steveb

To be clear - when i use a stiffening material - i laminate it between two pieces of leather - and i use it in structural aplicaitons to give things rigidity - not strength For the back of toolbags I dont use it at all I treat the back of toolbags like below: Simply doubled up heavy weight veg tan that is glued and sewn to the bag I dont see how a shower curtain is going to be strong enough to do anything.....ive used Xray film in lightweight apps before..but a shower curtain?

Gray - you dont need a clicker to get parts perfect insofar as a cut - you just have to start with a good clean template and follow the lines....Poly sheets - i got from a local plastics guy - shouldnt be hard to locate online.... preshrinking? wet/dry wet dry a few times and leave in the sun -that will shrink it - trick is to keep it flat whilst your doing this ...as far as finishes go - i keep it simple - tankote, neatlac, atom wax, RTC or neutral shoe polish work for me

I think that flex cutting board might be too heavy - i'd try to find some polyethylene or lightweight plastic that is flexible - they sell it in sheets and in diff gauges - you can sew through it and it works with contact cement...YMMV

great how-to, i produced a similar story for American Iron Magazine about a year and a half ago with Duane Ballard...it was fun to do and readers really dug it - very few people outside our craft have any clue - they see it kinda like magic... I've saved a bikernet tutorial from Paul Cox, Duane's and now yours - cool to compare an contrast techniques from those who really know bike seats... the one different twist to the way you actually assemble a seat is really smart to my eye - you stitch the seat top to the skirt flat and your skirt doesnt have a seam - you work off a flat piece of leather, not a seamed skirt at all... - you pull it tight as hell and really tuck and dart the nose - cool and nice job on the seat overall, that sure is one crazy drop seat frame, i wondered why the pan was so wack, kinda of a shame to drown nice carved detail in black - but ya gotta do what is necessary niice steveb

nice work, but thats not what you really want to hear from this crowd! ya get that from your customers!! my experieince with Tank panels: I avoid them as much as I can - they are too much work to try and do to the level they need to be done - braiding/lacing adds a layer of complexity an difficulty in mounting to the tank and acheiveing perfect symmetry - any and all bike parts have to be as near to perfect as you can make them - especially anything on the tank -that is a focal point and only the best can do for that location - so, with that said -shapes have to be perfect - this is not the place to freehand cut anything - every piece is mating to a metal piece that has a perfect geometry to it - so every piece has to be a++, same goes for lacing - does it tuck up under the dash or does it end prematurely and you see scribe lines? does the design float in the visual center of the piece when it is mounted or the mathematical center of the panel? better to be in the "natural/visual center" IMSHO\ - that takes some more time an care, test fitting things to see they fit to the eye - this is a big pain in the ass for rhe money with that said i have made every piece for a bike twice, once to get my ideas out of my head an the second time for keeps an pay - the second one ALWAYS comes out better and thats what my customers deserve. anyway - i do some points covers and have done a bunch of tank panels and misc pieces like that and have always had my leather shrink over time with exposure to the sun and repeated dousings with gas and water - so i tend to preshrink my leather before i cut it to final shape... and seal it to death anyway....nice work,, dig in, experiment and give yourself permission to try new things - thats the stuff you give to friends...!! this is a tank panel i made for my dresser, designed to accept an eyeglass case an fashoined after a civil war pistol holster...the case is reinforced and given rigidity by gluing and sewing polyethelyne plastic sheets to the individual panels an mounted to an 1/8 inch piece of rubber poundo board - talk about making stuff up...Ive had it on my dresser for 3 years - through all kinds of abuse - and it still looks new... the points covers are for my bikes also steveb

i have the neels splitter - borderline worthless, well it is better than that - but it is not what I would characterize as "excellent and a must-have" - it slips out of adjustment easily (adjusted only on one side of the blade....)...if you have to have a splitter, make sure you get one that allows the height adjsutment to really "lock" in place..... the strap cutter on the other hand is very useful and I use it all the time YMMV steveb

Air brushes rock - i use mine to apply every color but solid black over a large area. make sure to clean your brush well after each usage - take it apart and do it right! wear a breather too, now that youve atomized your material steveb

David - for bag body's i use 8-12oz veg tan or the hot stuffed black motorcycle leather from Wickett & Craig

nice- i like the contrasty color combo myself. cant beat it, classic - and i love flames...mmmm Things to watch: the orientation of your flames - where they start and stop and what part of them you see. you did a nice job on the overlaps - and could even accentuate them a bit more - less is more with graphics - so pick a theme and carry it through I'd put a heavy panel on the back of the bag to strengthen it, because if your customer is like my friends, and they need to carry tools - I am telling you a single weight bag aint gonna cut it over even one season of riding - it will sag and tear - guaranteed you could even punch a few more slots in the back to make it even easier to mount if you bulk it up a bit. I use seriously heavyweight leather when i make toolbags - they cant be too heavy if your guys gonna be riding stuff like braiding and lacing on a bike just attracts dirt and grease (ask me how i know) an if you wax it or treat it - its even worse - so I'd consider alternative treatments, even tho it looks s;icker than snot - again - i make stuff for abusive riders - if your customers dont need this kind of attention - good for you! I'd say you did one nice job! for a second piece - its an a**kicker!!!!

There is just no way i will sell my leather work on ebay. The rare times that i have somethng that ive made in advance i ususally give it away to a lucky person who happens into my shop, generally one of my friends. These pieces are usually prototypes, which is the only reason they have not been made for a specific customer All my work is bespoke and besides I have an anti-haggle policy..which runs counter to the spirit of ebay...lol

well thanks everyone for the warm welcome and kind words. if I could do anything, it would be sheridan style floral carving, i love the rich detail..but i have no drawing skills and cant visualize "figures" well...so i corrupted the proper use of the tools to make the simple work i can produce myself... I like simple graphics and typography..so i stick to that...someday i will have a handle on it ;-) or not, as is more than likely! lol when i have something intelligent to say..i'll pipe up!

Thanks for the props Johanna. I update my logo's presentation every year - I keep the hammer and mallets logo consistent in all I do - but I produce different treatments around them - and i use these on stickers, business cards, fridge magnets, t-shirts and sweatshirts - some of that crap I sell (enough to pay for the effort), honestly, most of it I give away to my friends and good repeat customers of which I have a few I like switching it up and my customers really like getting some schwag along with their custom on-off leather piece..kind of seals the deal and appears professinal...at least thats what Ive been told

Hello everyone, steveb here, let me pick up a round and get everyone their a heapin helpin of their favorite frosty beverage - anyway I have been working with leather for a few years now, self taught, a bit of trial and error and plenty of help and guideance from the capable folks in the IILG. I am ususally identified as a motorcycle enthusast to most folks and subsequently my leather work is focussed on trying to satisfy those folks. I make the staples - wallets, belts, sheaths, cases, pouches, a few bike parts...etc. I am not going to blather on, gimme time and I will do plenty of that - but I will say that it is nice to run across folks with similar interests who can share knowledge with one another. Not that I know much, but the very little I do know..hmm..well I am probably better keeping my mouth shut! if your interested, check out my site: www.steveb.biz g'night steveb