Black Dogg

Thank you all for the kind comments! Yes, it's been a while in the making, but I finally have the set-up that I've always wanted. georgiapine85: The view is great, you are right about that. I'm hoping the wildlife will get used to me being there (now that I have moved to the Cabin permanently) and looking forward to seeing some deer or turkeys mosey by while I'm working . cseeger: The spruce doesn't smell much anymore; it was sawn in May of last year and has spent its time drying in the Cabin, so it could shrink before I nailed up. But while it was sitting in the stack in the living room it smelled good. And yes, it's country tunes for me (mostly, sometimes some oldies, too). The name Black Dogg is because I like black dogs (Labs in particular). See my other post here: Black Dogg

As a bit of an update to an old post, here is the shop as it looks now with the walls done. The boards are 1x6 spruce straight from the sawmill and just lightly sanded on the out-facing side. Brightens things up nicely! The view out the windows is still the same, I just had to take the pictures at night so I wouldn't get all the glare from the sun. The windows still need trimming, that'll come soon. And yes, Black Dogg Leather the name of my shop! Black Dogg

Every year I make something to donate to the spring auction of the animal shelter where my dog Sadie came from. In the past I've made dog collars, wallets and coaster sets, but this year I went off on a different track. I haven't done a lot of carving recently due to building my cabin, but we've had some cold and snowy days lately and I've been kicking this idea around for a while. It's a bit of tribute to my dog Powder, who I still miss, even though she's been gone almost six years. Carved on 8-9oz veg tan, colored with Fiebing's spirit dyes and hi-liter, Resolene to seal it. The border is pigskin lining leather sewn with 1.0 Tiger thread. All mounted on a board by putting a tack in each of the dog paw prints that make up the border. Comments welcome! Black Dogg

Another N' Yorker here :-). I'm a bit southeast of you, Herkimer area. Nice work for your first projects!! Your edges are outstanding, IMHO. If you don't want to waste "good" leather for practice, just use some of your scraps. You could also buy some bellies; they are pretty cheap. Of course, sooner or later you'll have to bite the bullet and go for a good chunk. Just keep it simple to start. When I started, I tried out some easy celtic patterns and flowers. Yeah, the first flower didn't look like one but I've gotten a bit better since. Like you said: Practice will make you better. Have fun! Black Dogg

Steadybrook, here's one that's the first step in (traditional) shoemaking: Shows how to make your waxed ends for stitching the welt to the upper. Also useful for general sewing, if you have curved holes; the bristles glide right through them. There is some guy from California on etsy who's selling hog's bristles for sewing. For hand wax to use on the thread, I just melted together 1part beeswax and 2 parts pine rosin. Works like a charm, but it takes practice to get the bristles put on just right. Have fun! Black Dogg

Very nicely done (the harness that is, not the photoshopped pic )!! And yes, I'd like to see a pic of the dog wearing it as well! Black Dogg

Hi Wiz, give Mr. Lars Bethke at www.altenaehmaschine.de a try. He sells them in ten packs and ships to the US. Look for "Nadeln", the "LL" is the leather point you're looking for. I have ordered from him before (actually had the same problem you're having) and he ships fast and cheap. Best of luck with your machine! Black Dogg

Hi Ronald, I posted this thread a while back: There are manuals for both Duerkopp Class 17 and 18. They are scans of the originals and in German, but have some pics. There is also a report (again, in German) of a gentleman who took one apart and got it back to running again. Based on those I was able to get my 18-1 fully working again. Your thread issue might be because of a too short needle. These machines use a System 88 Long needle. It took me a while but Campbell-Randall in Texas was able to dig some old stock up for me. Lars Bethke (the owner of the above mentioned site) does sell them also. If I was you, I'd contact Campbell-Randall first to see if they still have any. If not, Lars does ship internationally and for a reasonable rate. I ordered some needles and other parts from him a couple of years back and received them quite fast. They are a fascinating piece of machinery and well worth getting running again; you'll have a tough time finding any spare parts, though. Hope this helps and good luck! Black Dogg

Another thumbs up for Egyptian Leather from me!! I ordered two spools through Etsy and got them within a week; that's coast to coast! Best price I could find on the full spools, too. Black Dogg

Hawker, that is some FANTASTIC WORK!!!!! I used to know a falconer and his gear was nowhere near as fancy. As long as it doesn't impede functionality, there's nothing wrong with a little extra style ; your gear looks like it fits that bill perfectly. All the best for the future! Black Dogg

Better late than never ! I had a few days off between Christmas and New Year's and did a couple of projects while at the Cabin. First up was a new collar for the pup. Her old one was five years old and had started to crack in a few spots. I sewed this one with Tiger Thread (as opposed to my usual 5-ply hemp) and have to say I really like it. Well waxed and doesn't fray even after a long seam. It lays really nice, too, for the English saddle stitch appearance. I'll definitely be getting a big spool of the stuff! The second project is from the opposite end of the historic spectrum: Ever since I started handsewing, my personal "holy grail" has been to try it with hog's bristles. I finally found a guy on etsy who still sells them and got a package last month. Then I figured out how to make my own handwax thanks to a discussion on the "Honorable Company of Cordwainers" website (www.thehcc.org) . I found a lot of different recipes, but chose to stick with the simplest one; two parts pine rosin and one part beeswax. I got everything melted together and let it sit a couple of days to fully harden. It took me three tries to get the bristles attached (after making the thread) and start sewing. A bit different than needles, to say the least ! I got the hang of it after a while and finished the practice strip in about half an hour. Slower than usual, but it works! Now I'll just have to practice some more to be able to consistently attach the bristles. And then it's on to my first pair of shoes . Here's a good video to see how it's done: And here's the pictures: Happy New Year everyone!! Black Dogg

Sent you a PM! Black Dogg

Vericone, the pliers are not really pliers; they are a saw set. This is used to slightly bend the teeth of a hand saw after sharpening. They are bent outward on alternating sides of the saw to cut a tiny bit wider slot (called a "kerf") than the blade's thickness. That keeps the blade from getting stuck in the cut. I own a full set of saw sharpening tools and one of these is in there. You can still buy them new: http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Saw-Set-Regular/productinfo/580-6510/ It takes a bit of practice to sharpen a saw by hand, but there is NO comparison to the store bought or machine sharpened ones. Black Dogg

Excellent comparison! Thank you very much, Sir! Black Dogg

Wild Bill: It is a serene place indeed: My closest neighbor is a quarter mile away. The best time are the mornings in spring and summer when there's nothing but birds to hear. cseeger: Since the cabin is heated with a wood stove and the kitchen and living room are about 10 feet away that would satisfy three of your requirements, I suppose . I don't think rollerskating would work on my plank floor . Black Dogg

Thank you all for the nice comments! thekid77: This is the thread I'm using: http://www.campbell-randall.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=43_60_62&product_id=963 . I've been using it for about ten years and like it; I'm going to give Tiger thread a try sometime soon as that seems to be more abrasion resistant. I'm using neither chisel nor iron for my stitching. I taught myself using Al Stohlman's book and only use an overstitch wheel to mark my line before sewing with the saddler's stitch. Since coming across Mr. Armitage's videos I've found that, to get the angled look, I can't groove the line as that flattens out the stitches. That's one reason why I want to see about Tiger thread. cseeger: Don't worry, it won't stay that neat forever , although I like it fairly orderly; I can't stand searching for tools when I'm in the middle of a project. Black Dogg

Well folks, if you are thinking about buying this one you're too late ! I got it last week and what a nice tool it is!!! Slipangle's workmanship is excellent and the awl itself fits my hand like it was made for it. The wood has a beautiful look and the silver collar sets it off nicely. He said above that the he gave the blade a "preliminary sharpening"; if what I got is preliminary I don't want to know what his awls do when they are fully sharpened. They must punch the holes all by themselves, I guess . I took mine right from the box and did a test seam on two pieces of 5-6oz. veg-tan (10-12oz. total thickness): The blade went through the leather like a hot knife through butter! The tip is mirror polished to about 1/2 inch back and it is SHARP!!! The one "problem" I have is that my needles a bit large for the hole, but now I have an excuse to buy some smaller ones and a spool of the Tiger thread that everyone here is talking about; not a bad problem, I guess . If you want a high quality tool that not only looks nice, but works like a dream, save up for when he's making more again! It sounds a bit pricey at first but once you've used one of these you won't regret buying it!! Black Dogg

If it has any flaws, you'll have to point them out to me; I can't see anything wrong with it! Very nice work!! Black Dogg

It is indeed a beautiful place, Stu. As for the political climate, I go by the phrase "it's only illegal if you get caught" . Building a timberframe is not as hard as it sounds; I had no prior building experience (save for a dog house) and the inspector has been impressed with my work, so I guess I'm doing alright. Black Dogg

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for the compliments! The rustic look comes from the whole cabin being built by hand with no power tools. I've been at it for five years now and am anticipating to have it fully done in another year or so. It is a timberframe with half loft and totally off-grid, hence the large windows. At this time I have no power there at all (my radio runs off a car battery; need tunes you know ), but I will probably get one solar panel for some lights sometime in the future. Windrider, I know exactly what you're talking about! I rarely use a machine to do my sewing as the saddle stitch is so much more durable and I think just looks better. These two came across the pond with me and are well over a hundred years old. The big one is a Duerkopp Class 18-1 patcher (read more about her here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/61688-duerkopp-patcher/) that I have cleaned up and fully running again. The small one is for fabric only and is a Haid & Neu Excella; all I could ever find out about it was that they were made by a small German manufacturer. It sews OK but misses stitches occasionally. I am mostly fascinated by the mechanics of these old machines and how everything is built to last. Black Dogg

I've been waiting for three years for this! When I had to move to my new apartment I didn't have enough room to set up my worktables, so everything has been in boxes for the past three years. The cabin needed a floor and some windows before I could start thinking of unpacking. I made a couple of little things, but it was a pain to have to pack everything up at the end of each day and haul it out again the next time. Well, no more of that! I built a new workbench for stamping and have my large cutting table all set up, too. Still need some shelves to store all the books, dyes, hardware & c. but it is working out really nice. Of course, I'll have to move everything one more time when I cover the walls but that's minor. Also made two card wallets to be donated to the local animal shelter's spring auction (they are funded only with donations and are a great little shelter); they are the "inaugural pieces" so to speak . And yes, the reversed cat stamp and paw print are done on purpose . My sewing shows that I haven't had much practice lately, but hopefully that'll change now ! I guess you can say I'm happy . Black Dogg

Sent you a PM!

YinTx, I didn't mean to offend with my post above; if I did I apologize!! Just thought I'd put a link to Mr. Armitage's video there, so anybody looking for more info could find it. I, too, have learned a lot from watching all kinds of videos and yours is no exception. Thanks for putting the time in to make and share it!! Black Dogg

PM sent.

Cool, but Mr. Armitage beat you to it : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ue3zBg0bdA Black Dogg