billybopp

The belts all look really great! I think I may have to make one for myself. But I have to ask: Where the heck did you find those fancy Chicago screws!? Bill

If it were possible to make the process shorter, don't you think they would do that? It's a HUGE amount of money sitting in the vats not making money for a long period of time. Other tanning methods are quicker, with different results. Look into brain tanning.

Keep in mind that the faster the motor runs with a given wheel, the more friction you create with the wheel. If you create too much friction, you may burn more than burnish. A smaller diameter wheel can help to compensate for a faster shaft speed. If you want to do the math, using pi*d for the circumference, an 8" wheel @1750rpm moves surface past the leather at 733 inches per second. A 4" wheel at 366 IPS, or half the running speed along the leather being burnished. While I can't tell you what an appropriate speed along the leather should be, it's something to keep in mind when you purchase a wheel. Hope that helps Bill

Conditioner and / or saddle soap might help. Then again, it might just be crap lace. I've run into a spool or two. Bill

That's how I'd do it, Glockinator ... Except that I'd mount the press beyond the edge of the table so that the lower skinny part sticks out. That greatly helps getting into tight places when needed. Bill

When I'm mixing dyes for a particular color, I use some plastic disposable eyedroppers that I bought at a hobby shop. I use a different one for each color of dye so that I don't cross contaminate the dye in the bottle...Even one for the dye reducer. I then use a small ceramic bowl or paint flower to mix them in. Just count the number of drops to get the ratio you need. The droppers are good for a couple dozen uses before the plastic is done in. But they're cheap and do the job! You might also see them labelled as "transfer pipettes". Can't wait to see your finished piece!! Hope that helps Bill

Edge kote is more of a glossy flexible paint than a dye. About the best use for it is putting a finished edge on leathers that do not burnish well. Bill

I wonder if something like clear nail polish would be good to prevent corrosion? Bill

I sometimes dye the back, and sometimes not. If you do not want dye on the back, you can put masking tape on the back to help protect it, or frisket film for larger pieces. The adhesive from the tape/frisket can sometimes pull up the grain to leave the back a little "hairier", but that can usually be resolved with some gum trag or tan kote and a glass slicker for larger pieces or just a regular wood slicker for smaller ones. Hope that helps Bill

Marvin looks awesome! But it looks like he's missing the Illudium Q36 explosive space modulator!! Seriously cool. Marvin has always been one of my favorite Looney Toons characters. Bill

Great work as always! Bill

For my part, I think I like the burr showing on this bag, especially since Joe did such a good job making them look smooth and even. It just adds something visually interesting to the bag. Perhaps a different bag design with more happening visually would do better with the head out. I wonder, does anybody know if the copper rivets will oxidize to green with time? If so, how would you prevent it? Also, has anybody tried "machine turning" or some other method to give these rivets an interesting texture? Just some thoughts ... Bill

Exactly 23 1/2 more parts and you have an entire machine. Bill

I just put in an order with Tandy for some stuff that I need in a hurry, and included a bottle of the Neutral Pro and Gloss. I'm not usually a fan of edge paint, but I'm curious how this will look! Bill

All three of the Stohlman case books are pretty good. They are best read in order, as they somewhat build on skills presented in previous volumes. Many of the demo projects are outdated (Polaroid camera case, etc), but the skills taught are still very much valid and useful. All three are downloadable from Tandy's Leathercraft library for $9.99US each at the moment. https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/c-79-ebooks.aspx?pagenum=1 Hope that helps Bil

Something I've always wondered .. Do you line a corset like this the entire interior area? Would you mind taking a photo of the interior, Raven? It looks great. I love the colors, and never would have thought of using the silver that way!! Bill

Be aware that temperature controlled soldering irons have a thermistor/thermocouple in the tip to sense temperature and send it back to the power unit. Hence, you are limited to the tips made for that iron, which are pretty small. A proper fileteuse edger has a pretty broad surface. Not to say that it will not work, but it's not exactly the same thing. Bill

Doug, just a few of things to look out for with the Chinese irons: 1. It looks as though there are machining marks on the teeth that may make it more difficult for the tool to go into / out of the leather. Is that a problem? 2. Is the orientation of the slant the right direction and pitch? 3. Is the metal hard enough? For the first two, it might help you if somebody on here that has Blanchard or Dixon punches could post some close up pictures of the working end of their punches. For the third, there's only one way to find out. It begs the question of whether many times the price for a lifetime tool is better than paying for a tool that will last a few years. Hope that helps Bill

Is this friend by any chance a salesman? Just wonderin'. Bill

Looks great! I need to make one o' these for myself!! Bill

Looks really good! The copper rivets work really well with that color. I love the way the roll-top strap snap attaches so that you can get ahold to snap/unsnap it! The stitching is looking good too. Well done! Bill

If you really need lighter, you may have to buy it. But extra leathers is a lot like leftovers in the fridge. Keep 'em around. They'll turn up in something! (to paraphrase George Carlin) Bill

I wasn't even thinking about westerns. There aren't so many of those as there used to be, but heck yeah! Great leather gear there too. Gun belts, saddles, and about anything else that you can think of. Bill

Both of those books, and many others as well, are available in .PDF format for download from Tandy's Leathercraft Library. https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/c-79-ebooks.aspx?pagenum=2 Hope that helps Bill

Maybe I'm just more aware than in the past, or maybe there really is more fine leatherwork in our entertainment lately, particularly in period pieces. Some favorites of mine on TV are HBO's "Game of Thrones", BBC Americas "Musketeers" and "Atlantis" and occasionally "Doctor Who", Starz "Spartacus" and "Outlander", Turn and The Tudors. The Thor movies, Prince of Persia, and a lot of others. I don't know who they are, but somebody is doing some really nice leather costume work these days! Additionally if you poke around on here some, you'll see some great work inspired by these shows as well as original work by Raven, Prince, and others. Bill