immiketoo

Thank you. There are always flaws. I just don’t ever let those pieces out of the shop. There’s a box filled with them. Granted, I don’t add to the box much anymore, but there are some recent additions

Thank you sir!

Thank you!

I’d either airbrush with rusty stain colors or sand some of the paint off in places. Probably both. Also, look at actual rust. It’s usually. It just one color, but varying shades, so give it some depth with multiple hues.

I’ve made a set of gear for a man who is part of the Experimental Archeologist association Koryvantes. Each piece features a different part of Greek history, except the magazine pouch, which is plain. Each of these was commissioned separately, and the color variances you see are due to lighting changes, rather than dye application. If I ever have space for a fully controlled photography station, I’ll be able to dial in the exact same light temperature.

Toxo, I have no experience with that, but I don’t think it would be too reliable like that. It’s all about consistent pressure, and you’d have a constantly lowering spray volume. Balttlemunky, thanks man!

My pleasure.

The quiet compressors are a real boon, but I used paint brushes for this. There is no prep necessary on veg tan leather. Acrylic won’t stick to oil tan. I’ve tried and it cracks or peels in a very short time. Chrome tan is different, but usually it bends beyond the limits of flex in the paint. If it’s flat or doesn’t bend much, it will stick. you do not need to wait between layers if you’re painting with a paint brush and you want to blend colors. If you want to paint on top of that blend, then it needs to dry. if you’re air brushing, it’s best to let coats dry completely, as it’s a different process, but there are techniques where you mix colors while wet. acrylic paint = acrylic finish. Other finishes will lift paint or dissolve it. Acrylic paint has an inherent ability to flex if its thin enough. Thick paints suck at this, which is why I always use pro grade paint. They can be pushed further than cheap paints. The liquids that carry the pigment are superior to craft level paints.

No, machine stitch for this piece.

Ask me anything. That’s why I’m here.

@Toxo, after half a bottle of my favorite, I am fast asleep! Honestly, two glasses of 50-60 proof rum and I’m ready for a nap! Some will say acrylics are all the same. I disagree. Application, pigment strength and durability all vary by maker. I use Golden hiflow here and createx. There are other great paints like wicked colors as well. I avoid other brands like the plague, although some do just fine with them, so you just have to find what works for you. I went with Golden for airbrushing ease. @brewster. Thanks man!

I’ve made many things out of necessity as well. The concept is usually the most challenging part! Sometimes I have one or two prototypes in the scrap bin before it’s the way I want it. my only worry is that if you lean on it, the tools will push into your phone screen and crack it? maybe it’s far enough apart, but I can’t tell in your pics.

I have recently found a new love for rum. So, I decided I needed a way to keep notes about the rums I love. And hate. There are some bad ones out there that I don’t want to forget about and waste the money.

Thank you. As to the flap, it is molded around the tool slightly to keep it out of the way yet still provide easy access for opening. Additionally, the tool is also wet molded low into the case with a very snug fit. You can shake it upside down and it doesn’t come out. maybe if you did hand stands? Lol... Besides, I hate the way those pointy belt end flaps look.

I enjoy making simple items sometimes. They require both less and more work than complex tooled and colored items.

You’re right, Fred. The blade is the most important, but you need someplace to hold it these will accept all major blade makers blades except leather wranglers, which you have to ask them for specifically, but can get.

Glad you enjoyed it!

In these images, the border lines were cut after the dividers, then smoothed with a modeling spoon to round them off.

Seems like this is pretty will covered, but I’ll add this. Part of your problem is that you’re cutting too deeply. These line borders don’t have a lot of support once you cut both sides, and the grain can start to “peel” up on the cut edges. for the most part, I don’t cut these borders anymore, rather I use a wing divider to score a deep line and leave it at that. those push bevelers and beader blades are really difficult to control and it’s easy to mess up a piece of leather in a hurry. The wing dividers afford a lot more control, and if you do need to cut them in, there’s a sweet channel to guide your swivel knife.

Absolutely. Just make sure you test on a piece similar to your work piece and of course, make sure everything is fully dry.

There's guy here in Greece that makes them. Last summer the group we work for gave me a bag of swords and I am steadily working through sheathes for them.

Its WAY too soft and you risk damaging your knife. You need a sheet of HDPE or UHMW plastic like they use in professional kitchens. You'll be amazed at the difference you feel. You can get a small piece from Woodcraft or you can do a search for restaurant supply in your area. And, if you have a really sharp knife you can cut right through those mats. They aren't suitable for round knives.

Nice to see someone else who gets it. I too just bought a half dozen Dieselpunk patterns. I am willing to do this because it cuts down my learning curve significantly, and I get a great product that I can then modify or use to create my own as needed. I am also a member of Nigel's page because he's just so darn cool and filled with knowledge. You make an excellent comparison to tool money. People buy a lot of tools and then have no idea how to use them BTW, we can't share the armor pattern as they are the property of the company who ordered the armor sets. Sorry dude

Hey dude, thanks a lot. It is SUPER niche. We missed the boat on AC Oddesey because they had to be so secret about it. They couldn't even tell us what it was for until it was too late, but the group is also tapped for a lot of movies, so hopefully it will happen. As for patterns, I haven't ever considered it because who would want one? LARP and SCA folks are not willing to spend the money on full custom sets like ours most of the time and the casual larper probably couldn't make one. I'll talk to the boss though and see what she says

Well, that's ancient greek armor, if stylized quite a bit. Our armor was used in the research for that game and the company we make it for was consulted heavily. Unfortunately, ours wasn't ready in time to be digitized, but hopefully, we'll have future opportunities. Can't wait to see what you're doing with your set.