Tex Shooter

My favorite tool is a Lucrus clicker press. I have had one for several years and liked it so much that I bought another one. I found out that if taken care of you can't wear one out so I have the second one for sale. I look at the Lucris Clicker a money printing machine. What I mean by that is I just click parts and sell them. I can click 200 to 250 parts a hour easy and sell them for 30 to 60 cents. Do the math, even with the smallest of parts I can make $45 to $65 hour of work time. I don't do anything else that even comes close. It does take some time creating a market, but it is stable once created. Everything else that I do with leather is a hobby, but the little clicker is a part time business with very little effort. -- Tex

I have noticed the same thing with my American. -- Tex

I guess that everybody has there own way of making a template and largely depends on what you plan on doing with it. Here is what I do. First I make on out of cardboard (usually a cereal box) to try and tweak or remake. I usually also make cardboard models of the item before using leather. When I make a cardboard model I staple instead of stitch. If I am only going to make one I stop with the cardboard template and keep it for reference. If however I decide to make more than one I will make the template out of polyethylene sheet made for this purpose. If you cut it just a hair larger than the layout you can sand it to a perfect match. Now after using it for a while and knowing that I can sell a item made from it, I will then order a clicker die. Picture one shows a first time cardboard template. Picture 2 shows a Polyethylene template that I used for a short time. Picture three show final templates that I used long enough to know that I could sell the product made with them. I know have these pus several more in clicker dies. Patterns are shown on one of my clicker plates. -- Tex

Very nice work! -- Tex

Wow!!!! -- Tex

You are so right about the behind the eye surgery! -- Tex

I have had 4 eye surgeries 2 cataract and 2 behind the eyes. The first behind the eyes surgery fixed the no muscle problem only for a few months. In the second behind the eyes surgery they put in silicone bands to help me hold my eyelids open. They were attached up under the skin on my forehead and they have worked great, but they are wearing out and one has pulled loose. It has been 12 years and I will have to have them renewed in the next few years. My Cataract surgeries were not a problem for me and i would encourage anybody with cataract problems that really bother them to have that done, it will change your everyday life. -- Tex

I prefer Linen, but right now I am using waxed Poly. I got a big spool of it in a garage sale for a couple of bucks. Yep, I am cheap! Wish I could get all of my supplies in garage sales! -- Tex

Most scrap leather that I see in craft stores is upholstering leather and is chrome tanned. I use a lot of boot leather and it is mostly chrome or oil tanned. -- Tex

A spud usually is part of a wrench, but in industry here in the USA any long straight tool used for prying, rubbing or manipulating is sometimes called a spud. Also a potato digger is called a spud. I have also seen the term used in other Industrial applications such as rubbing tape down. Finally, yes we oftentimes call a potato a spud. -- Tex

I don't use these for leather work, but a good source for spuds is tooth brush handles. -- Tex

I have sold a lot of folding knife sheaths wholesale and have had quite a few folding knife instructional set ups at stores, camps and gun shows. I have found that most working cowboys want a knife sheath that is light and easy to get the knife out of. In fact a lot of of working individuals have went to a light weight knife with a belt or pocket clip. When you work hard all day and are dog tired even your clothes feel heavy and you don't want to carry any extra weight around, not even a couple of ounces. I have sold a great number of folding knife sheaths, both USA made nylon and ones that I make myself. I was a wholesale knife distributer and got a lot of feed back. There are two ways to go when doing leather work in knife sheaths. Very classy high dollar art and the simple working sheath. I think that if you are doing just leather work, then go with the classy. You will make the most money with them. I went the other way and did not make a lot of money selling my sheaths, but I have a ton of people that stop me on the street to talk and I like that as now I am 76 and semi-retired. -- Tex

Recently I have split a bunch of 20 year old folding knife blanks. This was veg tan belly and I never thought about using the split off pieces for anything, but a lot of them came off at 5 or 6 oz weight. I had a idea that I think has merit. How about using the split off pieces for first time stitching classes such as boy scouts. I took a couple of the thinner ones that I saved and hand stitched them. I used no pricking awl or punching awl, but just marked the stitch line and used a stab awl to make the holes, then stitch with a single needle down and back and tied the end off. They looked pretty good and were very functional. (see Picture) This way someone new to the hobby would only need a stab awl one needle and some thread which could be supplied by the class instructor. This would be great for boys clubs and boy or girl scouts and etc. The stab awls could be made with a package of stab points and some hard wood tool handle blanks. The stab awl points about 50 cents and the file tool handle blanks about $1.00 and stitching needle about 40 cents. This would not only teach how to stitch but how to get by on a very little money. It has been my experience that local businesses will support such a effort. I know that the finished product does not look like much, but to a boy that does it himself it will give him great pride and just maybe make a new leather worker in the process. -- Tex

Slingshot shooting and metal detecting. My wife and myself were both slingshot national champions in 2003 and 2004. We have done metal detecting since 1969. I still shoot but don't get much of a chance to shoot as my wife Nell has been fighting cancer for 3 !/2 years. Here is my YouTube channel. -- Tex slingshotbill - YouTube

I have two other hobbies and leather work is just a supporting hobby to these. I do sell simple leather products wholesale. Here are a few samples. Slingshot pouches and fixed blade and and folding knife sheathes among other small items that I sell or click for other people. -- Tex

Yes they make excellent clicking dies, also Pro Rodeo Originals makes excellent dies. They also are on this site. I do custom clicking of small parts for 10 cents and up per part with your die and leather. If interested talk to me before ordering dies as not all dies click the same. -- Tex

I have been wondering what to do with those Exacto blades! Thanks -- Tex

I have never used a arm guard when bow shooting myself, but they look great. Welcome to the forum! -- Tex

I have a round knife that I seldom use. I keep the fleshing blade on a stockman pattern knife razor sharp and that is what i use most of the time. -- Tex

Here is a cheap set of punches that I bought on eBay for $8.95 including shipping. I used my dremel tool to modify them into a set of end strap punches. They are 3/8 to 3/4 inch. They were to hard to cut with a hacksaw. They also could be made into corner trimmers by leaving 90 degrees instead of 180. The sample was of a real harry scrap of oil tan split. They cut regular leather very clean. -- Tex

Fish hooks catch people quite often also. I have helped several get unhooked. -- Tex

For smaller patterns that you use a lot, you can get a polyethylene pattern sheets at a lot of hobby stores. Your pattern can be laid on it and cut with leather shears, then the edges can be filed and sanded to a exact size and shape. -- Tex

A log of the right size sounds great and maybe lay a piece of one inch thick HDPE on top for pounding on. You can move it around with a two-wheeler. Even a cheap two-wheeler will work. For tool mounting such as a crank splitter or manual clicker press, I like a two drawer file cabinet with a 3/4 thick piece of plywood on top. I bolt through the plywood and the top of the two drawer file cabinet with the head of the bolt being in the file cabinet so the draws will still work. I put large fender washers under the head of the bolt. Then you have a couple of drawers to store things in. I have used my Lucris press like this for about three years now. You can move these with a two-wheeler also. The old very heavy two drawer file cabinet works best and you can usually fine one for about 15 to 20 dollars. -- Tex

I am on other forums including a private one. I have also written several articles for magazines. A person that is writing anything must use caution in what they say, because once it is said it is hard to take it back. Look at it like taking a pillow full of feathers and shaking them out in the wind and then trying to put them back in the pillow case. You just never get them all back. I have wished for a edit button here, but I am a guest and must follow the rules. It would be nice to change a post after something changes, like you got a answer or sold something. A moderators job is very hard with little thanks and I would not want to do it. Try to be kind when you post and that is my 2 cents. -- Bill

I like waxed Linen. -- Tex