pete

I mix all of my dyes with Bick's #4. Mixes great, doesn't streak, and stays soft. Ends up softer than the original leather. Call or email Kevin at Springfield leather for it or check out your local shoe repair stores pete

As I said, I went to see Kevin yesterday in Springfield. I surprised him so he didn't have a chance to tell the staff to up the prices before I arrived! Seriously, I asked him about 7/8 shoulders and he took me to "a" bench where he had about 40 hides. Mexican yes but really nice and clean. They were around $3.50!!!!! I have been there for years and believe me when I tell you that they are great people to work with. I have NO problem calling him and asking him to personally pick out some material and send it. He and his staff will do a great job or make it right. Endorsement? Probably... but I really wanted to just thank him and the staff for good quality, price, and most importantly, integrity. thanks again Kevin sincerely pete

At first I wasn't sure , but after a second or two I began to appreciate the fact that you didn't use mule's feet, deco cuts, etc. I REALLY like the simplicity of it and you did a fine job. I like the natural color too. Don't stain it or change it. If anything- set it out in the sun awhile- not to even the color but hopefully to add more pronounced color variation! pete

you MIGHT try it for low stress projects-it stretches like crazy and won't hold up (keep its shape) well regardless of the braid. It will lose its shape with a load on it. Hard to cut evenly in long strips- leave it for decorations and "dangly" stuff. This has been my experience. pete

Are you using dividers? If so then true up the edges and corners and use one. The stitching looks good and pretty straight to me. It's the edges that are suspect. Get the edges perfectly straight and run your divider along it and "voila' " a perfect line to put your stitches. again= nice work! pete

I really like what you've done. But I noticed that the edges/corners are just a smidge off. If you did nothing more than put a t-square on it and true up the sides it would out these over the top and even out the stitch line also. It would be a 1000% improvement just doing that.(If the foto makes it look off then I take it all back!) pete

thank you both so much. I'm off to Springfield Wed. and 7/8 was what I had in mind. pete

Saddle and holster makers aside- If you were to purchase a side or dbl shoulder for your shop and had no immediate projects in mind(but plenty of 2-4 oz lining material) what would you invest in? I never know if I am going to make a wallet, belt, album, sprur straps, etc. pete

I'm not really clear on what you mean by beveling. The handle is held in front of you with the razor blade on your left. The leather is placed in the slot between the cross pieces and it is pulled away from you. Yes they make an aluminum/metal one but these are cheaper and work real well. Had mine for years. pete

There kinda' ain't instructions for it. Basically you treat it like a triangle. Pick one point and think of it as the top with the other 2 as the right and left bases. If you want to put your pattern straight up the middle of something then draw a faint line and center the topmost point. If you whack it and get a good 3 point basketweave impression then move it up until the bottom (center) of the stamp fits over the top of the first impression. Work your way up and when done, keep it vertical and start again. The next row will fit into the first row like a jigsaw puzzle.. NOTE- Whether it's a Tandy or no name brand, I guarantee that it's not exactly symmetrical . Take a piece of scrap and practice but pick one of the points and LABEL IT with nail polish, sharpie etc. and ALWAY put that point at the top. hope this helps. ps- tandy may have a tutorial on it's website- it did a year or so ago. Check out some of the work here- if you see it it will be clearer to you. pete

I originally posted this more to myself as a rant than an "idiot tutorial". Thank you all for your responses. It's so great to be a part of a worldwide group of screw-ups!!! I get sort of tingly around my legs when I think of you all . (Kinda like ......Chris Mathews but for an entirely different reason) Bumblers.....UNITE!!!!!! pete

find a threaded bolt the diameter of the slicker hole. Put on a nut, then a washer, then the slicker, then another washer, then another bolt. If you don't want to cut the end off of the bolt, then have the head sticking out, do the same order, and simply put the end of the bolt into your drill. pete

I went to a tool supply house this morning. Went to get a socket set and spent $23.00 instead of the $38.00 they wanted for it at True Temper/Ace down the street. As I was walking out I saw a little blister-pak on a peg. Machine hardened punches. Hmmmmm. I was thinking about an Osborne bag punch but thought that I needed so many sizes, and always hand punched and cut between the holes. These are sharp!!! and solid. I got a pack of punches from 1/8 to 1/2" for $2.45!!!! It's made by Pit Bull tools. Now I'll never need a bag punch. ps- found a new 1lb deadblow hammer for $6.00 pete

good tip.... I did that once myself "lefty"

I shoulda framed this guide to tool usage long ago!! TOOLS EXPLAINED! DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it. WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh --' SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short. PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters. BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs. HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes. VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand. OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.. TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity. HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper. BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge. TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect. PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads. STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms. PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part. HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short. HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use. Son of a b*tch TOOL: (A personal favorite!!) Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a b*tch' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need. Hope you found this informative.

I have a new, never used Osborne common edger for sale. It's a #1 and I have no use for it. Paid $30.00 in Springfield for it and will gladly ship it to you for $25 and I'll pay shipping. Check is fine as I trust everyone here. I'm sure that Kevin will give me a credit but I don't know when I'll make it there again in the near future and I don't want to hassle him with a shipped return if one of you can use it. thanks pete

You know of course that the first thing that you tie onto will melt the para cord into your San Juan honda, and IF you were to dally, you probably wouldn't be able to get the melted nylon off of your horn and post. Just the same- I want to be there when you try it!!!! I'll be the one wearing nose plugs. pete

If I were doing this I think that I would lay out and cut the borders first, bevel the borders,do the basket stamp just to the edge, then camo or put a border stamp around it. Then I would check the measurements to make sure that it didn't stretch with that much basket stamping in the middle. (Of course you should tape/glue the piece to a board first.) Just the same, they do stretch sometimes so make sure that your piece is larger than the final size. Hope this helps- and make sure that you show us when it's finished!! pete

I think that we need more information. Is the basket space big or little- what is the pattern-does it surround the basic pattern or is it the focal point-do you plan to have a border or bead separating it from something else- etc. post your pattern if you can pete

I tried some yellow-ish (pre dyed) ostrich with oxblood red. It didn't take the red very deeply but gave a nice sunset color to it. The quill(holes) did take it and I had a sunset piece with little red dots on it. Actually it was a nice effect. Let us know how the black comes out pete

Really beautiful work.....as usual! Tell us- sis you make this for an air marshal private pilot, who??? pete

I REALLY like the pictures that you post. I never know what to expect and you never fail to surprise!!! Really neat things- so creative- and well done! Keep it up. pete

some folks do it(in the appropriate spots) after they bevel. I prefer to do it before I bevel (and later background) for the simple reason that if you do it first it eliminates a LOT of the beveling, especially in those tight spots where you need the lifter anyway. If it leaves a mark just touch it up with your modeler. To be more specific- I use it anywhere I have a tight turn, leaf curl, etc- study your the piece FIRST as a finished 3-D picture and determine where it would have relief and depth if it was a real leaf in front of you. Sometimes you can look at it after cutting (and before you begin the real work) with one eye closed. That will take away the 3-D depth so that you can better see where it needs relief. confusing enough??? pete

had what I thought was a nice rawhide thong. Got to where it was supple. Everything went fine till someone pushed me into a swimming pool at a party. WHEW!!! SOOOO glad that I had a knife available- those things really seize up fast! Gotta cut yourself out right away. pete

nicely done! Two things I would suggest( from experience)- make sure that you put the RTC on heavy- even 2-3 coats if you want to. Really rub it around fast and let it dry. It's quick and sometimes I only wait a few minutes but give it an hour or so. Then take a sheep scrap and kind of buff it before the antique. also, after you apply the antique take another sheep scrap and really rub the piece. It will get rid of all the paste buildup like around the edge of the back piece and the meandering design. well done! pete