bruce johnson

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!

Bree, They are a bit unwieldy and heavy. I know guys who have taken walls out to get their clickers in or out. For a basemnet it would be easy. Just get a freight helicopter to lift the house off, drop the clicker in, and then set the house back. No problem.

Mark, LOL here. I use a tracing box like yours at work too. There was a spare in a corner at work that made it to my office. Nice neat layout you have there.

Funny what you can find on a search huh Josh? Actually at Jeremiah's get-together there were several of us from LW. David and Dennis, along with Barra, the dodgy looking rooster, were the international guests. Gary Winckler and Skip were there from out of state too. We had a couple more that left early and missed the class picture.

It depends on which Adler. I had a 205-64 that was a tank. It did not have a center presser foot though, and the material was moved with the needle and a feeddog underneath. It was great for most applications, although I was limited for different throat plates. The place where I had trouble with it was sewing through two layers of skirting and tunnel loops for back cinches. There would be a little needle deflection on that thickness, never in the same direction from stitch to stitch and the bottom line was never straight. If the needle missed the hole in the feeddog it made an impressive noise as the needle snapped. That was my only complaint with that machine. The other versions with a center foot should do fine, or even the 64 if you aren't sewing really heavy stuff. I haven't had an Aerostitch, but had a Boss that would do the three layers fine. That was mainly why I kept it around. I got a 2000 that will do the three layers without a cough and both lines are straight. Just depends on what you need to sew.

Darcy and Joanne, Thanks for the new pictures and a frame of reference. Looking back on the pictures from December with him outside, he does not look as downhill as the new ones. I am with Greg's question here - is he standing up square? The pics from the other day looking down his back with the tape I thought he looked asymetric, but it appeared maybe atrophied on the right side. It now looks like from these views the larger bulge on the left side is making it look that way. Any idea how long these swellings have been there and how much they are progressing or staying about the same? I sure didn't pick them out on the earlier pictures, but if they are an issue now and it would be interesting to get a feel for their progression. Any old pics of when you got him? Any kind of exam ever been done on him? Did the physiotherapist who worked on him have any thoughts on these swellings? Has anyone else looked at him? Interesting, interesting.

Josh, There will never be a consensus on this. They are OK on the whole, they are not the greatest and not the worst. Some of them are good and and some aren't. They fit a niche for the guy selling on price. When you figure the price of everything else, the tree gets way too much attention as a place to evaluate cost to me. Figure 2-1/2 sides of leather for a saddle and 3 if you haven't done one before. Add in a sheepskin, decent stirrups, thread, oil, riggings, and time, and the cost difference between trees is smaller part of the equation. The advantage of Bowdens is that anyone can call them up and order one. They have a short list and some in stock. The disadvantage is you may be getting one someone else sent back.

The blade and the barrel are the differences in mine. One Ol Smoothie has a 3/8 barrel with a 1/4" slim blade. The other Ol Smoothie has a 5/8 barrel and a 1/2" blade. The Barry King has a 1/2" barrel and a 3/8" blade. Each was bought at different times and for different needs. I grab my BK just as much as any of them. The Henley has a 1/2" barrel and 3/8" blade. The blade opens a little wider ditch than the BK, the blades are reported to last longer beofre sharpening, but I don't like the yoke as much as Barry's. I got it because of the great reviews they get. I haven't had it long enough to do any more than strop the blade. I am not sure I am stropping it any less than the others because stropping is kind of a habit. I probably wouldn't run out and hunt down a R Hackbarth knife, but this one came on an buy it now ebay deal that lasted about 12 minutes after the guy listed about 10 original Hackbarth stamps and the knife for a song. The yoke is pretty good, but no cool ball bearing show off action for when you are running one at 3000 rpm tooling and smoke is coming off your leather. The blade seems alright. It makes a good straight tracking knife. If I was looking at doing it again and didn't have a good one, I'd get a couple of Barry's with different blade setups to start with. For the price you can have two set up for different duties at the same price you'd pay for one of the others.

Joanne, Has anyone got a chance to put some of Dennis' cards on him yet? Photo angles and shadows make it hard for me to really tell things sometimes.

Henry and Ryan, Since you are a dealer and Ryan dealt in them and supplied parts, just a curiosity question for anyone who knows. I bought one of the early original cast iron Boss machines. I sure got my money's worth out of it may times over, and customer support was all I could have wanted. The feed system seemed to work well and it would sew whatever I could get under the foot. When it came time to get a powered machine, I was interested in an Aerostitch. The feedback from the guys I talked to with them was pretty positive and the price was within range. The feet and plates I already had would work. When it came time to put the ink on the check, they told me they had to be honest and tell me they were going to discontinue producing them in the near future. No real reason other than a business decision and that they would continue to supply parts for a while but nothing definite. It seemed like a simple setup machine and if it was like the Boss, easy to adjust and troubleshoot. Any idea why it was dropped and parts are still available? My motive for this was that I had one offered to me last fall at a good price, but was hesitant because I wasn't sure what was available and for how long.

I have this problem a lot less since I started to use a little lighter thread (#138 on the headstalls and belts) and a shorter stitch length than I used to. The shorter stitch length is a lot more forgiving.

Aaron, I appreciate the offer, but would make a suggestion. Rather than pay me anything, paypal to the forum so we don't have to run the coffee water through the grounds again.

I have done them both ways. If you turn that chap leather it is harder to get a nice sew line. It can be done but go slow. If you don't turn the edge, you can leave a little of the gusset over the edge and trim flush when you are done. Then you can run an edger over both sides and slick it. I dye some, and some I don't. If I dye then do it first. Then apply the slicking agent of choice. I usually use an application of Ron's edge dressing followed by a rub of my mix of paraffin and beeswax melted together. Then run a slicking rag or hardwood slicker over the edge to polish it up. I don't think I have any photo angles of the end or zipper in this computer.

For the swivel knife it has to be something comfortable for you. Some like thicker or thinner barrels. Others like a medium knurling or a finer knurling. Different cradles feel different. Blades are the bigger difference to me. Some like a thicker blade, others thin. Longer blade, angled blade, straight blade - there are a lot of choices. One not mentioned in this thread yet is Henley. I've got a few, but my users are a Barry King, Henley, original Hackbarth, thin and thick barrel Ol Smoothies. Each has a little different blade set up and that is the bigger difference for me. For round knives I still like my old Clydes for most stuff. I got to play with one from Bob Dozier last April. It was a very good knife, and I ended up and got one at a show the next month. No regrets there.

I'll take a stab at this. First off, you might have some issues fattening him up to butcher. We are pretty much carnivores at our house, but even I have some little twinge eating something I gave a name to. As an aside, I am a veterinarian, I grew up in a family of cattle feeders and livestock buyers for slaughter plants, and worked in the slaughter houses. I have no misconceptions about where meat comes from. If the foot fell off this calf and it is infected, do you really want to eat it? I have no problem with eating one that has been treated for something minor, but there is a limit. Some of these are so septic they have infection everywhere. There is enough safe meat out there, you have choices. Sick animals never gain like healthy ones. You aren't going to raise it any cheaper in the final result than buying it. Actually unless you are feeding on some scale, you aren't going to get it any cheaper feeding a single out. They will get around decent on three legs for a while. I have broken legs on practice calves, and they usually heal and get to be alright if you confine them. That is different losing a leg, that won't grow back. I am not lumping everyone in this but here goes. I see clients who thanks to modern medicine have all their grandparents and parents. They are 40 years old, three generations from the farm, and have never faced death of anything. Now they are basket cases because their 20 year old cat has kidney failure or their 20 year old horse can't get up. Death happens, and it is a real teachable moment for kids, and prepares us for what is inevitable for all of those around us. Personally I told people the "preparing for death" speech for 20 years to clients before I realized it was all a warmup for giving that speech one night to family members about someone very close to me. I don't see too many young kids who are mature enough to make "the" decision. We traded horses, and my son grew up knowing "his" horse might be sold. He found out there was money raising and trading goats and calves, and some died and some we put down. Ideally it would be better if the first one your daughter deals with doesn't die. Unfortunately if you are around them long enough some will. We still have to drag one off to the bone pile once in awhile, and it is economic as well as emotional. If you do decide to put it down, you know your daughter but I see two extemes. Some people don't want the kids anywhere close, and others have them force them to be a part of it. Some kids can handle it, and some can't. Some do better than the parents. Give them the choice and respect it. What I'd do is to go buy about 5 calves. Even if only one is her club project, raising the others will be good experience. There was an old Iowa State extension vet who wrote monthly articles for some livestock publications. I always thought he was a crotchty old whatever and didn't share his philosphy in one of his columns. He made the comment that something near and dear to me (4-H) was a farce the way it had degenerated. None of the winning calves were practical for the marketplace nor any sort of economic lesson is livestock reality. I had decent horses, knew families making serious $$$$ selling club calves, hung out with steer jocks, and grand champions would buy a pickup. 4-H was teaching the future of ag. His suggestion was for each kid to start equal with $500 and go the auction to buy something or a few. Pay for their own feed, pay their own bills, and sell them back through a real auction. Judging would be simple, whoever had the biggest bank account at fair time was the grand champion. Without intentionally doing that, that is how my son was raised. John Herrick was right. My son is on his own now and pretty successful in trading, order buying, and auctioneering.