TwinOaks

Here's an older conversation that might be found useful...

Re: Stiffened leather I think there's at least a good chance that the leather was not stiffened as part of the construction, but rather as a result of it. Somewhere on here is a conversation I had with a guy who was experimenting with different oils. In it he noted that some oils will harden over a long period, through oxidation. They didn't exactly form a shell, like shellac, but there was a notable difference in the surface textures. Any waxes that were added should also be considered. I'm including a link to a vid that shows an alternate construction method for certain box types. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29RE0HXPM4U

It's done to make a seam a little more attractive/decorative, or to add a stiffener to keep a shape. As mentioned above (one of the posts), piping can have a semi-rigid filler sandwiched inside. The effect is that there's a hidden 'frame' holding the bag into the desired shape. The 'How?' is actually pretty simple - you can purchase commercially available piping, or....start with a strip of leather/textile and either simply fold, or fold around a filler, and glue it in place. Most piping will have relief cuts on the flat portion to prevent buckling around curves and corners. To install it, place it between layers with the right sides facing in, and sew.

Epos Custom Leather IS Mike & Natalie. One of the notable aspects of posting stolen photos is that the whole piece is rarely shown. For example: On the Popeye art, if the whole thing was shown....you'd see Michael's signature on the work.

I had a JW do something similar - I smiled and nodded at their pitch, but when I went to close the door he actually put a foot in it to stop me from closing it. Well...a short, well practiced movement later, and the JW was inspecting the business end of my home security system. I looked him right in the eye and asked, "How strong is your faith?" I think our address was black-listed b/c we haven't seen them again in the last 20 years or so!

The video from Nigel is not the same as what's shown in the first pic in the thread. The KK tutorial shows the method (or at least one way) to do it.

Thank you for sharing the technique!

Welcome to the best site on the internet! I have to agree with you on the therapeutic aspect of working on leather; but sometimes..... a project will just fight against you. Good call on getting quality tools from the start! A good artisan can use ANY tools, but good tools make learning more pleasant and often yield better results. Let us know if you have any questions, and we'll try to get them answered.

I bounce between leather artisan, leather worker, and a few others.... Generally, leather artisan, hence the name for my facebook group.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! You can get the VT leather for your belts at several locations- the first two that come to mind are Tandy and Springfield Leather. Since you're just starting out, I suggest using some pre-cut belt blanks. They're available in several sizes, and should serve you pretty well. Belts don't often have a "liner" between layers - the liner is another piece of leather on the back of the belt to provide a smoother interior. Please check out the "how do I do that" section for some tips on how to construct and finish the belts - there's tons of information on this site and there's usually someone around that can answer questions for you.

First it'll be yours...then your friend's...then your team. Welcome to your new addiction hobby!!!

Awesome! That type of machine is on my short list for which machine I will invest in. Please keep us informed on how it performs.

Howdy and welcome to the best site on the internet! Ditto what Mike said, and don't hesitate to post any questions should you have them.

.Even if the test and project pieces are the same thickness, are they from the same side? Does the project have a glued seam that you're sewing through? Is the project piece a firmer/softer hand? Are the threads the same brand? Since it sews fine on a test piece, I'll presume the threads are the same twist. It sounds like maybe a combination of the stiffness of the thread and the needle's interaction with the project leather. I have white, black, brown and natural (good heavens...will the spool EVER run out?) and the 'natural' color is a MUCH stiffer thread; presumably because it has a different type of, or maybe just more bonding. When the needle starts its upward movement, the loop forms at the scarf and the hook picks it up...it sounds like the loop isn't forming correctly and maybe the hook is catching it right on the thread, resulting in tearing/cutting the thread. If your white thread is stiffer, it may be forming the loop more easily, allowing the hook to pass like it should. Double check the needle position, try a slight rotation either direction to see if it helps.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net!

IIRC, oil tanning IS a type of chrome tanned leather, however it's not likely to be harmful to you. A google search will give you a more detailed description of various tanning processes (it's on this site as well). And NO, it won't contain heavy metals (Presumably you're thinking of Mercury tanning that was done ages ago). Chrome tanning is simply a fast, relatively economical way to preserve hides with various chromium sulfate and chromium salt compounds. NOTE that this is NOT the same thing as straight chrome

Howdy and welcome to Leatherworker.net! The pic above seems like it's focused more on the handle than the leather, and you didn't mention which type of leather it is....but that sort of looks like ray-skin. You might check with Springfield Leather Company (you'll see it abbreviated here as 'SLC'), or any of the other suppliers that support this site. I don't do much with exotics, but I'm sure some of our other members will chime in with suggestions.

Without seeing the rest of the bag, it's hard to make definite suggestions, but I will start with " Change something so that the flap isn't supporting the bag" - or - "have the straps run though slot first, so you limit the direction the strap can pull" If you're just using hidden magnets, then you may need to redesign the magnetic closure to include an actual bag clasp, which IS designed to provide some support

Thank him for his offer, but stick to your price. Ask instead if he'll refer some additional clients, with the caveat that he mentions quality, not the deal on pricing that he got. I had that happen with a doctor, and the result was several more doctors playing a little 'one-up' game with each other and my leather. That was such a wonderful time.....

If you don't have a template to follow, perhaps this would help: Make sure the edges are evenly skived, then wrap them close to the corner until you're left with a little "flag" sticking up. Don't crease the leather down tightly at the corner, you'll want a small gap under where the two meet. Use a fine pair of scissors, or a razor, and cut the flag off, then finish wrapping the cut ends down tightly. A little minor trimming might be needed to make the edges line up perfectly. Alternately, wrap tightly to the corner until the flag sticks up, then flatten it out where it'll make a little dart shape over the corner. (best with really thin material/leather)

Umm....Yes, .002" is two thousandths. But if you're talking '.002 Hundredths', wouldn't that be just a smidgen under a frog's hair?

That looks like a pasted 'finish' instead of the grain side of leather - and it looks like it's separating from the split that's under it. I don't know what the leather was sold as, but I've got a bridle leather belt that's been wet many times and hasn't suffered like that....granted, it isn't Sedgewick, but I don't think you should be seeing that in bridle leather.

A note on the felt washers: You'll need to compress the felt a bit between two washers to keep it from spreading when you apply pressure to the edges. One of our members, "Immiketoo" has a series of video tutorials on his site, "Learnleather.com".