thekid77

Hey Invasion, I'm new to leatherwork also, and you're right--the UK and US feature some variations in the leatherwork tradition... The stitch groover does have its place for use in leatherwork. The tool makes a channel in the leather so that the thread lies in that recess, thus giving added protection to threads that lie in areas that will receive abrasion...this would be one of the advantages of using the groover... The disadvantages of using the groover are that the channel cut by the groover causes the thread to lose its wavy stylish appearance (although whether the wavy look is desirable or not varies from one person to the next)... The groover can't be used on really thin leathers--it will just cut right through or weaken the thin leather so much that the threads could just tear out... The groover can be over-used though--unless the area to be stitched is going to receive abrasion, from a functional standpoint, there is not much reason to use the groover. There is a gentleman named Nigel Armitage (Dangerous Beans on this forum) who is a master leathersmith and is part of the Guild of Master Craftsmen in the UK...here is a link to his youtube channel...he is very knowledgeable and offers help to us beginners: http://www.youtube.c...er/Nordicbadger Good Luck!!!

I don't have experience with the paste form of saddle soap, but I do use Fiebing's liquid saddle soap (the one that comes in a spray bottle)... I usually just spray a folded up paper towel with the soap and wipe it on the edges...it's very easy to control where the soap goes this way. You can also spray the soap onto a Q tip and wipe it on with that if you want a lot of control of where t goes...just my two cents but I hope it works for you =)

Hey friends, could anyone tell me if it's good or bad or even possible to wet form leather that has pigskin lining contact cemented to it? Thanks

Great idea, LN didn't think of that!!! Thank you!!!

Hey friends, I just made a case for a phone and it turned out to be a loose fit...so loose that the phone will definitely slide out if it has a chance... Does anyone know of a non slip material I could just cement onto the inside of the case so it doesn't slide out? Thanks

Thanks again Nigel!!!

Dwight, I love your drawings!!! Dwight, I love your drawings!!!

Hi friends, I made this top piece for a Galaxy S3 case from very lightweight calf skin... Could anyone tell me what the best method for buffing this piece would be? It's very strong, but wants to move and flex at the slightest touch... Looking back at my workflow, I probably should have dyed/finished the leather before cutting...thanks in advance for sharing your expertise!!!

just get a piece of leather and bevel the edge...rub some green chrome polish on the beveled edge of the leather, then strop the beveler a few times by stroking the beveler over the beveled edge (make sure you pull the beveler toward you or you'll wind up dulling the blade even more... ***note: this is only for bevelers that look like a forked tongue AND if your beveler is too dull, you may have to purchase something like a small dowel like Renee suggested...then you coul fold some 1000-1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper over that, and strop.... just make sure you are stropping the beveler in the opposite direction of the way it cuts, or you will have a dull useless tool...follow the link below: hope this helps

One of the drawbacks to ordering is that you can't see what you're getting....sometimes hides have glossy areas that will not take the dye as well unfortunately...I am fairly new to leatherwork, but a lady told me to avoid hides with lots of glossy areas...my only suggestion is before starting a project make sure you avoid using parts of the hide that are glossy...just a wild guess, but maybe wetting the leather before dyeing would help the leather absorb the dye more readily....hopefully someone with more experience can chime in..

Hey Megan, I am not too experienced using vinegaroon either, but I have read just about everything about it on google... From what I've seen, Chuck Burrows is one of the most knowlegdeable people about vinegaroon. He recommends 10-15 seconds MAX in the bakind soda bath and no longer or else you risk burning the leather. Also, he recommends using 1/8 cup baking soda to a half gallon of water. Hope this helps!!!

haha thanks Penny!!! Great information Cyber, thank you for taking time to share your knowledge!!!

Hi friends, just wondering how much wear should a properly burnished edge show with heavy use? Should it stay as slick and smooth as when it was first burnished, or should you see little fuzzies coming up here and there?? I typically hand-sand edges smooth with 150, 220, then 400....then I dye, slick w denim, apply saddle soap, slick, gum trag, slick... I do see little fuzzies coming up here and there after a month of wear...but some parts stay smooth....im wondering if this is just a matter of sanding more?? Thanks for your insight ))

beautiful color and finish!!!

thanks Foot, i think i have a better understanding of what's going on now

If I may ask, what are you using for the lining and for the tubes (if you are using tubes)? I am trying to find a lightweight thin-walled tube for building a cue case, but all I have found are those plastic mailing tubes...I think I'll try them out, but I'm just wondering if there might be something better?? Thanks

Nice work Bob!!! A couple of questions... How did you form the case? It looks wet molded, but did you use a bone folder or did you make a custom "press" from wood? What dye did you use? Beautiful work

Thanks Tree, much appreciated!!!

Lol

Sting, I have only been leather working since last December. Since then, I have been working on small projects (knife sheaths, dice cups, etc) to try to develop the fundamental skills (pattern making, finishing edges, stitching, dyeing, etc) necessary to build a billiard cue case (which is my long-term goal)... This point of this project was to put all of those skills together to attempt to make a case on a very small scale----the point was to give it a try from start to finish and see what I liked and what I didn't like in the end. That is the reason that I went ahead with the stitching and did not start over.. I glued the project after I dyed it, so there is no chance of the glue acting as a resist to the dye. The leather was clean before I dyed it. The only thing I can think of is that I made the stitch groove before I dyed the leather. The discoloration runs along both sides right alongside the groove. I'm thinking that maybe having the groove in the leather caused the dye to "wick" away from the edges on both sides??? oh well...i don't know the answer

Thanks for the reply sting, I stitched it because, aside from the contact cement, the stitching is what is actually holding the tube together.. I used Tandy water based dye-eco flo java brown...i applied it with a wool dauber and I used 6-7oz veg tanned leather...thanks again!!!

Hey friends, Recently I stitched a leather tube...the dye seems to be lighter among the edges... At first I thought the lightening may have been due to the stitching....but the dye along the edges was lighter than the rest of the tube before I stitched it... Any thoughts? Thanks everybody

That's a great idea Dwight, I will follow all of you guys' suggestions and will share the result soon!!! Thanks again everybody

Thank you all for sharing...i can't wait to try out your suggestions....you guys are always so helpful!!! :D

Hi friends, Does anyone have any suggestions for gluing the seam of a leather tube evenly? I'm wrapping the leather slightly damp around a piece of pvc to get the shape, but it seems like no matter what I do the top edge of the seam (nearest the grain) doesn't wan't to come together...i haven't cut the leather piece too short, it's just the round shape that seems to make it difficult to get adhesion near the grain side. Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!!!