Hilly

LOL! You SURE you wanna do that?! LOL!

I lay my long books ( how to make holsters by Al Stohlman etc.) right on the shelf. I stand my magazine size books right on top of them. My DVD collection is next to my books in the book shelf. My patterns are either folded and/or stored in a folder, or rolled up, fastened with a paper clip, in one of those metal popcorn cans you get at the dollar store. My work area is not very big, so I bought a 6 foot tall book shelf which holds basically everything except my slab and my stamps. I toss all my wood handled tools, head knife, skivers, utility knife, dividers, etc. in one plastic tub, all my small stuff in another tub. All my really small stuff (needles, swivel knife blades, rivets etc.) is in a small plastic box. This all sits one shelf in the book case. My liquids (dye, stain, glue, etc.), daubers, gloves etc., is on another shelf in my book case. My tracing film and tracing paper and a few other odd things lay on the bottom shelf. You'd be amazed at just how much "stuff" you can cram into a tall book case! Takes up very little floor space that way. I was thinking of getting some wood louvered doors to close off the book case when not in use to make it look a bit neater. My stitching horse slides mostly under my table when not in use. I keep my leather unrolled in an unused bedroom, upside down on the bed, and my lining leather rolled up in a popcorn can lined with a plastic trash bag.

This place has it: http://campbell-bosworth.com/catalog/index...e2d4987195ad393

Congratulations Tina, Clay and Brent! Thank you Johanna, for keeping us all informed. Looking forward to seeing photos. I really, really wanted to come, but just couldn't justify the cost of gas in my car, and a motel bill on my plastic. I was looking forward to meeting some of you. I hope I can make the show in September...

Join the International Internet Leathercrafters' Guild. There's a section for patterns right on their website.

Darn! I keep hitting the "submit" button before I answer! ...What else is there to do in a rest home, anyway? ...The book "The Art of Making Leather Cases" Volume II by Al Stohlman is an excellent book! Very detailed and exact instructions! Also, Vols I and III are just as good!

Hi Mitch! Welcome to the neatest place on the internet! I'm sure someone who's experienced with handles will be along shortly to help you, but in the meantime, who ever said you have to sew them by machine?

Sounds good, but I've been trying to skive the spine area in a notebook. I'd have to have a "scoop 'n skive" By the way, your website is awesome and your work exqusite!

Thanks to all who have replied. The area I'm having the most difficulty in is thinning down the spine area in a notebook. It's not like you run your skiver off onto glass, and it's not like cutting a 45 or shallower angle. I get limited results, as the spine area is still ridgy when I'm done. It shows through the liner, and looks very unprofessional. My guess is I need to invest in a good quality straight bottom edger?

Marlon, I'm cutting on one of those white plastic cutting boards like I'd use in my kitchen. I'm going to try it again, but try stropping on 1000 and 2000 grit sandpaper before the rouge. I'll see if that makes any difference. I'm wondering too, if the edge isn't rolling on me. I'll try and dig up that magnifying glass that's hiding around here... Either way, I'm not giving up. I'm gonna learn this if it takes me till I'm old and gray! I wish I could watch someone who really knows how sharpen one, and then have them guide me in sharpening my own. A tutor would be so handy!

Can I use machine oil in place of honing oil? Where can I get plain old honing oil? Hardware store? One of these times, I'll figure out how to get my head knife sharpened good. I can only get it "kinda" good, and that's not good enough! Can't cut smaller curves with a dull head knife. I hold the head knife at about a 20 degree angle (I looked at my protractor, so I have a good idea of the angle), and do circles into the blade till I feel a burr all along the edge. I flip it over and do the other side till I feel a burr. I'm using a fine Arkansas stone. I strop each edge several times using the same angle on a rouge coated leather strop. I go to cut my leather, and damn, it's not sharp! It cuts hairs off my arm, but it isn't sharp. What am I doing wrong???? By the time I figure it out, my blade will be ground down to nothing. I have so many projects that I'm planning, and I really need to learn this.

Huh. The catalogs they always sent me never had prices in them. They've sent me several. The prices were on a separate paper stack, which had both wholesale and retail prices in it.

No, I mean on everything. I don't remember if they had prices listed on the website... I know they never listed them in their catalog. You got a seperate price list, and had to cross reference all the time. I wish their website had a way to purchase online... I wonder if they plan on making it possible?

Hi David. Why can't you do a sheridan seat? You might find this a bit weird, but I keep having visions of a bike with Sheridan saddle and windshield bags, a little sheridan carving around the edges of the seat, and a western mural on the tank. Maybe something with mountains and elk, or maybe some horses.... A western theme, if you will. I've owned a Harley (an old Sporty), and had to give it up due to tendonitis - just couldn't stand the hand buzz and the feeling like someone was whacking my funny bone all the time. I've also done some airbrushing on tanks, so the idea of a totally custom look made by ME is fantasy that would absolutely become a reality if ever I could afford a big twin...

Thanks, Ken. It always feels good when something turns out the way you want! The color in the photo does not look like the piece in real life. Only color I did was a light coat of oil, and some antique paste over a resist. The coloring you see comes from the flourescent lighting. I had 2 gooseneck lamps almost behind the piece so as to show the relief. I will post photos when I get it all on the gun.

It supposedly cleans away the rust. Haven't tried it myself. Someone I know swears this to be true. I did have a friend who chewed tobacco, but NEVER spit (ewww), and also drank about a 12 pack of Coke a day. When he started having stomach trouble, he went to his doctor, and was given the option of giving up the chew, or giving up the Coke. He gave up the Coke, and his stomach trouble went away. No kidding.

I just got an email from Hidecrafter. Are they "back in business" now? I looked through their website a little, and noticed that they now have prices listed on their website. I don't recall if they did before, or not. Last time I called in an order, they had discontinued over half of my items. I wonder if they have most of the stuff in their online catalog in stock???

Okay Pete.... THANK YOU ONE AND ALL for your kind words. And no, I didn't draw that pattern. I'm a bit artistically challenged in that area yet. I have trouble establishing flow in a pattern. Maybe some day I'll get the hang of it, and draw my own patterns. For now I'll stick to taking bits and pieces of others' work, and use it in my work. Hope y'all don't mind... Just so you all know, anyone who has a pattern, the tools, and a will to learn, can do Sheridan work. It is extremely time consuming (at least for me), but very rewarding once you catch on. I must add that six months ago, I never even knew what leather carving (much less Sheridan carving) even existed. I was given a link to leatherworker.net by someone on upholster.com. Now that I'm here, I find so many talented artists here that are such an inspiration to me. You guys got me hooked! Keep up the good work!

LOL!

Throw 'em in a gallon bucket of Coca Cola for a week or two. If you see what it does to the rust, chances are you won't drink it any more...

Wow, Pip! I'm normally not a mask person, but keep doing work like that, and you might have a convert on your hands! Those feather really look irridescent. Great job! Hilly

The hubby bought a new target rifle, and wanted to decorate it, as many people do. He asked me to carve a cover for the forearm and butt stocks. Here's what's going on the forearm. I will end up cutting off the very sides of the carving to make it fit around the stock, so I didn't finish bargrounding... Anyway, here's the very first thing I've carved that I like. I still need to get a few tools more suited to Sheridan work....

I've had a dye bottle leak, too. Thank goodness it was only a few drops on my leather, instead of my floor. I have hardwood flooring in my work area, and now that you brought this up, I think I'll move my dying stuff into the laundry room... Hardwood would be way expensive to refinish.

Fantastic idea! Can't wait!

I've never heard of using xanthan gum for slicking. I've heard of it used in cooking as a thickener for sauces, etc. Did you mean Gum Traganth? I've used gum traganth to slick edges. You can get it from Tandy. There are so many different "recipes" for slicking edges ranging from gum trag to glue and water, to spit, to .......