chriscraft

Thanks Madhatterxlch. I was going to try and market these tanks but due to the many hours involved in creating each one. I decided to not push this kind of work and focus on my vintage bicycle and motorized board track racer saddles. I'll be making a few of these leather tanks per year as a way to advertise my seats while at vintage bicycle shows. Chris

Really like your tooling style. Hope to one day make motorcycle seats like that.. Very clean. Chris

Thanks David. When I started leatherwork early this year my Father Inlaw challenged me to build something new. Something that has not been done before. Thats when I came up with this. I already had a vintage 1938 bicycle frame that was already missing the steel tank so why not make one from leather. I have a feeling it's been done before but my search came up empty. I can't be the only crazy person with a leather sewing machine that has done this. I'm sticking to only making it out of leather minus the hardware. This tank will be displayed at one of the largest vintage bicycle shows in California called "Shiny Side Up" next weekend. It's going on a custom built 1941 Schwinn DX Bicycle.

This is where I ended up today. I used a Chestnut Tan highlight dye and after everything was dry I feathered the edges with pro oil dye. First I used a diluted Light Brown with a gravity fed Iwata airbrush. Then I hit the outer edges with Dark Brown as I want the light colored thread to stand out. I was in a hurry and didn't get to dye the straps and some other items. Will have to finish it off another day. I'm still new to this leatherwork but I'm satisfied with my results so far. Every time I work on a new project I feel I get better. Chris

The other side (left) will not get a hinged drop down door. The tops of these both sides will have three leather straps that will buckle shut. When stitched once around the edge, everything will be sewn in place like the buckle straps and bottom door side hinge. I'll be using bonded 346 size thread with a 26 needle at 5 stitches per inch.

The customer chose the name that is tooled on this leather tank. I just used my freehand style script lettering that I've developed over the years to make it even more unique. I made a built in leather hinge using a round metal rod and after some time sanding and burnishing, it now swings open nicely.

After hours of searching and coming up empty. I decided to make my own bicycle Leather Tank using wet formed 8-9oz HO. This one i'm currently building is for a customer. So It starts out as a hardwood maple form as I'm also using it to do my tooling on. This right side will get a drop down door for storage.

Tried a water base antique gel on this one. Then when dried used Pro oil dye applied with airbrush and faded my edges with dark brown pro oil. Will have to see what others are using and get better at this. This was tooled on 8-9oz. HO and will be stitched with a wheat colored 346 bonded tread at 5 stitches per inch. Chris

Here is the dried leather seat top. Gonna take a stab at antiquing this one today.

Another tooled seat I'm working on. It's not dry yet.

I'm also new to leather sewing. I had purchased a 1952 Singer 111W walking foot machine with upgraded gear reduction servo motor that worked great for 8 oz. thickness weight leathers. I decided to step up and sew heavier weight leather and use larger thread in order to build motorcycle/bike seats that look professional made. I too needed a heavy duty leather sewing machine. It was a large invertment and also knowing I still had not sold a single leather good item but had faith in my talent and future leather product. I purchased a 441 clone sewing machine built by Cobra Steve. I'm very happy that I did take that plunge.

Just wanted to make the non tooled seat a little softer ride by using 4oz. on top. On my tooled seats I'm using 8-9oz. HO on top. These are being sewn by machine.

Here is my basic non tooled seat in black using 4oz veg tan for the top and 8oz on bottom. Stitched with size 346 bonded thread top/bottom. What leather thickness are most using on these custom solo seats?

The seats I'm making are for vintage bicycles and use a springer undercarriage. I'm only building the seat and attaching original undercarriages that are supplied. I plan to slowly move up to vintage springer type motorcycle solo seats and my 17 y/o son will take over building the current bicycle seats.

Do you loose any detail when you wet form after tooling?

I've only done a few seats this way and even though it's not a perfect fit, I feel its close enough for what I'm doing and charging. I do like tooling on the shaped seat backed with my wooden form. Are most tooling leather while its flat then wet forming it to the pan? " Im really really interested in learning how to make seats..can you lead me in the right direction to get started pls....thanks in advance Rob-B" Rob, I'm so new to this that I'll have to let others guide you in the right direction. Somehow I just insist on learning by trial and error but that's the only way one will start thinking outside the box. Otherwise everything you do will just be a cookie cutter image of someone's work and will never be your own. BTW, I do like doing things the hard way as long as I get better results than most. Chris

hestes, I just received some PURPLE bonded thread in size 277 from Bob Kovar over at Toledo industrial sewing machines. These might be left over Weaver thread. I'm also looking for colored thread in sizes larger than 277. Call him up as it's not on his site.

Okay, here's my molding form. . I found this scrap hardwood table top that looks to be made out of maple. I topped it with a few coats of SPAR polyurethane finish and hope It will last me a while. What are you using?

wow, I knew I was holding on to these for a reason. I have plenty of spent No. 11 blades. Back when I was 14 y/o I used to re-sharpen them as I didn't have much money.

This is the closest pic I took as a study, this seat has already been shipped. Also this is my first attempt at tooling a person. Well, everything will be a first as I've only been tooling since Feb of this year. Now that I see it again, should have done more to the pin-up girl but I didn't want to spend too much time on it. The hands don't seam to match, one looks larger than the other. My eyebrows got a little bushy as my tools were not small enough. The entire face is 3/4" tall. Face should have looked more sexy than it ended up but it all in the eye of the beer holder. Over all, I feel good about this one going out as it's my first and a good base to start with. I'll improve as I make more of these pin-up style ladies with your criticism. After all, that's how I learn. Chris

Molding Block, you mean you don't have one of these leather egg plants in your garden......lol

Yeah I wanted to try that antiqued look but I'm still new at this and its difficult to convince others when you haven't done it yet. In the next few weeks I'll have to make one for myself and try that. I've always liked the pin-up style art and hope to do more of it on leather. Thanks for the kind words, it's only my second seat and the first I've sold.

Thanks, the guy that I'm making this seat for decided he wants it black. So here it is, just finished it 30 minutes ago.

My tooling/carving has been improving with every hour spent swinging the maul. I can't seam to find anything on carving small faces. This seat I'm working on is a pin-up style Girl and the face is only 3/4" so it's difficult to get good detail. What's every one else doing? I'm self taught so I'm sure I'll figure it out soon. Chris

So I took the plunge and went out and purchased a nice sewing machine for my leather seats. My tooling has improved and still getting better with every hour spent swinging the maul. Just wanted to post this latest seat build as I'm having trouble finding similar tooling. It's a vintage pin-up style Girl. The face is only 3/4" so it's difficult to get good detail. I'm self taught so I'm sure I'll find a way. What's everyone else doing when tooling small faces? Chris