TwinOaks

+1 You'll get a much better fit by making your own pattern and it allows you customize it to your needs. That and since we all have different patterns, you'd have a hard time getting the proper fit without knowing our own specific methods. For example: What weight leather? How detailed? IWB/OWB? How is it sewn? etc.....even down to the finish. You can do a search on this forum for making patterns and look at some of the pics to get an idea of how to do it.

Use the largest beveler you can. This reduces the number of impressions you have to make and allows you to cover more area more quickly. You'll accumulate several bevelers, mostly in different sizes, and you'll probably get a few duplicates as well. As Tina said above, modifying a beveler (or any tool) is kinda common. That doesn't mean that you HAVE to make your own tools, but many people will grind/polish a tool to get a specific impression. That is why there is such a diverse sampling of work- LOTS of custom tools!

Vince, welcome to leatherworker.net! We've got a lot of folks from hobby crafters to professionals who will be happy to help you out as you progress. Pull up a chair and stay a bit. Jo will be in with fresh coffee a little later, bathrooms are down the hall. We're glad you found this little corner of the internet, and look forward to seeing some of your work.

You'll likely find everything you're looking for at Ohio Travel Bag, and since you apparently have a business that requirement is covered. Keep in mind that the Tandy merchandise is often ....'affordable' ....to appeal to crafters. I've been incredibly impressed with the quality of the snap sets from DOT. Even though I didn't get the 'pull the dot' sockets, they hold MUCH better than any of the Tandy snaps I bought. I think the 'best' rivets in terms of strength are the copper burr rivets. They aren't as decorative, but dang if they don't hold. An arbor press can be purchased at Harbor Freight for an affordable amount, but throat depth might be the only issue. If you'll mostly be doing straps (like the pic) then it's no problem at all. The arbor press is a great little tool as it can transfer your hand strength into over a ton of pressure.

You are most welcome, and we're glad to help.

It's means you've flagged the topic to be "watched". Look at the three bars across the top right of the dialog box- watch topic, add reply, start new topic. I'm pretty sure that it requests the forum to send you an alert when there's changes in the thread.

Do you have any liquid latex? I put several layers (build up) on a project trying to use it like a peel away mask, and it ended up pulling ALL the dye out of the area I'd masked. I've also had some pieces on which it didn't work, but it's worth a try. If that doesn't work, the only other thing I can think of is to paint over it with acrylics. You know the old architect's saying: "If you can't hide it, make it stand out."

No, you shouldn't use Resolene. Wait for a few of the saddle makers to chime in on this one with some certain advice, but I'm pretty sure that once you apply the resolene you are done. I recall one or two builders remarking about not liking it because you couldn't re-oil a saddle through the resolene like you can with lacquer finishes. I don't know if that is true with stains/antiques or not. So...hold off a bit and let some more folks with experience chime in.

Instead of reposting the pics, look in my gallery photos. The big knife there has a 10 inch blade, and the sheath is set up for MOLLE attachment. The sheath is 7/8 with a 7/8 welt, the photo of the edge is a bit blurry, but you can see the thickness pretty well. If it helps with perspective, that's 277 thread on about 6 spi.

Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net. We're glad you found our little corner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs and professionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you might have. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.

To echo the above statements, I had trouble with mine at the beginning, too. Now, I've got it set for the most common thicknesses I sew and it's 'lift foot, insert leather, start sewing'. Spend the time to go through the posts on the Boss, you'll probably find the answer here. Another tip I haven't seen mentioned yet: Hold the thread for the first couple of stitches. The take up arm exerts a lot of pressure on the thread, and if you don't hold the thread, it WILL pull the bottom thread up on the stitches if they aren't secured when you start.

Yep, it's a wood plane. Not suitable for leather work in it's current configuration. Just another outrageous claim on Ebay.

And to add to Denster's reply, something that Frank (on here) mentioned to me: Pull a little slack from the spool before the thread gets to the first thread guide. That ensures there is no unintended resistance on the thread. Also, look up the thread "show me the backside of your stitches with a Boss" by Particle. The thread take up lever was causing issues for Particle and I think a half turn on a screw was all it took to fix it. There's more info on that topic in the thread....at least it's better explained. And if it's still a terrible headache for you, I'll give you $300 plus shipping.

You should only be sharpening the tip of the awl, not the sides. The awl is designed to pierce the leather and push the leather aside when it makes a hole. When the awl is removed, the leather will squeeze back in around the thread. If you sharpen the awl on the sides, then it will cut the leather and the stitch holes won't close up as well. To sharpen the awl, make little stabbing motions on your whetstone. Using the strop will remove sharpening marks and polish the blade giving a smoother puncture through the leather. If you are pushing the awl down through the leather, you need to have something soft under it, and thicker than the awl is long. That way, when you pierce the leather, you don't run the tip of the awl into something hard like a block of marble/granite. Sand/file/grind a flat spot on the awl handle. There's two reasons for this. If you make the flat area in the place where your thumb goes, then you have an easier way to make sure you're holding the awl at the same angle for every stitch. Second, a good flat spot will help keep the awl from rolling around, possibly rolling off the work table. Trivia: Did you know that if a properly sharpened awl rolls off the table, the odds of it hitting your foot are dramatically increased if you are barefoot?

The important thing is consistency. Same depth of awl puncture on each stitch. You can control this by making little washers from the pieces when you punch holes. Just stick them on your awl and push them down to the ferrule. Add or remove as needed. Always leave at least one on there though, so the ferrule never contacts the leather- it can 'dent' the leather or sometimes cause a discoloration.

If you can't find the center line of the stripe on something like the 9 ball, you could always just roll it through a medium that will stick to it like chalk dust. Or Do you know the size of the ball? Standard size for the U.S. is 2.25 inches. Cut a hole in a board that size. Put the ball in, and when it's at it's tightest fit that's the center point.

Leather can be thinned down in a process called splitting, and is done on.....a splitter. Splitters are typically very expensive, so I think cost would be prohibitive. Another method is called skiving, in which a razor blade (usually mounted in a tool that holds the blade at a slight curve) is used to slice leather off of the flesh (rough) side. Leather thickness is measured in ounces, which equate to 64ths of an inch...8 oz = 8/64ths=1/8th inch. Most of my wallet/bill fold work is done on a maximum thickness of 4 oz. When the leather is thicker than that, you can experience some difficulty in bending the wallet. Your statement indicates that the leather is pretty thick, so the easiest option is to check around for a leather supplier near you. If there isn't a leather supplier, you might look for a Hobby Lobby, as they sell small craft kits (including a simple wallet). If that yields no results, you may need to order a kit online. For beginner kits, Tandy Leather Factory has something right up your alley...and budget. You can find them at this address. There are also suppliers listed at the top of the forum page which may have something you're looking for. Thank you for dropping in. If your son enjoys leather work as a hobby, please don't hesitate to join our website. There is no cost for membership (though contributions are appreciated), and it will allow you to view much of the work posted in the forums. Unless specifically requested, members do not have access to anything rated over "PG", and that request is double checked. We keep this a family friendly place, and are happy to hear about younger members showing interest in our craft. Let us know if you have any other questions and we'll be glad to help.

Look up David Cole knives and check out his website. He posts a short pic tute on how he does it. I've done the same with a some small wallets and it's a good result. On second thought....click me

Measure and mark the equator on the ball, stretch and form the leather, cut to fit. Once the half-a-ball is formed, mark a stitch line equidistant from the edge. Measure the circumference of that line and calculate the best SPI then mark it with wing dividers. Make holes with an awl. Repeat. Assemble the two halves around the core, and sew them with a curved needle. Finish as desired.

Sounds like the leather was too dry when you started stitching it.

measure the ball and mark the equator on it instead of eyeballing it. Then start stretching leather around it until you can cover the mark. Leave a little room, you can always trim it later. As an additional hint.....get any of the balls 9 or higher and measure the stripe, and mark the middle of it. That would be easier than measuring and marking the 8 ball.

Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net. We're glad you found our little corner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs and professionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you might have. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.