TomSwede

You sure are a designer!! I agree with Spider but wanna add that sometimes skulls is not necessary;-) Tom

I think it was Leatheroo who posted a DIY on this topic. PM her and ask. She is great with that gun. Tom

Hello and welcome! You've come to the right place. People here is very nice and always willing to share their knowledge so don't be shy to ask. There's no such thing as dumb questions. By studying posts of interest you can often read lots of questions and answers in the following dialog to pick up useful info. If anyone one offers you a donut...don't eat it, coffee is allright! Tom

They appear to come faster and faster but in reality we just get more done in between...or at least I like to think so! Tom

Looks great Don! Seems like a fun project to do. What do you mean with scalloped? Tom

Thank you Marcel! A cue case like that would rock so I really endorse that idea! Let me know if you need an image of it to trace from. Perhaps the metallic dyes I use can be found in Germany?? They're made in denmark by company ROC. http://www.roc.dk/ Only in Danish but maybe they answer an E-mail in English or German? They don't list where it's sold as far as I can tell. Tom

Finally I dare post a reply in this thread! I have used gum-trag a bit and gotten decent results with it but it's very easy to overdo it with the slicker I think. Get's like a cracked effect wich I have had problems foreseeing. Anyways I have now turned to slicking with the Tandy bonefolder when the beveled edge is still cased. After dying and the edge is dry I re-wet it with water on a brush and slick it to gloss. I've also gotten some very good results with Tandys mahogany antique on edges in rich amounts but will continue to experiment with this to verify if it's the mahogany or some other factor playing a role in those cases. Tom

Thank you so much all of you! The copper was not so nice to work with, doesn't cover really well over the black dye. In due time I'll give it another try with keeping the area to be copper coloured free from dye/stain. Round lace is a favourite of mine for bracers and eyelets really sets it off. Eyelets bought in big pack saves some money. This is the first time I actually felt I was in control with doing the edges. They are just like I wan't them to be. NO GUM-TRAG just slicked with bonefolder before the casing was out and some edge beveling. Last thing before sealer I added some water to edges and slicked it to final gloss. Jorru Tina! De' e' allt gött här hemma i Svedala ibland men fy fasen vad det har regnat i sommar! Stort tack och Gävlebock! Thanks Bree! Nice to meet you! Last nite I brought the male bracer to work and tested it on a person with about the same wristsize as my customer and it fit perfect.

Hello Tank! Great looking piece, I agree that is a steep learning curve! Welcome to the board and don't hesitate to ask questions about anything. People are most willing to share here. Tom

Thank you guys! Yeah freak, black bracers without skulls is like a toilet without paper....... I think this is an excellent way to manifest your affection especially since you can put more text inside them than the regular rings. Luckily the guy has ordered a skull bracer aswell Erik the red had a couple made by me in past life I'm gonna make a clause for those and that is that they must order something special if they marry, like a fancy photoalbum or a couple of fishing rod tubes, lol. Or why not a pair of chained cuffs for symbolical reason! Or fly me in to Wales, do the wedding photoshoot with their bracers on. I recently made a wedding photoshoot and it was really fun and they were happy with the pics too + free booze afterwards;-) Tom

Nice looking bag Kimber!! Good job with the lacing and nice colour choice. The cellphone holder and keychain is a nice touch. You can use a plier to assist you when pulling the lacing needle through to spare your hands. Tom

I never dye the backside, especially when doing black bracers. But I always consult my customers first about this and occasionally they want the inside stained and then I do it but I have never had the problem with bleeding through. I apply with a sponge. Tom

Really nice looking checkbook. I really like this type of celtic knot wich I use to think of as a hairbraid. The lacing matches really well. So no call for black lace this time;-) I'm amazed at all the stuff you come up with you must have a ton of time, work really fast or perhaps not hanging as much as certain people at a certain board Tom

Hi and welcome back to leathers and Leatherworker. This is a nice place with good atmosphere so don't hesitate to ask for anything. Check up Adamant, he built some really nice cue cases a while ago. I'm tempted too after making a pair of fishing rod tubes this spring. Lots of work, challenging and fun. Tom

Yes Mike but we'll see if they ever get married, this is just for engagement. I've done this befor but they were same size and rooftop style with that hammersymbol. They have broken up now so maybe Ishould reclaim the bracers, lol. Thank you Mike! Tom

So this is for netlove. The bigger is the malebracer going to Wales, UK and the other femaler bracer will end up not to far from Stockholm. After painting on copper and gold I sealed it and put some saddle tan antiqe to bring out the detail and a nice effect to the gold. They have runic writings declaring/manifesting their declaration to each other but the female is so small I just put the writing on the backside in the manner found on some mysterious runestones in Sweden. I have also put the writing in English on the bracers insides (fleshside). The golden hammer is Thors hammer from viking myth. Tom

Awsome Roo!! What a precision, it looks machine molded or like a cast. Tom

Thank you Marlon, I really appreciate it! I prolly get into that debate with them again and I'll tell 'em allright. Now I understand they can't bring in exclusive tools for a single customer (Sweden is a tiny market) but quite frankly they try to bullsh** me around with such arguments instead of at least hearing me out. Tom

Oh no, not again!

String break is bound to happen sooner or later when lacing so I always carry more lace than needed and knowing how to splice is a must. Working with too long laces just takes to much time and wear out the lacing and it breaks. A finished edge is usually when you use a special cutter called edge beveler to round off the edge ( can be sanded too) and then you rub it wet or with gum-tragacant (there is as many ways to finish an edge as there are leatherworkers I think) with a cloth of jeans or a bonefolder from Tandy or a plastic splined wheel on a drill etc to burnish the edge. This will smoothen and round off the edge and finally produce a veeery high gloss surface. Another method I like is to wet leather through and cut out my piece with a really sharp utility knife but the cut must go through at once so little tricky there if the cutting line is curved too much but this produces (for me anyways) a glassy looking cut edge wich is not beveled. Then after dying or antiquing the edge I apply litle gum-trag and polish it up to gloss again with that bonefolder. This is by far not an complete answer but a step on the way if you wish to pursue finished edges, it's just a matter of personal taste and I like raw edges sometimes, when it's called for. When the eye looks at something it usually follows the contours of the viewed object around and then searches off what's inside and my theory is that this is why most people are keen on the edges, it's the first thing we notice unless there is something really interesting inside, that's when a raw edge could be called for. Tom Tom

Oh you still have such dreams!!! and I thought I was younger than you Thanks for the info on the stamps. I prolly should surf around their site more often but this place is waaaay cooler, especially those donuts laying around here, I think they might be responsible for some really funny dreams of mine Congrats on the selling! Tom

I have had the same reflection as you here in Sweden Frog. The only thing in this situation that I can think of that differs from what could have happened here is the religious aspect. Alltough there are christian people here they are not very open bout it so they would prolly invent another excuse to ban the child from going to the neighbours house, christian or not. We had a tv series a few years ago that was called hockeyparents (translated from Swedish) wich dealt with the issue of parents that is backing up their children just a liiiiittle bit toooooo much and there we could see how they, like UKRay mentioned shifted focus from their own problems by putting blame on others. the name hockyparents came from the type of parents that live their lifes through the children by pushing them to hard in hockey, football, ballet or whatever the interest the parent was into but failed to make it and therefor more or less forcing the children into a certain role without any choice. One of our biggest football promises who was about 16 a few years ago and was training with a very famous football team in Italy to become a top player there suddenly dropped out and tried to take his life as a result of this. He realized he didn't like football at all but couldn't stand the thought of betraying his parents by dropping out of it. Think he's written a book bout it and perhaps that is what alerted the tv people to make the series. I don't know about that. Ok I'm drifting off the subject here but you know me. I'm Tom and it happens all the time, lol. I'll stick to others advice here, sit it through and the idea someone came up with to let them play outside but not at one and anothers house might be a way to go. Good luck with it and hope your son has or can make other friends if it doesn't resolve. The children seem to be pretty much innocent victims here. I feel sorry for them. Tom

Can you call my supplier and tell them this? Peter Main is their idol and they say he uses only Tandys and if I can't get a good impression I must practice more he he well I'm interested in getting the job quicker done really, so cleaner crisper and easier to use tools would still make me work faster wich I'm sure my customers would appreciate when orders pile up. What I really would like to know now is what tools he is using, if you happen to read this Marlon or Peter? (so I can continue the debate with my supplier;-) Tom

Oh yeah! What a nice piece but I never doubted really I like how round you got the upper edge and the welt is looking really good, nice and even. Looks like you got a nice gloss to it too. I think the turned leather design is working really well for this design that covers most of the knife. Nice knife too and they go well together so perhaps black is the right colour for this one. What is the adjustment(s) you will make? Tom Edit: Hey, nice makers stamp you got there. This must be the first time I see it, I think??

WOW DUDE!!!! You surely outdone yourself this time!! It looks awesome and I just don't know how ou can ever separate from this one. Your buddy must a real....buddy! Basketweaving looks great and I love the rounded bottom and bro, I don't need to tell you that I love skulls, do I?? Keep on rocking our world! Tom