Johanna

Glad to have you here! Somebody, get JohnD a cup of coffee and a hammer, and make room for him at the bench. ClayB is in charge of the doughnuts, so let him know what kind is your favorite. Your kind words made me smile. We do have some talented and generous people here, don't we? I enjoy being part of this collective effort, in the company of such fine folks. I hope you keep on having a good time here, too! Johanna

Neat Lac is toluene. Inhalation of toluene fumes can be intoxicating, but in larger doses nausea-inducing. Chronic or frequent inhalation of toluene over long time periods leads to irreversible brain damage. As toluene has very low water solubility, it cannot exit the body via the normal routes (urine, feces, or sweat) It must be metabolized in order to be excreted. Ventilation is an absolute necessity when using Neat Lac, and if you get a headache, you've already breathed too much. Stop immediately and go outside. My grandfather, a master woodworker, died of cancer probably caused by repeated toluene exposure, according to the doctors. Johanna http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toluene

You can use this method: http://leatherworker.net/hardenedleather.htm Couir Boulli and water tastes okay. The paraffin has to be just right, though, and alcohol will eat through the paraffin, so you can't rotate beverages. Never tried it with Coke or Pepsi, but if it were cold, would probably be okay. Canteens made like this are not okay with coffee or anything hot, of course. Johanna

It has been many years since I've seen Darwin Ohlerking at a show. I have always admired his work. The precision and detail of his work amazes me; steady hand and careful eye. I looked around and saw a few of the "founders of the Federation", but we've lost quite a few to old age and angels. Johanna

I would NOT use deglazer. Deglazer does not actually "remove" anything, it just eats the top layer of the leather. It can make a bigger mess than what you currently have. The finish you applied obviously did not make the piece water resistant, so do what Clay said and repeat the antique. It may be darker than you originally intended, but it will be salvageable. After it dried, I would use Leather Balm or Carnuba Cream or something like that, buff until it shines, then lightly mist it with the Neat Lac spray. I cringe when I hear of people routinely using deglazer on leather before they even start, but that's another rant for another day. But if you feel you have to use deglazer, for whatever reason, try it on a piece of scrap and watch what it does to the fibers of the leather, then if you must put it on a project, do it in an inconspicuous place first. It does not work like nail polish remover. If there is dye on a project, chances are it has already soaked in, and deglazer turns the leather into a big smear with a distressed look. And just in case someone stumbles on this thread down the line in a search, deglazer will not remove ballpoint pen or sharpie marker. It will not remove the accidental blot of dye you dropped. Deglazer is sold because there is a demand for it, not because it's useful. Off my soapbox, Johanna

I might have the issues mentioned. I will look tonight after the kids go to bed. Frank Zigon is a fantastic resource, btw. Thanks for reminding me to invite him to the board. Johanna

Hello and welcome! We have a great group of folks here, and we're all learning from each other's mistakes and successes. Glad to have you with us! Johanna

http://www.taylortel.net/~stwood/index.html Thank you, Sidney! Johanna Basic_Turkshead.pdf Basic_Turkshead_Lesson_Two.pdf BasicTurkshead_Lesson_3.pdf Basic_Turkshead.pdf Basic_Turkshead_Lesson_Two.pdf BasicTurkshead_Lesson_3.pdf

I just got in from Indianapolis. It was a terrific show! Lots of friends, leather and fun! I will post a full report tomorrow, and put some captions on the pics for y'all. Here is the link for the pics I took: http://leatherworker.net/CIL2007/index.htm Our ClayB won two first place and one second place ribbon out of three entries. Not bad, huh? (**hint- you've seen some of the work here on leatherworker.net already!**) If anyone thinks that people in the IILG would be interested in seeing these pictures, please feel free to post the link on the iilg-leather and iilg-member lists. I don't mind. More tomorrow! Johanna

Is it possible that it froze during shipping? You did shake the bottle well, right? Gum Trag will separate after it's been frozen, and needs replaced. Johanna

The carving is beautiful! One suggestion for lacing, though- beat it. Beat it with the butt end of your mallet or a smooth cobbler's hammer, on the marble, being careful to to break the lace. Then take an edge slocker and roll it along the sides a little. It will smooth out the lumps and bumps. You are right about using small holes/larger lace for a better effect, too. Good advice for corners, too- just make sure they all match (judges take off when they don't!) Very nice, Dan, thanks for sharing! Johanna

Then email them to me and I will make each into their own page, with a link here to click. I appreciate you sharing detailed pictures of Chester Hape's work. Johanna

If you email the pics, I'll post them for you. admin@leatherworker.net To add an attachment "browse" to the picture you want, then click "add this attachment". You can "add into post" at your option (useful for when you want the pictures to appear in a certain order and with text in between) The forum software will create the thumbnail image. I wonder if they are hi-res pictures? If the file size is near 1000K (or 1 Mb), the forum software won't accept it. A quick way to resize pictures is an MS Powertoy called "Image Resizer" http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloa...ppowertoys.mspx Another program I like for graphics is Irfanview http://www.irfanview.com/ Let me know how I can help. Johanna

Water works fine, so does dye or Leather Balm. The trick is the friction created with the burnishing, and denim or canvas is great, so is scrap deerskin. I'm gonna have to try these Bickmore products. I've been hearing good things about them, and we're all going to be looking for alternatives when the California "hazardous leatherworking chemicals" paranoia sweeps the country. Thank goodness we can get by with tap water for many jobs, huh? Johanna

KD? She can do her own stuff. I can't do nuthin'. But a wall hanging with "JAMS" on it the next time you get bored...that would be cool. How many animals can you put in one picture? I like leaves, but maple better than oak. I don't mind scrolls and stuff, but I have more acanthus cabbage than I'm proud of. I don't have a lot of figure carving, and hey, who cares about initials anyway? Oh, shoot, I'd be happy with an oakleaf on a keychain as long as it had the magic ClayB signature. (Please let Clay get bored. Please let Clay get bored!) Johanna (you better not be tossing these in the scrap bin to pound holes on or something!)

I swear, if I ever get another HD, I'm going to need interchangeable seats...a ShirleyZ, a David T., and a Beeze for sure! I can get them to match my moods, clothes or whatever, but then my big butt will *gasp* cover them up! Aarrrgghhh!! Congratualtions, Shirley- you're only starting to hit the big time. You're headed there on the fast train, don't worry! And we can all say "We knew her when..." David- I'm headed your way next week. Want to grab a cup of coffee somewhere? Daddy wants me to fix his computer. (Surprise, surprise!) Johanna

Hmmm...The initials should be more prominent than the floral. Right? Johanna

Okay, I made a poll... Johanna

Beeze, I had the same first thought, "Shame to color it and hide the detail." Dan- maybe Neat Lac the elephant, rub some Leather Balm in and buff until your elbow aches, and then let the sun do some magic? Just an idea. If it were mine to finish, after the sun did its thing, I would make the edges look burned and put it in a wrapped wire square like that leaping deer I posted- so that the frame doesn't detract from the elephant, or the shape get lost. You do great work, Dan, and thanks for sharing. Johanna ps Dan, gotcha on the top of my list- you didn't miss anything.

What are the odds of having two impressive leatherworkers named "Clay" on a forum? Clay M. You explained the Sheridan "flow" very well. I remember Little Jon running his finger along the scrolls and swirls of a new pattern, and he was checking, like you described, the direction everything needed to go. The "flow" is really easy to see on woodwork designs that use the Greek and Roman acanthus designs, too. Clay, do you have a rule of thumb about backgrounding in proportion to the design? I remember being told it should be minimal, but I couldn't tell you why. Clay B. I really like the initials. Johanna

A gentle reminder to everyone: please get permission from the owner before you post someone else's work-pattern, directions, or, heaven forbid, anything that is copyrighted and/or for sale. If you are unsure, or want me to ask the owner if we can use it, send me a PM. I would rather err on the cautious side, than be discourteous or risk legal issues. Leatherworker.net intends to share leatherworking resources with the permission of the owners/authors of the materials presented. Any deviation needs to be reported and corrected immediately, and I appreciate everyone's help and cooperation with our strict policy. I would also like to thank those of you who have given me permission to construct The Gallery using their pictures. I hope your phones ring and your inbox fills up with praise and orders. I'll be making the announcement soon, stay tuned... Johanna

Exactly. All of the arrangements for an IFoLG show depend on the host guild. The host guild has the responsibility of deciding special competitions, printing certificates, having ribbons made, publicity, hotel contracts etc. All of the instructors and vendors are"volunteers". There may be some fees, but the fees help them to maybe break even, not pay for the break from the bench. The host guild tries to work with the available people and their schedule requirements when they decide the classes, and when they can, they like to have them before the show because that way no one misses anything, and there are less conflicts with people who want to teach or take more than one class. The hotel has to be negotiated with, too- everything from conference rooms to catering to rates for rooms. (Some hotels will discount or allow the free use of conference rooms for a set amount of guaranteed room nights sold) If you do go to a show, whether it is an IFoLG show or one sponsored by an individual guild, try to book your room at the host hotel, and make sure the hotel knows you are with the show. It may be $20 cheaper to stay across the street, but if the show doesn't make their room quota, they may face unexpected fees. No one teaches, sells at or hosts a show to "get rich". The goal is to break even, and maybe throw a couple hundred dollars in the kitty for the next event. The best thing about the shows, classes, competitions and leather aside, is the fellowship between leatherworkers. Lots of us have known each other for years, and there are always new friends to meet. There are cowboys and bikers and businessmen and artists and everything in between, and conversations are friendly and fascinating. Here is the link for the Lone Star Leathercrafters ( Hosts of the 2007 IFoLG show) http://www.lonestarleathercraft.org/about_us.htm And a special link for the show: http://www.2007ifolgshow.com/ Johanna Last year, at the IFoLG show in Butler, hosted by the Pitt Pounders and the IILG, Holly did a lot of the preliminary planning, Carol Higgins organized the classes, Blanche Byrne put together the biggest raffle I've ever seen at a show, and Pat Hay & Chris Kearns handled a million details to make everything go as well as it did. (Johanna stands on a chair and gives those folks a round of applause!)

Chatzilla is probably the way to go if you need to use Firefox, but I use mIRC in Internet Explorer. It seems easier. But nothing about IRC is ever easy. You are welcome to use this chat room (Live Chat link at top of page) and create private rooms if you wish, too. No additional software is required, and it works with FF or IE or whatever browser. The chat software on this site is pretty easy, but it has less features than IRC. But. that might be a good thing, depending on the level of experience of your group. You would have to do manual logs. I don't have it set up to keep logs on the server. (I figure that way everyone has their privacy!) Johanna PS Sidney, if you have anything you want me to upload on the main pages, I'd be thrilled. Did you have a look at "Knothead"'s site? (I'm a compulsive list maker, and so you can imagine how impressed I am with the archives!) I'm looking forward to learning from you knotters and braiders. You guys are only limited by imagination.

How long does it take you to tool a belt, and what is your shop rate? You have to price belts like anything else. Materials + (time spent X shop rate) X % of profit. I've always been amazed at how you carvers/stamper/toolers can take a crappy looking strap and hide every blemish in it with your tools. However, I can appreciate the difference of cutting into a high quality hide vs. trying to compensate for a non absorbent or spongy leather. Maybe someone can help you out with some straps? Johanna

This is going to be a fun time! Show info here Classes by Jeff Mosby, Paul Burnett, Chan Geer, Ava Gannon, Charles Crenshaw I'm going, hope to see you there! Johanna