leatheroo

welcome brad....i have the same machine!!!! never used the binding attachment..removed it out of the way and i put a servo motor on it. The clutch motor that came with it was WAY TOO FAST. I bought a 3/4hp servo off ebay. cheers caroline

hi adam, the border stamp is a Midas stamp...made in new zealand. You can pick up old ones on fleabay, they also have a new range out here http://www.kellymidasclassics.co.nz cheers

Made a bracer today. Two layers of veg tan, stamped, antique brown dye, glued together. The layers were glued on a curve to eliminate curve wrinkles and the bracer will keep its curved shape. Cheers caroline

I back fender bibs etc with a piece of soft leather that covers any lacing by undercutting as well. However i put very thin rare earth magnets between the layers at the points where you might get curl. Keeps the bib secure and prevents movement thus reducing tank wear.

I don't know if this course will be offered at the next dimensions in leather, but if might be worth contacting Cherryl to enquire. http://www.dimensionsinleather.com/workshops06.htm

I would start with 6 strands and do the 4 round braid using 2 of the strands as a core, then when you need to do the flat braid you will have 6 strands to make a wider flat braid.

thinking outside the box is great.....just like your results...love it

taliah, you can try it out on the thick, damp leather..put the leaf on top (the grain side) and then something heavy on top...or you could try another piece of damp leather face down and the weight on top. This way you should get two imprints!

The method i used for these items was to find a sheet of clear plastic that i could feed into the inkjet printer. I bought the cheapest plastic kitchen cutting mats i could find (two for $2) and cut out an A4 piece. I tried different printer settings and found if set on photo paper, too much ink comes out. I found photo setting for plain paper best. The leather was damp, but not too damp or you get bleed. I slicked the damp leather with a glass slicker. After printing the image on the plastic, transfer to the leather carefully and use a tool to rub the plastic side to help the ink transfer. I let the leather dry and put on a sealer and polished and buffed. The ink seems to stay put! Cheers caroline

Hi paul, what did you use for padding. Most seat makers will put in 3/4 or 1 inch of neoprene. I trim the foam edges just a little. The leather will pull the rest done smooth and fill out any crinkles. Your lacing around the edges is very nice....it just needs to join at the bottom. Unfortunately the eye goes straight to the gap. You will find lots of tutorials on mex basket weave on the web. cheers

Hi talia, unfortunately this will not work with the chrome leather which you have. You will need plain veg tanned leather. Thoroughly dampen the leather and place leaves on the leather. Then place something heavy on top and leave overnight maybe. I find those kitchen glass cutting boards with a flat bottom good to put down first and maybe a big book. Don't expect to get colour from the leaves just the imprint. cheers caroline.

thanks everyone. I find the seats just to big and heavy to work with. I don't mind the carving, dyeing , but the construction, cutting etc just too hard on the hands. I need a offsider to do the heavy work.! So i will stick to smaller projects until i can get someone to help. cheers caroline

Have you tried veg tanned kangaroo? Kangaroo has 59% more tensile strength than bovine leather at the same thickness. So it is very strong when very thin. Lovely to work with. Comes natural veg tanned or coloured, also patterned. The only problem may be access to hides where you live and the cost. If you can get hold of some to try and like it, I know some leatherworkers group together and buy kangaroo direct from australia. Check out http://www.packerleather.com and http://www.packerdirect.com.au Very innovative company. They have just developed a leather that can be sewn into clothing that is washable. Alternatively, you can buy single kangaroo on ebay. This seller seems to do all the export paperwork for you. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HIGH-FASHION-SCARLET-Kangaroo-leather-VEG-TANNED-800-mm-x-800-mm-/281239627020?pt=AU_Leathercraft&hash=item417b30250c&_uhb=1 cheers

I love the idea of sandblasting. Great lateral thinking. looks great. What system are you using?

I have had that bookmarked forever....now its gone! I have this written in the back of my grants. Ginfer Knot three wraps Down UNDER 1 OVER3 UP U1 O3 D O1 U1 03 U O1 U1 03 D U1 O1 U1 O3 U U1 O1 U1 03 D U2 01 U1 O3 U U2 01 U1 O3 D U3 O1 U1 O3 U FINISHED? if you have made it before you maybe able to make sense of this. cheers

I decided that i don't want to make any more bike seats, so i thought i would post my last effort So glad to see this one gone. The tank strap, i think i did 3 times. Who tries to carve praying hands???? Why did i accept THAT order. Anyway, i think it turned out alright. He wanted the beads silver to match the bike. The camera's made it brighter than it really is. You can't tell by the photo, but the bend in the seat is nearly 45 degrees...makes for tricky photos. This was my last back order....yeah!!! No more bike seats.....now on to new things! cheers and thanks for looking caroline

Hi Svsek, i will email you all the manuals i have. There may be some slight differences in models, but the basics are the same. As for my needle hole problem....i went the easy way.....my brother just drilled the hole so it was bigger.

Hi frans, welcome to the world of leather...i agree, tandy is a great site and http://birdsall-leather.com.au are also very good and hold a lot of classes. They are located in Botany NSW. If you ever get to melbourne, Lefflers (http://www.leffler.com.au) is worth a visit..be prepared to lose at least a couple of hours in this leather wonderland. And don't forget your friends Google and Youtube. You have already found the best source of info here by finding this forum. My suggestion would be to start with pan seats. I think they are a lot simpler than bags, basically a metal sandwich with leather as the bread. I decided to only make these types of seats as there are only a couple of us doing it in australia. And that is now minus one, as i have stopped taking orders for seats. I was finding all the lacing too hard on my hands and i also basically got sick of making them. So have a look here http://leatherworker...owforum=63 I taught myself from these tutorials. Especially Davids Christian seat at the top. Cheers Caroline (Geelong Vic)

hi guys, here's my solution to the problem as taught by peter main. Good CLEAR ruler with metal edge if possible. The ruler should be marked in parallel and vertical lines to help get things square. My favourite is a quilting ruler. When it comes to cutting, use what ever is comfortable and appropriate to the thickness of the leather....as long as it is SHARP. Now comes the technique.....ONLY EVER CUT DIRECTLY OPPOSITE TO THE HAND PRESSING DOWN ON THE RULER. So if i wanted a yard length cut, i would start with the ruler set straight, starting at the top, left hand pressing down on ruler, i would make a firm cut about 6 inches long....then without lifting the blade, my left hand snakes down the ruler and i continue cutting only when there is pressure on the ruler opposite to where i want to cut.....continue moving down the leather. Your hands should always be opposite each other. It sounds a awkward, but many of you probably do this without thinking, and the movement gets to be quite fluid and produces a nice straight cut . Hope this helps cheers caroline

I admit it...i get a few chills when i see one of my clients bikes unexpectedly. Big weekend in Geelong....Car and bike trials... so i stood a short while and listened to the comments as people gathered to admire. I walked away with a smile.

There is so much beautiful work on this forum from so many talented people, but today i said Wow out loud.

wow, thanks for the great pictures

Been around for a long time...just not as active as in the beginning. I read the posts every day...great to see more aussies pounding the leather!