Hilly

Hi Chris. This is what I usually use for lacing stuff up. I suspect a lot of others here use the same stuff.

Yes, that is correct. I might add that if you decide to buy some of his tools, you somehow mark the sizes on them somehow, so next time you go to order more of them, you know what sizes you already have. I have asked him about this, and he said that he was planning on eventually marking each of his tools to show what size it is. I absolutely love all the BK tools I own. Worth every dime, IMO.

Beautiful work! Thanks for sharing.

There's a great DVD you can get called "Decorative Knotting & Braiding in Leather" by Marlinspikes Knot Works. I got my copy from hitchingpostsupply.com It's very easy to understand, and will get you started in braiding. Good luck, and have fun! Hilly

You can get the sandpaper at any place that sells automotive paint supplies - Car Quest et al, or just ask any autobody shop, and they can point you in the right direction.

He probably spent a lot of time using a modeling spoon to round over the edges after carving and beveling/backgrounding. As to the hammered steel look, I'd guess he used a smooth pear shader of some kind?

Jeez, I feel like such a newb asking these questions, but here goes: Up till now, I've been doing tooled projects that stay dry for the most part. I'm wondering how well tooling holds up to the elements? For instance, if I were to tool a pair of carved and tooled saddlebags for a motorcycle, would the stamping fade away more with each rain storm? If I were to do saddlebags, I'd plan on using something for stiffeners so they wouldn't sag upon getting wet, but I just have no idea how well the tooling would hold up. What happens with saddles when they get wet? Also, I know we've been through this quite a few times, but what do you use for waterproofing? Do you use it on both sides of the leather? How often do you apply? I absolutely hate the hard shine of stuff like super sheen! What is your favorite finish that gives a nice satin glow? Can you use a waterproofer afterwards?

The cotton type cord is generally only used in furniture. It's too soft to really hold up for rugged type of use, such as automotive. For automotive type of welting, you can get spools of plastic welt cord to cover, or wire core paper welt cord from almost any upholstery supply place. It's not real expensive, but it does come on a large roll. If you do not wish to buy an entire roll, maybe a place that does auto upholstery would be willing to sell you some plastic welt cord. I have used both types of cord, and I prefer the plastic, as there is no wire to break or cut. Hope this helps. Hilly

During the summer, I work for DelMonte farms. I work on a harvest crew, driving heavy farm machinery (harvesters). I once saw a guy driving the tractor with a dump cart touch a power wire with the corner of the cart. Never believe you're safe in a vehicle just because the tires are made of rubber! The electricity went straight through the steel belts in the tires, and burned about a million little holes right through the tires, which are quite thick. It also fried the computer in the tractor, and most of the wires. The guy driving was okay, but only because he was very lucky. That guy has since moved on to a different job, and now I'm the "guy" in the tractor. I'm always real careful around power wires, but being the tallest thing on a square mile of ground during a electrical storm is very scary at times. The rest of the year, I drive school bus, and I've been seeing kids carrying small notebooks around a lot lately. I guess Walmarx is selling these little computers for around $200. Might want to check them out.

I have a Consew machine that is perfect for upholstery - I've done quite a few car interiors with it. When I started doing leatherwork, I found that it is perfect for upholstery, but not stitching heavy leather, even though I did put a servo motor on it. A speed reducer would have helped some, I'm sure, but after all the mods, I could've just bought a heavy stitcher instead. My suggestion is to call the person selling the machine, get the make and model from them, then ask someone here such as Art, or Cobra Steve whether it would be suitable for your needs. Hope this helps. Hilly

113 grams (about)

This one really made me smile. Thanks for sharing!

Some very interesting recipes here! Thanks for sharing, I'll try them all eventually. Cem, your recipe reminds me of a recipe I have called "muffin in a minute" that makes a nice cinnamon flax muffin in a mug that cooks exactly 1 minute. Tastes pretty good, is fast and easy, and helps to keep things "moving along".

Wow, Ed! That was..................................deep.

Hey Hidepounder, I'm gonna get dehydrated from all the drooling I've been doing looking at your work. I'd sure like to be a fly on the wall, and watch you work....

Hi Pete. I know what you mean about the mountain dew, as I never drink the stuff either, let alone soda in general. No, it's not a Wisconsin thing, it's the secret ingredient that makes this recipe sooooo good. Try it, you'll like it. Promise!

Well, the forum IS about us and off topic, so.... I'm wondering if you have a fav. dessert recipe to share? I just found one I'm in love with, and my honey loves it, too. Thought I'd share. Easy Apple Dumplings ala Dew 2 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 8 slices each. 2 - 8ct. pkgs. of crescent roll dough Raisins, if desired Syrup 2 sticks butter or margarine 2/3 - 3/4 c. sugar 1+ tsp ground cinnamon 16 oz. Mountain Dew soda ________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ Preheat oven to 375 Roll each apple slice (and some raisins, if desired) in a triangle of crescent roll dough. Arrange in a lightly greased 8x13 pan, leaving a little space between rollups, if possible. In a sauce pan, melt margarine. Add sugar and cinnamon, and heat to near boiling, stirring constantly to make a syrup. Pour it all over the tops of all the rollups, coating them in syrup. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired. Pour the Mountain dew in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve very warm, in a bowl, with some of the syrup spooned over the top. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired. Serves 8 but recipe can be cut in half to serve 4. Just make in an 8x8 pan instead of an 8x13. Enjoy!

I bought one of Whitebuff's string makers, too, and I love it. I'm totally new to braiding, and I was making my own nice looking strings about an hour after recieving it. This tool rocks.

Very nice looking chaps. Not being a horse person, I'm curious as to why they're called "shotgun" chaps?

Actually, my wrist is 7 & 1/2 inches. I'm sure it's going to depend on your frame. Some women have very fine, small bones. Others of us are more "sturdy".

You can get waxed linen thread here They sell in several weights and many colors. You can purchase a card with samples of all their threads so you know exactly what to order. Hope this helps.

I like it. Nice flames and love the color. Thanks for sharing.

Ray, it's much easier (and less cruel, too) to eat animals AFTER they're dead. I just don't agree with torturing the food first.

Mike, I'm not at all familiar with anything having to do with bullfighting. I wasn't calling Art an idiot, just said he could have posted a warning in his header, so I would have known to not view it. I was referring to that guy in the video, of which my opinion stands. And I did close it as soon as I saw what was happening. And cruelty is cruelty, culture does not make it right. Have a nice day.