SmilinJim

Hey Nick Glad I got to see ya before you left. I really hated to see you go but I know it was what you have been waiting for. You were a great help with a lot of stuff for me. Thanks for all your help and pointing me in the right directions. I've got a long way to go but I like playing here. You need to post some more of your work too. Anyway, the best to you my friend and remember Keep on Smilin Jim

Hey folks, if you want one okay. Just a few dollars to cover cost of wood and shipping. I'll cut a couple out and get back with you on costs if okay. I like the one with a dowel for the pivot point seems to work better. They're not fancy or even finely finished but seem to work okay, may want to do a bit more sanding. I've juist split some lace to make necklaces for Christmas. Wife does the dangles and I do the braided necklace. Crow, I'll post some more pics in the next day or so. Wife going in hospital and I won't have much home time for a couple of days. Keep on Smilin Jim

That's got to belong to Shane. A superintendent I know that is always pulling practical jokes. Some not so funny. Two years ago the guys on the job got fed up and as he was in a meeting towards the end of the day they used a tower crane to sit his pickup on top of a 3 story building. He came out late and everyone had gone home. He thought it had been stolen and called the cops. When they arrived he went to his office and found his keys and a note saying they didn't want to leave it on the street because of all the thefts. His practical jokes slowed for a while. But only for a while. Keep on Smilin Jim

Need some suggestions. Doing another bag. Will be for brother-in-law blackpowder works. I cut a strap 1 1/4" wide and will line the backside of it. I had originally thought to attach with tabs to the front, you can see where I left off lacing and left tab attach points. But I think attaching to the side gusset may be better. Any thoughts or rules to go by? Still got to lace the flap and will continue lacing over tab points or lace tabs to strap. Will be non-adjustable strap. Made just for him. Competeing for wife for table space. She's painting Santa sweatshirts for Christmas. Jim

It really pisses ya off doesn't it. A few years ago I had parked our car on the road and not in our driveway, we're rural. Around 2 am my wife woke me and said she heard a car outside. I went to the front and stood on the poarch and could barely see someone in my car. I yelled " you know that's my car don't you. Myra bring me the gun" I saw someone waving, and a small light colored car with a loud muffler drove up and 2 figures raced to get inside. I did fire a few rounds off into the ground, They did seem to get faster. Myra had called the police and they showed up 15 minutes after the car had left. They wanted to know if I could identify the people and I said no that all I could tell was a small light colored car with a loud muffler. No mention of gunfire. Back to bed and about an hour later there was a knock at the door. I opened the front door and there must have been 6 police cars, blue lights flashing, in front. Local police, county police and even a state trooper. Again the police wanted to know if I could identify the people. I said no but I thought that was the car since it was loud and light colored. They got the 2 guys, the wife of one of them and the baby seperated and evidently someone cracked. It turned out they had broken into 4 cars and 2 churches that night. About 9 months in jail for the 2 guys. About a month after they got out they broke into a house about a mile from me. They had a gun this time. The house was Ralphs and Ralph was home. If those 2 guys had spent as much time and energy working for a living instead of stealing then maybe one would still be alive and the other wouldn't be paralyzed. Sad but hard to feel sorry for them. Jim

Hey Regis, nice work. Do you hand stitch or use machine? NOTHING I sew comes out straight. Jim

Nice man. From concept to design to build. Great work. Luv the colors. Now I gotta try one, my daughter wants something done like that. She's like daddy, she likes different. And you gotta admit, for leather, that's different. Keep on Smilin Jim

On the net I've seen them called possible's bag. I made it for me for carrying my shells when I bird hunt. Got a double 20 so have to have shells handy. Before anyone says how good the stitching is on the pockets I should tell you that this is a recycled leather jacket from the thrift store, had a big tear. Cost $4.00. So I stripped the pockets, arms and back. Had to splice for the gusset and strap. Got snap pockets on front and rear and a flap cover. Now for the good part. A friend wants it and is willing to trade me an unused sewing maching he has for it. Won't have to beg the wife to use hers and can experiment more. Not a 'leather' machine but will handle thin stuff. Keep on Smilin Jim

Relativity, which way is up? Besides when the checkbook is open to use you can't see the horse. Still a nice project. Jim

That's nice. Like the strap design. Friend of mine plays in a 'Gospel' band. I'll have to show yours to him. Good work. Jim

Thanks folks, almost had to do one with something like a Big Orange on it, but luckily he changed his mind. I'm old, er that's old school, my sewing machine is a White Rotary, circa 1920's, I'm not quite that old, bought at a flea market. Wife told me to stay away from her electric. And yeah I did an iron on. Been told I couldn't do that on leather (don't ya hate it when people tell you can't do something) but it's worked several times and I haven't had any problems. But time will tell. Keep on Smilin Jim

One of our truckdrivers wanted a visor pouch to keep tickets in. I put snaps on the straps that hold it to the visor and on the back of the pouch. He can collect his tickets during the day and take the pouch off to take to the office. Simple and sewed edges yet. I did the black border to cover my not so straight sewing. Simple project from a simple mind. Keep on Smilin Jim

That's great. I wish I could sew. The design is great, the colors are great. You did good. Jim

Lots of working room. But what's your basic concept, since it is your bike. I see maybe a large scene, dragons/wolves lair on the back with dragons/wolves coming to front to meet the fearless knight/woodsman. All pieces add up to the whole. That sorta what you have in mind? Not just 4 seperate dragon/wolf pics. JIM

Hey Wolvie Another thought, go to deviant art and search dragons, there are thousands www.deviantart.com Jim

Hey Mike How about posting some simple dimensions for the seats,maybe a sketch, doesn't have to be exact. You can juggle the positions, sizes, after you get some ideas. Jim

Nice Freak. Good design on your part too. That's the kind of tooling I like to see, different. Not traditional western floral myself. Check some of the airbrush mags for some more designs. Or maybe this site, www.airbrushartists.org. Lot of the biomech stuff is just grays to lend to the metal effects but I think any way you finish it would be great. Keep up the good work. Keep on Smilin Jim

I don't like the clips either, but ... and this will be a cross draw. He wants to wear it on the left side and draw from the right that's the reason for the cant being backwards. But still have the question ... what is the proper way for the thumb break to operate? If you are righthanded and wearing a holster on the right side should the thumb press the break into your body to release? Does that provide more resistance to opening the snap? Or should the thumb press the snap to the outside of the body and therefore have less resistance? The majority of the holsters I have done have either had no snap retainers, western style, or had a over the top strap and snap or a flap. I work in the woods alot and I prefer a flap holster. I don't do fast draws, mostly for snakes. I've actually caught more and released than shot. But back to the thumb break. I have no personal experience with this type of retainer. What is the proper way to install one? Jim

A guy at work got a Galco lefthanded shoulder holster at a gun show at a 'good price'. He only has the holster and he is not left handed so he asked me to modify it to a right handed belt clip. See photos. My question for the holster guys is... the thumb break now unsnaps away from his body whereas before it unsnapped towards his body. I would think it should break away in all circumstances. Can anyone shed a little light for me. I'm doing him another from scratch need a little feedback. Keep on Smilin Jim

Of course we want to see more of your work. I know nothing of horse gear but I can still appreciate the talent that went into making such fine leather equipment. Jim

My method. I cut a piece of leather for a project and get it just the way I want. Then I usually manage to stick myself with the awl or nick myself with a blade, of course without noticing since I'm concentrating on something else. Then there are all of these little blood spots on the leather piece. Even though I do this quite regularly I really don't think this is the way you were talking about. Keep on Smilin Jim

Those are so impressive. Have you been able to go to the gallery? Thanks for sharing. Jim

Nice. Some folks aren't familar with Deviantart. So I thought they should get to see more of your work. Jim

Mike those are Great. No need for improvement even if you could. Please give some more info. Type of leather number of strands and types of knots. Heck just do a tutorial. Again great work. Keep on Smilin Jim

I've always heard the joke "What do you call gun control in the South? They use two hands" and I tell the guys I live in Walker County where we have reverse drivebys. That's where these folks drove by and I shot at them, but that's a whole new topic. In reality I think it's time, location. I grew up a long time ago in the rural south. It was common for every young boy to grow up hunting and being familar with guns. I was taught that guns are not toys. Guns are made to kill. But they are like any other tool. It is the operator that is in control. I have several guns and have given my only daughter a couple of guns. When I though she was ready, in her mid teens, I taught her how to use a gun. She has fired automatics, revolvers, shotguns and rifles. She prefers the Ruger auto. I guess I'm from the old school I like to be prepared. If she needs to she can use a weapon be it for protection or for hunting. She is not afraid of guns. I like to think I've helped her. But we are in a different time now. Far less kids come in from school and go out hunting. Or plan a trip on a saturday for a bird hunt. It's plug in the Xbox and shoot monsters ( I have to say that I do like Halo ). In my forseeable future there will alway be bad guys with guns. I really don't know if owning a gun is a good idea for most folks but it just makes me feel safer. Enough already, just my two cents worth. Jim