RandyScott

Here is a link to google to search for 'how to degrease bones': https://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=how%20to%20degrease%20bo&tok=mFMYrWuI9p8ieIo0iWQrag&cp=20&gs_id=1x&xhr=t&q=how+to+degrease+bones&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=how+to+degrease+bone&aq=0&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=d6f68e5c56c9b3bd&biw=1130&bih=639 I have made boning tools from hardwoods, both exotic/foreign and domestic... it is quicker, cheaper and easier. Bone has a propensity to leach fat for years if it has not been degreased properly. One Christmas season Rockler's, a retail woodworking chain, had a box of 'exotic hardwood' cutoffs. I paid about 50 cents each and made fids, creasers, burnishers, boners, etc.. Some of that wood was really hard to work with hand tools. It will hold well against leather.

On the advice of 'nthe10ring' a couple years ago, I purchased 'bowstring wax'. Still using it. Here is a link: http://www.3riversarchery.com/product.asp?i=4192 I make a few sheaths from time to time; the wax is 'sticky', smells great, and seems to do the jiob for me. Best yet... the cost is reasonable.

The above link returns an error... not to worry... simply backspace through the period following 'aspx' in the URL box, hit the Enter key and the link loads.

I'll be glad to get up some photos.. as soon as I get the camera back from my granddaughter. She borrowed it to take photos of some kittens that she is fostering and using the photos in an attempt to get them adopted. I am hoping to get the camera this weekend, so I should have something in about a week.

And as Paul Harvey used to say "Here is the rest of the story!" : http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/wakeup.asp Please read the entire article.

I use a stitching pony (Chuck Burrows or WRTC style) that I made. The edge of the sheath could be two to four layers of 7-8 or 8-9 leather and the leather tends to want to work up and out unless I tighten the jaws very tight, so I back up the stitch line with the cork held in my hand.. just a cork from a wine bottle. I grind two sides flat (a right angle), one to rest on the jaw and the other just beside where the awl point should exit. As the awl point approaches the rear side of the leather it will create a little bump indicating where it will exit. If not correct I will adjust the point to hit the stitch groove or stitch line I want and complete the punch. Up around the mouth of the sheath, where the welt and edge are thickest, they are also increasing in thickness, therefore not flat and it is harder to get the awl through. Here I use a cork that I cut a notch into it, this provides more area to support the leather as the awl point approaches the back side of the leather. Just reread the above, I also remove the wine stained portion of the cork, ususally just a tad on the end. By using my finger tip to control depth of the awl blade exit, I control the size of the hole, especially important when back stitching at the thickest portion of the welt. Perhaps true for others, however all I use is 18/5 cord.

I use the 'leather washers', flat spot on the awl handle to prevent it rolling off the table, flat spot on the handle by the ferrule for my thumb to 'index' the awl handle, shortened the awl handle till the butt of the handle nestles in my palm, back up the leather where the awl will exit with a large cork.. it provides a nice solid surface and prevents self impalement, and rest the fore finger on the awl blade so that no more than 1/2" of blade is beyond the finger tip. Punch and control the depth with the finger tip. Adjust the 'depth limiter' to achieve the proper sized hole for the needle/thread combination. I use 18/5 at 5 or 6 SPI for my sheaths. If you cut a notch in the cork, you can observe the awl point before it completely penetrates and adjust to put the awl point in your stitch groove.

I am in Sugar Hill, just north of Atlanta.. Hey Mike, I lived on St Simons a long time ago, summer of '69, during the four months of training out at NAS Glynco before it became the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Does it still smell when crossing the causeway into Brunswick? The locals always said it smelled like money to them. And if I remember correctly, you have some very large mosquitos in those salt water marshy areas.

No... I acknowledge that my situation must be unique in that no one else reports this issue (of the forums I frequent, it only happens on LW), I have a work around that is not onerous, and I am a tad leery of undocumented 'fixes'. The operative word is 'May'... Better the devil I know... thanks for the suggestion, but I will pass on it. For the record: I download all the MS updates promptly; I did walk all the way into the Add/Remove programs.. selected Help and searched for 'repair' and read the applicable items therein... and did not find anything that provided me with the assurance I need to pull the trigger.

I was not aware of this application... neat tool for some uses... my work around suffices for the moment.. I added the link to my 'bullet collection', i.e., nifty little bullets (tools) in my gunbelt for future possible use. Thanks for the link.....

Nope... the work around mentioned above works for me.... quick, easy, copy what I want, ignore the rest.. thanks for the suggestion.

Nope, didn't even think of it.... however, I tried it and it works! Thanks for the suggestion!

Johanna, Thanks for the info... I had forgotten all about those icons! When I click on the printer icon, it displays all the text in the thread right justified against the right margin, yet when copied and pasted into a Word doc, it scrambles the text as before and, additionally, is right justified.. net result, no gain. The download function saves an html image of the entire page.. just way too much when all I want is text and/or a photo. Am I the only one this is happening to? If so, then there is no further need to seek resolution as it is on my side of the fence and not yours. Randy

Hivemind, I am careful when grabbing the text, for example: #1 above appears, when pasted into my doc as ".t try and grab entire web pages'don ,re after'Be very careful to just highlight the precise text you" and I only saved the sentence. As to #2, that process grabs the entire visible screen page.. all I want is a paragraph, a text snippet, perhaps a photo, not the entire page. The screen capture program I use permits me to 'draw a box around what I want'. Some forums have a feature that permits one to view a 'print version' of the screen which 'cleans up' and displays the content of the thread and not all the avatars, signatures, etc. LW doesn't have that feature as far as I have been able to ascertain.

I was browsing the forums today, saw some information I wanted to copy (when I want to 'keep' some tip/technique/idea/etc., in a permanent manner, I create a document, title it and move it into an 'archive folder' where I can access it as needed. I then 'copy and paste' the text/photo/etc., into the document.) into my archive document. As soon as I pasted the text, I realized the text was.... well, all sort of mixed up.. it was like portions of it were cut and repasted at random. And, I then realized I had encountered this before and became really frustrated and simply quit trying to save these tips, etc.. When I attempted to 'straighten it out' in my document, it sometimes will work and sometimes it simply will not let me. I use this technique on multiple websites and this is the only one where I encounter this problem. I am running on a DSL with near T1 download speed, through a router with a dynamic IP address, into a server running Windows XP OS and MS Office Suite of products. I was able to successfully copy and save text and then, one day it started to scramble the text. I have my profile set to auto sign me on when I access the site. I don't 'log off' either, just close the browser or enter another URL address and go. I will give that a quick test, and if it clears it up I will post the new status. I can simply use a screen capture program and do it the hard way, but I like the ease of save and paste the text and photos as needed. Hmmm... just learned one can not cut and paste text within this box... i.e., move a bit of text from one paragraph to another. Anyone have any ideas on resolving the initial issue? Thanks

The October 2010 issue of Rawhide Gazette announced the transfer of ownership of the burnisher to another person. She maintains an EBay store front and the replacement burnisher is listed as a separately available component. here is the link to the ebay site: http://stores.ebay.com/scentofleather

Probably this... http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2422

If the blade tips are the real issue, I would suggest that it would be easier to remove the metal from the back side of the blade vs. reshaping the curve of the blade edge. A half round file used carefully on the back of the blade will permit you to remove only the metal necessary till the tips have been reshaped. Place the blade, handle up, between two pieces of wood or leather in the jaws of a vise, with just a quarter or eighth of an inch of the blade above the jaws and proceed slowly. The blade has been hardened (and tempered) however a new file should cut it. Remove metal only from the last half inch or width of the file toward the tip. It may look a little odd but you really want functionality. And don't forget, the filing will raise a burr, use a very light touch with some automotive grade sandpaper, 400 to 800 grit, to remove the burr, and/or break the sharp edge. Hope this helps.

The suggestions to use a round knife is because the width of the blade, 4" - 6", makes it very easy to see when the blade is canted from the vertical. My mentor, with about 60 years of experience, has several head/round knives however he uses an 'angled utility knife'. He has three or four scattered around the cutting table. Here is a link to the Tandy product he uses: http://www.tandyleat...ture=Product_26 . Ergonomically it fits the hand well, therefore more 'controlled' power can be used to make a single cut through 8 - 12 ounce leather. And, keep that blade polished and strop often to keep that razor edge on the blade. His work is predominately on large stuff, knife sheaths and holster/gun belt rigs. I personally found that if I position my work light to shine directly down the line of cut toward me, then I could also use the shadow of the blade as it fell on the pattern to assist me in keeping the blade vertical. Just as in sawing wood with a handsaw, body position is very important in keeping the blade vertical and learning that comes with practice. Some of the posts segued toward the Damascus blades, lot of money for a knife. I picked up two very nice and older CS Osborne head knives with 4" - 4.25" blades for less than $30 each plus shipping via EBay. Might want to try a less expensive tool to determine if you want the more expensive version. It took me a while before I was comfortable with my fingers anywhere close to those razor sharp head knives. I made very sure my fingers were behind the cutting edge. I still use them occassionally, however, I now use my angle utility knife for most cutting as I find it easier to control the cut and I can put more power into the cut.

Talk about a trip down memory lane! Hour after hour of spit polishing boots. I used the basic technique as outlined by barra, 100% cotton diaper was, and remains to this day (and I polish my dress shoes weekly to this day and it has been many, many years!). My shoe shine kit is a 7.62 ammo box that is older than my children and I am a granddad. I remember using cotton balls, spit, water, breathing on the shoe. One pair of boots for junk on the bunk inspections, parades, formal inspections, etc., two pair of 'users' in rotation. I still do a basic polish, buff with horsehair shoe brush, use a piece of flannel to buff to a semi-gloss, then lick the cloth covered finger and just barely touch the Kiwi Parade Gloss and rub it gently on the leather till it takes on the shine I want. If traveling a bit and my shoes get a little beat up, I will use lighter fluid or alcohol to remove a layer and blend in the skuffs and start the whole process over. Oh.. and of course, the killer was all the effort to get the 10 yard shine and then stand in the summer sun while the sun turns your spit shine into crap or the wind picks up and the dust very nicely coats your loving efforts. Oh well, it was to build esprit de corps, discipline, activity traps to keep you busy. Oh, to the poster who was in the USMC Band.. did you ever do the Evening Parade at Eighth and I?

Warning! Bug bombs have been known to be the cause of burning down your dwelling. Read the labels carefully. I use an Ortho product, purchased at Home Depot, called Home Defense. My house is a ranch style built on a slab. I spray the around the exterior perimeter of the slab, around all doors and windows, around the corners (where floor and wall meet), etc., in the garage. Inside, I vacumn the floor, especially the corners, wipe down the baseboards and spray where the walls and floor meet, again around any entrance to the house, etc. throughout the house. I do this twice yearly, spring and fall. I repeat the process inside if it has been really wet or dry and critters start coming in the house. This seems to work for me. I have a toddler grandchild who is over frequently. Per the label, I spray when I have a couple days before their next visit. I rarely hear the wifey holler for me to come and kill something!

See the link in post #3: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=19687&st=0&p=127546&fromsearch=1entry127546

The steel in the tang does not seem to have been adversely affected by the rust/oxidation and as long as the resolution prevents moisture and air from getting to the tang, there would not be much chance of further oxidation/rusting. So, how to prevent moisture in the new leather disks? I have seen several threads on knife forums where the disks were soaked in an epoxy resin, the disks slid over the tang, any open space around the tang was also filled with the epoxy resin, the pommel mounted and the entire assembly brought under pressure to squeeze the disks as tightly together as possible till the epoxy cured. Clean up any squeeze out as it occurs. A slow curing, i.e., 24 hour, epoxy was recommended. After curing, grind, shape, sand and polish the handle till completed. There are other materials, such as spar varnish, polyuerathane, boiled linseed oil, tung oil, etc., which may serve as well. I think the first question to asked is 'how is the knife to be used?'. Is it destined to be used daily and hard or will it become a drawer queen. A drawer queen can merely be treated to be moisture resistant and a hard user to be water proofed.

Campbell-Bosworth carries 5 cord left twist linen thread but not right twist - see this link: http://www.campbell-bosworth.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/6_71_73?osCsid=6funrp8ns28q5o8mgjeut4ef76

Art, Thanks... yes that is what I SHOULD have said... I was trying to keep an eye on my 2 year old grandson, measure the round knife and type at the same time. Randy