cgleathercraft

Looks like a custom clicker die. There are several suppliers on the forum and in the ads at the top of the page. I've never used a clicker or one of the dies so I'm not much help on who would be best to.

I've only made one batch of roon so I'm not the best judge but I'd say your probably fine. I made my batch in a plastic ice cream bucket (not heated obviously) so I can dip easier. I just sat the lid on the top without pressing it on. I let it set like that for quite a while. stirring when I thought about it. Adding steel wool till it wouldn't dissolve anymore. Let it set a couple more days then filtered it to get the solids out. It works pretty good! The 3 pieces I've tested it on came out nice. Cell phone case came out a very dark grey. Some work with a little neatsfoot oil and saddle soap had it looking good and black. The next two were both keyfobs. They both turned extremely black after a 15-20 second soak. After neutralizing the leather I added neatsfoot oil and mink oil to these. they look great and don't smell at all.

Ian Atkinson shows how to apply it in one of his videos. I'm not sure which (think its one where he makes a watch strap) but they are all good to watch. Basically once you start to apply it you really don't have time to play around. Dab it on in several spots quickly and work it in like crazy. I've had a similar issue with it before but i'm not sure if its the same as you experienced. Tooling also causes some issues when applying. I have a cheap toothbrush handy to clean out the tooling marks a little and distribute it more evenly.

First and foremost - test on scrap. Verify that the resolene will resist the black dye. I've ruined 1 too many projects because I didn't test first. That said, I don't see why oiling will cause much issue if you let it soak in long enough before you go to apply the dye. If that is a concern you can always apply a few light coats to the back of the leather. it will slowly work its way through and should have minimal effect on the grain side. At the very least you can paint the individual squares with black instead of coating the whole project. It will take a while but should provide the results you're looking for.

Add another to Black River Laser. I only purchased their templates off of ebay and i'm sure those are ready to ship because they arrived 3 days earlier than the tracking number said they would.

Awesome work! Never would have thought to do something like this. Added to my ever growing to-do list!

For me it feels, lays, and looks way better. Bought two spools from Abbey because I wasn't thrilled with the other threads I had been using. As soon as it arrived it I stitched about 3 inches of scrap with it. Wont touch the rest of the thread I have now unless I absolutely have to. I'm working on a wallet for a friend now and I can't wait to start stitching it up! A lot of people have put it on a very high pedestal and I believe they were right. Everyone has their favorites though so take it for what it's worth. Doesn't seem to have much, if any, stretch. I don't imagine there would be much strength difference between it and a similar sized and material twisted thread. I could be wrong! Would like to see some comparisons of tinsel strength between different threads and advertised strengths.

If I got a dollar for every item I've tossed or scrapped over the past 3 years or so. I'd probably have enough to pay for half my tools. Tossed 3 things in the past month. 1. poor design with a possible salvage, not sure yet. 2. was a mistake, went to the trash 3. a belt I started before I had all the requirements from the customer. salvageable just need to keep working on it. Learn from every piece, good or bad.

I'm using it without fastening it to the workbench. When I get more room i will do so and probably fashion a foot pedal for it too so I can use both hands to work my material around. As long as your careful you should be ok.

Put me down as wanting a video of it too!

For the SIZE comparison I checked here, near the bottom of the page: http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=nylon-thread-information basically 277 thread is approximately 0.5867 mm. Abbey England have a comparable sized Tiger thread at 0.6 mm diameter in 1000 m spools Found here: http://www.abbeyengland.com/Store/tabid/77/productid/68933/language/en-GB/Default.aspx?txtSearch=tiger+thread I went with the 0.8 mm Tiger thread which is approximately the same size as 415 thread. FYI Tiger thread is meant for hand sewing only. I haven't heard of anyone using it for machine sewing. The reason I only do hand sewing because I don't have a machine.

Had the same issue with Tandy thread. Bought a few different kinds/sizes from a couple different places and waxed some myself. I had mixed success. Heard lots of good things about Tiger thread. Finally bit the bullet and ordered a couple spools of 0.8mm. Shipping from England to Midwest was faster than I expected at about a week(if I remember correctly). Just running a short 3" line to test it out on some scrap 8oz and I am sold. I followed Nigel's videos on YouTube as well. The rest of my thread will sit on the back of the shelf until I have an absolute need for it or buy a machine.

I bought a side off a member on the forum(Herman Oak, if I remember correctly). I'm going to make a briefcase/laptop bag out of it once I get a pattern laid out. Straps will be closest to where the spine is, keeping toward the butt end of the hide. Gussets will be next closest to the spine, same placement as straps Front and back main pieces will cut starting at the butt and working toward the shoulder. inside pockets and other miscellaneous pieces nearer the shoulder (or on if if i'm that close) Belly and front most part of shoulder (towards the neck) are planned to be left as scrap and utilized in other projects or test pieces. Not sure if its right or wrong. But that's how I pictured it.

I have never built a rig like that, however, I would suggest building up several light coats of oil. Wring most of the oil out of the shearling first to prevent excess oil from running over the edges and getting on the suede. A sponge or paint brush may help in this case. I always use a dauber or foam paint brush to apply oil.

I do both, and i'm no artist. When I'm doing something with a lot of small features I'll do it by hand first. Scan it and trace over it on the computer. When I have a set of measurements it takes less time to smack it together on the computer and hit print than it does with pencil and paper. I don't knock one over the other. They both have their place. IMHO - pencil and paper first. its cheaper than a image editor. Unless you use free software (I use illustrator which is not cheap). Then move it to a computer if you feel the need to digitize a pattern for consistency . Remember, we all started off with crayons.

Computer Programmer by day, aspiring leatherworker by night. Grew up on a farm and did a little bit of everything. Had sheep for 4-H and FFA. Worked in the hay fields all summer. Chores in the winter. Dad had an old saddle from when he still had a horse. I was initially interested in leather when I saw it. It was in dire need of repair. It had been used hard and had more scuffs, cuts, broken seams than complete pieces. It found its way to an auction when we did some cleanup quite a few years ago. I was told once that anyone with a farming background doesn't do well with a desk job. Probably why I took up leather, had to keep my hands busy!

I've been watching your posts on Facebook. It's awesome to see it all come together!

I'd keep doing what your doing for now. If you want to speed it up a little could use a heat gun / oven at low heat to get the leather a little warmer than the sun will get it and the oil/wax with either be absorbed or pushed out.

The Eco-Flo dyes seems to sit on top of the leather. Even when diluted they seem to pool up. if its left to dry like that a lot of it will come off when finishing. I suggest wiping off the excess just after dying, let it dry, and reapplying until the desired darkness is achieved.

I always buff until my a clean rag won't pull any more dye off after ample drying time. What type of finish are you putting on after dying?

Thanks! I'll pick up a pack of remnants and try it out.

I've seen a few people use wool in videos. I'm starting to get tempted to try it. Approximately what size of piece is recommended for dyes/finishes?

I believe when he says "mil" he mean millimeters. I don't have a conversion table close but they are available to go from millimeter to oz. Pre-dyed veg tan is tool-able. If you have any question as to whether it can be or not make sure to ask someone where you are getting it from. As for tooling thin leather, lighter hits will be required. Always test on a practice piece first!

Not sure if it's directed at me? Since I was the one who mentioned furnace I would like to clarify that the furnace sits right outside the room I work in. I switched to the green label weldwood to keep the wife happy (she doesn't like the smell). I'll go back to the red label when I get proper ventilation set up. If it wasn't then i'll go back to my corner and sit quietly

The only reason I order from Tandy, which is rare anymore, is because I know I can get my order fast. An order placed on Sunday night will show up at my door on Tuesday. Consistently. An order I placed (July 8th) at another location roughly the same distance away from me has yet to arrive. All the notification I have received is that it has been processed. To me it has become the price of getting decent prices and shipping (lowest at both places). I'm just a hobbyist at this point but if I ever want to do any craft shows or rely on some of the income I can't, and don't want to, pay for a lesser quality Tandy product at the same price of a high quality product. At the same time I won't always be able to afford to wait a week + for my order to show up. Honest truth, my hobby has become a huge drain on my income. I have taken to ordering 1 or 2 items a month just to do a project. It gets better as I go along knowing that tools are a (mostly) one time purchase. I have cut back ordering significantly, but not entirely because of prices. /gripe