shtoink

My guess is that a series of masking operations in conjunction with an airbrush is what you want to use. You'd need to have your masks cut out of some sort of adhesive vinyl, spray one one set of colors, spray over with a removable resist, remove the mask, spray your second color pattern, remove removable resist, do any touching up needed, and apply your finish(es). The thing is, I don't know if there is such a thing a a removable resist or at least one that you can use successfully with leather. Other things that come to mind are bleeding of the colors, but I suppose that depends on your paint/pigment being used and where you might get the original Damascus pattern to have someone CNC cut into vinyl. It does seem like it could potentially be doable. The other thing that comes to mind is to seek out someplace the does DTG (direct to garment) printing and have them shoot your desired image right onto the leather. Then you can finish the leather and continue on with your project. I try some test pieces first, just to see what needs to be tweaked in order to get the results you want.

I would say that this is a roller press. What it was meant to press, I don't know. It might have been used to stretch a piece of leather in different directions, create a uniform thickness, or even remove excess moisture from your laundry. It's hard to say without possibly more information or pictures. I did try to look up more information in the company and found that they did make quite a few machines that were specific to shoe making, but I saw no other machines that resembled this one. I realize this isn't exactly a complete answer, so maybe there is someone here who might be more knowledgeable than me and my internet searching skills.

After seeing the pictures and the rest of the post, the thread title makes way more sense. A first I was like Then I was like And then I said " that's amazing!"

Simply amazing! The bag turned out extremely well. I might suggest the use of a thimble or similar protection for your fingers. Moving them out of the way of the needle might help, too. From personal experience, that is far easier said than done, though.

This was my thought as well... I have pushed forward with some experimentation in different materials to both test the materials and hone my skills with a new machine. What a treat that is, I went from a PITA Chinese made lathe to a Sherline. It's not that those SEIG made lathes are entirely bad, but you need a machine shop and extra cash to make it reliable. I had neither, so I saved up for something that better suited my needs. I effectively went from an AMC Gremlin to a sporty Mini Cooper. I have gotten feedback from a couple of sources about my first functional prototype, which led to making more prototypes. So far, the thing that seems consistent is that the knurling on most knives is pretty aggressive and unless you have burly, calloused hands they can prove uncomfortable for prolonged use. Weight seems to be a concern as well, but it seems to go both ways. Those favor of heft might have something to do with the opinion that heavier always means better quality. All these opinions are the exact reason I deferred to those that have far more experience than I. Those opinions were developed somehow, and I wager it was though experience.

Thanks Chief! That was exactly what I was asking for. You made my day with that one.

Unfortunately, there was only a limited amount of details on what was liked or disliked there. I was hoping for some information along the lines of what I had asked in the post at the very top.

Now where's the fun in that?

I have noticed that at around 40 page views with no replies. I can't help but think that I may have been offensive or off putting somehow. I'm not sure how, unless there has been some misinterpretation, but there isn't any way to know that without any replies. Maybe it sounded a bit too much like some type of market research, maybe nobody wants to share their opinions on such things, maybe I wasn't clear enough. I do want to point out that I wasn't looking for anyone to badmouth any tool makers' tools, in fact knowing the maker of the tool isn't even a requirement. I was really hoping to just hear what people had to say so that I might have a better idea on the direction my project should take and aid in me not wasting time and materials with bad design features. I deferred to those of you with far more experience experience in hopes of learning.

I'd like hear from you guys about your preferences in swivel knives in an effort to try my hand at making a nice swivel knife. Since my experience is somewhat limited when it comes to swivel knives and preference in how a knife should feel is very subjective, I'd like to here from you guys what it is that you prefer. I debated making a poll for this, but decided against it due a high probability of completely missing out on some key details with the poll options. I'd like to know what it is that you do and don't like. Things like materials, texture, grip, diameter of the barrel, size for the blade shanks, anything that comes to mind. Having a bunch of data from multiple sources helps me identify common features and also have a direct effect on what things should or shouldn't be added as features for my experiment. As stated earlier, I'd like to give a shot at making a swivel knife and it would be very helpful to know what makes a "serviceable knife" versus a "great knife." This endeavor might lead to other things, but for now it's more proof of concept and getting familiar with my new lathe. Knowing what is preferred in a knife can help me make better choices about how I approach my project. I don't want to just duplicate something someone else already makes, that doesn't help. I also know that there are bigger fish out there, so this isn't any sort of delusional attempt at becoming a tool maker. I may end up making a small run, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it. This boils down to one thing, I am an engineering student. If that doesn't clear it up for you, then you probably haven't met any engineers before. Simply put, It takes a special brand of crazy to find enjoyment in the things involved in being an engineer, but that's better left for another topic.

This one can officially be closed now. They have been received by their new owner.

I am hoping that everyone who has read this realized that clicking the images opens up a bigger version and that I didn't just do up some postage stamp sized pictures for you guys to squint at. Also, the images are smaller versions of the ones generated by the camera, so they isn't a need to worry about trying to open massive files. They are bigger, but still reasonable. I was worried that I scared everyone off...

It's been over a week, right? Just wondering where the pictures are...

That seems funny, in cruel sort of way. They clearly were not worried too much about you...

Today, the family and I made it up to our second trip to watch whales. Unfortunately, we didn't see any with the exception of a couple far-off dorsal fins of some Minke Whales while on the way back to port. They didn't even stick around long enough to get pictures, either. What we did get was a great tour of the Straits on a nice day. The morning was overcast and some areas had some fog, and as the afternoon rolled on, the fog cleared and it was a picturesque day for seeing the mouth of the Puget Sound. We started out in Port Townsend, sailed to the south end of the San Juan Islands, zig zagged about, sailed to Deception Pass and under the bridge, and then headed back to Port Townsend. We got to see some Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, tons of sea birds, driftwood, and the tiniest bit of those Minke Whales. Despite the disappointment of not seeing any Orca Whales, it was a fantastic experience. I managed to take a ton of pictures and will probably add more as I work my way through them, but tossed in a few that I took of the south end of the San Juans. The first eight pictures are actually panoramic photos and needed to be shrunk down to a more manageable size. Some of the original files were upwards of 10mb. If anyone might be interested in those, just let me know. As usual, just click on the thumbnails to open up a full size image. We definitely intend to go back, the whole thing IS about seeing and photographing Orcas. Our first trip was cut short due to a sudden approach of a storm that left our small boat (about 30 feet) in 5+ foot waves. They promised us that they would never have left the dock had they known it would have been like that. We saw no whales, then, either. I hope you guys enjoy the images. For those of you who are landlocked or have never had the opportunity, if you ever get the chance to tour some waterways, take it. It'll be an amazing experience, as the pictures pale in comparison to the real thing. As a teaser: We're supposed to be going up to Mt. Rainier very soon, since summertime is ideal if you intend to drive up and leave in the same day, so I'll keep you posted.

It was my understanding that beveling was to be done before burnishing, but your burnisher needed to accommodate the thickness of the edge you are working.

You are exactly right on that, but for someone trying to do a belt and only has access to off-the-shelf items at the moment or a beginner with similar limitations, it's a way to get the ball rolling. By no stretch of the imagination was this ever meant to be the only burnisher one would need for all projects. It was a simple proof of concept that showed that anyone with access to a minimum of tools can put one of these into action and do so rather quickly. I probably should have mentioned that at the very top, so I blame sleep deprivation.

OK, so I had one of those white, plastic burnishers from Tandy and it hasn't seen much use as I have a nice old one made from cocobolo. It occurred to me that I was missing a burnisher with a shank to chuck up in a drill and speed things up a little bit and that plastic one might be a good candidate for such project. I found that the local hardware store had some stainless steel bits that would do just what I wanted. The 1/4"bolt and nuts work great. Here's the plastic burnisher waiting patiently... Load one of each of the nuts and washers. Place the burnisher on and finish with the last washer and nut. Here are some finish shots. Once you have it here, you can trim off the head of the bolt with a hacksaw, chuck it up in your favorite drill, and go to town on your leather. You could even trim the head off the bolt first, but that's your choice. All told, it was less than $2.00 for the stainless steel bits and whatever the cost of the burnisher is. I don't have that price handy and my burnisher was just sitting in my box of stuff. I had intended this to be a simple tutorial that didn't require anything but the simplest tools to make happen. I hope you guys find this useful. Also, don't forget to click on the images for full size version.

It looks as though these knives are lucky enough that someone is going to give them the love they deserve. I will be sending them off to their new home tomorrow.

I think they use a hammer to insert the blades on all of their tools that are designed to cut.

Looks like a verdict has been reached... Also, I am agreement with all that has been said, but that should have been obvious.

I agree, the drawstrings on a purse really seemed like a uncomfortable and lazy way to finish it off. Drawstrings are for pouches, sweatpants, and hoods. Not a handbag. I would personally do things a little differently, however it is a great idea.

I would highly recommend that it sufficient in size to fit the currency that is used in your location... Seriously though, the Bi-fold style will give you a larger area for a design, but still fold small enough to fit a pocket.

Not to derail the thread entirely, but does this remind anyone else of the Monty Python sketch "String?" When I read it the first time, something seem so familiar about it. Then it hit me, there was a sketch they did about a guy who had 122,000 miles of string that was cut into 3" lengths that he wanted to sell.

There's a saying in Spanish that always seems so appropriate for those sorts of situations... Lo varato sale caro. (The cheap comes out expensive) I have shot myself in the foot many times for that exact reason more than I care to admit. Trying to be Cheapy the Cheapsakate, but ending up spending more than it would have cost for a new one, and to make things worse, the thing generally isn't as good as "the new things" I was trying to avoid spending all that money on. I can concur with avoiding the "cheapest" pitfall, it's rare that it works in your favor.