billybopp

At one point I got pretty good at making leather beer cozies, using Al Stohlman's method from The Art of Hand Sewing Leather, and figured it wasn't a big leap from there to a full-blown leather mug. I looked into beeswax and pitch to line them, but realized that those may not do so well with hot beverages which is how I came across the idea of using epoxy from a post on LWN. It occurred to me that even with epoxy, the mug could be a pain in the neck to clean, so I re-thought things a bit and came up with the idea of just making a leather wrap for a glass mug that would be easy to clean: dishwasher safe, even! Most mugs have sloped sides which would make the wrap need to be an odd shape, but with some research I came up with these straight sided mugs from Libbey. After a couple of iterations my final solution is shown here.

Looks great! If your taste in beverages leans more toward coffee or hot tea, you might want to consider a food grade epoxy to line your mug! Did you use anything to stiffen your mug? Particularly the handle? - Bill

The only things I can think of that you'd want to watch out for is now the leather straps are attached, they'd have to be good and strong, and leather stretch. You might be able to pre-stretch the leather some to help out with that. Otherwise looks really really cool!! Be sure to show off if you decide to make one! - Bill

It's always fascinating to see what happens when you combine a several different tools to make an endless variety of patterns! Well done. - Bill

Wow! Glad it finally got there! Look at it this way - now the recipient not only has a fine new tool, but also a story to go with it! - Bill

For coarser "sanding" you might even go to the cosmetics aisle at your local drug or grocery store and start with nail files! - Bill

Most of the old ones that I've seen are sharpened on the inside, but I've seen newer ones that are not. You do need to be careful when sharpening, as that makes the point very slender and a bit fragile. But when it is sharpened, it can be used like a curved clicker knife for cutting tight curves.. - Bill

Some sandpaper glued to a popsicle stick will work well for getting between the tines in most cases. - Bill

A round "slip stone" works nicely for sharpening inside curves. - Bill

I didn't even catch that APEX marking! I did a quick google on it and found: http://members.acmenet.net/~con12a/saw set website/plier2.htm It's not a tool that sees a lot of use these days, since modern hand-saws are meant to be more or less disposable rather than maintainable until you start getting into "boutique saws". At one time, though, they were a fairly common tool for woodworkers. It's really nice to hold onto tools like these that were in the family. I have quite a few hand tools going back as much a few generations in some cases. if you'd like to get an idea of how they are used: - Bill

I believe that is a saw set. Used to put a slight outward angle on saw teeth. - Bill

LOL! If it is marked "Harrison, NJ" it was made sometime after 1906ish, which is when CSO moved from Newark, NJ to Harrison. I'm not aware of any way to narrow it down further than that. - Bill

Well, ya know. You've got this little tiny piece that needs to be burnished. You forgot to bring a cup of water with you. The kitchen is way over on the other side of the house. Well, things happen. - Bill

A first aid kit is essential to have on hand when doing anything with sharp objects, really! Blood is not a "feature" on your leatherwork ... woodwork ... or cooking for that matter! You know when your tools are sharp enough when you cut yourself, or poke yourself with an awl, and don't even know it right away! - Bill

I'll offer $0.01 for this invisible unknown model machine in an undisclosed location, you pay shipping.

All that carving looks like it was a pain in the bass. But seriously, very nice!! - Bill

New leather or old, it would've been criminal to let that amazing hardware go to waste!! It's great that you could breathe new life into it! - Bill

Those kids are going to be the envy of every other kid they play with! - Bill

I think Klingons might be code for China too.

Most rolls will fit. The shaft size is more or less standard for all of these. I've only tried one bunkhouse roll, and it's just a wee bit sloppy on the shaft. I don't know if that's just the one I got or if they are all that way. - Bill

I have one, and it works well. The only thing I find to be a little bit fiddly is setting up the guides to get a strap centered just where you want it. It's not terrible, just a little bit fiddly. - Bill

You might also try direct from http://wickett-craig.com/.

Merry Christmas everybody!

If it ain't broke! - Bill

I don't have a leather sewing machine, but I do hand sew and use binder clips to hold things together, such as these from Amazon. You can find them at any office supply store as well. If I am using a type of leather that is easily marked by the binder clips, I'll use popsicle sticks between the jaws and leather to spread out the clamping pressure. - Bill