TwinOaks

I hope to all that's good that this thread is being archived, because one day, I'm gonna go back and copy it, get a little creative, and turn it into a script for a horror movie to send to Hollywood. That said, this whole little episode about fixing the lamp pretty much exemplifies every "project" that every husband has ever started. Ed, the wattage rating on the ballast is there for a reason, exceeding it will cause the ballast to get VERY hot, and prematurely fail. There's also this little fire hazard thing to worry about if there's any combustibles around. Pretty much, ballasts are made with a specific wattage range in mind and that recommendation should be taken seriously. This applies to overrating something as well. If the ballast is rated for 14-20W, using it to power a 10W or 12W lamp will burn out the cathodes at the ends of the lamps...and cause the ballast to overexert itself and get too hot to hold. Personally, I'd have gone with this coiled inside the ring of the lamp (mentioned early in the thread), but I completely understand the "I must fix this" part of the project.

It sounds like you need to invite the doctor over for coffee and introduce him to double loop lacing. That would keep it closed and be fashionable!

pssst Tony, world of warcraft is for people that haven't discovered leather. They sit in front of the computer for hours at a time (which could wisely be used for leather projects) and to pretend to be someone they're not, battling imaginary bad guys. Ian, I doubt you're the only one who thinks that.

Hi Frank, and welcome to Leatherworker.net. This is the best site on the internet, with pros and amateurs always willing to help out with questions. 1911 holster huh? I did a quick scan on El Paso's site, but didn't see the Pike holster pattern. Is it a clam shell (one piece wrapped) or a pancake (two pieces formed) type holster? And, have you considered making a pattern for yourself? If you don't have a 1911, could you stop by a gun store and make a tracing? Lots of people here like to use file folders because they are stiffer than paper and you get a better leather pattern out of it- plus, it comes with a premade centerline (the fold). You can set the pistol on the sights (centered on the fold) then lay it to both sides to get a decent pattern for a clamshell. This method, which 'rolls' the pistol across the heavy stock file folder, gives a good allowance for the width of the pistol. Once you have the basic outline, you just allow some space for stitch lines, or tape some more pieces of file folder onto it to figure flaps, sweat guards, etc. Then transfer the pattern to leather and proceed as planned.

Yep, tannery white leather if you need a lot of it. I've tried just about everything to whiten leather, and painting it is about the easiest way to get small areas. I have even tried bleaching the leather- back to the color of rawhide- but once it's tanned....it's tanned. White shoe polish works well for small non-flexing areas, but it WILL crack off eventually.

Re: Using circular saw blades- A lot of circular saw blades are made from L6 steel, which is easy enough to work and harden, but it rusts very easily. Keep this in mind for leather use. For practice, yes, it's great, you can lay out patterns and such, but it's not for finished blades.

Back in the early '90s, a well known brothel called "The Mustang Ranch" was confiscated by the government for tax evasion. Instead of closing it, the government kept it open (remember, it's legal in Nevada). Within just a short time, they had to sell it because it wasn't making any money. Now, we're faced with a slow economy called a 'recession', and we're trusting the same government that couldn't make money with a brothel to fix it. Does anyone need anymore explanation? Back to Leatheroo's question: No, I don't think the bailouts are a good idea. Government controlled everything has been tried before and it's failed...several times. The companies that are "too big to fail" NEED TO FAIL. It makes room for entrepeneurs to grow their businesses. All the same, I'll take whatever money they tell me I have to, because I'll have to pay the taxes on it whether I take it or not. (This has been rephrased to keep it family friendly)

to Leatherworker.net! About the holster- I think it'll be okay, but it really shouldn't be loose. I've moved this over to holsters for our holster makers to see.

Here's a pic of the newest family member: She's 1/2 Egyptian 1/2 Crabbet Beautiful filly, straight, very "typey" and good conformation, and she's walking on hooves, not hocks.....and she likes kicking my wife in the knees.

The last time I was close to famous was when I was posing for a picture on the back of a milk carton. I didn't even get a sitting fee....

The drop or two of soap is to help break the surface tension of the water..[insert long technical description here]. Basically, it helps the water spread and penetrate better instead of beading on the surface. The same thing can be done by adding a littel Lexol, or using "EZ Carve" solutions, which are commercially available.

A few lamps closer to your work area will brighten things up. I use a standard old table lamp with one of the screw in flourescent bulbs. They are available in different colors (bright white, soft white, etc OR numbers like 3500k/sp35/835, 4100k/sp41/841. The color is based on Kelvin temps, so the higher the K number, the whiter the light will be.) If shadow is still an issue, you might try bouncing the light ( not the fixture or the bulb) off the wall to illuminate you area.

I can't 'show' you, but I can certainly help. First off, welcome to LW.net. Second, if you haven't looked at the tutorials on the main page, it's time to check them out. They are a wealth of info, and shouldn't be overlooked. Top left of the screen is a "button" that will take you there. They start about the center of the page. Now....Since you have a computer, you can get the letters you want in just about any font you want. Taping some tracing paper to your monitor to trace a letter is perfectly okay- especially if you don't have a printer. Trace the letter onto the leather once the leather is cased (dampened and slightly dried so that it will take tooling). With a scalpel, it's going to be really easy to cut way too deep. I have used an old pocket knife for some carving and it worked out okay- the key is the blade geometry, and controlling the depth of the cut. For a scalpel, the width of the bevel on the blade will be deep enough for anything you need to do......but too deep for a lot of light leathers. Sorry, but that's something you're gonna have to practive at. On to carving: Always cut away from corners, be carefull to keep the knife vertical, don't cut too deeply, and at the end of a line lift the blade out while moving, it gives a nicer line. Now that you've cut the outline, it's time to bevel. Hmmm, no leather tools....you can make a simple beveler by taking a bolt and shaping the shaft into a slightly rounded wedge- cut off the head of the bolt, grind the shaft at ~25 degrees. The pointy part is the 'toe'. Grind four flat sides, keeping the toe and heel 'squared' to the grinds. Polish well and you've got a beveler. Now refer to the tutorials on how to follow a line, make a bevel, and remove the halo around the piece. That should take care of 'the beveling in a letter' part of your project. If you can, check into Michael's and Hobby Lobby- they both have small leather craft sections, and you should be able to find a "basic 7" set ( a beginner's tool pack) for not too much $$. That will give you the right tools for your beginning projects.

ummm Brent, I wasn't going that far with my comment...... And yes, the commercials are what it's all about.

Stick with the originial rating for the fuse. Something went bad to blow the fuse, and having a higher rated fuse means that whatever it was will get worse before blowing the fuse.....keep in mind that fuses are safety devices, not just placed there to frustrate you.

Yep, most of that type thing is done by hand. You can use a couple of different tools to help the leather get there, though. Something like a v-groover/ gouge can make 'v' shaped cuts in thicker leather which allow it to fold better. Practice is the biggie. Nobody ever started a hobby and made a masterpiece on their first try.

Superbowl? what's a superbowl? Y'all fill me in when whateveritis is over, I got dead cows to beat. And when did Arizona get a football team?

Head for the Gulf states. Sure we had a cold snap (probably the dang yankees fault) and it reached the mid 20's for a couple of hours, but it's pretty nice here. Today was up to 58 F, with expected lows around 30-35 F. Tommorow will be a little cooler, but hey, when you can go outside with no jacket, it's hard to complain.

The idea of a sales area on this forum has been bandied about several times, and one topic with CollinsMS, seemed to generate the most ire. From my recollection, there are some plans for this type of thing. Keep in mind that the Mod team not only has to keep up with the forum/website itself but also any of the legal issues that may arise. I'm wayyyy to inexperienced to discuss them in depth (or even name all of them) but keep in mind the 'T-word'. Somebody has to pay those, and unless LW.net is set up as a legal business entity, that means one of the Mods. So, as stated, the idea of a commercial side to the website has been discussed, and things are being worked on. That said, I like the idea of PIB, and hope we can all contribute what we can.

k.i.s. easier to just check continuity across the fuse- take it out of it's holder, place on a nonconductive surface, set your volt meter to resistance, and that should tell you if it's good. With those little barrel fuses, you should be able to look at it and tell- if the little metal/foil piece is broken, it's bad. If it's solid, it's most likely good, but should still be checked with a v meter.

A quick wipedown with either deglazer, or high % isopropyl alcohol. Let dry, then apply dye/finish. WARNING: USE ALCOHOL/DEGLAZER ONLY IN AREAS WITH ADEQUATE VENTILATION. Just like it says on the bottle. Also I suggest using an exam glove to keep the stuff off your hands. My personal preference is the purple nitrile gloves, also used when dyeing.

6 hours of leatherwork......I'm jealous. Excellent work on the belt Josh. I'm still not sure of that 'no border' rule, the dang liberals will probably ruin the idea....oh wait, they already have. Something for you to check out- Look at your more recent work, and grab some of your early practice pieces then compare them. You've made some amazing progress with your addiction. Keep up the good work.

The 'uF' stands for 'micro-farads', and is commonly used to describe capacitance. It's possible that is only a capacitor. I found a pic of a similar item- this is a halogen lamp holder. The starter base will have the same look (no rim around it - they're usually flat faced), but will be spaced for a starter. Incidentally, starters usually are mounted in one of these bases and are removable/replaceable as a maitainence item. And a little note: Your macro photography is getting really good. You shouldn't have any issues anymore with closeups of leather goods.

Mine is completed, and sitting in my laptop case, waiting patiently for me to remember to send it.......

I'm hoping the ballast above should have been "starter". Yep those are the starters for your 22w lamp. I was really thinking the new ballast you got for it was all electronic and didn't need one. You are correct that you'll need a 'harness' for it. It's called a 'flourescent starter base', and consists of a base with two keyhole on a curve (for twisting it in) and two leads. If the lamp previously had a starter, then you already have your base. If not, I found a part # for you: LW00285 (several manufacturers make them, this is what I usually have on the truck) but I can't find a picture of it. Google it and click the first link. There's no pic, but I believe it's what you need. They are available at Lowe's, HomeDepot, Ace, etc. I am really wishing we were closer so I could just drop by and beat the silly thing into submission. M