TexasJack

"Greenhouse syndrome" is an excellent term! Yes, it's well documented. "Greenhouse warming" is not. Carbon taxes and allowances are strictly political. The USA uses much more coal than Europe, so it will be more heavily taxed and that will drive up the price of it's goods. That gives Europe a financial edge. China, which is probably the most polluted country on earth, gets a free pass because everyone enjoys the cheap priced goods they produce. Furthermore, VOC emissions have NOTHING to do with carbon dioxide. It contributes to ozone formation when mixed with nitrogen dioxide and sunlight. Greenhouse syndrome falls into a broader category called "Pop-science" or "Pop-sci" That's where a small amount of information is extrapolated into something that can be termed a "crisis" and get media attention. Toss in carbon taxes and allowances and suddenly it takes on political power. This is not really a proper forum for such debate, but let me say that my stand on this issue is NOT political. I've been an air quality scientist for 30+ years. I've watched these pop-sci 'crises' wax and wane. Anybody remember the 'nuclear winter' where we were all going to freeze to death because of air pollution? Carl Sagan made a fortune promoting that. Al Gore is making a fortune promoting global warming. Oh, yeah, and NASA got a tremendous budget boost to study the hole in the ozone layer - and we banned most Freon products so we wouldn't be irradiated to death. The hole still comes and goes (regardless of Freon usage), no one has any idea why it does that, and we're all still mostly alive. I don't mean to stir things up with anyone over this. It just galls me to no end that real science and real solutions to problems get no funding while half-baked pop-sci ideas are used to re-write laws and treaties that affect all of our lives.

The dyes aren't being banned because of disposal; they are being banned because of air quality regulations. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which includes most organic solvents, contribute to ozone formation. States that have problems meeting the federal National Ambient Air Quality Standards can put severe restrictions on products containing those chemicals. If they banned all VOCs, shut down all industry, and moved everyone out of California, they would still not meet the standards for ozone. (A combination of natural vegetation and the way the terrain interacts with air currents makes the problem.) So the concept that a 3 oz. bottle of dye might destroy ecosystem is just insane. Don't be surprised to see such bans in other states. Environmental regulations are probably 75% based on politics and not science or engineering. The people proposed to run EPA for the incoming administration are nothing short of fanatics. Meanwhile, retailers like Tandy are trying to come up with alternatives so they don't get driven out of business. Anyone care to comment on how well the 'green' stuff compares to the traditional stuff???

Hockey pucks are a bit rare in Texas. I'm sure it's a great idea in S. Dak., but I must say it sounds a bit odd here.

Been there, done that. Here's a true horse story: My sister was married to this guy whose family had a farm. She just couldn't live without getting a horse, so they did. One day, she left the barn door open and the horse got into the feed and ate as much as he could. Then, he went out and drank water. A very bad thing for a horse, and he swelled up like a balloon. My sister gets a call at the house that the horse is lying out in the pasture, dying. So she runs out of the house - leaving the Teflon coated frying pan on the stove - and jumps in the car. Backing out of the driveway, she runs over her cat. She gets to the horse, calls the vet, but it's too late and the horse croaks. She comes back home to discover that Teflon cooks into a gas that is extremely toxic to her parakeets. Yup, killed them too. Now, her husband comes home to discover this mess, and because this isn't the first time stuff like this has happened, he refuses to take care of the dead horse or to bury any of the other dead animals. Several days go by with her trying to figure out what to do before a couple neighbors take pity and haul it off for her. If I had a dollar for every time I've had to explain the concept of "we have no money, therefore you can't spend any", I'd be rich enough I wouldn't have to say it again. One insane day at a time, amigo.

The in-laws will be over for dinner. You know the difference between in-laws and out-laws? Outlaws are WANTED! As to cooking, I do the majority of it. (Turkey doesn't fit in the microwave, so the wife can't figure that out.) Anything cooking wise that takes patience becomes my job. Homemade rolls, turkey, etc. Clean-up will also probably be my job as well. And, if tradition holds, as I'm tossing pans into the cupboard and mumbling various oaths about just how in the h*** I got stuck doing all that work, my wife will walk in and complain that I'm making too much noise. Tradition is what it is.

Hard to tell if the Gov was more corrupt than most of our gov't officials, or just more clumsy. Obviously your design shows good taste, and I have respect for an LEO with the smarts to make sure that every situation will find him still armed and ready to make the world a dangerous place for bad guys.

Looks great! Conceals the revolver nicely. I am curious as to why someone in a Yankee state would put a Texas decoration on this. (Not objecting, mind you, just observing.) I'm not an LEO, but I wonder if the snap is really a secure way to protect the gun from being grabbed when worn on the belt.

If you can stand all the attention, let me add to the chorus: Very impressive!

Chuck! You've been hanging out with Tai Goo!!! Not that anyone would be surprised, but it really came out looking nice!! Very different from most of your stuff.

Very nice pair, Dave!

First off, that's a pretty cool sheath. I saved my first one just to give me a laugh on bad days. Yours is far better. You need a groove cut where your stitching is. Otherwise anything rubbing against the sheath will cut into the thread. Also makes it look nicer. The earlier comment about more space between the carving and the edge is a good one. Why is the strap a different color? Ooooh, the one thing that really stands out as a "needs improvement" is the way you sewed the belt loop on! That's single stitch doesn't have much strength. The loop should go further down the sheath in the back, allowing you some room to sew a square. (Actually, 3 sides straight and one like a "V".") The loop is a bit short (as pointed out earlier). It would look better if the top of the sheath was angled to match the blade. Again, it looks pretty good, but getting honest critique is the best way to keep improving. I wouldn't have said anything critical except that you asked. Make more - post pics!

Well, I'm not a pro, but I did know a guy that had his boss's picture printed on some golf balls. Whenever he had a frustrating day, he'd take a few down to the nearby driving range and whack 'em. He claimed it lowered his blood pressure by 50%.

Those really look good!

Nice design on the case! For the most part, it came out great. As Cowboysaddlemaker pointed out, the Stohlman book is invaluable in learning how to get the stitches right. It's well worth the price. Little things make a big difference as far as how professional something looks. When Chuck Burrows came out with his DVD on sheathmaking, guys that had been making sheaths for years suddenly showed vast improvements. Finishing the edges alone can make a big difference. Still, like the other commenters so far, the case looks so good that it's hard to beat you up on technique. I hope you do lots more and post pics here!!!

The idea is to wipe any oily/waxy stuff off the surface. You don't soak the leather. Tandy sells a deglazing solution, but may people use acetone, denatured alcohol (ethanol), or isopropyl alcohol ('rubbing alcohol') Fiebling's deglazing stuff is ethyl acetate. Chemically, they are all intended to do the same thing: dissolve waxes and oils to wipe them off the leather and then evaporate quickly. After re-reading this thread, I picked up on the spot showing up after shene. Are you wiping off the excess dye before coating it? The spot may have been there all along but you just couldn't see it.

Are you deglazing the leather? Rubbing alcohol will take off the waxes or oils from processing.

Not everyone is allergic to cocobolo dust, but those that are tell me it can make you break out pretty bad. A long-time knifemaker told me that he's noticed that it has to mix with sweat in order to cause him problems. Of course, any dust in the lungs is a bad thing.

Nice!! Especially like the first one.

Here's a clue about Publisher: Microsoft doesn't use it on their websites! Same goes for MS FrontPage. I don't want to advertise or promote anyone's software or service, but for a couple of years I maintained a web site for my kid's high school band. We used GoDaddy for the service. They had free software and guidance for just about anything you'd want to do. They could not have been more helpful. The Knife Network uses Atlanta Virtual and I see a lot of posts about how helpful they've been for folks getting started. Again, I'm not promoting either of these companies, but using them to point out that there may be resources available from your provider that can help you without hitting your pocketbook. After all, they have a vested interest in your success!

Of course, a truly dedicated leatherworker would say, "Live Free and Dye".

No one will ever mistake me for an expert on dyes. However, I did pay some attention to Chuck Burrows' video on sheath making. According to Chuck, you have to wipe down the leather after it dries because there will be particles of dye (that were once suspended in solution) on the surface. Failing to do that will result in the 'bleeding' problem you have.

Nice job! I especially liked the map of Brown's Canyon. Really links it to an event they can remember.

Using plastic probably helps the condensation problem because it doesn't transfer heat (in this case "cold") as fast as metal. Aluminum DOES NOT cause Alzheimer's. When the disease was first being studied, it was found that people with the disease seemed to have higher levels of aluminum in their brains than those without the disease. The press picked that up and reported it, and it has been lingering out there ever since. Research - real research, not CNN's pop science or some stoner running a health food store - found that the aluminum level was caused by the disease, not the other way around. That has been known for at least 30 years, but it's not exciting enough to be reported. As for plastic, it is incredibly hard for anything to migrate through plastic. That includes BPA, dyes, solvents left over from manufacture, etc. Sorry for the rant - I just have a thing about 'pop-sci'. Not blaming you, of course, it's the stupid media that plays up every event as a 'crisis'. Just be thankful you didn't get me started on global warming.........

Mossberg made a 10 gauge version that was very, very popular on the Gulf Coast for goose hunting. Kicked like a mule, but could really put some lead in the air. 12 gauge magnums (3 1/2 in.) put a real dent in 10 gauge sales. 16 gauge is a great size. It's too bad that it's nearly been wiped out with the popularity of 20 and 12. I've got an old single shot 16 that's probably too old for modern ammo. It has an extremely long barrel and was supposed to be pretty good for squirrel hunting. According to Fjestad's Blue Book, the following bolt actions were in 16 g. Models 190, 190D, 190K - 1955-58 - Top value: $125 (excellent, 100% condition) Models 390, 390K, 490A - 1971-1976 Top value: $125

Dave, that's sweet!!!!!