barehandcustoms

They use a different thickness/quality/density then what is mass produced for craft grade sheets but it is still just foam. With a quick Google search it shouldn't be hard to find any kind of foam you want. I know some companies mass buy sea food packing foam and use hot wire to cut out very thin sheets for their products. It is going to be sewn into the layers so they don't care about looks....only its ability to fill that space.

Good information so far and thanks to everyone for your replies. I was going to use Weaver or Texas Dies because of a referral from someone who literally has a wall full of dies made by both companies. Sorry you had a bad experience with Texas Custom Dies. I was probably dreaming when I thought I could get by without buying the clicker press. It looks like every template will be around 1sq foot in size. I have noticed my hands getting very sore in the mornings after long nights in the shop. I think most of that comes from the cutting process since that seems to be when I feel them cramping up. Luckily I am a network administrator and they get to rest for most of the day other than pounding on a keyboard. I'm only 28 but it seems my hands are getting stiffer on me already.

If I do go that route then they will definitely get my business for several reasons.

Few questions regarding cutting dies..... When did you feel it was worth minimizing material wastage and the time saved to invest in good quality cutting dies? Is it okay to just hammer the dies instead buying a clicker press? What is the normal process to get a custom cutting die made? *how are designs submitted etc* What are some common mistakes to avoid when getting several cutting dies made from your old cutting templates?

http://www.foamonline.com/ - if you want a lot of them custom built for a production run Otherwise You can just buy large sheets of foam from numerous sources and cut it down to size yourself. You can find sheets at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, and just about every craft store. http://shop.hobbylobby.com/crafts-hobbies-and-fabric-crafts/craft-foam/craft-foam-sheets/ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2/175-7271249-0803759?url=search-alias%3Darts-crafts&field-keywords=foam%20sheets

Wow, that looks really nice..... Like the big screw knob you used. Now I feel bad about the one I slapped together and attached to my secondary bench.

Never heard of someone actually using tiger thread in a sewing machine. Pretty sure everyone who replied is hand stitching with it.

I have seen a lot of people use line 20 snaps for thin leather accessories but it really depends on the leather you are using. Overtime you may see more stress on the leather from using the line snaps versus glove snaps. Generally speaking most glove snaps will require less force to pop open than a line 20 snap. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your product. Keep in mind that not all 3oz leathers and glove snaps are created equally. Some glove snaps require the force of a line 24 snap to pop open and some 3oz leathers have very weak grain. A line 20 snap will be the same every time though. I would cut a strip of the leather you use and stress test the line 20 snaps on it before shipping anything out.

I had this happen once and I never got the spot to blend in afterwards. I even tried soaking it in black oil dye after I gave up on being able to sell it. That spot still stuck out like a soar thumb though. Just the antique gel by itself will seal in the pores and prevent dye from penetrating evenly. If the Tuff Kote stuck together and left a bad mark then I would just cut my loses and remake them. Lesson learned.... You might get lucky and someone here has figured out the magic cure for it.

Think McMaster's is becoming one of my new favorite websites.

Thanks

http://ludlowleather.com/products/ritza25-tiger-thread Just FYI Might be cheaper then Abbey's since the shipping is only $5.70.

Sounds about right.... They are leaving out a lot of details on the listing and just banking on the Hermann Oak name. If it was Grade A then they would definitely advertise it as such to justify the price.

The high minimum order from the tannery really drivers the price down per sq ft. Most people can't drop over 2 grand to meet the minimum order though. So really not fair to compare those prices to Tandy or SLC. Granted it does seem like Tandy is charging a premium for what they have in stock. They might just be testing the water and taking another quick jab at SLC. They don't specify average SQ foot or whether its Grade A or Grade B either. Maybe Tandy is selling grade A sides? Just seems odd they would want almost 100$ more per side than SLC would for thicker drum dyed sides.

I doubt it is the strongest but I would rank it #1 on my list of best threads to work with. I keep other types of thread around the shop but always end up grabbing this stuff. It is easy to sew with, terminates well with a lighter, not over waxed, very consistent product....the list goes on and on The strongest thread I have worked with would probably be some of the twisted nylon industrial sewing machine thread. It is very bulky thread to hand sew with though.

My Suggestion Put it on a strap piece and then apply stain. See what the result is.....don't find out the hard way on the piece you are working on.

Welcome to the forum

Thank you

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400709599378?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Where can I buy these by the 100s? Not regular old tee prong screws but better quality ones like you can get from Tandy?

Yup, Sometimes you just have to accept things aren't going to turn out right. If it happens a lot then I would suggest buying a pack of the thickest art paper you can find. Practice on it before you start laying a blade to leather. Generally you will find most of the flaws in your new design and save yourself some money. Your time is generally the most expensive resource involved in a project. Don't be afraid to call it quits when something just isn't going to work out right.

When I started I would buy all kinds of leather from several internet sources but I have to agree with Chief on Springfield leather. That has become the place I buy a majority of my leather from now. If you are a business they will switch you over to their wholesale pricing upon providing your tax id for no extra cost. I buy a lot of Hermann Oak from them and even though it is Grade B it tends to be better than most of the shoulders you find everywhere else. my 2 cents

It is used a lot for outdoor and horse riding gear because of its flexibility and weather resistance. High grade latigo always reminded me of English Bridle leather when I handled it. The quality can vary drastically though depending on how successful the tannery is at trapping the oil back into the hide. Good latigo leather should be soft and supple. Latigo is a dual tanning process though while most harness leathers are only tanned once. Latigo is treated in a chemical bath of chromium salts or alum and then tanned again in vegetable materials. I seriously doubt you will be able to tool it. The veg latigo is just what they decided to call it and not any different than other latigo. You can make all kinds of stuff with that roll of leather though that doesnt involve tooling.

Long as you aren't using it to cut food then you can use it. Keep in mind *most* neatsfoot oil now is just a mineral oil mixture and not actually the oil from cattle shin bones anymore. Usually its a bit of actual neatsfoot oil with a bunch of mineral oil plus who knows what as an additive. I have always used olive oil or regular vegetable cooking oil on my BK2. Never had any issues with it hurting the leather other than darkening it a bit on the inside.

http://www.amazon.com/Obenaufs-Heavy-Duty-4oz-Preserves/dp/B003SKCARK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406146600&sr=8-1&keywords=Obenauf%27s+LP I use this stuff on almost everything. I apply Neatsfoot oil first and then put a layer of this over it. In your case though, you can apply a very thin coat of it by hand.

You could try a few light coats of Neatsfoot oil but I would stay away from applying heavy coats of oil and sun drying it. Without knowledge on how to properly do that you could end up with a big old oil soaked purse that leaves oil streaks on everything for months. I would recommend applying very light coats of Neatsfoot oil or olive oil once a day until you get the leather conditioned how you want it. In my experience people end up over doing this process so proceed slowly and apply thin coats.