billybopp

That looks great! Love the color combo too. Bill

Not getting enough saddle time on horses, Thor? That does look pretty comfy.

I always like to have something with a back on it. Invariably you find yourself bent over working on something for awhile and stress your back. It's really convenient to be able to lean back a little now and then without falling onto the floor. (I reserve falling off of barstools for bars). Bill

Matt ... Any chance you could work a deal with Giardini to send you sampler kits as part of your regular orders with them? It would probably be a minimal addition to your shipping costs .. and NA customers would see far less shipping expense ! .. Even if you charge a small handling fee, it would likely be a good deal for us, and a good sales tool for you. Just a thought. Bill

Looks good. Is that just a thumbprint, struck pretty hard, for the border? Bill

One o' those turkey notebook covers would be totally perfect for anybody trying to read my turkey-scratch handwriting! I love the tracks inside. Beautiful work on both of them, Bob!

Somebody outta invent a stand that will hold multiple machines 'n let you rotate them so that the one you want to use is on top, the others down and out of the way. Bill

I have a set of embossing wheels that I use for trim around some items. They do a nice job. Bill

I use 90% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) if needed, and then follow that with running water and brush cleaner http://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443110240&sr=8-1&keywords=artist+brush+cleaner Bill

I'm lovin' these videos, Uwe! I only have a couple of home sewing machines for now and sew everything but thin garment leather by hand. Nevertheless, one o' these days I will have a good leather machine, and now know a lot more about what is going on(for when the time comes). It's just plain fascinating to watch 'n learn!! Bill.

Good job, Rohn! Most holsters are sewn, and it's nice to see braided for a change. Bill

Did you know ... You can ignore all signatures, or just ones posted by a particular user? Put your mouse just beneath a post, at the top right corner of the signature, and an X will appear. Click on it, and it gives you the options to ignore. Bill

White dye is pretty much useless. It's impossible to get good coverage with it. White acrylic leather paint is the way to go. Bill

Now I know why I can never manage to get one when I'm lookin' for 'em on ebay Oldtoolsniper. You bought 'em all!! Bill

I don't have any problem with leather pieces blowing around when airbrushing, but then I'm not working with very small pieces. When painting plastic model kits, however, there are frequently some very small pieces. You just have to get creative with them. A loop of masking tape can work, as can adhesive putty like used for posters (although that may stain leather), sticks shoved into a cardboard box, with a bit of glue on the tip can work to give nearly all around coverage. (take out chinese chopsticks are just about perfect for that). Hope that helps Bill

Thanks Don! That's a really great addition to the arbor. I see how it works now, and really like the drill attachment too. Very clever! Bill

I like it Tallbald. I've been using an arbor press for some of my stamping, but haven't yet modified it with a fence or drilled ram... Mostly using it for lettering stamps so far, but I'll modify it for further use soon! I'm really curious about how you rigged the return spring. I think I understand what you did there, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so, could I persuade you to show us?? Thanks! Bill

Dang, Studio-N ... Don't show those glasses to the hipsters in yer neighborhood. They'll have to have a pair! I use head worn magnifiers at times, but also find a lighted free-standing magnifier pretty useful as well( http://www.amazon.com/Carson-DeskBrite-Illuminated-Magnifier-LM-20/dp/B003EW1ZNC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441696283&sr=8-2&keywords=hobby+magnifier ) Bill

The Seiwa are diamond shaped, straight sided, and available in three sizes. At $15 -17.50 a piece, most can afford all three. I find that size 1 and 2 are the ones I mostly use. Here's a picture including the Tandy crap awl that I started with, the three Seiwas, and another that is, I think, Osborne.

That's a slick solution to a hairy problem! Bill

That is really cool, beautiful, and yet subtly, oddly disturbing all at the same time. I like it! Now somebody just needs to do a similar one for the empire! Bill

Kevlar gloves work great. Just trust me and don't ask how I know. Bill

I bought a HF airbrush years ago with the thought, at the time, of learning to use it well. Photorealistic airbrush art was very popular at the time (mid-80s). The HF really wasn't up to the task for that, but it did fine for larger areas where precise control wasn't needed. It eventually died when the needle got dropped and the tip bent. Later on I got a couple of Paasche airbrushes for modelbuilding, and love them. They were a natural to bring over into leatherwork, and do a really great job. Agreed the single action model H is a crazy simple tool and easy to clean. The VL is a little more complex, with a little steeper learning curve (although not all THAT steep), and a little more work to clean but well worth it where the extra control is of use. I also have a couple Iwata that were given to me, but haven't used them much yet. The extra jars are a big help for keeping different colors, and come in a couple of different types. Some are just plain glass jars that you then put the airbrush siphon top onto .. and they come in all sorts of sizes. The bigger ones can be helpful if you're covering larger areas. You can also get jars with siphon tops included, which makes for faster changes. Sometimes piston air compressors will cause pulsing at the airbrush and a bit of unevenness in spraying. If you see that happening, you might be able to use a longer hose to help even that out. In my case, I had to get an air tank (from HF) and replaced the hose that comes with it using some pipe and a T fitting. That provides plenty of extra airspace and helps to even out the pulses to a more controllable level and makes for a more even spray. Hope that helps, Bill

Lookin' good! Is that an M3?? Bill

Awesome pictures! Thanks! I can almost smell the place looking at the photos. Bill