shagsj

Cheers Sandy. I'm sure I will have many questions for this forum in the months to come.

Hi I am wanting to take my leather work to the next level and thought trying my hand at saddles might be a go. I do not want to be a professional saddle maker but want to do good quality work. Questions. How do you know you're ready for this step? How do you learn? Thx Also I'm in Australia. Cheers

Hi All, I know this topic has been discussed a million times but I wanted some suggestions on this. I have never done a larger project before but have just finished a bag. I have dyed the outside using fiebings die. The edge has been darkened with edge kote and the back dyed with a similar colour to the front. When I have done smaller projects I have done the following after dyeing: 1. Cornuba cream on the outside 2. Tan kote over the flesh side 3. gum trag on edge and burnish 4. Leather sheen "polished" over both the front and back Now i recently purchased a can of saddle lac and was considering using that for a finish (simply due to laziness being such a big area) but can I still soften it up with Cornuba cream before applying saddle lac? Do I apply Saddle Lac to both sides of the leather (to stop the dye on the flesh side staining anything in the bag) or should I just stick with what I know? Cheers, Shags

Thanks for all the hints guys. Kj; exactly what I was after. Thanks

Hi all I have had a few requests to make mobile phone cases and a few of them are iPhones. I don't own iPhones so have troubles with sizing. Therefore I was wondering if anyone knew of a stockist of lasts. Then I can not only do cases but wet moulding etc. I can't make them myself as I am absolutely and completely hopeless at Wood working. Cheers Shags

Good idea. Thanks!

Hi All, My sister has asked for a notebook cover but she uses spiral side bound notebooks and wants a cover that can fold back on itself. I can't quite come up with a design to facilitate this. My thought was maybe standard hide for front and back for tooling and maybe pigskin lining only for the spine so it easily folds in on itself. Any thoughts or better ideas? Cheers, Shags

bracelett though you could use it for other stuff i guess (watch bands etc)

G'day mate, no watch. I will do what you suggested, fit the rivets where they will be when on. Was the way I was leaning towards. Cheers, Shags

Hey mate, Not sure how you will incorporate 2 straps into it. Here is a good tutorial, you could adapt it to what you have in your head... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duflttCsTVw&feature=c4-overview&list=UULkCG-505-1t0rYlgBTSnpQ I like his videos, they are great. I say, don't work to templates all the time and sometimes just start cutting and stitching! Good luck. Shags

Hi All, A friend wanted a leather cuff so I thought I would give it a try. I usually only do leather knife cases etc and figured this would be easy. Seems pretty good to this point but I am unsure about attaching the strap to the band (see attached pictures). My difficulty is around the curving of the leather around the wrist. if I attach the straps to the top of the cuff flat, then it will stretch when it is wrapped around the wrist and I am worried it will pull on the rivets (i was just going to attach the straps with some rivets). I could attach the straps like in picture 2 but it just looked a bit weird when flat, but will look ok when on the wrist. Maybe it will be fine like that and I am leaning that way. Some opinions would be great please. cheers, Shags

Many thanks. Trick will be getting the timing right to carve. Thanks heaps.

Hi all, This is my first post here but I have been lurking learning all I can for a while. I have wet moulded leather stuff (pouch) and I have carved onto flat bits various things (designs etc onto coasters) but am at a loss as to how I would do these together. For the wet moulded stuff I have always wet the leather then put on my last for a number of days till rock hard. For carving the wetting of the leather hasn't been as thorough. So I am unsure if I should do my carving first, then wet form the leather on the last (surely this would lose some of the crispness of the carving???) or if I should form on the last and then carve once it's on there and the leather has dried a small bit? Hope this makes sense. cheers, J