garypl

Niakulah, I am also curious how well the topcoat will hold up. Did your test items peel immediately or after the coatings had been on for a long period of time (say a week)? Was it only the topcoat that peeled or did paint come off as well? I have used the Giardini dense paint for about 6 months now, mostly for shell holders, shooting pouches and small items and have not had any problems with peeling or wear on any projects. This is the first time I used a topcoat so can’t comment yet on longer term results. I haven’t had much time since I received the new paints and coatings to work with them - only built up edges to see if the base coat sealer will make a difference and wanted to compare the colors. I buffed them briskly to see if there would be any color transfer and saw none. As I mentioned to JD, I plan to do some destructive testing on finished pieces of scrap to see how the paint and topcoat holds up. I will post results when I have more information to share. Gary

JD - I like the dense because it is easier to apply. Seems to roll on more smoothly with less lines. The thinner paint takes more work to get an even coat on the edges because it tends to streak when it is applied over a sealed surface - just like painting something with a watery substance versus a thick, tackier coating. You can also thin the dense paint more with water to stretch the yield. I added about 10% distilled water to all of the paint colors and did not seem to affect either type adversely. You can create very smooth edges with either type paint. The samples in the pictures are not meant to represent finished edges - I didn’t sand them smooth between coats because I just wanted to see how quickly the finish would build up. I have more scraps of the same leather and plan to experiment more on what it takes to create a really nice finished edge using paint. Then I will do some destructive testing to see how well it holds up under rough or wet conditions. Like I mentioned to Lobo - I’m not doing this for the money, just having some fun and learning! I have also used a thinned paint for backgrounding carved pieces. I use a small plastic bottle with a needle applicator to apply thinned paint - works great to outline stamped letters or for backgrounding. As far as which type paint to use, I don’t have enough time in yet to comment. I expect that the dense will be easier to use for edges, but the basic will be more cost effective for other applications. Suggest you get a small bottle of each type and play with it and decide which works best for you. Gary

Lobo - you are spot on with your comments on production. I do leatherwork for fun, to relieve the stress from running my other business. I sell very few pieces - mostly make things for friends and family. I also like burnished edges and use them on many projects, but I like to experiment as I am learning the craft! I think Edge Paint can add a nice decorative touch to certain types of projects, but I understand that it would not be appropriate all the time or in uses where the leather gets very wet. As far as durability, I can’t say how long it will hold up because I haven’t used it that long. I made myself an eyeglass case about 1 year ago and after keeping it in my back pocket and throwing it around when I get in and out of my truck every day, it shows almost no sign of wear. The paint is very elastic and seems to hold onto the leather tenaciously. Time will tell how long before it has to be touched up. This is what I enjoy about leatherworking - so many options on how to get to the end result! Enjoy your retirement! Gary

I received a package from Giardini a couple of days ago and I have been experimenting with the four colors of paint plus base coat and top coat products. I painted 4 scraps of leather with and without the base coat - here are preliminary results: Base coat applied to raw leather edge - you can see it leaves a very smooth white coating 1st coat of paint - bare edge on the left and edge with base coat on the right - much smoother after one coat of paint After 3 coats of paint After 5 coats of paint - less of a difference between treated and untreated edges After 5 coats of paint and a top coat finish The green color is Dense Edge Paint and the tan, red and blue are basic edge coat paint - all from Giardini. I am going to continue experimenting with these paints and finishes, but from what I have seen, the base coat product will allow a better edge with less sanding and fewer coats of paint. The top coat finish results in a very glossy finish - will look good in some applications but might be too shiny for some projects. I am going to try the matte finish - I believe it may look better on many of my projects. These paints do not rub off, with or without the top coat finish. I thinned all of the paints with @10% distilled water and they all went on smoothly. I have 125ml bottles and they will last a long time because a little paint goes a long way. Shipping to the USA was not bad - @$25 for 4 bottles of paint, a small bottle of dye, a small bottle of base coat and 1 liter of glossy top coat. The dye looks very promising - I tested on a piece of scrap and it gave a rich dark brown finish that seems to be fairly water resistant. I’ll post pics of a future project where I use the brown dye. Give Giardini products a try - I am very pleased with products I have tried to date! Gary

Beautiful! What did you use for the liner? Gary

Those rivets are looking better now! Gary

That sheath looks real clean! I also like the file work on the spine of the cleaver! Gary

Looking very nice! Gary

Really nice work and I especially like how good the inside stitches look - not pulled into the leather too tightly! Did you have to play with your tension settings a bit to get them to look this good? Gary

I have ordered veg tan spilt to 2 oz from Wickett & Craig, so they might be able to do 1 oz - suggest you call them and ask. Gary

Agree with Bonecross - mark one piece larger , glue the pieces, then trim both edges. You can also place a piece of paper over the bottom piece to keep the ends apart while you are placing the top piece onto the bottom piece. This will not stick to either piece and you can move it down the length as you work your way from one end to the other. Gary

That is a handy pouch, but that is a small flask! Maybe only two sips and it will be empty! I think if you finish the edges it would really stand out. They look a bit fuzzy - looks like the leather is milled so burnishing might be more difficult than edge painting. Nice job. Gary

Thanks for the information John! I like to use the Giardini edge paints - they are located in Italy and I understand they are having some type of free shipping promo now in Europe. I am expecting a shipment here in the US tonight and I am anxious to test some of their new finishing products. There is a thread here discussing the Edge Kote paints: - I have tried Edge Kote, Angelus and Giardini and I believe the Giardini is the most durable and does not rub off. I say experiment and decide what you like best. Gary

Thanks Terry - picture tells it all! Nice job! Gary

Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your project! Always nice to include details on construction (type and weight of leather, finish used, thread type, if applicable, hardware used, etc.) Your edges look unfinished. I think burnishing or edge paint would really be a nice finishing touch. Look forward to seeing more of your projects! Gary

What a great project Terry! Couple of questions: 1. Did you wrap the leather around the front and into the case, or did you glue it to the front and trim it? Looks like you metered the corners of the leather. 2. Hard to tell where the wool lining ends - does it extend all the way to the front of the case opening and butt up against the leather? Or does the leather wrap around inside the opening and overlap the wool lining? It’s apparent that a lot of time and effort went into the design and build - really nice job! Gary

Shipment held up in US Customs - hope for delivery tomorrow!

I apply Giardini Edge Paint last and have no problems with rub off. I have also sprayed with Resolene after applying edge paint with no problems. I just ordered some different samples of Giardini paint along with their base coat and gloss finish - supposed to be delivered tonight. Will try out and report results. Gary

They have really good prices on these and other fasteners - thanks for the lead! Gary

Very nice looking wallet! Gary

OTB is good if you are ordering in bulk. Try Buckleguy. Gary

Welcome and I will say you can learn much here. Look forward to seeing your projects! Gary

Any issue with pouring hot wax in the Tupperware?

Went to the local TJ Maxx/Homegoods store with my wife and while waiting for her to complete her purchase I found these two storage containers and immediately thought how I could use them in m6 shop. The mason jar with pump I am using to dispense NFO. It’s made for soap, so it has no problem with the NFO. I was always pouring oil from the quart bottle into a tuna can or other small bottle. Now I just give a quick push and have oil ready to apply. I also had a tuna can filled with my leather treatment (beeswax, carnuba wax, NFO, Lexol mixture) and it was open on my bench and always getting dust and lint in it. Now I put the wax mixture in the sealable jar and it’s easy to grab some with my fingers. The shallow depth makes it easy to access as it gets low on wax! Total cost for both was $8 plus tax. Gary

Your leather projects look great and I wish you all the best in your continuing recovery. My wife had stage 3 melanoma 12 years ago and after surgery and a nasty round of chemo, thank God she is cancer free. Every day is a gift and you are wise to be making the most of it! Look forward to seeing more of your work and hope you will continue to grow stronger every day. Gary