kwelna

I use clear ~1/4" plexiglass for my permanent templates and molds, not a good as polyethylene and a bit more brittle but I can see through the template so it helps me to position it. I then scribe stitch lines, fold lines, drill location holes etc. on to / through the plastic template. I can cut it with a small cheap band saw ($60 on sale) from harbor freight using a metal band saw blade and like Tex Shooter said, I cut it a tad over sized and sand (Harbor Freight 4" belt and disk sander - $80) it to the correct size.

sorry, just found your question, mine was for a 15" lap top. What if you turn the lap top sideways the bag would be taller but not a wide........

I am looking at your work and I do not see an issue, it looks wonderful.......I am just a novice in leather work, but I have taken to the Japanese asthetic view called Wabi-Sabi. Basically it finds beauty in the imperfect. This does not mean you do sloppy work of poor quality, But rather you embrace the fact that it will never be perfect. These imperfections are what sets your work apart from others. It is proof that it was made by hand by an artist or craftsman. I have found that most of my customers prefer leather that "looks" like leather and has certain slight imperfections. They like that the stitching while neat, straight and clean, still has a "non machine like" quality that comfirms that it was truly had stitched. That is what they ar paying for, hand made, high quality and unique. Again I am just getting started and I have a lot to learn and it is not like I sell tons of items, or I have customers knocking down my door wanting my work.....I also do not do this a a primary source of income.....If I did, that might change my attitude as well. Also, Check out these guys, http://www.blackriverlaser.com/leather-craft-templates-gauges/ Just a thought

I will try and get a picture of the one I made for my daugher (sort of), Lessons learned, remember that a lap top has a thickness not just height and width. So does the leather.....I forgot this when I made my first messenger bag and while it worked on paper, it was too tight for my lap top but worked great for my daughers Mac Book Air.........guess who got the bag....I would strongly suggest you get some heavy constructtion paper and glue up a model before you cut and stitch your leather. Make sure it fits! then add an 1" to the gussets . It takes a goodly amount of leather to make a bag. Mistakes can be expensive unless you have a daughter that has a really thin lap top... :-)

I have ben through the patent process once in my life. My design ended up not being patentable (Not unique enough). Spend the $100 - $250 and talk to a patent lawer, it is a great education and he can draft an "Up Yours" letter for this guy. He sent this by email? He will need to send you a letter to cease and desist before he can even start the ball rolling to defend his patent (I was told the cost to defend a patent starts at $2000,000). You do the math, it ain't worth it. I would do nothing until you receive this document by mail and talk to a patent lawyer. There is a growing business in being a "Patent Troll" which is what this guy is doing.

I have tried and the money clips from Tandy, Ohio Bag and Springfield, Non are what I am really looking for which is a more "refined" money clip mechanism. Like the one used in the billfold\moneyclip at this site: http://www.levenger.com/Cases-15/Mens-Wallets-529/Bomber-Jacket-Moneyclip-Wallet-Core-8054.aspx If you zoom in you will see that the pumhandle clip portion is thicker and has a more finished look about it. The the pivot point also looks to be a bit more robust. . Anyone know where i can buy these in quantities of 10 or more?

Ok tapered the end of my threads and it did make a difference. Kind of a PITA (Pain in the ... ) though. It does make it easier to stitch in the long run. Basically you want to avoid cutting off any of teh cords of the thread. You just want to keep the lenght and thin each cord down about 50%. I get it now. The light comes on albeit dimmly

I made my own coad when I bought a pound of linnen thread. My stitching is getting better, so now it is time to learn this tapering thing. thanks

I have the stohman book sand i saw this technique, but I do not understand what prevents the cords from snaggining on the hole in the leather and bunching up as you pull the thread through the leather. Dont all the cords of the thread have to pass through the eye so this does not happen?

I too am a noob and am trying to lean the craft. I will tell you that after stitching 7 belts for 7 fat guys and listening to and heading Katsass' suggestions and critiques, my stitching is WAY better than it was. My only suggestion is to get a good and really SHARP diamond shaped awl ( The tandy awls are way too big, and way,way too dull. I too use a pricking iron to mark my stitches not punch hole through the leather. I am no expert by any streatch of the imagination, but I could not beleive what a difference a good sharp awl made in my work making stitching easier. ANd yes I too need to use pliers to pull my needle through my holes. (Usually only where the thread bulges right at the end of the eye of the needle where teh thread passes through.)

Finally I was able to set aside some time, make up some coed\coad and try stitching with the Barbour thread (5 Ply) I am very happy. The thread is about 1/2 the diameter of the Tandy stuff and since I get to determine the amount of coating,it is way less waxy. I also listened to Katsass and went to a better an smaller needle as well as making my holes in leather smaller. All this looks to be helping my stitching. Since I am making 5-6 belts for X-mas gifts and each has stitching around the outside edges I will be getting my practice in. Once the first belt is finished, (later to day I hope). I will post a pic for critique. Thank you again for all your help, suggestions and honest observations of my work. Happy Thanksgiving Kevin

I have not read his book, but is would seem that all these people (Those with talent and not me) have an inherrant understanding of the "Golden Ratio \ Fibonacci Sequence". If you are unfamilure with this, google "Golden Ratio and Art" or "Golden Ratio and Architecture" or "Golden Ration and Nature". I actually learned this back in HIghschool, but it ndid not click until I started doing leather and looking into engraving\scroll work. It was a bit mindblowing and quite facinating...but then again, I am a geek.

Just saw this email, I would like a copy...thanks for everything....my email is kwelna@gmail.com. this is very kind of you and it looks to be more work than you bargained for.....Thansk again ahead of time.

OK as I am gearing up to do my stitching, I have gotten the Barbour thread , the correct needles size 1, shaprened my awl and now, since I am using unwaxed hread, I decided to make some "coad" (sp?) I used a mix of 2 parts rosin, a few drops of neetsfoot oil and 20 parts beeswax. It melted down and mixed togeather just fine....as far as I can tell. I then poured it off into a bowl of water ], let it cool enough that I could hadle it and then needed it for a good 5 minutes and formed into balls about 2\3 the size of golf balls. It looks to be just fine and it sticks to the thread, but it strikes me as a bit "lumpy". does any one have a picture of their coad that I can look at to see if mine at least looks the same?

I ordered mine last Saturday as well, It came via UPS. if you give them a call, they will give you a UPS tracking number. They were very nice and helpful. Thinking I may need a spool of 3 cord for lighter items. But first I gotta learn to stich

Received my 1lb spool of 5 cord Burbuar lined thread todyay. Tested the breaking strengh with my hands, This stuff is strong. It looks to be about half the diameter of the stuff I was using from tandy, although I have not waxed it yet. I do not see that doubling the threads diameter by waxing. Looks like I will be doing a bit of stitching this weekend. I have a couple of dog collars I started just for practicing tooling and stitching. If anything turns out , I will post it for a critique of al least the stitching.

I will try allen wrenches as well. It can't be that much more grinding etc. I did order 1 lb of Barbour 5 cord and 10 size 1 or 0 needles from Cambell-Randell. Next is leather from Springfiled....Guess I am gearing up for the long winter. Lots of ideas and I need lots of practice. Thinking of modifying my messenger bag into a range bag with a built in holster and pocket for ammo boxes and shot timer. Maybe even a bit of tooling.....

Well I did it. (Sort of) I sharpened and reshaped a tandy awl blade to the point that it slides through a single layer of 8/9 with almost no pressure.. unfortunately it is also so thin at the tip that the awl blade will bend after about 4-5 jabs. LOL, so it's back to Tandy for a couple more blades and try again. I will say that as I have been playing with reshaping and sharpening this frist awl blade, it is quite important to not only get the awl sharp but polished. I do beleive that I can tell "feel" when I hit a less polished portion of the blade. Ah the training and learning continues........

Seanafk, thanks I will give hamering a try as well. by the way, your card with the theads attached was of great help. As was your description of the amount of wax needed. I am getting closer and closer to understanding and possible competnecy. Katsass thanks for a pix of your awl. Now I have a shape to work towards also lets me see just how sharp and "pointy" you guys are actually talking about. I have a lot of work ahead of me with my awl(s)....a lot of work. Looks like you moisten the leather after groving and before you run the overstitch wheel. Mostly I can see I need to make my awl blade(s) MUCH "pointier" and sharper!

No that helps i am less confused......maybe down to disoriented?? LOL It all Helps and I am getting ready to do some more stitching this week endI ( I hope) I have been using a pricking iron to mak the locations, and trying to use the overstitch wheel after stitching......it tends to wander off the stitch line, although that seems to be an issue of the nut behind the tool...I am assuming you press down on the overstitch wheel fairly firmly when running it over the stitches. Still having fun and learning

Alright, i am using less tension and it seems to be working, I have taken a awl blade and have shrank, reshaped and sharpened it. it does seem to be going through the leather better and smoother. I still need to ge a better \sharper point on the blade......when I have time that is. I have not had much time to practice so it will be a bit before I post another example of my stitching. Now, I am still confused on the thread and needles. I go to the sites suggested and I see the barbour thread but no size\weight is listed only cord count (3,4,5 etc). is it all the same base cord and the total thinkness is determined by the number of cords? Can some one please clarify this? Even down to stating "Go to this web site, buy this needle and this thread." I do beleive that I am using too big a thread and needle at this point. Katsass, do you purchase your thread and needles from Springfield leather? as I said before I have been using the linen thread from Tandy and I find it a bit "chunky" and thick and not very round or thread like. It actually looks more like string than thread........Is this what all linen thread looks like? I will keep stitching and practicing and again I thank you all for your help and guidance. Kevin

Now you have me thinking even more, A dremmel with a 3/64 " bit..... I will try this as well. At least until I get a decent awl and blade.

OK Guys, slow down just a bit LOL. For now I will cough up the $5-6 ea for a few more tandy awls to work on . I have a dremmel and a couple of different poishing compunds. In the mean time I will save up for a "good" awl blade and handle. I do not mind spending money on tools especially good one. Although you cant go wrong with harbor freight for occasional use tools and there is a store only 5 miles from my house.....very dangerouse. Not that I don;t beleive you , but I went to a leather guild meeting for the first time last night, (found it by accident while surfing) interesting meeting and group. Very nice and friendly as well. They seemed to be mostly toolers but everyone said the same thing, tandy awl blades are too dull and too large. Call me a fool, but I think I am starting to see a pattern here........ Katsass, did I read your post correctly in that when working with thiner leather (2-3 oz (Money clips \ billfolds so may be 3-4 layers)) you do not make\use a stitching groove? I am going back to the basics and I am going to make a bunch of smaller items such as money clips and mag holders to get the hang of not using a pricking iron and using only an awl and an oversticther. So to recap for an old fool, start witht the leather totally dry, groove - (if thick enough leather), run the over stitch wheel to mark the stitch holes, make the holes using an awl with the stitching holes (at an angle) barly large enogh to allow the needle to pass through the leather. Sitch using even tension. Once stitched, lightly moisten the leather and go over the stitches with the overstitch wheel. That about sum it up? I will give this a shot later this week \ week end. You guys are great I appeciate the help. PS just ordered a cataloge from Weaver I don't know how much business I will do with them, but some times it is great to have an alternate source for stuff. $250 minimum first order......at first I thought wow that is a lot ,but, I can hit that pretty easy.......I really need to find cheaper hobbies than shooting, glass blowing\lapworking and leather. At this point I think fishing might be cheaper, now that IS a scary thought. But then again, I have the tools......maybe I could make some really nice leather flyrod cases............................

When stitcing thicker items suach as Holsters, do you put a stitching groove on both sides? if so how do you ensure you hit the groove on the back side ? I am assumiong your answer is practice, but maybe there is bit of a trick for us newbies? I read somewhere that you ease the wl through till it is almost out the ther side and then adjust your angle to hit the stitching gooove. Does that sound about right? So that will kkep the stitches the coooect distance from the edge, but what about keeping the stitches even...... yes i know, practice but nay other trick(s) to this? I like the sanding teh handle to keep the angle of teh blade consistent, that is an excellent peice of advice.