Ole South

I like the sofa straw idea! I've had trouble with golf tees as the enamel adheres a bit too well and chips as you remove them, especially acrillic enamels. Use a good pencil sharpener and a single chopstick will yield 8-12 tapered plugs. Leaching paraffin into the bamboo is to reduce plug surface adhesion and shouldn't be so thick to transfer to the painted surface.

Uwe, I was just pondering the oil hole vs paint issue yesterday. I finally settled on impregnating a bamboo chopstick with molten wax. Whether to twist it out immediately after spraying or after drying is the rub.

The simplest, most readily available tool for Windows is Paint. Not very complex or capable it will let you paste, resize and print... and it's free and already on your pc. Sketchup is a freebie as is Inkscape. Both have significant enough learning curves that it's easy to get invested in a tool that will you eventually out grow. Or maybe won't. Difference of opinions aren't always arguments and LW.net is pretty civil compared to many other niche forums out there. Silence sometimes is just ... an indication no one has anything constructive to add or the search box needs to be explored.

"Clean flat seams" Leather joining as in fabric seams have different construction methods. A flat felled seam is different than a French seam than a lap seam. Since we don't have to deal with "fraying" in leatherwork it's hard at first to set aside years of (woven material) "best practices" and embrace simplicity (and then NEW complexities arise) What is pictured isn't a flat seam it's basically a lap seam of the same facings (i.e. right side to right side or wrong side to wrong side) To belabor the obvious... Gluing replaces straight pins. Sometimes. The example of the French seam is one of those "sometimes". Sometimes you CAN glue parts of a French seam (and use basting tape too!) Uwe just posted a great video of doing a two basic parts of the French seam. The methods aren't so different... the medium IS.

Glue is your buddy when dealing with chrome tan gussets... and roughers, abrasive paper/cloth and denatured alcohol or sometimes acetone is glue's best friend. Thin leather will stretch more than most fabrics. Just clamp (lots of binder clips are handy) be patient and let set. If you're using real contact cement (Barge, Lepage, Weldwood etc) remember it is "impact activated" I.e. Use your mallet or hammer to set the seam then clamp.

Either or both of the above and set it out in direct sunlight rotating (all 3 planes) as needed. Chlorine, ultraviolet light (sunlight) and temps above 115° all kill mold and mildew. Chlorine additionally will bleach dark spots but is NOT selective. YOU have to choose which method is appropriate. Murphy's oil soap is good for wood with mold but not sure it really kills it. It's used on leather too, search the forums. Direct sunlight over time seems to be the least damaging option BUT... that entails completely disassembling the table, wiping each and every surface (might as well use a dilute solution of lemon/lime or vinegar or chlorine bleach as appropriate) then exposing every surface to UV for several hours. If you live in the SW (and I see you don't) not so hard... Ohio this time of year... not so easy. Too bad sub-freezing temps don't kill the stuff. Btw:dawnlight seems to be most effective killing and fading mold/mildew probably something to do w/light spectrum and more long wave light bouncing around. Using white vinegar has the added benefit of neutralizing stale smoke smell.

How do you keep USMC Black from greying or going chalky?

Still on sale... note that it is Urethane and a little softer than the white poly. It still does well cutting strap ends and heavy punching. There is a 30oz version too. https://www.grizzly.com/products/24-oz-Non-marring-Mallet/D2807

I love tools... especially old tools. But... I don't think branding/ego polish should outweigh function and at my core I don't think clubs (hammers) should be expensive unless they include warranties and guarantied outcomes or power cords. Don't get me wrong... I PAY for quality name brand when it's warranted but so many of our "Name Brand" previously quality tools and implements have been farmed out to the lowest bidder (no, I'm not looking at any particular country, I've found good to great quality from many nations... even those that get a bad rap generally). SO... when the inexpensive mallets began showing up on Xbay (no Art... this is not for the adults only section) I was curious. I bought one with free shipping for $12.00usd. No... doesn't come with an engraved headpiece, no stacked leather handle... just a polished aluminum (I think) handle and a poly head. It's okay... works like a maul... you hit something with it and energy is transferred. I don't have big mitts so the somewhat shorter overall length isn't a problem. And since it's primarily for tooling I ain't swinging it very hard. Then... I saw (gasp) similar mallets with WOODEN HANDLES appear. Much prettier and traditional looking to boot! So when the price dropped I ordered one of those... just for comparison ofc. The 24oz is a Shop Fox I picked up on sale from I think WoodCraft for $9.99 plus shipping. They do their jobs... not badly balanced, I wish the white poly heads were a bit larger diameter but hey... for the price I'm not gripping. The wooden handle poly is ~49mm dia while the silver (comes in anodized black too) is ~50.8mm dia. For a beginner to intermediate worker they work and don't break the bank. I've used the Stohlman mauls and *shrug* best I can say is they may fit bigger hands better and they have a larger diameter head but I'll wait for a significant price reduction/sale before investing in one. Not that they don't work well.....

The local Tandy (Tampabay area) carving/tooling classes don't cost you anything... save the basic tools you probably already have. I not sure but I don't believe the Orlando branch charges either... we've had two excellent instructors (neither are/were Tandy employees) that basically donate their time to share their talent and experience. I don't tool much but have learned something every time I've attended or watched a class. Check your local store. As a beginner, you miss so much not having a live instructor or mentor looking over your shoulder. If your swivel knife is giving you issues... strop it at the proper angle until it's sharp and all the grind marks are gone... they don't come ready for use from a hobby store... Tandy not excluded.

Try Gel Antique over Fiebings Mahogany (sorry Colt.. I missed your post regarding these colors)

Beautifully edited and composed video Uwe, just brilliant! (as always) Additionally you've answered a question as to why a sewing spider is so important for those first few stitches when binding. In garment weight fabric we can usually cheat a bit but thickness like this... they are imperative.

Wallymart sells the Fiskars 24x24 self healers for about $17... buy a second one and get a piece of 24x48" 1/4-1/2" mdf to use as a base from Home Despot and you should be good to go without eating up much storage space. I'll second the rotary cutter and straight edge for light to medium weight straight/gradual curve cutting... they're sold at Wallymart too.

Good insight here.... as Edison once said, "If I have succeeded, it's only because I have failed more often and more successfully than my competitors" (or something to that effect). Love the internal monologue too! Btw... no reference pix of the "Sabah Shoe"

2 oz rolled to the back side center = 4oz. Foot?!!? Hemming FOOT???!!! We ain't tailors!!! Glue and hammer with a mallet then stitch.

This is a tote yes? Turn bag inside out and top stitch from the inside. or... Is your bobbin side stitch okay? If yes... sew from the inside on your last least visible seam and handstitch the bottom. Otherwise find a patcher and try and match stitch length.

If you have an aversion to sponges (Poriferaphobia?) some people use a mister type spray bottle ("Mist".. as in fine spray not as in "and Mrs")

Google "French Seam Upholstery" Lots of youtubes on it

Looks like a rolled hem. Like you would with fabric. Hard to tell if it's been skived down or probably just 2 oz.

Move the needle closer to the hook? Top screw above the needle clamp screw. Loosen and rotate the hook to the needle... push the needle clamp toward bobbin, needle eye barely away from hook (hook should be a bit above and in the needle scarf) This is so you can adjust for larger diameter needles i.e. 16 vs 22.

Ummm... have you considered chrome tan laminated and sewn to veg? You're gonna have to paint the edges anyway so burnishing is just to get a smooth edge.

@kheart: could you get a side view of one of those and post it?

Rivets are best in items that get daily use... not good for long term storage. Use rivets for two reasons: Cosmetics ("I'm going to be like bored in an hour so what do I care what it looks like next week man") and Because you NEED it. (it's a stress point that will eventually wear a threaded only seam out.)

That's the page Thor. The knot in the picture appears to be a variant, perhaps a double loop rolled button? I wish we could get a side view.

If you're using flat pattern pieces use a "Dust Bag", Cut about 4 inches of a cotton sock off the toe. Fill with talcum powder, tie it off and pat the edges of your pattern. If you need lines steal from the tailors... a sliver of hand soap. I usually mark from the backside of the leather and use a ball point pen (not gel)