cgleathercraft

I don't know what it's called but I can make it. Found out by taking one apart.....I'm going to base my instructions off the images you uploaded. The leash is a single piece. the tab you see on the top layer is the end of the strip. cut a slit length wise a little longer than the thickness of leather your working with. (use scrap to practice on!) Figure out how big you want the loop to be for the handle and double it (from the image it looks to be a 6" long handle so 12" total length) and measure from the end of your first slit down the length of the leash Make a similar slit at the end of your measurement. fold the piece flesh to flesh and push the "tab" end through the second slit until the first slit is all the way through. grab the end of leash (thats the end closest to the animal) and fold it back grain to grain running it through the first slit all the way till tight. Clear as mud?

I read somewhere (here i think) that SS officers during WW2 prized leather articles made from humans.....even more so if they had tattoos. Made my skin crawl.

I double checked my thread and its 138 top and bottom. it pulls through just fine up to 10 oz after that you can't get the tension tight enough to pull the top thread back through to clean up the stitching on the back....its even but the bottom thread is clearly visible the whole length of the stitch. With a little smaller thread i believe up to and a little over 12 oz is doable. But I still think it's too much for the machine to handle.

It felt like it was putting a lot of pressure on the entire machine. had to spin the crank pretty hard to get it started and maintain the momentum. buried the needle to just at the point where the shaft starts to widen out as well. The presser foot also left pretty sharp impressions (light cuts) on the surface of the leather. I'm going to take it off and run a sanding wheel against the teeth with a dremel to smooth them over a little. I can do 2 layers fo 4/5 oz (which is closer to the thinner side) without feeling like I'm forcing it to do more than intended. Still working a few small hiccups out....sometimes i get a loop sticking up on the needle side. not sure if it was a missed stitch or too much tension.

Adjust the stitch length with the screw identified with the arrow in the picture. Just a little adjustment makes a huge length change. I'm still learning on mine but i've sewn just a little over 12oz with it playing around. Wouldn't expect it to hold up very long with that thickness though. I'll be keeping under 8oz total thickness from now on. Running size 92 thread top and bottom and having no issues.

Sounds like you have a good plan down. Lots of time and money to be invested. Best of luck!

You can only learn so much in a classroom. Techniques and styles are great...but it's practice that achieves results. I am horrid with a swivel knife but I play around with it anyway. I'd love to master it tomorrow but in reality it will take much longer. (and that is OK) I've also looked at saddle making classes. Everything from 1K to 14K and small to big names. In the end they all give you the basics. It's just not possible to build a masterpiece with only a few weeks instruction. I'm not saying they are not worth it. It's just that unless you get to sit down 1x1 with someone for several weeks or work underneath them, your probably going to just get the basics with everyone else there. ASK THE QUESTIONS - that's what this forum is for! I learn more here in an afternoon than I could a month at the bench wasting good leather.

Everyone has their own favorite stain/dye. Pick the one that works best for the results you desire. I primarily use Fiebings but do have some pro water stain laying around. Buffing - t-shirt material (old shirts that don't fit work great) or wool scrap is very popular. only ever used t-shirt material. Went through the closet and ended up with enough material that couldn't be donated due to stains/torn up that I should be set for a year or two. I've only ever bought blanks from Tandy and Weaver. Prefer Weaver blanks, they seemed more supple. Plus they had their edges beveled already. I tooled em up and finished 'em. Tandy's seemed dry and I wouldn't consider them dress quality when they were completed. They do hold up well though. I wore my first belt for 2 years....would have been more but I outgrew it.

After I thought about it some it started to make sense. I believe the shelf paper is to prevent the rubber cement from soaking into the leather. I don't see why it wouldn't work. Lets see some pictures when you get it done!

I think most use the shelf paper OR plexiglass (or carboard) with rubber cement. Haven't heard of anyone use both at the same time to control stretch. Don't be afraid of the computer!

It appears their website is down at http://www.wickett-craig.com/ They may be making updates or the host could be down too. Either way I wouldn't expect them to be down for too long.

make the peg widen out (just a little) at the bottom and the loops to fit the middle of it. the peg would "snap" in

That is a slick idea!

Yes it will work with Tandy Eco-Flo, at least it has for me. Let the Resolene dry 24 hours depending on humidity after your final coat before buffing. Overnight is the least amount of time for me.

Very Nice! What do you use inside the handles to help them keep their shape (fullness)?

Thanks for the Friday laugh I agree, so how far you can get the next story to evolve. Then prepare an oxygen tank to prevent from passing out from the hysterical laughing fit afterwards.

I have the same allergy (specifically nickel). It is - not - fun. Especially when I found out that white tungsten carbide is bound with nickel. I now break out if I wear my wedding ring continuously. I still wear it everyday, just not when i'm sitting for extended periods. Belt buckles(and watches) also present the same issue to me. I've used tape (electrical and athletic), several coats of nail polish, and a few other types of clear lacquers. Nothing has worked better than just wearing and undershirt, and that is not always possible in the summertime. I suggest picking up a buckle designed to be wrapped in leather and lacing it around the edges. Here is what Tandy has to offer on it: http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/buckles/buckle-making-supplies/buckle-making-supplies.aspx Also really like this idea.

A tumbler! Commonly used for cleaning brass casings when reloading rifle/pistol/shotgun rounds. Just about any major sporting goods store(Cabelas or Bass Pro) will have them.

After one broken Snap-On brand tool making its way across the shop at a high rate of speed, I quit throwing tools. Does make you feel a little better tho! I can say that most leatherworking tools are much more affordable and tougher when it comes to being abused and thrown.

Have the same issue, I practice on a few pieces of scrap before I actually work on the project piece. I think most of my issue is the dull tandy groover. Need to do some work on it before I do another project.

Put it on a list of nice to have tools! I have one and it grows faster than I can cross stuff off. Glad I could help!

I can't say that it will be cheaper in the long run or more efficient. What I can say is $600 will buy a lot of paint. It may take quite a while to realize the benefit of the airbrush. I think volume of work and how quickly it needs to be done would be better questions in this case. If you paint several times a week and it takes several hours a day it may make sense. Otherwise the time it takes to clean the equipment will eat up the time saved. My airbrush has sat in a corner since I bought it. I can get done what I need to do in much less time than it takes to let the compressor build up pressure.

PM sent!

Thanks for the help!

Reviving this old thread to see if anyone knows if one exists. I'm in need of a tractor stamp to go on a belt for my nephew for Christmas. I'm open to getting one custom made if I need to....as long as it resembles the green variety (any other color is just an imitation )