SteelheadFineGoods

Which Horween leather is it? I work with Horween Chromexcel fqhh and frequently line my pieces with pigskin. CXL is fairly waxy stuff and I have never had a problem adhering the pigskin lining to CXL with just Barge. It does help to scuff up the CXL a bit for a better bond.

I am also looking for the same part. It seems to be a pretty typical break with these machines. Probably due to poor handling during shipping or transport. Has anybody got a spare depth adjuster or know where to get a replacement?

I recently acquired a D.B. Die Works No. 39 kick press. It is currently without a stand. Before I go ahead and build my own stand for it, do any of you out there have the original stand for this kick press for sale? Also, can you suggest a good source to purchase dies for this machine? I will be looking for dies for Line 20 and Line 24 snaps. I appreciate any help I can get. Thanks!

http://www.crownandbuckle.com is worth looking into.

Texas Custom Dies also accepts thick card stock paper cut outs of your shape and they can create a very accurate die from that.

Looks great. Grey Ghost is probably your best bet. I've used Infinity Stamps in the past but they can be pretty expensive. Can I ask where you are getting the Chicago screws for this project?

I suggest that you order from Tannery Row or Maverick. Maverick's stock can be somewhat limited but they are really helpful and have different sides coming in pretty frequently. Tannery Row can have a significant wait time but as long as you can wait you'll get exactly what you're looking for. I have not had much luck finding thinner CXL from Springfield and I think their colors might be somewhat limited.

goodsjapan has several Japanese leathercraft books. They're pretty helpful if you don't already have experience making wallets. Even if you don't read Japanese, the photos in these books pretty much tell it all. Also, get used to measuring and cutting in metric, if you don't already.

Well, my order of Bulldog Brand Latex Cement came in the mail a few days ago and I put it to work right away. I cut six 1.5" squares of 2-3oz CXL front quarter horsehide and conducted a test comparing Barge, Bulldog, and Fiebing's Leathercraft Cement. I adhered flesh side to flesh side and followed normal protocol for each adhesive. I did not do any prep work to the leather before the glue up such as scoring or scuffing up the leather. I left everything in its normal state so that I could simply compare the effectiveness of each adhesive. Bulldog smells awful and it tacks up very quickly. The instructions call for application with a brush which, in my experience, was a mistake because it just gummed up my brush bristles. The bottle says that it washes out with water but that's not exactly what I found to be true. I allowed all three samples to dry for over 30 hours clamped with binder clips. After removing the clips I attempted to pull the pieces of leather apart from one another at the corners. By far, straight up Barge had the best adhesion power. Though the results were close the Fiebing's Leathercraft Cement (the normal white glue) seemed to outperform the Bulldog Latex Cement. Clearly my experiment is not accurately controlled, but it was clear that the Bulldog and Fiebing's did not have the adhesion power that Barge does with CXL. The Barge holds to itself really well and generally sticks to the CXL without tearing up the leather when pulling pieces apart. When pulling apart the Bulldog and Fiebing's pieces the adhesive seemed to rip the leather away from the top layer similar to how layers of cardboard might come apart. I'll give Bulldog another chance in the shop, but I feel most confident in my normal routine gluing CXL which is to scuff the leather, apply a thin layer of Barge, let it dry completely, apply another thin layer of Barge, let it dry to a tack, then adhere the pieces together. Please let me know if you have better strategies or different experiences with any of these adhesives.

Springfield leather Company carries Yankee Wax

Springfield Leather now carries Bulldog Brand Latex Cement and claims that it's great for gluing Chromexcel and other oil tan leathers. I think I'll pick up a bottle to see how it does. Anybody else have experience with this glue yet? http://springfieldleather.com/37043/Cement%2CContact%2CLatex%2C8oz/

Has anybody gotten a response from bisonmade? I'm hoping to grab some shells but have not gotten a response yet.

PM sent. Hoping to grab a few from you if they haven't been snatched up yet.

You've probably already seen them at http://www.goodsjapan.jp/ or x-kaijin-x on eBay. I don't know of any American suppliers. It wouldn't be cheap but you could design your own and have them cast. Good luck!

I find two products/strategies to work fairly well when adhering two pieces of Chromexcel, flesh side to flesh side. What seems to be strongest in my experience is to give each piece a light application of Barge contact cement and let them dry completely. Then when they are completely dry give each piece a second light application of Barge contact cement and when the cement has begun to lose its tack you can press both pieces of leather together and they should stay very well adhered. One application of Barge just doesn't cut it. Alternately, I've had pretty good experiences using Fiebings Leathercraft Cement (the white stuff). Apply the glue to both pieces, press them together and keep them pressed tightly until the glue dries completely. I like to use binder clips all along the edges to help press the leather together - just keep the jaws of the clips over where you plan to stitch because they will leave a light impression on the leather. This stuff works pretty well, but not quite as strong as Barge in my experience. If anybody else knows of better ways to adhere Chromexcel I'd also love to know.

I spoke with John about 3 weeks ago. I had started some orders with Eric Frank then suddenly he stopped responding to my emails. John took over from there and helped fill my orders. Try this number for John: 773-772-2026

I'd love to get my hands on some Tiger Thread. Do any of you know off hand if Abbey England will ship to the US and how heavy their shipping charges tend to be?

I just ordered a couple sides from Tannery Row and handling/shipping was about $60. You're not the only one.

I don't know of anywhere near LA where you can get Chromexcel. The closest to you in CA might be Maverick Leather, way up in Petaluma. I often buy leather from Goliger in Ventura but they don't regularly carry Horween. They have told me that they can get leather from Horween they have never had it on hand when I've been in the shop. They mostly have Hermann Oak leather at Goliger. Your best bet is probably to just order a few sides of Chromexcel from Tannery Row. Good luck!

I've been very happy with my purchases from GoodsJapan. I love the books that they carry, but unfortunately I don't speak Japanese.

Ferg, I'm glad to hear that you had a good experience with Tannery Row. The leather that I ordered from Tannery Row (2-3oz natural and brown chromexcel, 9-10oz tan chromexcel) was fantastic. I'm making my wife a purse right now and she's loving the natural.

http://thetanneryrow.com/ I've had good experiences working with Eric Frank. Don't know if he can get the exact leather you're looking for. Good luck!

Looks very good, Corter. I notice a jump in the quality and design of your stuff compared to what I've seen of yours in the past (which was also very good!). Any suggestions for burnishing chromexcel or shell? Keep up the great work. Looking forward to the site relaunch.

I ordered some of the Craft Sha diamond chisels and I'm pretty happy with them. They definitely seem to be better quality than what Tandy carries. I'm currently waiting on a cocobolo burnisher that I recently ordered. I'm also a big fan of the instructional books that they carry, though I wish I could read Japanese.

Hi Brian, I've seen this tool roll online too. I think you may be right to assume that the border around the edges are branded. I don't think I'd suggest an 8oz veg tan for the leather. I would suggest something lighter like a 3-4 oz veg tan for flexibility. You could probably use something a bit heavier for the straps though. The duck looks waxed, and something similar to the shelter cloth that Filson uses. Check out Martexin cotton duck. I use this stuff for tote bags and other things, but I use the heavier #8 (18oz) waxed duck. Good luck with your project. Share the results when you're done!