Troy Burch

I've only done rattle snake on knife sheaths and heavy coats of clear-lac kind of glues them in place but I don't think that will work on a wallet, the friction will loosen them up and they'll fall off. I have had skins that the scales were coming off so badly that I just went ahead and took them all off and after a shiney finish I couldn't tell the difference. If you've got a little piece to spare put your finish on it and check it out. At the very least my comment will bump the thread up so maybe someone who knows better will comment.

Thanks shoepatcher! Mines been doing the samething if I sew to fast. I hung a small weight (my thread snips) on it and it stopped but now I can fix it right.

There are probly several of them but (Leather Tools for sale) is one I'm on and also a couple of more members of this group.

Sounds like you've got some quality of life decisions to make, a dangerous procedure or pain control or both. I wish you the best and if you need any moral support just holler, if you do lets take this to personal message. Troy

TexasLady, I've just got a sears riding mower but it's automatic, I use a cane to push the clutch so I can start it. I don't like talking about my injurys in public but having gone thru what your going thru now I'll give the best advice I can and you can take issue with it or find out for yourself. I was in a coma for months, back crushed, organs shutting down, arotia severed and on life support for months. The doctors told my family I was brain dead and would die and wanted to take me off life support. Obviously they were wrong, they send me to a nursing home saying I would never leave and would be bed ridden for the rest of my life. After the initial I just wished I had died period I decided to hell with the pain or anything else and started things on my on like trying to roll over by myself then on to trying to sit up in bed without help. I finally sat up in bed and the next day I talked them into letting me go home for a weekend and once there refused to go back to the home. It was a hard slow progress to get to where I am now but here I am enjoying life. I'm just saying dont put limits on yourself, it's way to early. You'll find your limits when you get there and you'll find they will be less and less as you go. After year or two when you learn to be paraligic (I know that sounds dumb but its not) you'll understand what I'm not doing a very good job of trying to explain.

Your going to really like it. In my opinion solid colors take away from the leather aspect, where as letting some of the leather show thru adds to it being more than a painting. I was taught to leave the natural leather in the highlight parts and dilute the paint.

Thats nice Bob, what took you so long to do a belt.

TexasLady, I'm a paralegic also. I think you'll find your strength will greatly improve as you go. Sure you'll be sore and stiff at first but I liken it to physical therapy, you'll get your upper strength back and wont be anywhere near as limited as you might think. I've been doing leatherwork for 10 years now and the only thing I can't do are saddles and thats only because they're just to heavy to manhandle. I do occasionally repair them but for 2 or 3 days my back pays for it. I still climb on the mower, weed eat, flower beds, pretty much all the outdoor work on my 3 acres. My advice is don't put limits on yourself, figure out a way around them. I even have a 205 Adler sewing machine I've modified so I can sew without foot controls. When your tooling put an elbow on the table for stablity. Do the kind of leatherwork you enjoy and if a problem comes up solve it or ask on this forum. It wont be long before you realize theres not much you can't do unless it's up high. Short people are truely handicapped. lol Good luck Troy

There are lots of you tube videos that will help you.

I've got some watch strap buckles I'd like to get rid of. Message me if interested. Sorry for the crappy pics. My pictures zoom and blur on this site. It's only happens on here and I don't know how to stop it.

Nice shop VanHorn, It must be nice to have a shop big enough to need an exit sign.

Doc, I normally use one of the starburst type border tools. I wonder how your friend is going to use this without straps but I guess he has his reasons.

I was sent looking for a sky hook when I was 15. First job and I fell for it. lol

Looks good, but I think you need a border stamp. Why no straps on the scabbart?

Can't really tell from the pics if it's bites or discoloration, but either way it's probly the cheap leather. Tick bites will have a little bump, grubs is what causes the little round holes.

They are called rosettas. Search rosetta punchs

You can also go to a taylor shop or a place that does alterations and they will sell or order what you need. I like to use the metal zippers that are used in levi jeans. Theres a dress shop down the road from me that makes wedding and prom dresses and does alterations that orders what I need in any length, I'm sure they can order any kind of zipper made.

I use a utility knife for all my cuts. I use a sharp pencil for traceing around my pattern and cut dead center on the line, the small thin line will disappear with the cut. On the little curves I just tilt the knife up so just the tip cuts. I do make 2 passes if it's thicker leather, after you make the first pass the knife will follow nicely to cut thru. I also strop my utility knife blade often, you'll be surprised how much that helps.

I redye boots alot. My method is to use deglazer to get all the finishes off then use pro oil dye to redye. Don't use a damp rag and scrup, use a wet rag and wipe, let the leather dry and do it again. You may even have to do it a third time(very seldom). You should be able to tell when the waxes and stuff are off because the leather will darken when it gets wet. Every pair I've done this way whether new or used have come out looking like new. Most of the time I'm redyeing black or brown, like I mentioned above use pro oil dye it works much better.

I bought some brass toothed zippers and stops from Tandy a few years back, I guess they still have them. You can buy the zipper by the foot and the stops seperate.

I see no difference in commissioning out the tooling verses hiring someone to work in your shop to do tooling. There are plenty of shops that hire leather workers of different talents for their certain expertise and the logos of each individuals don't get stamped on the project. As far as what to charge theres no book such as mechanics have to tell how many hours a project should take and the hourly rate to charge, so you'll probly have to figure that out yourself.

F, looks similar to a bracket for holding a dremmel tool but with the base missing.

Thanks Chris

That's some awesome sandals, I'd like to see a pic of the bottom.

Hi Ray, I've never used one of them things, maybe you can tell me what it does that makes it better than useing traceing film. Does it make patterns easier to trace or maybe easier to see? Thanks Troy