johnv474
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Everything posted by johnv474
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If you can use 3-4 Oz instead of 2-3 Oz, you can get either (single or double) shoulders or sides from Landwerlen Leather 317-636-8300. Usually $5.75 or so/ft so double shoulders are $40-70 or so, averaging 11 ft. Fair disclosure, I work there. There are also 9-10 and 10-11 shoulders for $6.95/ft, averaging 15 ft for a double.
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How to lay down wallet pockets straight and even repeatedly
johnv474 replied to RockyAussie's topic in How Do I Do That?
That's great. Once a person has some fixed designs that they make, they would do well to invest in jigs/tools that make consistency easy. Thanks for posting! -
Hey Trunkdreamingnewbie I share your interest in steamer trunka and the many variations that existed. Attached is a neat PDF called A Potted History of Leathergoods, written by a professor of fine leatherworking. His books suggested starting with straps, because much of the basics you need tp learn are included in straps (measuring, cutting, sewing, setting hardware, finishing edges, etc.). And you will find that straps and belts and bracelets and suspenders are all strap-related... Plus, straps don't require huge amounts of material. So jump in and make yourself a belt, then make some more belts, and soon you will be covering a trunk in leather, knowing that the straps and handles you make will deserve the attention they get. A Potted History Of Leather V3.pdf
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I just Googled it and found some item descriptions that looked like 14" diameter by 6" tall or so. I'm guessing it's 8-9 oz minimum (but don't know).
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One of the ingredients I use on some products is beef tallow, which is also a product made from the same animal.
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Gum trag is water soluble I believeso if you wipe thae edge with a damp rag maybe you could remove enough for dye to get in? Otherwise, sand it to scuff up. The stickie in this forum (Edge Finishing) suggests using a bar of glycerin saddle soap to burnish if you want to dye the edge becauae it doesn't block dye.
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Tips for hand stitched threads that are up against skin?
johnv474 replied to Dun's topic in How Do I Do That?
Birkenstock's lining doesn't appear sewn. If you use contact cement you shoukd be okay. -
A common suggestion would be to use a product called Resolene, which is a clear acrylic sealer. However, if you do, be sure to dilute it 50:50 with water because it comes pretty concentrated and so full-strength can look too glossy and plasticky. The diluted version gives a satin type sheen I'd say. If you can I'd test it on a scrap of leather that has Sharpie on it. The test would be to see if it smeared the Sharpie. I don't think it would, but better to check! It would depend on what type of ink a Sharpie has.
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Sharpening Or Polishing Stitching Irons, Pricking Irons Or Chisels
johnv474 replied to YinTx's topic in Leather Tools
I have used Mothers magnesium and aluminum wheel polish to polish tools, including pricking irons. I picked it up in the auto section of Walmart but I imagine any polishing compound for metals would work. I dip the pricking iron into this paste and then use a fleece wheel attached to a Dremel-type rotary tool to hit each side of each tooth. I leave the tool set to the sloweat speed because it flicks polish everywhere. I also use this setup for polishing other tools. I don't know if the results are perfect but it certainly works for my purposes. -
You can search patents on Google; there is a section devoted to them. That said, there are also a lot of manuals available online if you keep looking. Which specific machine are you trying to find drawings of?
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I have the same chisels and like them very much. If you notice them 'walking', it could be because their shape has one disadvantage. The piercing edge is almost flat (similar to many pricking irons but different from many chisels intended to be driven all the way through). Co-Link, Craftool, and many of the other chisels have a pointed tip, which is easier to locate in the groove and easier to centralize. That one disadvantage doesn't outweigh thr many advantages (to me). Because the piercing edge is nearly flat, these pierce leather quite easily and the hole on the back is the same size and shape as the one on the front... Similarly to a well-placed awl hole. This is true even on thin leathers. Many pricking irons will get quite wide if you pierce the leather very far (yet the hole on the back is flat), leaving the front and back different. Many stitching chisels will have a point and so on thin leathers will leave a smaller hole on the back unless you pound quite deeply into the thin leather and into whatever you have beneath it. There are pros and cons to every approach or tool, but I think Wuta's tip shape is why they could 'walk' on people accustomed to other chisels.
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The closest I can think of to 'restore' it would be to treat it with Lexol or similar conditioner and then apply Resolene (diluted 50:50 with water). The acrylic Resolene will act (a little) as an adhesive to hold it together. However that won't last by itself. There's no undoing leather deterioration. However, if you line it with thin new leather (using a good adhesive throughout and also sewing) then the liner will help keep the other leather together for longer.
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9tpi, Congratulations on a very fine job. I, and obviously others, like it very much. I know the "Show Off!" Forum is working when seeing someone's project makes my want to jump into a new project of my own. If the customer had not insisted on CXL, what leather would you have preferred to use?
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Look up British Museum Leather Dressing. That's a good one, I understand.
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Price? Pictures? The Craigslist ad has expired.
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If it can be a pullup type of leather I have some Moore & Giles that is very nice but inexpensive overstock. It's what is used on their duffle handles.... Eggplant or plum or something dark like grape juice.
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Brilliant - I like that triggered brush can very much.
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Thickness of cowhide before and after splitting?
johnv474 replied to Valachio's topic in Getting Started
They split into several pieces. Full thickness is what you get in a piece of saddle skirting, around 13-14 oz, or 5-6mm. Usually splits are 1-2mm. -
Fiebings sells leathercraft cement in a 4 oz bottle with a narrow tip. This is water-based almost like Elmer's school glue but it stays flexible. I think Tandys carries a similar produc with their own label.
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Most of the time I use Maine thread, or the generic polyester braid, when the final product is for someone else. For myself I prefer the look of linen, and definitely prefer sewing with it. I use a private label, Barbours (from 1 cord to 7 cord, but mostly 3-4 cord), and more recently Filled au Chinois Lin Cable 432 @ 7.5 spi. When I was broke I used nylon machine 138 thread for fine stitching around 8 spi. When I first started I used Nyltex but, boy, that stuff is chunky unless you are making rugged-style goods. I prefer to dye my thread with the same dye I used on the leather, and that makes the two go together well imho.
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Landwerlen Leather in Indianapolis still has a variety of colors in stock. I don't know if Coats has continued making it after buying the name, or not.
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The best quality straps would be cut parallel to the spine, ideally ending in the butt area. However, an awful lot of very good straps/belts are cut from shoulders (second best). I would take a strap cut from shoulders of a good quality piece of leather over the 'best' cut from a lesser grade of leather. The worst straps would be cut low on the hide, down near the belly. That area moves a lot when the animal is alive, and so is much less dense and is much more stretchy. That's fine for some applications but not for straps. When people sell straps/belt blanks, there is no consistent answer as to what part of the hide they are cut from. However, long straps over six feet long almost have to be cut from sides because shoulders rarely are that wide. If the strap you get has a very dense area right at the end of the strap, it is likely cut along the spine. Check the back by bending backwards to see how dense the fibers are there. If the strap is denser in the middle area and less dense at the ends then it is likely cut from shoulders. The ends get down to the belly area sometimes.
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I think those are from clamps they use to hang the leather during parts of the tanning process. I see them on (nearly?) every side of leather I see, whether chrome- or veg-tanned.
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Oh thanks. I'll go back and reread his message. He might have just been trying to weed out small buyers.
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Metal Plates On Lasts - What To Do About Them?
johnv474 replied to Naomi's topic in Shoes, Boots, Sandals and Moccassins
I thought the metal plates on lasts were there for a reason. IIRC, the plates allow you to use clinching nails, which have a very fine tip. The clinching nails will bend over when they encounter the metal plate (which helps hold the nailed leather down and helps keep the nail from withdrawing). Additionally, the clinching effect of the nail will keep the nail from working its way into the shoe (ie someone's foot) when in use. I am not a shoemaker by any means, and I may not be understanding properly what you are experiencing. I hope it's helpful in any case.