the lacing there to secure them and trim the ends. That is the easy way. I have seen it done where the ends finish up tucked under a parallel strand, but that is harder to explain, and usually takes me having a better mental picture before I start. I usually get that better mental picture after messing it up a couple times.

Ed, You may have mentioned this before, but I missed it. Whose version of a 441 do you have? Look like the pics you attached are sewn on some sort of latigo? I may be comparing apples and oranges here. Neither of my 2000s track like that on the top. Also there is nothing on the bottoms to make the tracks either. My throat plates are all smooth, and the lower feed never hits the leather. There might be some excess pressure on the top side, or the feet are not meeting the leather level and toeing/heeling down. I have some belts to do in the next couple days. I'll set up mine with the same size thread and needle and get some pictures.

Daggrim, Gum Tragacanth is a gleatinous kind of mixture used in a lot of products from medicine to cosmetics. It is used on edges of leather and then rubbed to burnish them. It is usually sold mixed up, but some places sell it as a powder. Easier to buy it mixed, they add an antimicrobial of some time I think. I bought some powder (not cheap) and mixed it myself several years ago. It grew more mold by the end of a week than bad cheese in an unplugged refrigerator. Billy, I like the effects of gum trag. I never really found a decent way to apply it until about a year ago. I tried sponges, sponge brushes, rags, finger tips, envelope moistening pens, etc. They all work, but when you have a pile of work to slick, they take too long. You are applying some to a sponge, it runs out, reapply after 6" of edge, gain another 6". I hit a deal on one of the Heritage Dye Boxes that Weaver sells. I never liked it for dye, The reservoir is too deep and requires too much dye to bring it up the roller sponge level, It is a bit uneven in its application of dye, and a real pain to clean every time. I put gum trag in it and have never looked back. It puts the right amount on, continuously reapplies fresh GT to the roller, and I have never cleaned it since. I just snap on the cover and leave it sit. I replenish, stir with my finger, and go on the next time. For shorter runs, a small sponge paint roller might work. To weigh in on saddles soap. I use that too. I only use the white now, and sometimes I apply it to leather before I tool it also. The yellow saddle soap can leave some lavender spots on some leathers. I use SS to slick edges on latigo and some strap work. A few things about it. For me it will lay down the fibers and look pretty smooth. I have a hard time generating the friction needed to burnish (and there is a difference between slicking and burnishing). Burnished edges will resist nicking more than a slicked edges. Burnished edges will look more glassy. SS will pull of my edge dye if I dye the edge first. SS will partially resist my edge dye if I dye after slicking. I have got some flaming purple edges. For straps like breast collar tugs and horse tack that I am not putting a sealer on or edge dyeing, I use SS to slick them. It will lay down the fibers on the fleshside too, and give a nice waxy feel. I have a damp rag that I saturate with SS and use that rag to slick with - rub on edges or wrap it around straps and pull them through. I store the rag in an empty SS can and keep it moist. Some guys will let them dry and use them drier than me. Personal preference. I use wax sometimes too. About anything that will moisten an edge can be used to burnish - water, casing solution, alcohol. I was taught in one class early on to use spirit dyes. It works, but the golden period is shorter and I messed up some projects with spillage and dripping issues. I could probably use it now with some improved application methods.

Ed, I was there brother!! Tandy used to have a local store. A few years post closure, I could buy sets of tools at every 5th yard sale. The Saturday freebie classifieds usually had them too. I got some nice older tools, but a lot of duplicates. I tried to modify about everything they made. I tried to modify the edgers to look like the good tools I saw pictures of. Some worked sort of OK. I hit a goldmine at one yard sale. There was a set of tools. The usual 40 craftools, Maul Master (version #1), plastic mallets, v-gouge, Jerry's stripper, that one size of french edger everybody must have bought, a huge edger marked "Ron's" (horn edger) and 3 Ron's round bottom edgers. I couldn't get the $20 out fast enough - no dickering there. Once I used the Ron's edgers, I realized a few things. When you start with cheap tools, realize they are made with cheap metal normally. They will not hold the edge. The temper may be gone from what you did, or it may never have been there. The shanks are too short and sometimes too narrow to make them the right size and angle to work right. I had a box of modified tools that probably cost me $40, and together they weren't worth one of the good tools. They were even too short to make into ProPetals at that point. I had several hours of time involved with modifying them. It is not like grinding off a little here and there to change a pear shader or making a meander stamp from a bolt. I since sold the Ron's edgers to a guy who was going home and wanted them badly. I replaced them with Jeremiah's round bottoms after I went through the frustration of a few Osborne edgers for old time's sake. There was very little difference between Ron's and Jeremiah's in my hands. Bob's are good too. The thing with buying tools from these guys is that they are all users of these tools too. They know how the old good ones were made. They have either kept that, or modified them slightly to suit them. I let them be the toolmakers now, and I am the customer.

Pete, Is mission lining the black plastic feeling stuff? If so, I haven't used it for a long time. I used to use the boot lining pig from TLF, and still have some around. It is pretty stretchy, a little nappy, and really lays in flat for me. I think they carry it in natural and "biscuit" or "straw" color. I used to just call up and ask for "straw pig". In the last year or two, I have gone to the "glazed pig". It has a glazed or jacked finish. Pretty rich kind of feel. It is maybe a little less stretchy than the lining pig. I have not had creasing problems with either of these. I line all my small folding things like business card holders and checkbooks with it. I have started using it on zippered planners in the last few months too. At about $1 a foot, it is less expensive than what I was using before. TLF used to have the glazed pig in a copper color. The last few orders they have had a really nice golden color. I do have wrinkling problems laying it in sometimes. Because it is so flexible (and I glue outside) the wind will pick it up and fold it back on itself. If I don't have a helper holding it up, sometimes it will lay in with a wrinkle on a big piece. I usually apply Barge to the main piece, and while it is drying, apply to the lining. When the lining is still a little slippery, but starting to tack, I lay it on. If I put it on tacked and dry, it is harder to reposition. I smooth it down with palm pressure, and give it time to set. Usually an hour or so. Then I run my blocker over it with some pressure to stick it down. I don't really mess with testing folds on anything for a day or so. The glue may not have a mature bond and get some piping in the creases. Seems like once you break a bond, it never quite sets down as tight, even if it is still tacky. Let it dry all the way and then try it out.

Ed, I like the open front round bottom edger. I am not sure if HC carries them, but would suspect they are dealing with the Osborne line. Nothing against Osbornes, because I have and use some. They are a good general line and across the board make good tools. There are individual tool makers that may make a particular tool better than Osborne though. Like has been said, Osborne sells you the makings of a tool. You have to finish the sharpening yourself. For the quality of work you are doing, I think you could justify getting and using better edgers that are more user friendly. My personal favorites are the open front round edgers. Rons tools sells nice ones and so does Jeremiah Watt. I have had both and other than price, I have very little difference between them. Jeremiah's #1 size is the smallest he now makes and should work for most of your needs. With no toes in front, they will do a slot too, and the blade is "sweepy" enough I like the control. A cinch to sharpen and strop, you are not working down in a slot like other edgers, and they cut a round profile to start with. I have Jeremiah's vizzard pattern edgers also. His and Ron's tools edgers both came ready to go to work. My wife likes bisonette edgers and played with Bob Douglas' edgers at a show. With the design, you can't cut too deep. They are like edgers with training wheels. Bob has the angle and bend at the tip of the shank figured out. His are the real thing. Because of the design, you can cut on the push or pull stroke. Sharpening bisonettes is a little trickier. You have to make sure you aren't whacking against the opposing edge when you strop. Just something to watch out for. We have Bob's smallest size and the #4 for heavy work. I expect we will fill in sizes next time we see him. You can probably bank that anything from Bob is ready to use straight off too. Jeremiah's website is www.ranch2arena.com. Ron's is www.ronstools.com. You can buy Bob's tools directly from him (Sheridan, WY) or through Sheridan Leather Outfitters. I have found all of these guys to be easy to deal with directly and helpful advice. Barry King is making hand tools also. I have not played with his, although I should have. If you decide to go with Osbornes, shop around. As a "for instance" - one major leathercraft seller lists the Osborne round knife for $99, Siegels regular price is about half that, and I think it is still on sale for $35 now. Just because the big catalog craft suppliers sell some cheap things cheaply, doesn't mean everything in their catalog is priced in the same manner.

Barra, One of my treasured times was when a retired Irish harness maker spent an afternoon with me several years ago. He took a rasp to my stitching horse to shape the jaws to his liking. He liked to oil awl blades by wiping them on his nose, although admitted you might run dry by the end of a session. I am sure he went to the forehead then. He found about 2 awls he liked and we used those. The rest were saved for later. He taught me to tie in buckles at the ends of straps like they do "ta home". Later we took my rejected awls and he sharpened them into darts. I learned the pleasures of Bushmill's Black and "awl darts". Apparently an old Irish harness shop pastime. The evening ended with him buying my Ron's edgers for around $120 apiece to show the boys ta home what good stuff we have to work with.

John, I use quite a lot pigskin lining on things. I have not had a problem with the glue bleeding through. Once in a while I will get a "wet spot" but that must be solvent. It evaporates pretty quickly and is not sticky. One thing to watch with pigskin is pinholes. Because it is so thin they are more common than with other types of lining. When I pull a new piece, I hold it up to the light and cut out any pinholes right off the bat. Glue will go through the tiniest pinhole and mess you up. I attach the linings with the cement still a little wet. If it is too dry and I get a wrinkle, it can be a pain to pull and reposition. I am attaching a picture of a Bible cover I did a few years ago for a bullfighter. He sketched out the design and sent it to me. He wanted the cross done in "old turquoise" and silver. This cover is one of my favorites. This cross probably gets more comments than most others I do. I think Chan Geer has a book with some cross patterns, and I am sure a Google image search will bring up a bunch.

Here is another idea. I make quite a few of these throughout the year. I buy a regular hardside briefcase. I have done these on the aluminums, the leather covered board style, and the leatherettes and fiberboards, depending on customer's wishes. I attach them with 3/8 Hi Dome engraved conchos from Hansen's. They are basically a small engraved domed concho and look like engraved spots with a post and screw back. Weavers used to sell them too, but Hansen's are across town. On some I just use the HiDomes, on others I use conchos in the corners. I have attached a couple examples.

Siegels (www.siegelofca.com) sell horse butts. As far as sides, they have had them intermittantly, but I can't recall them recently. I think the only tannery that processes horsehide was/is Horweens in Chicago. Now that horse slaughter has been effectively shut down in the US by humane interests, I don't know how that affects their supply and future.