Johanna

I usually do the first buff with plain water, until I get a feel for how the leather is going to accept the rubbing. If it squishes down the way I want it to, then I usually finish with Leather Balm with Atom Wax by Fiebings. I use gum tragacanth on the occasional stubborn hide that needs the Elmers Glue quality gum trag has to make the fibers compress. On really rough edges you can use a fine sandpaper to prep it for the water buff. I know I'm not explaining this well, someone else want to chime in here? After awhile you just get a feel for which can to reach for next, depending on how the hide acts. Since each hide is unique, there is no "right" answer. Johanna

I really like the shoes, too. My girls would not only love wearing them, they would enjoy making them, and you gave me a few ideas! I don't know if I would sew them or rivet them, but if I sewed them, I would go through the sole bend with a Dremel tool. Zip, zip done. One thing I would do is to dampen the edges and have the girls buff hard with a piece of scrap, then some sailcloth or denim, and then probably rub one of the edge dressings in and buff some more with sheepswool. If you apply enough heat (friction) you can almost "melt" the two layers together. Smoothing the edges of projects is just a nice finishing touch. Thanks for the good ideas, JWU! Johanna

I'm just curious what resource was the most help to an aspiring leatherworker through the years. Everybody think back. What one resource gave you the most assistance when you were first starting out, and which one would you rather have had? Which one taught you the most? What did you like about learning leather the way you did? What would have been better? Please tell us what kind of leather education you would suggest to a newbie. Thanks, everybody! Johanna

Grabowski has to be Dale Grabowski, Grandpa's Pastime. http://www.grandpas-pastime.com/ He makes a number of useful items for leatherworkers out of wood. edit- found it "Sit-n-stitch" http://www.grandpas-pastime.com/stitch.htm Johanna

Randy- don't do it, or you'll end up getting banned from the IILG or sued by Tandy. Johanna

Hmmm...I'm trying to think of the last time I had steak in a restaurant, and I'm pretty sure it was before marriage and kids, and thus a distant (but fond) memory. How to cook a steak: heat cast iron skillet with canola oil (will get hotter temp than reg oil) until a drop of water sizzles rub beef with pepper put steak in pan, turn once eat My sister turned me on to "Cavender Greek Seasoning" a couple of years ago. I like it on steak, in vegetable soup, meatloaf, fried potatoes and so on. What goes well with a good steak? Baked potato and asparagus. My neighbor moved, and she told me to dig up her "schpargle" beds. (I have no idea how to spell the German word, but I knew exactly what she meant!) I planted about 8 X 4 ft. in my garden, and for a month or so in the summer, we are in schpargle heaven. The kids don't like it, of course, and since fresh asparagus is $5.99 a pound in the store for most of the year, it's just as well. Johanna

I don't think there would be any problem with posting tool reviews in the tool forum. We might learn something new about the tool from the different perspectives and experiences. People could refute or confirm another's impressions, so no thread would seem "one-sided". You have really good ideas, Regis, keep 'em coming! Johanna

and the winner is....Beaverslayer at almost midnight! Sorry, Ken, I don't have a prize. You should get one, though! Hmmm... :scratchhead: (some music while I'm thinking...) uh-oh, now I'm sleeping... This update wore me out. Johanna

Dragons Pearl posted an issue with Firefox, too, and I moved it to the computer section. Dale, could we get together with DP and exchange notes in that thread? You are a regular FF user, right? And it worked okay before the update? Michael, you are correct. This board and the Live Cat feature use Javascript to perform many of the functions. Is your FF working correctly now? Thanks for posting how you resolved the problem. Is there a way in FF to make a "trusted site" and give it broader permissions, like you can do in IE? A member let me know today that Norton had been blocking the pop ups with its "ad blocking" feature. Another member downloaded an updated version of Javascript and the problems she experienced went away. As far as I know, the AOL issues are corrected. Let me know if I've missed anything. Thank you, Johanna

Dale reported that his drop down menus were not working with a current version of FF after the update on Sunday. Dale, are you having the same problems as Dragons Pearl, too? DP, Do you see the upload atteachments area with the browse button to upload pictures under the composed message? Is it there and doesn't work, or is it absent so you can't use it? When you edit posts, what error do you get with FF? Are you experiencing any other problems with FF? Thanks for your help. I'm trying to sort out the FF issues right now. Johanna

I'm trying to figure it out, Dale. When you hover the mouse, do you even see the arrow? I have FF 1.0.4 (guess I need to update it, huh?) and it works okay. I'm going to check on the kids' computer as soon as I get them off for the night. (Theirs is up-to-date, or closer, anyway) Does the little box appear on a hover? Thanks, Dale! Johanna

Mark, your original offer was more than generous. The black machine is an "imprinter" and works great with the 3-D and alphabet stamps from Tandy. The red machine is a setter, I think, for rivets and snaps. They retail at more than $100 each after tax. The buckles are worth at least $3 each, maybe more. The hardware is clean and neatly organized- looks like a good $50 worth or more from the pics, and the strap cutter is brand new, still in the bag. ($12) Someone would get quite a deal with your latest offer! Good luck with it- and are you sure we can't talk you into an entertaining hobby? Johanna

Are you volunteering to teach Wade to lay out patterns and sew? I don't think you have enough room or light in your basement yet, but if you want to clear out a spot upstairs...at least the machine would get used! (It's hard living with packrats, isn't it?) Seriously, he asked me to keep it so he could sew on it. In his spare time, right, sure. Johanna

Monkey, don't be so grumpy! Here you go, Alex, a choice! Default skin enabled, by request! Johanna

We have a confirmed glitch with AOL, and I'm reading IPB's help documentation right now to try to find a workaround. All but one user has been restored with simply resetting the password salt, so far. If anyone is having problems logging in, staying logged in, or seeing the drop downs, please let me know. We would like to get it corrected ASAP. Johanna

Michael Sheldon, No one else seems to be having problems with the drop down menus, and I can't seem to duplicate the problem Perhaps you could try clearing your temp files? Dsenette: oops, sorry. But ain't it pretty? Johanna

If you click "add reply" (not fast reply) and "post new topic" you should see the spell checker on the right at the top of the window where you compose the message, along with the tools to center align etc. It says "abc" and has a checkmark. All of the new icons have a hover feature that makes them identify themselves when you pass your cursor over top. One of the new features is that the old "contacts" have been replaced with "friends" which also serves as the "auto-complete" for Private Messages. I colored the "upload" button bright green, and if you are having any difficulty posting attachments, let me know. If you haven't done so, please fill out the information in your profile so that people can learn a little about you, and the work you do. Please add your websites to your profile and/or signature, and take advantage of any extra publicity that the board generates. Let us know if something isn't working right, or we can do a better job. If I can't fix it, I can call in the swat team. Thanks, everyone, for the feedback. You folks are great. Johanna

Yep, Freak, I got bold today and finally got the update done. I think I have straightened out the inevitable glitches, but please, everyone, let me know if something isn't working right so that I can look into it. We have new and improved spam control, new features for our profiles and topics, and a spell checker! Whoo-hoo! If anyone has any problems, just holler. Johanna

story here: Dallas News The boots were recovered: Story of the recovery

It's not going to be a terribly long list. The Journal is pretty much it, unless you count Shop Talk, which is geared for people on the business end of leatherwork, rather than construction techniques. The lack of materials to read is another reason this site, leatherworker.net was born. What kind of information are you specifically looking for? Johanna

Marilyn- take it back to the Tandy store and ask for an exchange. You could maybe work around the sun spot, but why? Chances are that the area where the sun has darkened the leather is not going to accept any finish like the rest of the piece. Johanna

Hi, Pip! That's nice of you to want to thank people who have been helpful! In comparison with the giant Internet, leatherworkers are kind of a small community, and I haven't added a ratings function because many of us know each other in real life anyway. When we set up the board, we figured that people would be able to browse the posts and figure out who had the respect of their peers, and who didn't, without us putting a tag on anyone. So far, it's working just fine. We have some talented helpful people participating here, and I'm glad you have found some of the advice helpful. That's what it's all about! Johanna

Dave, go sit in the corner. Only a geek would read that as "hard drive". * sigh I've told you over and over that these folks have sharp knives and big hammers, and will use them. Don't start a riot- people will be mailing me floggers with your name on them. Harleys have more to do with attitude than anything else, which is why they are so much fun for us leatherworkers. Many of us looked at the bike and mentally superimposed the leather Kevin would want for himself, his old lady and the bike. We all processed a picture of Kevin, armed to the teeth, on a Harley, with the wind in his hair, and sighed because we are driving the family SUV today, and there is no wild party for us tonight by the bonfire with Bob Seger, Allman Bros. & Lynyrd Skynyrd in the background. I'll skip the crotch rockets. Someone pass the aspirin. Johanna

No, but my husband likes it now, and I can't convince him that we need to get rid of it. Sigh. Johanna

In the Tandy stores the straps are cut with a regular strap cutter, and it's easier to place an old strap in it to set to measure, than to try to use the measuring marks provided. Straps are cut short a 1/16th because the because the buckles are usually true, and the blanks won't fit otherwise. If you got some that were over, it was probably an oversight by the employeee that cut the straps, nothing else. At least you can always make something narrower- I would rather sell someone a strap that was a little over than a little short. Johanna