TomSwede

Thanks alot good people!! Yeah I think I'll put up a seat for demo use aswell to attract more attention, loved making it even though getting the cutting templates to match was not very easy. Tom

Looking very good!! Carving will come more and more with every project, just keep practicing. Tooling is at it's best when the leather is not too mosit nor to dry, that is also something that you'll develop a sense for with time. Keep it up, nice designs!! Tom

Bra fynd Knut, varför har jag inte snokat runt där själv för? Tom

Smooth!!! Love the rich look on the reddish leather!!! Tom

That's gotta be one of the neatest little holsters I ever saw. Molding is so clean that I almost wonder if you are a machine!!! Faboulos and excellent craftmanship!!! Tom

That is a very good looking desk/top!!! Not overthe edge with the tooling just some nice elegant additions that accents the beautiful desk. Getting off the construction bit once in a while is a great relief. Good job!!! Tom

Thank you McJeep and Sasquatch!!! I've been very inconsistent on my blog post but try to keep it up. Tom

Thank you very very much all of you!!!! I used a regular beveler on both sides of the web carving line. Wellcased and very carefully. The beveler easily slides on top of the opposite beveled side so gotta be careul with that. I have no order for a new seat at the moment but thinking I might make something for demo purposes with the pans I have laying around. We'll see. Meanwhile I post this shot of the seat onbike. It is not painted yet. It'll be black and red...I'm gunna like this bike :-) Thanks bunches all!! Tom

Finally got my first seat done. I don't count the funnybike seat since it's too much a special job. This a really big seat and I must say that the hardpart is to figure out the patterns to cut from. I have developed a tehnique that I'm gunna finepolish on next seat and put together a tutorial. Basially I use a special thin foam that you usually put under floortiling becasue it mimics leather quite well. Just glued it on the padded seatpan with a special spray glue that allows you to take the foam off without ruining itthen I put the foam onto paper and made the templates by making an outline that was just a bit wider than the foam. Putting on and aligning all the lacing holes...oboooy. That is not an easy thing to explain. A simplified mexican roundbraid is used to keep the top and bottom together. 5mm wide, couldn't get kangaroo so I used deer wich was the only thing I could find. The braid goes out in opposite directions fom the back of seat to folloew the lines of the carving. It was very hard to close it at the narrowest point of the seat since it meet itself in opposite direction. I wish I could have made it better but I couldn't get anymore lace from my supplier so happy that it was just enough to finish the braid. Hope you like it and as usual I'm open to criticism!!! Tom

I have made bracers for about ten years and mostly used acrylic sealers on top for protection and finish. Soo far I have had no complaints about anything and I know my bracers are in great use by a lot of people. As far as eco-flo dyes I have no suggestion but the eco-flo stains are waterbased so may just be that they are more fragile to weather and wind (water)?? I use Fiebings spirit dyes for most basic colouring and sometimes antiquing stains. I have a couple of bracers that I have taken on a swim on happy occasions and have no problem with the colour. I'd hesitate to take an eco-flo treated bracer for a swim but prolly test it this summer. Tom

Once again...Happy b-day one day too late Clay!!!!! Tom

Very good looking harness Freki!!! Knotwork like that takes some time and patience. Tom

Excellent!! Overall apperance is very nice and clean and the details with the hardware and the little celtic stamps look great!! Nice pics....ooooh I so wish for a snowfree environment right now!!! Great work, keep it up. Tom

Flexing in both directions seem lika an even more probable cause to your probs. Te straps I've done so far, belts, guitarstraps and rifleslings are only bent in one direction If you don't use acrylics perhaps you could try with something like Aussie leather conditioner and then leather balm for top finish. They are both fiebings products. Nowadays I almost never use acrylic sealer for belts and straps, only when I need to protect acrylic paints and then I usually aplly the acrylic where the paint is and conditioner+ balm for the rest. So many options a ways to go with things made in leather and if they are expoaed to heat I should even be more worried about the acrylic sealers problem with cracking and flaking off. I hope other chime in on this topic because it is interesting and I am in no means an expert on top finishes. Just fiddling my way with it but so far I haven't had much problems with it. I think acrylic sealers detract some of the natural look that you get with leather balm ans similar products. There are many interesting ones available in US. In Sweden there is a very limited supply. Tom

Off course haha, would be fun to try sme colouring on feathers though. I have birds books to study the subject. We'll see, the wishlist is long. Tom

Maybe there are ome oilbased antiques for woodworking available that you could test with?? Tom

Good looking feathers Clay, very lifelike! Now I know what to do with the scraps in my evergrowing scrapbin. Tom

great work as usual Clay!! Ditto what all said about detail!!! Tom

Hello and welcome to the board!!! This place is great for a needed jumpstart and creative inspiration! Prolly the most friendly board on the net too so neber hesitate to ask questions. We love pics so feel free to share!! Tom

Here's something I do for belts and straps. After tooling but before drying out completely I draw the the strap fleshside down over the back over a chair. This is to stretch the grain side so that it doesnt stretch after any acrylic sealers or paint is put on wich I m afraid could cause or assist in getting cracked. Tom

Looking good!!! Nice use of the colors to match the feathers!!! Tom

Very nice and love the color combo. Filigree is looking nice and crisp!!! Tom

The horse is really nicely done, don't think I've seen done a carving this way before. Good idea and excellent use of the stain/dye to accent the contours!!! Tom