TwinOaks
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Posts posted by TwinOaks
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The short answer is Yes.
Some tooling can be done while the leather is un-molded. However, if you're going to use the cuir boulli techniques, it could easily 'erase' the tooling. Re-wetting a tooled piece can cause the depth of the tooling to decrease as the leather fibers swell from water. Simple things like carving lines or curves could be done before molding, but intricate details risk being wiped out.
If you have a piece that's going to be bent, then that will almost certainly distort the tooling.
It's all going to depend on how detailed the tooling will be. My experience in this is based on molding holsters and sheaths, so it isn't quite the same, but the principles are pretty close.
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I never could, but since the OP specifically mentioned the other two, I just stayed with them.
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I don't have either so I'm commenting based on reports from others -
Get all the machine you can. Both have similar sewing capabilities ( 3/4 to 7/8ths inch) and thread ranges. The primary physical difference is the amount of room under the arm. More is better.
There's also the issue of customer service. I suggest reading some of the recent threads about Artisan support, and comparing them to reports of Toledo Ind. Sew.
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Welcome to Leatherworker.net!
For a first project, your angled basket weave looks just fine. What stands out the most to me is that even lacking a border, you did a VERY good job of not running the legs of the basket stamp into the 'blank' area surrounding the pattern. I see a few here and there, but overall, you've correctly stamped it to avoid the little leg marks. I believe you still have room, if you want to tool on that anymore, to run a camouflage tool around the BW. The camo tool is the one that has the lines spread out like spokes...but really bunched up. One of the things it's useful for is going around the outside edges of a stamping pattern and filling in/cleaning up those little stray marks. That gives a nice visual termination of the pattern.
If I may suggest a few items for reading, I think it will better explain (and with pics) some of the things mentioned above:
http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=20177 it's not the same stamping that you did, but the photos show how the camo tool is used.
http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18101 This is an excellent guide for edge work.
http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12259 a written description of hand sewing
There are, of course, more threads full of advice, opinions on what's best, etc. These are just some of the more useful ones to get you started. As Bill pointed out, what you used on your project was a lacing chisel. Recently we had a thread about stitching chisels, and despite my bias towards using an awl, the photos of the chisel's holes make me think that they do have a place in this craft - apparently, somebody snuck in a different tool design when we weren't looking! Here's the thread: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=43327&st=0
Either way, whether by awl or stitching chisel, the holes will have a diamond shape to them that will help lay the thread in a certain pattern. If you prefer the look of the straight line, that is 'okay' because it's YOUR project. There are few hard 'rules' on the way things are done with leather....but we will try to advise you of the methods that have worked best for us over the years.
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Jeg kan ikke ha svarene, men jeg vet hvem du skal spørre!
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And just to make sure it isn't overlooked...you are holding the top and bottom threads for the first couple of stitches, right?
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So now that you're down the first big drop on the roller coaster, you're having a blast.....Great to hear!
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Excellent execution of the design!
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Thank you for taking the time and effort to look into the issues.
I have just successfully browsed the site with the same laptop that was popping up warnings in FF and having search feature issues in the other browser....and I didn't clear the cache or anything else along those lines.
Results: Load time was a little long, but that's probably on my end. Once the main page had loaded I was able to view the categories as they (presumably) were designed.....and in reasonable times. It was just the front page that was a bit slow....again, probably on my end.
Categories were able to be individually searched, or in combination.
Also....and perhaps most importantly, the site loads as a secure site.
From my perspective, it looks like everything that was causing our issues has been addressed. I'll defer to the folks with the IT experience to report on any other issues
Again, thank you for taking time to address our concerns.
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I got ya now....I was envisioning a lead with a snap clip on the end, and needing to protect the lacing from the metal ring on the snap.
Yep, forget the rawhide.
vegtan dyed to match, or contrast should work just fine. Then again, if you've conditioned your strands well, and they're beveled so that there's no 'edges' in the braid, it should slip past itself just fine.
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Exceptional work as always, Ken. Can you perhaps do an edit and drop the pic sizes a bit...say 600x800? Those are pretty large and take quite a while to load for those of us using an abacus.
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Something like that ^, but out of a leather. You don't have to use rawhide, but it's worth considering because it IS tough. You could also just use some regular vegtan, or even chrometan garment leather....all you're doing is making buffer. As far as using strips of kangaroo....sure if it'll stand up to the metal.
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meh.....it's okay....if you're into that type thing.
JOKING! Fantastic work, and a well deserved win, Ed.
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Welcome to LW.net!
One of our long time members recently moved back to Scandinavia, but I can't recall which country she's in.....I'll shoot her a PM and see if she can chime in with some recommendations.
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How do you feel about chemistry?
I've made close to that color, but I'd call it more of a "linda blair green" than OD....just mix up a batch of vinegaroon and leave a dauber handle in it....well, any zinc plated metal will do, really.
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Yep, that was one of the threads I was thinking of.
The issue seems to be the effect of a metal ring on appearance of the 'roo, so I'd say if you can, get a small piece of rawhide to line the loop with. I'm sure you've seen cables with the metal 'eye' in the loop, and I think that would work well. Simply use the rawhide to make your burner in the braided eye and you can use the metal rings without damaging the kangaroo. If you can't find small amounts of rawhide at Tandy, look at pet supply stores for the rawhide chews. Better stores will have better quality rawhide strips/rolls and you can simply wet it, flatten it, and cut out what you need....a word of caution though: I think they have something else added to the rawhide...I just don't know what it is. But for experimentation, it's a cheap source of rawhide.
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Good work for 3 weeks out of the gate. Basket weave stamping takes a good bit of practice to run straight and like Mike said, some very lightly scribed guide lines will help out. Also, for the camo stamps along the edges, I've found it works well to have a guide line for them too. When you run the BW along the edges, tilt the stamp so that you don't get a full impression along the edge, and do the BW first. That way the camo stamp will cover the lighter impression of the BW. A border line, whether it's stitched or just creased into place gives a nice look.
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I'm still looking through the saddle making section too.....further thought makes me think I saw something about a 'burner' on a saddle horn used for dallying.
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Look for it in relation to Roping or Lasso work.
You might also look for the term 'honda'
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besides the 5lb bag, you might also check out the horse butts. They aren't as big as a shoulder, but there's quite a bit of useable leather. Still $12.
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The use of hot water stems from cuir boulli, or 'boiled leather', which is used in making leather armor. Using warm water for molding may help the water penetrate the leather a bit quicker, but I've never had any problem with cool water. When dealing with molding, you let the leather dry to harden and hold the shape, or alternately you heat the leather while still damp to ~130F to 'heat set' it.
Tooling can come out if the leather if it gets wet, which is why we seal the leather after tooling. Carving is actually cuts in the leather and while it may close up it will still be there.
and yes, a cutting board is a cutting board. I picked up a 18x24 at at kitchen supply store for ~$15.
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A LOOONG while back, one of the members posted a tool caddy he made. He bored holes in a block of wood for all the tools, then mounted snap bases to the sides. Then he made a tooled cover that would snap onto the block of wood to cover all the tools and provide a handle.
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Welcome to Leatherworker.net.
Yes we can, and will, help you.
Deerskin is pretty thin and is typically used as 'buckskin' ...basically a fabric replacement. You can use it for garments, pillows, fringes, etc.... You can color it, though, and burn it (pyrography).
Take a look at the leather suppliers in the ad banners at the top of the page, I KNOW Springfield will cut leather, and I think one or two of the others will too.
You might look into a horse butt to start with. They run $12 plus shipping, or if you can cover it, you can get a single shoulder pretty inexpensively.
As far as buying a starter kit, if you're prudent you can get most of the things you need for less, and stay away from the things you don't want to do.
Stitch spacer - spare fork
Awl....you can make one if you're handy, patient, or both. Spokes do well, and you just need a handle to epoxy it in. Or just budget for one, they aren't that expensive, but don't get the awl set from Tandy. The blades are much too large. For most things, you can use the Osborne awl with the single blade.
Needles/thread - source them locally. I prefer the waxed linen from Hobby Lobby, and needles I pick up at Walmart in pack.
Mallet - it's a hammer. You can pick one up at a thrift store/flea market for CHEAP. Just don't hit stamps with a metal face hammer.
Stamps- you can get an inexpensive 'basic 7' at Hobby Lobby (maybe Michael's) and save on shipping.
stropping compound- Lowes in the polishing section of the tool dept.
words of wisdom....yeesh, you're asking us to presume to be 'wise'.....
Okay.
Start small. Use every single scrap for something. Re-use pieces that don't work out like you plan. Read on here. Ask specific questions. Experiment. Make some of your own tools (get a piece of scrap brass rod/screw and drive it into a sidewalk....presto! It's a background tool.
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I don't have the internet sales that you do, so my situation is different. I deal with customers mostly face to face. For common gun holsters (1911, Glock, etc.), I have a 50% non-refundable deposit. Period. If I make the holster and they don't want it, but I know I can sell it, I'll refund them their 50%...but ONLY 50%. If its a custom rig, 100% up front, non-refundable.
When we take an order, we have to account for time (layout, construction), and materials. That's time/material that could be spent on other projects, and like Kate said, that's lost income if we don't collect.
What's Up With My Thumb?
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It does sound like you've got a little nerve reaction going on....but I don't know if it's damage or over stimulation. Start a little tooling on some scrap, and see if you're holding the tool hard enough to 'white knuckle' it. If so, there's your problem. I've experienced similar sensations, but not from tooling. I used a rattle can to paint some I-beams, and for a couple of hours afterward, I had a slightly 'hot' feeling in the tip of the finger that was holding down the button. Then again, depending on how fast you're tooling, you may have aggravated it the same way a vibrational tool does.