FlHobbyist

Thanks for the comments. It hadn't occurred to me that the edges at the bottom could be burnished and then an edge applied. I looked at doing that but came to the conclusion it would be and extreme pain. I somewhat like the idea of rounding the bottom corners and then applying an edge. I do think I need to gain more experience with the sewing machine, so that I can hook that corner and get closer, as I think the primary problem was that the sewing line stopped before getting to the corner. @ConradPark - I really like what you did on your case that has a very similar design. Thanks Again, Bob

Thanks guys, on the next one I'm going to do something different. I'm thinking of looking in Stohlmans book of how to make cases, and see if there are some ideas there.

I've attached a couple of pictures of my first self designed iPhone case. The case body was cut from a single piece of leather and then rolled over and formed to create the case. I don't know and can't figure out what to do about the bottom corners, though I am not pleased with them. As for the other problems with the case, I just got a Cobra 4 and I'm still learning how to use it. I've also come to the conclusion the round strap that holds the lid of the case down is maybe not such a great idea, as it is tending to warp and curl up a lot more than I thought it would. Also, I recognize this isn't great, but I am trying to learn. I bring and show this for advice and tips, not so much to hear how bad it sucks. As always constructive advice is welcome. Bob

I stand corrected, I just went up and checked with a small item and the minimum fee was 6.00 which was for usps priority. This fee is quite reasonable.

I'll have to take another look. I know I've searched and searched in the past for something cheaper to no avail. I'm in Florida and I wonder if the distance has something to do with it. I will investigate it tomorrow.

I agree with your sentiment, but that is the going rate for college nowadays. The old days wherein you could work and earn enough to go to college are gone at the moment, and it is megabucks and debt for an education now.

I've got to try the Orlando store one of these days. So far, I've only visited the Tampa store. Some days in Tampa they are real nice and helpful, and other days it's pretty clear they don't give a #$!$. The distance is about the same, and I don't know why I haven't gone East rather than West.

In a nutshell this is also why I deal with Tandy. I like SLC a lot more than Tandy, but their shipping has gotten slower and slower. It to the point that it takes a minimum of 2 weeks to order and get anything from them. I'm also not too fond of the minimum $12.00 shipping fee from either Tandy or SLC, which is why I go elsewhere if I need anything small.

I'm with ya about this. I saw it too, and I raised my eyebrow, just like Mr Spock. I guess it's good money if you can get it. Bob

Update: I've decided to abandon this effort. This white dye is just to harsh to work with. The ventilation in my work room is not up to the task of getting rid of the fumes, and I'm guessing the fumes are fairly toxic. Worse, the solvent in it burns my flesh. So to use it safely, one would need protective clothing, adequate ventilation, and probably a respirator. At this time, that is more trouble than it is worth. At some point in the future, I'm going to try white shoe polish in combination with nu leather(?) repair goop and see how that works. If it doesn't, I'll continue using white acrylic paint and hoping for the best. Thanks again to everyone who participated. Bob

Thanks for all the replies so far. I'm proceeding with my project, so far I've air brushed on 2 layers, and it is pretty apparent to me, it is going to take many more layers. It's to early too say if I'll ever use it or recommend it. It is a real pain to use because it isn't an alcohol based dye, but rather mineral spirits/turpentine based dye/paint. It has a very strong smell, and it probably isn't advisable to huff too much of it. On the other hand, if it is really a white dye, it may be worth the effort. Here is an earlier thread wherein the author had about the same experience as me, but he wrote a better post. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=29144

Welcome from Lakeland

I had the very same problem, I ended up taping a piece of 60 grit sand paper on the granite, and then put the leather on top of it to tool. This keeps the leather still while beveling, but it is still loose enough that I can move it around if I desire.

Thanks Bill. I will also report my experience when I get to it. I'm pretty sure my experience will be the same as yours, but since I have a bottle of it, I'm going to give it a go. Bob

I did a quick forum search and did not see any reasonable answers. I have a bottle of it and I'm going to give it a try. Here is what I know: 1) It is not acrylic, so it won't be soluble in water 2) I doesn't smell like alcohol dye, so it's doubtful it will be soluble in alchol 3) It is distributed in glass rather than plastic. Some thing tells me that they are distributing in glass because whatever the base is will dissolve plastic. This also bolsters the argument that the dye base is not water or alcohol. 4) Finally, after opening it, it smells like turpentine, though my sniffer could be off. I want to give it a go, and while there are reports that it isn't very good, there are also numerous reports that it is acrylic or alcohol which it isn't. Has anyone had success with the white dye that comes in a glass bottle that smells like turpentine? Thanks, Bob Addendum: I searched a little more and it looks like the answer is paint thinner in this post http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=29144 Anyone else have better advice for the white dye that comes in a glass bottle that smells like turpentine?

Congrats! You are well on the way to entering the hobby!

You're welcome. The biggest piece of advise I have is to use a very sharp knife to cut the inlay, to get the piece to fit perfectly. I ended up using a small skiving knife to make the final cuts on the python. lol... I'm about 30 miles north of the python line, or at least none have been seen in Polk county. I don't know where my python came from, but I did buy it from Daddy's Leather which is in Miami. You're right, in Florida pythons are a nuisance species, and hunting them down would be a good thing to do.

Yes, this is what I did. The process was to cut the edges deeper than normal with the swivel knife. Then bevel the edges, and after that I used the F899/F900 matting tools to make a gentler slope and to have a rougher surface to glue onto. At this point I would carefully trim the python to fit in the area. Next, I applied leather glue to both the leather and the python, and quickly put them together. After that, I used a modeller to make sure the python was set and firm, and finally I beveled around the edges to make sure it was snug all the way around. Yes, it does extend up a little, but I wanted this effect as it give some dimensionality to the piece.

I was reading one of the old craft aids and they had a suggestion for doing reptile inlays by glueing and beveling them into position. I decided to give it a go, and this is the result. I think the method has promise, but it still need some refinement. I'm real curious to see how the inlays stand up to wear and tear. The original craft aid was doing this for belts, so I am hopeful. As always, comments, questions and advice are welcome. Bob

I've continued to work with this pattern and come up with a scheme for the leaves that sort of look like philodendrons which is the effect I wanted. Still need to think about what to do with the rest of it. Close up of the philodendron pattern: Close up of a traditional round, I'm not totally happy with the way this came out, but it is indicative of my skill level after 1 years modern leathercraft experience. The completed tablet project front and back As always comments and advice are welcome.

It sounds like you have the wrong type of leather to carve. I know there is another type of leather that is brown/orange that looks like veg-tan but is much to difficult to carve. It is possible that our friends at tandy messed up.

Thanks Ducjes, You're off to a pretty good start and I'm sure many will find it useful. A lot of these goods are pretty hard to find.

Fantastic idea, I'll be a regular attendee. FB request sent, my name is Robert Schneider.

Three's a crowd, but I am also interested

lol, I like the belt and the message made me laugh. There's no way I'd wear it now, but 30 years ago I would have.