RavenAus

Whichever way I go about it I'm still going to want to mask off part of the design while I apply finish to another though. The stencil lifting etc is the minor issue, it's the bleeding of the finish into the masked area that's the big issue for me. If I finish the outside I'm going to want to prevent the detail area from being sprayed which would require masking, and if I do it like I have this time I want to stop the finish from going onto the outer area as I've not dyed that yet. The only way I can see of doing that is not to spray the finish on but use a brush instead, and I'd really prefer to use the airbrush.

I think that stencil is stainless, so the magnets would work on that, but most of mine are plastic so I still need another method for them. You don't mask off on the grain side then?

Hey all, had a little issue today while experimenting with the airbrush. Well, 2 issues really. The big one though was at the end. I masked off the area I wanted to finish with masking tape, pressed the edges down firmly to get a good seal, but after spraying the finish on and taking the tape off I found quite a few areas of leakage, as you can see in the picture. So the first question is, what do you use for masking off? I was using regular white masking tape, is there something better I can use that won't leave behind any residue to prevent later dyework? Second point, as I'm sure you can see, is that I'm getting a fair bit of leakage under the stencil. This one was a metal stencil and looked to be good and flat against the leather but even so there's leaks and spots where there shouldn't be. I am sure some of this is due to my really cheap single action airbrush but even so, I'm getting this a lot. What pressure do you guys run your airbrushes at? I bought a regulator to control mine as the compressor didn't have a very good one and (from what I recall, I have to convert the reading to psi to understand my gauge) I run it at around 15-20 psi. The airbrush is a suction model I use for all dye applications these days - no more uneven finishes! - but stencils I'm having problems with. Do you use anything like a spray mount on them to keep them in place, or just hold them there? Any other tips for a newbie airbrusher? Many thanks Raven ps: I'm in Queensland, Australia and the dyes and finish I'm using come from here - http://www.leatherfinishingproducts.com.au/index.php/cobblestone/ - Cobblestone dyes. Fantastic product, much easier to use than the Eco-flo and dilute with spirits or water.

I use an arbor press all the time with my stamps. The only issue I have is with some stamps it's easy to put too much pressure on. I've cut the leather with the rune stamps before, and one of the cog stamps from Tandy. It is however MUCH easier to get a good impression with a press than with a mallet. Case well and test on scrap. If the stamp is large then you may have to move the piece and apply pressure at more than one point but that seemed to work fine for me.Just don't move the stamp in the process, just slide the leather into position with the stamp in place. You don't need to screw the base down though, my press is secured with a G-clamp. It's not AS secure as screwing the unit down but unless you're gonna go Arnie on it then it'll be enough

I have a rough idea but it's things like the loops - never done anything like those before, not that will have to take the stress they will. I've only worn clipped braces a few times. These are something completely new to me, which is why I was hoping for a pattern or some advice.

Tried google and searched here, but apart from a sketch I've found nothing I could use.

Hi, I'm getting my first pair of pants with buttons for suspenders and I was wondering if anyone has a decent pattern for making my own - especially how to make the loops for the buttons. Do you need elastic? What width is best for the straps? Any tips on making my first pair? I've added a pic of the pants I've ordered so you can see the style suspenders I need

Is that Packer Direct in Australia? They are good, but for my money I'd contact East Coast Leather - http://www.eastcoastleather.com.au/ - They are very helpful and their hides are a better price and quality than Packer, although they don't tan their own as Packer do with their roo.

It's a very good leather, very strong compared to an equivalent weight cowhide but it is expensive. Roos are culled regularly over here but only a tiny fraction go to the tannery as they have to be skinned pretty soon after shooting and the guys culling can get a lot more money playing the numbers game than stopping and skinning them so a lot of hides are wasted. Even with the culls the population of roos never seems to decline as modern farms provide so much more food than they could ever have found in the wild before, and they breed to the food source.

Make a bone buckle the same way the Viking-era ones are made from. I made one a few years back (2006) for a re-enactor. They are much more fragile than metal (the one I made ended up broken as she'd stood full on it) but work very well. The only metal part I used was a pin to hinge the buckle pin. This was totally enclosed by the bone. The pics are small and not too detailed but you get the idea. The belt is a tablet-woven braid with her groups name woven in. *edit* Oops, Chrome crashed during the post, so it has 2 copies of the 'in progress' pics...

Try giving East Coast Leather in Brisbane a call. They often host workshops and have a saddlers group meet there regularly so should be able to help.

Dwight, that method may be the best one yet I think the one's I've seen all miss the THIMS and I know I've priced too low in the past. I'll try yours out and see what prices I get - once I'm back off holiday!

Nice work! I would love to see how you carve those, the detail is great. As for the granite, sounds good for a backgrounder...

I'm certainly not an expert but from the looks of things the antiquing has gone quite well. When you say it's lost detail, I think what's happened is that the antiquing has been rubbed out of the shallower areas, especially on the background where it's hard to get the stuff to stay in from my experience Where the antiquing has stayed it shows a much better contrast so the rest looks washed out, but careful re-application should pring it back out.

I do wish people would remember where they started. Without Tandy there would not be a leather hobby in many countries. It's where the majority of leathercrafters start. You may have moved on from them but for a lot of people, especially those outside the US, they are not only the best option if they want to work with leather, they are sometimes the only option.

So, first I made a Bolero harness. I wanted something that sits high on the chest and looked pretty, so I made up a pattern and produced this - (My stepdaughter Zoe modeling ) Then I wanted to make an underbust harness. Gave up on finding a pattern and created one from a bodice pattern Then, my brain said, "Why not combine those two and have an Underbust Bolero!" I was weak. I had to do it... This is the result... I was at the Brisbane Alternative Expo Bazaar yesterday and a lady came in, took one look at it and fell in love with it This is the shot from when she got home Thanks to Lani Phoenix of https://www.facebook.com/BootiuzMaximuz for the picture

Wow, that sounds like a heck of a lot of work! I dye with Cobblestone dye, spray on a coat of their finish and put some balm on. Job done, no colour transfer and water resistant. Only needs the balm to improve the feel, it's water resistant and sealed without that.

The curve to the straps is an idea I got from a shoulder holster pattern. I really do like the way it sits though and can't wait to get someone to road test this one for me

I remember that post that is a great outfit. The starting point for this was a Butterick pattern, pic below. I cut out the pattern pieces for a size 14 in heavy paper and fitted that onto my mannequin, then played around with the shapes till I got what I wanted. I'm planning on making up the rest of the sizes to suit, using the original pattern as a guide for size. I did radically change some of the pieces to get the shape I wanted though, so it's probably not going to be that easy in practise As a general rule though, I'd add/remove half the size change on the back piece and a quarter on each front piece, at the lowest point in the curve. I'll use the other sizes on the original pattern to test whether this will be adequate. With 2 lines of lacing and the buckles on the straps it is quite forgiving on fit though I haven't really had to adjust for cup size too much thus far, my bolero went above the breasts and this is designed to go under them. Actually making something with cups, now that would be difficult! I did try my best to ensure the line of the harness would allow for most sizes but the proof is in the pudding as they say, got to get a few ladies to try it on now

Very first look at the Underbust Harness. I tried for months to get a good pattern for one of these and eventually I drew up my own pattern. Main Features: 3 swing clasps on the front for a very elegant closure. 2 lines of lacing at the rear for a perfect fit. Unique strap design with a laced front and buckle back to provide maximum comfort and fit.

Hmm, I haven't tried nails. I did try a swivel knife but the result was too even. I'll see how nails and a board work out

Honestly, it's not that hard I find doing a project that size quite relaxing these days. I'll sit in front of the pc and sew away - heck, I even laced up one pouch sat in bed while the Mrs was reading! For this type, I'd fix the 2 pieces together with some double sided tape, punch the holes (I use a 4-prong chisel mostly), take them apart again so I could fit the belt loop then sew them together.If you're doing 50 or something then yeah, find a way to machine them, but 1? Hand sew it

Personally with that type of case I'd hand sew. It's not difficult, there's a pinned post on this board for saddle stitch and all you need's a couple of needles, an awl and a stitch marker. I'd also just use the one row of stitches and trim closer to the line of the formed piece.

Can you take some photos so we can see what you're making?

Hi there I did a mask a while back from a really beat up piece of leather from the damaged edge of a cheap hide - someone ordered a really distressed look harness so I went to my leather shop and asked if they had any battered old stuff they wanted to offload cheap I don't know what had happened to it but the hide was perfect, banged up and just what the customer wanted with little effort to me! Anyway, I used the rather beat up piece for what I called the 'Beast Hunter' mask. I emphasized the imperfections with red dye making them look like he'd been clawed and had bled through the mask. All subsequent attempts to reproduce the effect in a controllable manner have been flat failures though and the mask sold first time I displayed it, so I don't even have it for reference now. Can anyone help with a decent way to fake the whole claw marks thing?