immiketoo

I was recently asked to carve the cover of a wallet from a piece of 1.5 oz calf skin. I was a nerve wracking experience for me since I only had one piece of leather to use. I practiced three times on 5-6 oz veg tan to ensure I had the right stuff for the design and then I went for it. I was afraid I'd cut through the calf skin, but it proved to be very resilient. Anyway, today I was also told I could dye it however I liked, and this is the end result. Let me know what you think? Mike

I just had this happen to me for much the same reason. S#!T happens. If you are going to thin it, use a drum sander on the flesh side and work the crappy back side down to an appropriate thickness, or just use the sanded flesh side. I had to do that to my Tandy leather recently and it looked pretty decent after I was done sanding. Be warned, it will look like it snowed leather bits when you're done, but it's worth it.

Welcome Skeeter, you will find an answer to almost any question you may have. This place is a great resource and I have made some good friends already! What are you interested in learning?

Thanks King, I have a few of Stohlman's books, and they are great. I don't have Leather Manual, but I might check it out. I'm not struggling with carving at all, just design. I think that seeing someone carve live and to be able to have a dialog would be priceless. I'm specifically interested floral carving and some figure carving, but I don't think my skills are quite ready for that yet. Making a horse that looks like a 5 year old did it is not on my list of things to do! I'm always interested in books that will help me learn.

Dick, what did you use to finish the holster? It looks great.

I'm not slandering anyone. I'm merely expressing my discomfort over using a website that sends my security software into fits. Call it healthy skepticism if you like. I'm just not comfortable using it.

That's really great. Did it help you learn or change your approach on design?

It sure is. Depending on your compressor, you'll also want a regulator as large industrial/garage compressors often have too much airflow for airbrushing.

Looks evil dude!

Very nice work there mister!

Well, Twin has some good advice, mine is that we all make mistakes from time to time

Dang, I thought it was magic all this time. Good posts mikes.

That's beautiful! I just finished reading that book and I'm hoping to put it to use soon!

LOL@ accidental stabbings! I feel your pain... well my pain actually but you get the point. Pun intended.

Just make sure you use a good moisture filter in line with your compressor.

I like that analogy! When I make my permanent work space, I will properly adorn my workbench. I promise :D

I can't tool everything! Maybe I could ... I did oil it profusely, so maybe I'm going for rustic and utilitarian

Randy, I use an airbrush system for dyeing most of my things. It's way more consistent and much easier to obtain the look you want. Air brushes are relatively cheap and there are many great products on the market. Check out Chicago Airbrush Supply on line. They have EVERYTHING and they ship quickly. As for leather, I recently decided I have had my fill of Tandy leather and I chose Herman Oak. I can't even begin to tall you how much of a difference good leather makes while working on a project. Some people use Tandy for things when they need to get something in a hurry, but since you aren't close to a store, you could always stock up on the good stuff and be happy!

Bill, I usually comment when I have an opinion, but as I am relatively new, I don't feel comfortable commenting on many people's work other than I like it or don't, and I don;t want to say I don't like it without some experience to back up what I mean or why I think that. Guys like you or Katsass or Ferg have way more perspective, so sometimes I don;t say anything out of respect. That being said, I have noticed a few of my posts get no comments. I appreciate your effort here! Mike

Thanks Tina, I've already done all of the reading and on-line stuff. Bobby's book is about floral design, and I think having an in-person conversation with one of the masters would be of great help! It's hard to condense a lifetime of experience into 50 or so pages, but The book did a great job of explaining his process.

It's not my sole income. I'm glad because I'd starve. However, I spend a lot of time at my bench when I work on a project. Considering I'm learning, I expect the time it takes will go down with more experience.

Pics would help...

I got tired of my handled tools taking up all the space in my stamp block, so I made this to organize everything. This took 5 minutes and I still have room to add a place for my hammers!

I just finished Bobby's (hidepounder) book and I found that it is easy to read and understand what is written, however it will take years before I have the kind of understanding of design and leather work that he does. Bobby, your book is an inspiration and I cant wait to utilize your method to create my mom's purse! After looking at the photo section, I realized I barely have a childs grasp of floral pattern tooling. Leather is both rewarding and frustrating at the same time. Where can I get actual instruction in carving and design? Are there schools? Clinics? You mentioned leather shows in your book and I see one in Oregon, but I can't go this year. Are there others? I NEED to learn! Anyway, I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to design their own patterns for tooling projects. I am insatiable when it comes to leatherwork! Mike