TwinOaks

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.

Look for it in relation to Roping or Lasso work. You might also look for the term 'honda'

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

please remember to look at the DATE of the posts in a thread. This one has been dead for 5 YEARS.

You shape one end like an arrow, and on the other end you make a slit that's about 2/3 the width of the arrow. To fasten, fold/wiggle/shove the dart through the slot and it will hold. Think of the way a donut box closes. The advantages of this method is that there's no additional hardware, and it lays flat. Wrap the slot end first, then bring the tab around and over...then push the tab down through the slot. Both 'ends' will be under the bracelet. Disadvantage is that it needs a little more leather (1.5-2 inches) and that it has very little fashion appeal....unless you like the rugged look.

look in the Getting Started section

...or a tab and slot.

Welcome aboard!

It depends on how you dyed it. I've used "liquid latex" before to completely pull ALL the dye off a piece before.....which is a shame because I was only trying to mask an area with it. But the results still stand. If you've already sealed it, you can try some deglazer to remove the top coat...but it's a pretty harsh chemical. Work in a well ventilated area, and you'll need to re-condition the leather after using it.

Good to hear that you've returned to the craft. We'll be glad to help you figure out how to 'make do' with what you've got, so let us know if you need some help.

Thanks, that's what I was wanting to know.

There's a lot of Esteban Gonzalez listed by google.....what I'm asking specifically is this: Does the site where you saw the patterns state "here are some free patterns for you to use and redistribute." or are they images you captured?

That kind of thickness/density will likely either stop it, break the needle, or knock it out of time. For getting through tough or thick things like that you'll need to pre drill the holes. The only type of machine that COULD do it...maybe...would be a needle and awl machine...something along the lines of a Campbell high lift. But I think that 3/8ths of UHMW would be pushing it even for that machine.

yeah,,,hold on a second. What is the source of the patterns?

I routinely use scrap pieces of leather of all weights and sizes to make my bench strops. It doesn't need to be large, or a specific shape. It just needs to BE.

ahem..... Told you you'd forget about the picture you were gonna send.....

I think that you have failed to adequately research the subject. DDT does play a fairly active role in some areas of 'Leathercraft'. Since you are the one writing the dissertation, I would like for you to investigate the following: Laser cutting and printing for logos, labels, tool making, and image transfer, and, The use of CAD programs to design and lay out patterns for carving, and garment / accessory patterns.....especially in the garment/accessory industry. DDT for making tools and equipment that we use, like sewing machines, knives, and stamps. In this modern age, technology is used quite a bit. As to why people don't use DDT? Part of it is traditional methods creates what we want, where technology doesn't. There are numerous forays into making easier to use tools, but almost every one of them is very limited in it's actual ability. And the most important reason is that while technology can produce the tools, it can not replicate an Artisan's touch. Nor does typing in commands give the sense of achievement, the sense of pride, of CREATING something. If you've not done it, you simply can not understand it. You may understand the concept, but there's much more than conceptualization at work. Then there is a cost analysis to consider. Much of the DDT is simply too expensive for the average person to purchase, and requires a good bit of space for storage. If it were feasible, I think every one of us like to would have a laser table, a 5 axis CNC, and a boat load of stock materials. That way we could sit down, type in a few commands, and have the pebbler, or bargrounder we need for a project. Lastly, some types of working with leather requires something that a machine can never produce....the sense of feel. Sure, you can mention moisture detectors, pressure detectors, thermometers....those can give readings. But they can't 'feel'. You've got a good bit of research ahead of you, and I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT perform ONLY academic research. Find a leather worker near you and go spend time with him. You need to feel how leather behaves to understand. Perhaps you could even start working with leather; that way you can look at a process and compare it with the abilities of DDT. If all you do is ask a bunch of people about anything at all, you have only the opinions of others. You need experience. Now, go get your hands dirty.

I'll have to see if I can borrow a trigger pull guage...

The marks are caused by too much pressure on the presser foot, ease off the tension until the leather lifts a little on a test stitch, then increase it slightly. That will set your pressure at 'enough to hold down the leather' but not be too much. The blowout can be caused by a dull needle, needle size, as well as the leather itself. I crease my guide lines and let the machine pull the stitches into the grain.

Too much presser foot pressure can cause the leather to push down into the needle slot on the bottom. That little 'pooch' of leather can clog up in the slot and cause 'drag' that prevents the leather from moving correctly. When it pooches out 'far enough' it'll interfere with the loop being pulled into the hole, lifting the leather a little...which makes the whole thing 'jump' ahead to where it needs to be. This can also be caused by a dull needle that blows out the leather on the back side instead of neatly puncturing it. Too little presser foot pressure can cause it to move backwards when the needle lifts to reset.