toxo

For normal sewing the hinge isn't needed. Just angle the center piece so you have around 1/4 inch gap after you include the leather. The biggest problem is coming up with a clamping method that won't be forever snagging the thread.

I don't know how much ivory we're talking about but maybe if all the contraband ivory was sold to the open market at cost the cost of ivory would plummet and it would no longer be worth the risk to the poachers.

Footfall is the common name for the amount of people going throuigh a mall or an event etc. Great that the missus is ok with being the "Barker" (That's what it's called). A good Barker will often make the difference. If using closed-in gazebo type stall using lights during daylight will often pay dividends, especially if overcast. Not only does it highlight your wares but if you use tables around the sides rather than across the front it welcomes people in. The show season over here is quite short because of our weather. There are some out of season shows but they tend to be smaller. I imagine you have a longer season weatherwise.

I did the shows a while back but not with leather and here in the UK not the US. Regardless of what you sell or where you sell it you'd be wise to hinder therse rules. Footfall. Every show promoter will make his show sound like it's a must-do but you want to know how many people attended last time. If the footfall is big enough you'll make money even if the show is not directly related to what you sell. You're after the ones that are left after you take out those that are just taking the kids out dor the day or those that are looking for inspiration for their own ideas or those that turn up just for the attractions and those that just don't have any money. A big footfall gives more chance of making your day. Over here we have someting called "The Showmans Directory". It lists every show with all the contact details AND the footfall. Be aware though that if it's a free show some will list the entire surrounding population. I've noticed a lot of "Internationals" in there too. Of course the fee for pitching a stall is usually based on popularity and/or footfall. Book early in the season else all the good spots will be taken and you'll be pitching in the car park. Don't make your table/s too cluttered. If you have a lot of something good at the right price make a feature of it by placing it on it's own table. It will sell far more than in the middle of clutter. Sometimes shows can go on into the evening. Having lights around your stall means you can carry on trading whilst others have to pack up. Signage: Be as artistic or innovative as you like but unless you're an artist print them and laminate them. It gives more confidence in the quality than a handwritten scrawl and easy to clean for the next time. Coverings: Put some thought into what colour your wares are sitting on. It's important. And make sure you have enough to go around the front of your tables and the back of your pitch to deter the tealeafs. Best of luck.

Is the PNW a thing or a place???

Here ya go. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=center+console+Cechaflo

I'd be surprised if Checaflo on YouTube doesn't have the answer to this. The man is a genius with anything car related.

Not a walking foot but it looks cheap to me for someone in the UK Ad on Facebook Marketplace in the UK.

I love your enthusiasm for what you're doing. Everyone should feel something similar. I don't do patterns. I enjoy working things out in my head. I might jot down the gyst of what I'm thinking so I get it clearer in my mind. I'll use a ruler and common sense to get to the size I want and work out what needs skiving and what order to do things in. I don't need fast and I don't need extremely accurate for most of it and there are very few that I'll make again. I made a wooden form to wet mould a pouch to hold my Pard night vision. Worked out very well but I've never used it since. My output isn't great mainly because I'm on my own and retired. What I do make goes to family and friends or is sitting on the shelves because I'll never get back what I've put in. I need to look for a leatherwork buddy. That'll do it. Then maybe I'll look at one of those resin ones.

I keep threatening to get a 3d printer but I'm a sod for losing interest in something once I've proven to myself that I can do it. I do have a laser engraver and that's not getting overworked either. But back to the dies. Start with the right thickness ply for the size of rule steel and the thickness of leather you want to deal with. It's no good making a perfect die if there's nnot enough blade sticking out to go through thr leather. Draw your accurate die shape on the ply but don't cut it yet. Use that drawing to constantly test your bends on as you get the steel rule into shape. Only when your steel rule is ready do you cut out your ply. I made my first basic die with two 6inch nails with the heads cut off in a decent sized vice. An ordinary set of Gilbows will make short work of cutting the steel. (make sure you're using 2 point steel rule and not 3 point.) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164869157349?hash=item2662f7b1e5:g:L8cAAOSwTMpgoRoo and one of these will make the screw holes, (a drill will do it but fiddly) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224242689947?epid=3015943430&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3435e7e79b:g:xI4AAOSwoexfuDXt&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%2B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsSvtkx670Z0mbyfWqmxLFLYW%2BaSx3niIF%2F1d%2Bl8Wg0woZHbZXocL5cf39NgZFMdIWWRSC5XElcIVKAedRwiawfnr%2FxC93e5QDsveVB8rPMOw%2Faq%2FkbYgWyMEJ4LhSQCLNx8MNLWiLd8buEKkWOQMLtM5unsG2LhZAGsYZjTLCL9M56aMWi5RCxt%2BS7jaUkFh9LWYPrwz%2Bs9TkxxQ3tNKYE74ucw2%2BN%2Fxn3LwxPZzeb%2BWjp8B%2BpgAJyRjwxRb0OYlAiQBCrca6r%2FpzVlM9%2BnWu%2FCegr23To0cc5agDY4i0WxM65nKsGVB%2BBdJgXxGf2VkMTA63219eyZpGXtffTTfmYKy2L72yosX%2BYIcOZYJ2tZxU%2B%2BcWnzbkgWOpglT0BZAE4U5AKaxec2B1VB5FSd%2F%2BH%2B6gReBtt75cy7xkwzgbBO0eS6jTSWVtrEm7QEzieYyBsdmyXzfzdlCNRE4O8uTSdWSrsn%2BB82%2FYVNRdkIHD%2BqEvVq8zGb7CxWZjUvXBUKaLPug4U22qjVTCYq1uNW0YWgK%2FBe872rxbVxijuhGxkkbGR8XsbyUQk2%2BG1LLsftx9c1K2qd9MzbDt%2F%2FV8g99CCPKpJ4DGBfv40y7opng6g%2BSmEjbCWbToY5aa%2FHfFH0To04kDlKEnVELQEHq%2BSS2lTn2W6H5NxwYpEwbHAXpPt2HvmDejw5TsrsoJhzEq9xZsVFm9g%2BhfH3EfXDesfpmEFEO%2FRKKSy6sQEHh7guwPxDADxhhdBq%2FzF25A41wWTc8yDTCyEm%2BAD3e82TVfRqZZN3hBT1N41EDwDxDso%2B5QWXf7y4BXDh8Tr3tvCNJPMqC0g|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524 One other thing, by using a plywood plug you do have some scope for extra bit's. If you look closely at my pic of the luggage tag you'll see a thin line going top to bottom. I did that with a jigsaw and it contains just a straight piece of R/S which cuts a slit in the underside of that orange tag which allows you to put your data card in the plastic window..

Who said that?

Never been aginst the idea of a printed plug but fixing it to the outside leaves you with the same thing as a welded die. it's never gonna last as long and putting in the secondary cuts like hole cutters etc are outside my scope but probably doable with 3d/cnc.

I don't get all this talk about spending loadsa money. If setting up to sell lots of dies that's fine but for most leatherworkers just using a die for a limited run a plywood plug as I describe above is a no brainer. It can br done in a fraction of the time, it negates the necessity of most of the conversation above. No worries about the depth of the groove (the press hits the back of the steel rule so a perfectly even cut every time) If the groove is too deep or the blank is made from too soft material and the steel rule cuts through the back end the center plug is gonnaq fall out.

I like this style from Tony See but I would alter it so the whole thing opens out. The length is easy enough to change and the ends remain as they are. I thought about this when he first did the design but I already have four DeWalt carry bags. Imagine the whole thing in one piece except the ends (no need for the straps) now put a groove (hinge) along the inside of the shoulder. Put whatever fasteners you like to snap the side to the ends. Now you've got a bag where you can open to the shoulder for easy access or open up the whole thing or just one side as necessary. This was off the top of my head with no details worked out but eminently doable I would've thought.

There are those that will tell you that pre-punched holes take material away and thus weaken the leather which essentially must be true BUT we're not holding the Titanic here so it's a pretty weak argument in my book. I would say there are times when both can be used. Try sewing a decent curve with both methods and you'll find out which is quickest and easiest but sometimes quickest and easiest isnt the objective.

Grrr! Hit the wrong button so have to do it all again. This pattern uses pre-punched holes which although not essential make curves easier because each stitch pulls a little bit more of the curve so no need for glue although a couple of clips might help. As for the gusset, you used the gusset as the inside layer but you could just as easily used it as the outside layer or, as I did on the darker bag, one side in and one side out which gives the gusset a kind of "S" shape. You didn't make it easy on yourself by using leather that was twice as thick as necessary. If it has to be that thick you could skive the half inch or so around where the stitches will go and /or dampen around the edges. As a beginner you should look at Tony Sees patterns at Dieselpunk.Ro. He's a great guy with a great sense of humour and all of his patterns come with a video tutorial. He's becoming a bit of a cult figure over at ... https://www.facebook.com/groups/dieselpunkro/?multi_permalinks=3821095971350671 It's a great community and every so often he gives away a free pattern to those in the group. This was one of them although I think you have to pay for it now.

FYI, You can make a bag with a different look by sewing the gusset/front panel the other way round. These two bags are made from the same pattern with a completely different look. The strange looking strap was worked out so it can be worn as a belt bag or an over the shoulder.

Some good advice there. This time I just used the old strap as a pattern and just used the ripstop to reinforce the holes but I usually do go the oversize and cut back route.I do have one of those "C" type skivers that works well with thin stuff.

I do have a 4ft tube that goes over the 2ft arm and being an engineer I have a feel for how far I can go but where it does come in handy is when you're using cased leather and you can hang a heavy weight on the end of it and leave it to dry.

Thanks Amigo.

I bought a cheap watch which I like and it tells me the time, however, inevitably the strap started to fall apart but I was intrigued because althoughit was almost in half where "my" hole was I was still able to wear the thing.I reasoned that there must be something between the crap layers to enable it to do that. I eventually guilted myself into making a new strap and on cutting it open there is a plastic mesh inside. I'm waiting for the glue to dry and I'm using "Croc" chrome tan on the outside and pigskin on the inside and in lieu of the plastic mesh I glued in two layers of rip stop nylon. I've never made a watch strap in my life and my question is, when using proper leather is the ripstop/plastic mesh necessary?

Well done that man. Nothing better than teaching a child something and then watching them race away with it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221946532591

I use a 1 ton arbor press with a longer bar for die cutting and stamping and it works quite well. Of course I have to "walk" the material under the ram on bigger stamps and sometimes I dampen the leather but I don't have a production line going on. There are various types of strong "G clamp" types or engineers vices out there that will work or you can buy a hydraulic press or make one using a car "bottle jack".

Seeing the scarcity and assuming you're not the only one who would like to get their hands on some of these, why not buy a box and sell what you don't need? I'm sure Partwell will accomodate you and I don't think the shipping will be that bad to Belgium.