Johanna
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Posts posted by Johanna
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For setting snaps and rivets I use my rawhide maul. The poly mallets are geared for starter kits and youth groups. The rawhide ones get a little "sweet spot" particular to the owner so they just "know where to go" when striking the tools. There are lots of mallets available- the important thing is to find one that suits your style, and allows you to work without getting "leather elbow", which requires ice treatments and ibuprofen to endure. (Rest is never an option.) It is common to have several kinds of mallets/mauls in the shop- different hammers for different jobs. Carvers will use usually the lighter mallets because of the repetition of backgrounding, but someone doing 3-D stamps might prefer a maul. I have a smooth cobblers hammer I use for beating lace. I would say the 9oz mallet is probably the closest to "all-purpose" that you're going to get. If you get a chance to go to a show and try out the custom mallets, do so- you may find one that satisfies you enough to justify the price.
Johanna
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Glad you found us! No one here minds questions- fire away! Hope you enjoy yourself in the company of friends- it's what this board is all about!
Johanna
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Happy birthday, Clay!Johanna
(who is also grateful for everything you do!)
:hug:
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I should add that John apparently did fix the foot pedal. You can turn corners or get into tight areas by using it manually (without the motor) and switch back and forth as needed. I think this modification was done before I bought the machine, but John fixed it. My husband, Wade, just tried it, and it works fine manually,too. He asked me why anyone would want to sew without the motor (he's not a leatherworker!) and I explained the reasoning. As you can see, it has a large table and I do have a box of different presser foots, needles, and other goodies to go with it. John liked this machine because of the deep throat. I hunted for the manual, but I can't find it (too many years and too much stuff!) so I called Proleptic and ordered another one. The manual is 40 pages and has a complete parts list.
Johanna
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Kangaroo is wonderful lace...stretches just enough, uniform thickness, good hand...but the ultimate in lace is made of goat. It's hard to find these days, but if you use goat lace, you will never want calf again. It's stronger than kanga and will not "snap" when pulled. I have very seldom seen old goat lace dry rotted, even on items that were never properly cared for.
Johanna
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Months later...she ventures into the basement and confronts the machine.... I'm trying to find the manual I had, may have to find another. Other than Proleptic, anyone have any suggestions in case I can't find it? My husband started the machine and seems to be working just fine, but the tension is off a little (surprise surprise!)
Johanna
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A properly done inlay is durable enough for a seat, but I don't recall seeing too many bikes with inlays on the seats. The gas tank, yes, but not the seat. I used to keep a scrap with different samples (snake, stingray, etc. ) sewn and laced in different styles to show people because most don't know what options are available. That "scrap" sold a lot of belts. Inlays are more work, but then the price goes up accordingly...something to think about.
Johanna
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I know from watching people that when they try to force their hand and knife into unnatural uncomfortable positions, they mess up the knife cuts. Turn the work, not your body, they say. A sharp blade is essential, too, because the drag of a dull blade produces a ragged cut.
The above Doodle Page was written by Ben Moody, Greg's dad. I hope folks who have mastered the swivel knife chime in with more help.
Johanna
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Romey's Guide to Sharpening Part One
Here is a tease:
The Hollow grindThis type of edge is likely to produce the keenest edge of all. It's what is most common on straight razors for shaving. Little more then a swipe on pants leg is needed to bring this edge back to life. It dulls just as fast and more importantly it can chip very easily at the edge which of course means it would need reground or at the least rehoned.
The Chisel Grind
This edge is a one sided edge and has steel behind it on one side for strength yet a very fine flat zero grind on the other for intricate shaving. Woodworker's especially good ones will have variations of this grind for specific tasks and interestingly enough I found they have a high amount of sharpening knowledge due to varying styles of chisels and hardness of woods. Many times their chisels are most guarded tools.
The Flat grind
This edge is probably the most common edge on any type of blade. It has steel behind the edge to maintain a high degree of strength and depending on the angle of the edge can be almost as sharp then a hollow grind yet due to having more steel in it doesn't wear the edge back as quickly or as much. Most of these edges are between 20 and 17 degree set
The Convex grind
The old saber grind, although an axe grind should be a better description of this as it's a more common tool to have around the house. The reason is although it can be a very sharp blade its main intention is chopping. There is a lot of steel behind this edge and hence it holds a edge the longest of all the edges, the drawback of this is it also makes the widest roughest slice due that it pushes the cutting material apart as much as slices. It also is one of the harder edges to sharpen correctly.
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I'm allergic to veggie tanned leather. I get a nice rash, especially if I sweat. I have to wash my hands after I'm done handling the leather or I will itch. I use Leather Balm with Atom Wax on the back of stuff that will touch skin. Apply and buff. It makes the flesh side smooth, and keeps people with sensitive skin from reacting to whatever is in that leather that makes people like me break out with hives and rashes. I've never had a problem with latigo, but some commercial deerskin will affect me, too.
Johanna
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Aw, shucks... all I do is the tech stuff here. It's the friendly leatherworkers and what they have to say that makes this a fun place to be. I am amazed and delighted to see what others have to share. Keeping the coffee hot and the doughnuts fresh is the easy part.
Johanna
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Pella! How did you find the board? Your work is good looking- I hope you post more pics. How long have you been doing leatherwork? I'm glad you are here, and hope you enjoy the forum. We are lucky to have leatherworkers from all over the world with all sorts of talents. They are a friendly bunch, too- hey, someone get Marie a cup of coffee and a doughnut, please? Make yourself at home!
Johanna
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The reason that Tandy has a firm policy on the patterns is because once upon a time someone made a Doodle Page compilation on CD, and a leather guild made copies for their members, thinking that they were furthering the education of leathercraft by digitally sharing the freebie patterns that had been handed out over the years at Tandy stores everywhere. These Doodle Pages were written by some of the best leatherworkers of their time, and contain valuable tips and tricks, insights into the art of the author and his or her style, as well as sweet nostalgia. The leather guild didn't mean any harm by archiving the information on the computer. You have to be a leather lover to read through all the pages, front and back.
I think Tandy got hostile because they didn't think of doing the cds
first so they could sell their own. They threatened the leather guild with expensive litigation if any more digital copies of the Tandy Doodle Pages were distributed, so the guild complied immediatelyand stopped producing and giving away the CDs. To be fair to Tandy, they own the rights to the Doodle Pages. The actual authors do not own the rights to the Doodle Pages. Tandy's patterns and tip books have sold a lot of leather and tools, but they do have the right to make sure their property bearing their name, is distributed as they approve. I suppose. I can't help but compare it to making cassette tapes, and now the DRM wars with music and video media. I also remember being a Tandy manager and being encouraged to throw in the free book or pattern to sell hundreds of dollars of leather and supplies, especially to hospitals, youth groups, prisons, summer camps...and making sure that a current Doodle Page went to the customer with every shipment and inside every bag. The irony...now that the computers can transmit so much information so quickly, what what once available on paper, an LP record or a VHS tape pretty freely for private use has more folks than Tandy desperate to restrict the transmission of information, but it's inevitable that book publishers will ultimately have to give in and sell their own versions, just like the music and movie industries have had to adjust to new ways of doing business.
Whew. Didn't mean to get on a soapbox. And no offense to Tandy intended.
Johanna
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When a leather retailer ships leather, it is often wrapped in what is called "Kraft Paper" to prevent leathers from touching, or just to make a pretty package, I don't know. Save the paper. You can buy a roll of it from Tandy if you ask nicely, but it probably costs $100 a roll, and there is more paper on there than an average leatherworker will need in a lifetime. This paper is slightly easier to work with than a standard paper grocery sack, which makes the grocery sack an ideal inexpensive alternative. This weight paper imitates leather well enough to bend and fold where it needs to, and is sturdy. I know some people who make patterns out of oaktag (like folders) or posterboard, but that doesn't bend like the leather will. Making the pattern out of paper, you can quickly see the design and where everything needs to be. I usually allow an extra quarter inch or so, because you can always trim later. Making a custom pattern is done with the actual item. Try to visualize what the idea is, then trace, cut, tape whatever you need to do to make a working paper pattern. An additional benefit to this method is to be able to minimize the scrap when you cut the pieces by twisting them around what leather you have the most effectively. Mark your stitch lines, where the hardware goes, then, on the back, legibly, write exactly what you made the pattern for, the date and any other details that will make your life easier when you file the pattern after you are done so you don't have to reinvent the wheel for the next item: "I want one just like his!"
It is sometimes easier to buy a cheap something, take it apart and use it for a pattern, but make the paper one so you know you're doing a better job. Al Stohlman wrote three volumes of case making, and they are available through Tandy and Hidecrafters. Even if you aren't exactly making a case, there is great information in those books for designing your own patterns. Pattern making requires patience and practice, but a good pattern will save you time and grief in the shop. If you spend a lot of hours making a beautiful holster, and the gun doesn't fit, it's junk. Well, we call it a "display piece", but it isn't going to get you a check. A good pattern can be modified to suit a similar need, again, saving you from reinventing the wheel.
If they would have presented Geometry in school with leather, I would have caught on better. You learn to fold to get two equal parts, and angles become second nature (drawn with a compass or wing divider, and a straight edge.) When I worked at Tandy I noticed that people who did woodworking, metalsmithing or fabric sewing etc caught on to patterns quickly. You use the same principles, but the key is planning.
Hope this helps a little
Johanna
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Ft. Worth, Texas. This year's IFoLG show will be held there this year. I went to the last show that the Lonestar Leathercrafters hosted, in 1997, and it was an incredible experience, from the participating guilds to the (then brand new) Stohlman museum, to exploring the town and the stockyards. I want to go this year, too.
Johanna
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When you dumped the girlfriend, did you get your pretty purse back? Nice job!
Johanna
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I have no talent. I can dye and lace and sew, but I do not carve, and can barely stamp. Those pieces were made by my first husband, Little Jon Alger. Well, I do have a talent...I can sometimes persuade people to post their work and tell how they do it on the leatherworker board....
Johanna
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Metal pie pans. I had a fit when I saw him about to melt the paraffin in my favorite dutch oven, so he got a cheap one from a store. It is in the shop full of wax, still, ready for the next project. Meanwhile, my cooking pot has probably made another thousand meals. Never ever take kitchen items without checking with the chief cook of the household, or you risk the wrath of the person who tries to scrape the wax out of the pot, cussing you the whole time.
The cork is a piece of a wooden broom handle, served to the canteen with twisted artificial sinew. That's another thing on my "needs fixed" list. I think one of the kids was playing with the cap and cut the sinew somehow. That would have taken scissors, but we had a bad time with scissors a few years ago, when they were much younger.
Here's a war shield he made. Yes, that is real human hair. A lady gave him hers when she cut it in mourning. The middle tail used to be considerably longer...but one of the kids...well, I said bad words that day. You can't see it in the picture too well, but there are tokens or charms sewn into where the hair comes off the circle. The red dot symbolizes our daughter's birth, the black one was for our son. It would have been my responsibility to carry his shield to the next camp (except during times of menstruation) and to place it on a tripod in front of our lodge, if we were Plains Natives. It would have been the equivalent of saying "The Smith's" on the door. Wow, I got a little off topic, huh?
Johanna
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The scroll and the letters probably had Neat Lac applied. I honestly don't remember if it was antiqued or not, but it more than likely was. It either had Leather Balm with Atom Wax or Carnuba Cream as the "finish", and it would have been on both sides, because that's how Jon did things. I remember someone who should have known better wanting to buy the "stamps" he used for the letters, and him trying to keep a straight face. Jon wouldn't have understood the word "font", either, he called the different shapes of letters "styles", and sometimes he made them up. I think he had Al Stohlman's book memorized, too.
We have 8 inches of snow today, and they are calling for at least six more. I ought to take the kids downstairs, find them something to do and rewrap the hoop. If I don't figure out something creative soon, they are going to drive me stark raving crazy.
Johanna
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Okay, forget locks entirely. Get dogs. Big loud ones. A fence. A shotgun. A reputation. Bright lights. Erratic schedules. Booby traps.
How to get into a modern car with a tennis ball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQCA3-m-ZlA
Johanna
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I forgot all about that show! Should be a good one! Mapquest says Indianapolis is 160 miles from here... Who else is going?
Johanna
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Pete made this for his wife, lucky lady!
Thanks for sharing, Pete!
Johanna
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Here is one of the canteens John Henry made during one of the hardened leather workshops. The sinew that holds the cork on is damaged, and I would imagine that had something to do with one of my kids. This hangs in the dining room.
It holds water, but it tastes terrible.
Johanna
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This sign hung on the front door for five years in Macon's sunshine and rain, and all I need to do is relace it (the suede rotted). It is 12 years old.
I wrapped it with suede because I didn't have enough regular lace at the time. LOL Jon made the sign.
Johanna
should I cut pattern up or not?
in Patterns and Templates
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Or use clear Contact paper over the paper. Good idea to mark and file, too. You don't have to repeat the whole process the next time someone wants the same thing.
Johanna