billybopp

I have experimented a bit, and found that sometimes if you dye edges with no burnish the dye can easily saturate and bleed to the front/back. It just absorbs too much too quickly and leaves a stain along the edge. A quick burnish with just a little water and maybe a little saddle soap can help that over-saturation problem. Once the dye has dried, then do a full on burnish with whatever burnishing compounds you like. I like tokonol, or beeswax myself, but you wouldn't want to use either before dying since that may not allow the dye to penetrate at all. To make things more interesting, different leathers absorb dyes differently, so about the only thing you can do to be sure you'll get the result you want it to try it on some scrap. - Bill

I have a book on brain tanning that I bought 40 some years ago, but never got to try it! If you look around, there are some vids on youtube about brain tanning as well - and some use eggs, etc in addition to or in place of brain. It is a labor intensive process, and for the most part deer or elk skins are chrome tanned now. The result is very similar from what I can tell. - Bill

I rounded off and sharpened the tip of a small, cheap flat-head screwdriver to experiment with. It worked well, but I also eventually bought one of the ones that you strike, and that is what I mostly use now. The old one does still come in handy at time, tho. There's no reason why you couldn't modify a modelling spoon so work as a lifter. -Bill

I bet that'll work a charm for sewing belts and straps, @Doc Reaper! I should make something like that. -Bill

It's the machine version of this ... https://www.ebay.com/itm/WUTA-Leather-Edge-Beveler-Creaser-Steel-Blade-Ebony-Marking-Vintage-Leather-Tool/152356872544?hash=item23792d6160:m:mLD7OatC3EWEGnyoLCbDTCg

I've never had mold on my leather, but my understanding is that it is a pain to get rid of, so something to be avoided. - Bill

There are a number of threads on LWN about making natural dyes that you might find helpful. I don't remember them mentioning oil based dye, but many are water-based. In any case, some of these might give you a starting point! https://leatherworker.net/forum/search/?&q="natural dye"&search_and_or=or&sortby=relevancy I think I remember the following thread being particularly interesting.

Congratulations! Bill

I tend to prefer doing long runs in a single go when I can, particularly with darker thread (light colors just get too dirty on long runs). You just have to be careful about tangling and keep an eye out for any knots that do accidentally form and take care of them before trying to pass them through the leather where they will just tighten. - Bill

My saddle soap bar went missing for awhile, and I found a tiny glycerin soap in the bathroom closet. It worked just fine, even if it smelled a little flowery. - Bill

Wonder if it had a squirrel cage fan? -Bill

Ben Franklin is quoted as saying: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Bill

It may well not be Tandy that is blocking access... It could be your country. That has been known to happen! - Bill

Yup! More than one utility knife is a great idea for sure. It doesn't work around here, tho. I have several lying around, and just two that i try to keep reserved for leather work. Yet somehow, with the ones reserved for "around the house" lying right out in plain sight, I always find my hidden leather knives out used to open packages all the damn time. Amazing! - Bill

I have to wonder if P.D.Q. Bach's suite for trombone and strings in G is in your repertoire? - Bill

Patchers were mostly used by cobblers, and you'll still find one in just about every good cobbler's shop. They are meant for patching shoes and such, back when folks actually fixed rather than replaced. The arm is very long and skinny to get into tight places. The feed is from the top only, and can pivot 360 degrees so that you can change sewing direction while the arm is still buried in a boot or such. That pivoting head / feed makes them pretty useful for a lot of odd situations. They aren't necessarily something you'd want for the majority of your sewing needs, but for those certain situations, there isn't any other type of machine that can easily do them. - Bill

Congrats, Ferg!! Now you've got more to love!

How much are you asking for the FFAFP and the PPOKRUD?

Check out this thread, I think you'll find some answers there.

My draw gauge is a Civil War era H.O. Sauerbier with a modern CSO blade, since the one that came with it was down to pretty much nothing. The Osborne blades really are terribly pointy, so I filed it down and dulled it near the tip just so it wouldn't be quite so dangerous. It really was scary before that, but not now: And it works great! - Bill

Blood on your work is just another form of "customization".

Awesome project! I started tooling with a rawhide mallet which worked OK for me, but eventually I wondered what all the hubbub about mauls was, so picked up one of the $15 Chinesium mauls from eBay and found that I liked it. Next I tried a couple of Shopfox mauls that I found on sale really cheap, but the rubber coating was a little too bouncy for tooling leather sadly. I eventually found a heavier used maul for a really good price on eBay and bought it .. I think it's a Weaver with a foam handle but don't see a name on it anywhere. Love it but it's too heavy for tooling but works great for punches and such. My leather working mauls are about 3 to 4 inch diameter for the head. The heavier they are, the bigger the head seems to be. As I understand it, a straight maul is used when you tool with your elbow up high so that the head hits the tool squarely. A tapered maul allows you to rest your elbow on the table and still hit the tool squarely. - Bill

It's getting there. Right now, it looks like one of the better scanners for this type of work is about $1400 - Not yet cost effective. But, several weeks ago I came across a vid on YouTube about 3D scanning using a cellphone camera and software. Unfortunately I can't find that again, but IIRC the price was pretty reasonable. Whether that type of scan would provide the level of detail you'd want for a dummy gun or not I can't say ... But the technology is getting there!! - Bill

I suspect that one factor contributing to short incomplete answers could be attributed to people more and more using phones and tablets rather than computers with real keyboards! Lets face it, onscreen keyboards are a pain to use! I know I'm more inclined to comment when not using a mobile device. - Bill

tooling took 66 hours... the whole thing took a little over 100 hours... Yes... I'm a very slow leathercrafter! ... If slow gets you that kind of results ... then by all means go slow!! - Bill