pete

I know that I and others are always looking for patterns/pictures. We just planted 21,000(yes thousand) imported bulbs from holland.Here's a few that I plan to use for patterns and practice my dyeing technique. Enjoy! pete

My pride and joy. Made by Kevin Schwab for me in 1971. serial #1 Had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Haggard(tiny moore!) Asleep at the Wheel Johnny Paycheck and many others. It's a 5 string elec mandolin for those who aren't familiar. pete

I know that there has been a LOT of answers to the slicking questions but I have one more. DO you who slick do it after you wet the leather and case it(let it sit) or do you case it and slick it just before you begin tooling? It seems that to get the stretch out it would make sense to do it while it was still really wet but ......?

maybe I missed the entire slugfest but.........what does it matter if Elmer's works or not? Wasn't the point of using it just to stick the thing together until it could be stitched? Please enlighten me someone if I missed it all together. pete

that design on the left is really nice Where did you get it? Would you mind posting it to copy? PLEASE post the finished piece after the tooling.

really neat!!! How did you dye the back, flowers, and did you resist the border and then burnish it? Tell All!!! pete

it's easier to make your own binder than to re-cover one. What exactly do you want to know?

I have an Osborn #1 common edger (with the long, pointed tips)Brand new, paid $29.00 +tax and have never used it. Just took off the plastic/wax on the tip and it sits in my rack.. Why I bought a #1 I don't know. Why do any of us buy tools?! Cause their there??? I would love to have a (used if necessary) bissonet #2 or #3. I'll pay shipping. It's just sitting here and I know some saddlemaker could use it to trip horns, etc. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pete

an easy way to tell if the leather was poorly tanned or tanned in Mexico....wet it a little and smell it if it smell rancid like cat pee it was. I was told this a long time ago from someone who knows..tandy "affiliate"

really neat! Did you use a stitch groover to make the cross hatches ? If not, how did you get them so as not to look like double beveled swivel cuts? pete

Clay- great work as usual!! Did you try rough sandpaper to get a fuzzy effect. I have done that tin the past ( once by mistake) and did a piece later of a dandelion. turned out great! pete

where did you find the grinder? I looked on their web page and couldn't find one that was variable speed! Only on/off. Are you putting a rheostat on yours? pete

I just finished painting a purse and used Fiebing's acrylic dye. What can I use to top coat it that won't smear/melt it? I don't have a sprayer so I will be daubing it on. I have the Stohlman books but can't find the answers. pete

can I buy from you with a personal check? If so I would like 1 brass 1 nickel and one blank. pete

would you be kind enough o show the back side and explain how to attach the roller. pete would you be kind enough o show the back side and explain how to attach the roller. pete

Nice attempt! What you might try next time is to get a circle template or use a compass to scribe your outer circles and some inexpensive french curves for the rest of the lines. Go slowly with the swivel knife and use the biggest beveler you have where you can. Tap faster as you move it slowly and you will walk it better. I like the bumpy backgrounding! SEE the depth of the points that cross over the circles and try to bevel the depth accordingly. You took on a tricky one for your first attempt but again---not bad! Try it again- it will surprise you how much better it will be pete ps- invest in a modeling spoon of some kind. The peter main tool is great

sorry to be "slow" ... but do you bevel the borders inside the design that are to be back grounded later... or do you just bevel the stems and such and background over the "virgin" leather allowing the background tool of choice to flatten it? pete

I'll HAVE to add arkansas seeing as how I have to deal with my brother who lives in No. California. After speaking with him and getting his Barack O-blabla vibes through the phone- I can't believe that I live in the same country so I will go on record as making arkansas a different country. pete

Is there ever a time when you simply cut and then background without beveling first (ie. all of the normally bar gounded,pebbled,A14 etc areas)?

RTC is a GREAT product made by Bee Natural. It is an acrylic finish/blocker that is odorless and dries really fast. It also makes the antique wipe off easier. I use nothing else. pete

After years of floral and then Sheridan tooling I have come to 2 conclusions. 1-better tools (Bob Beard etc) make for a better finished look- ALTHOUGH the craftool sheridan bevelers work really well! and 2- I can't tell the difference between sheridan(steep) and regular smooth bevelers if I'm going to background it all anyway. Before I buy more- does it matter what you bevel with if you are going to background???????? I think that it is easier to use smooth reg bevelers as they come in all sizes and tight fits aren't a problem.

personally- I wouldn't even START to wear them until they looked like that!!!

what is an un-restricted license and how did you get it!!!!!! pete

my question has NOTHING to do with making a connection of any kind with this group and their practices. I'm just curious-especially as to the current economic and political environment. How many of you (us) have (either) conceal or open carry licenses? Maybe if there is a lot of feedback Johanna might want to reprint this as a graph/poll etc. Pete S