pete

does this hep to see?

Chuck- nice work. You have a feel for drawing that I struggle with- I'm envious! As far as the shaders... I would get a pear shader with very fine horizontal lines. I got one from Hidecrafter in their catalog under the SHERIDAN tools. Not expensive by Barry King et al prices but well worth it. Hint!- do all of your pear shading on the leaf tips deeply and draw(walk) the shader down towards the center. THEN go back and make 1 wack with the lined shader at the tip. again- nice work! ps- draw a pattern for me- I'de love to try it and post it. pete

Nice lettering. Are they your design? pete

Carlb= I use xray/rubber cement too but I leave it about 1" from the edges just to keep from getting cement on the grain. You don't HAVE to completely cover the grain or film. Only the majority of the center is what stretches the most. pete

as the jewish settler who discovered Los Angeles said....... "van nyes, van nyes"

Great work- as is all of your things. Question- can you get packing tape in sheets or are those strips? pete

Really nice work Spencer! were I you I would have cut/beveled deeper, continued the pear shaders further down the leaves towards the flower center, and used a vertically lined pear shader and smoothed out the ridge that the flower center made. I too like to stamp the center deep but I always blend out the ridge with a lined shader. Make your veiner more pronounced radiating from the leaf stems. Maybe tip it more towards the tips so that they show about 1/2 - 3/4 of the way out to the leaf tips. pete

I would glue(barge,master)contact cement(NOT RUBBER CEMENT) with pigskin. It's super tough and adheres well.Stitch if you can. Don't use elk, soft calf, etc as they will grab the dogs hair a little and won't be smooth. Finish with sno-seal, or some good waterproofer. I think that you are making using/every- day collars and not show collars? Lining a collar won't soften it- it will stiffen it. ps- I use a product called Montana Pitch-blend. It's great stuff. Waterproofs and softens. Just google the name

I bought on e and sent it back the next day. It's "purdy" but the barrel was too big for the finer work I like to do.The blades fit but I'm use to a 3/8 barrel so this was a HUGE hunk of leather to turn. I didn't like the feel of the leather either. I have since bought 2 MAGNUM knives from Hidecrafter(the skinny black ones in the catalog) and love the way that I can do really tight curves. The blade is a Henly-1/4" angled. I bought the knife too. Glad I did. My ceramic blades don't fit. Just as well- the Henly is a LEXUS,cadillac, etc. GREAT knife and a much better buy than buying just the blade. pete

I almost always trace, cut and shade for the simple reason that I like to pear shade deeply on the leaf tips and other places and the leather bunches up against the cut line. Then when I bevel after it pushes it back and gets a better "ridge" than if I bevel first. Sometimes that flattens out the bevel and I lose the definition. Do what woiks! As I say and have heard after years of (professional) music.....it ain't wrong, it's just different.(Although I've jammed with a ton of guys who just play it WRONG>

anybody know where I can still get that tracing paper that Tandy used to sell. Took pencil really well, erased easily and was "frosted" on one side but really clear. pete while I'm at it- someone posted a reply the other day regarding adhesives. They said that they (like myself) use x-ray film on the back of their tooling projects. What was the 3M product that you use and does it come off easily? Leave much on the flesh/ etc etc etc..

BEAUTIFUL lettering! What weight leather is that and how do you cut/bevel them? Are they beveled on each side and with a REALLY wide,flat, beveler? I can't tell from the black/reflection. pete

make sure that you case with REALLYWARM water. It opens the leather better and quicker than cold or luke warm. pea-aire'

I'll save you some possible heartache xlr- if it is a round plastic slicker-- don't use it. You will get a much better result if you pinch the edge with a piece of canvas or rough material and quickly rub a small section at a time. Don't be in a hurry to do a long section; 2-4" at a time is plenty. Be cautious if you use a piece of old Levi's, jeans, etc. I did once and the blueing came off and they were a 5 year old pair! go figure! pete

SJIM- On second look- I'de think about lining the next one with 1-1.5oz tooling calf. That way you can glue the lining in, trim it and THEN burnish the edges. The edges will look really cool and will bond on the edge. I do key fobs that way and I use 5/6oz for DEEP tooling and back it with the calf. I dye/antique in the same color front and back and the result is really neat. It comes out looking like a thick piece of leather smooth on both sides- and you cant see where they join. just a thought- pea-aire'

hey- you're a funny guy! I'm one of those who has collected a lot of junk over 20 years and want to stop others before they hurt themselves! I just put 25 tools in the local paper- $4.00 each or all 25 for 50 bucks. They sold in 2 hours to the same woman! I bought 1 new basketstamp with it I WILL look you up in Memphis though- I'de love to se your set-up pax pea-aire'

Hey! Dont give up!! It looks like you used a piece of wood for a dummy? Right? Is it the exact size of the phone? If so all you needed to do was allow for the thickness of the leather. Maybe 1/8th or so on every bend. You can always cut it shorter- can't put it back on! something that I learned from my barber father-in law. You may not be able to use this one but the next will be great- don't finish it until all of the piece is done. Then you can groove, dye, etc I like the pattern- I have a friend who wants a cell case for his belt(horizontal) so be sure to post the next one AND the pattern. Stay the course!!! pete

I'm so impressed with the new interest and talent that many of these new members have. What I would give to have had a place like this 20+ years ago when I started to get serious. There wasn't even a Tandy close by let alone an internet to swap information and pictures. What do you all think about a "shopping list" for the neophytes joining us regarding the things that we have bought in the past that flat - didn't work you never used was worthless can't live without found a better substitute didn't work as advertised must have etc etc etc... Maybe we could add to it as we did with the poll on what I have learned about leatherworking thoughts? pete ps- I'll start the thread The roller swivel knife sharpener is real handy when starting out. Perfect angle each time the plastic circle edge burnishing tool is worthless.

would you be kind enough to post more pictures? I'de like to know the dimentions, how you finished the inside, what you used for the red leather, etc. thanks Look forward to more detail as I'm sure everyone is pete

Bill- what you might get, which is a great tool, is a modeler with a small and large ball on the ends. I use it a great deal when working to use as a pear shader in small and tight spots. I also use it on leaf turnbacks (the top of the turnback to give little depressions ) and all along the edges of the patterns. I have found this to be a tool that you wouldn't think would make a difference as it is used lightly most of the time but do a flower ,rose, anything that you would undercut (pro-petal) and just run the ball around the edges and see what I mean. It gently rounds the piece and slightly burnishes it too of the leather is "just right" pete

Het Pat! Merry Christmas!! I'm about to make one for my 5 string elec. mandolin. I;m going to use 4/5 oz. so that I can get some depth on the tooling. Probably skive the edges(flesh side!) and glue to the present pick-guard. Skive it thin enough and it should look good. You might want to tape/glue it first and allow for a little stretch on you pattern for ample borders. I'll do mine 1/8th over so as to have plenty of "mistake" room when I skive it. No need to edge it. Let me know how your's goes. pete

I just finished this checkbook cover and am really pleased with the finish. I had a few emails and phone calls asking me what I do so I thought that I would post it here. After tooling with steep checkered bevelers I gently went around with a standard smooth beveler and smoothed out the halos. Let dry and oiled lightly with pure neets/TLF chocolate dye mix. Dyed the background TLF green. RTC over all- rubbed in with sheepskin. This stuff amazes me. You can put it on heavy and rub till it foams. And it dries in minutes! Mahogany Feibings paste- rubbed of with paper towell(comes off really easily with the RTC) buffed with sheepskin and then buffed hard with paper towel again. This has become the secret to a really good finish. I never buffed/rubbed hard enough afterwards. Rub that thing like you were going after a Marine shoe shine inspection! One coat KIWI neutral Hope you like it. By the way- I wanted to jazz up the logo a little so I enclosed it in 2 ovals and free-handed squiggles around it to match the flower to the left. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Be of help and inspiration to as many as you can this year!(that's why we are here)

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot, Tru-Value etc and get one of those sanding sponges for prepping painted and lacquered surfaces. I use them a lot and they last a year or so and they $1.00 at a Dollar General store here! They llok like a dish sponge with sandpaper on the outside.

I'de just like to find a good rotary punch!!!! I bought the heavy, TLF punch (years ago) and not only does the punch not line up with the anvil, the anvil is off center and pitted! I've tried to bent the "clip" so that the punch clicks into position about 1/32nd later but alas... the spring steel can't be bent. I ended up buying a set of single punches with a universal handle. made in China off course--- GET IT TOGETHER TANDY!!!!!!

I went online a few years ago and got a "dividing" or centering ruler from a art supply co. It was $2.99 plus shipping. Not to trash your idea (I have 2 patents for BIG bucks that never got off the ground!) but the ruler has a hole in the center and reads in each direction from 0-6". I've never had a problem finding the center of ANYTHING 12" or less. Prick a hole in the center of the ruler and you are never more than 1/64" off. Does this help YOUR situation or did I mis-read the initial problem? pete