TwinOaks

Welcome to Leatherworker.net, best site on the entire internet! For starters, check out the Paul Burnett section here on Leatherworker: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showforum=214 That has a lot of the basics and should get you well on your way. As far as practice pieces.....pretty much any image on paper should be translatable to leather. Just pick an image and start 'drawing' with your knife. Unlike some forms of art, working with leather offers an opportunity to develop your own style, completely independent from anyone else's work. You'll know it's a good style to use when you see others emulating YOUR work.

About the best you can expect from any of the lacquers is a great finish and a good buzz. I've been using Deft (spray lacquer for wood) and have been very pleased with it. It dries very quickly, and smells just like Neat-lac (spray). If you haven't tried it yet, check out Leather Balm w/ Atom Wax. It gives a nice mellow finish w/o all the fumes. Or, if you like Resolene, mix up a little 50/50 Mop-n-Glo and water.

Be very careful w/ ccleaner, it's easy to do more harm than good. I'd say the easiest thing to do is use the add/remove programs function, but since I don't use Vista, I can't point you in the right place.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=core&module=search&section=search&do=search&fromsearch=1 <--- The page of results when searching for gunbelts. specifically: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=27513&st=0&p=173160&hl=gunbelt&fromsearch=1entry173160 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=26463&st=0&p=166481&hl=gunbelt&fromsearch=1entry166481 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=24110&st=0&p=153363&hl=gunbelt&fromsearch=1entry153363 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=19914&st=0&p=128930&hl=gunbelt&fromsearch=1entry128930 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3673&st=0&p=52329&hl=gunbelt&fromsearch=1entry52329 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12993&st=0&p=20211&hl=gunbelt&fromsearch=1entry20211 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12760&st=0&p=4239&hl=gunbelt&fromsearch=1entry4239 These were located by doing an advanced search, listing "gunbelt" as the search term, and specifying the hoster/sheath/etc. forum in the 'where to look' category.

Yeah, sorry, I was feeling a bit lazy and didn't post the link. Thanks for taking up the slack, abn. Aspanol, the edges are hidden with a wrapped edge, sometimes called a French edge, which is demonstrated in the tutorial I so woefully neglected to link.

Any color transfer could likely be inconsistent because the color change is a result of a chemical reaction. You might try cutting a line around the negative image (on the leather) to prevent the reaction from wicking through the leather fibers.

If you want the 'tassle' end follow Aggie's advice. You could also make an eye and braid the end back into the main body, or make what effectively is a butt splice. Here's a link that you might like. it shows the 4 strand braid on a snap with a terminal eye, you'll just have to click the tutorial for the dog lead. http://myriam.dakotabraiding.com/

What marks?

!?!?!? No..... EXPERIMENT!!! Really, it isn't all that difficult. I just made a Ranger-ish belt for a friend, and had nothing more to go on than a few pics. I've got another on order with a few changes, too. Just be sure to leave enough tongue to go under the buckle, no matter which belt hole is being used.

Tan Kote, Bag Kote, Leather Balm, Carnuba cream, and there's something else, but I can't remember what it is. These products will allow the character of the leather to show through very well. You can also use an acrylic finish, but it needs to wear a while to achieve the right "glow". Many of the acrylics will have a 'plastic' look and feel to them when first applied.

Do a search on this website for "biker wallet", and then click on the "how do I do that" forum and look for the tutorial by Kevin King. He takes you step by step through the production process. The thread on the biker/trucker wallet includes a pattern similar to the one you have pictured.

Folded and heat creased if you have the equipment, time, and patience. Folded and stuck down with glue or the tape that KK recommends if you have too little of the latter two.

I'm having good results with Avast!, and Comodo. It's worth the free price of admission to surf over to Geekstogo.com and look at their suggestions. Our own Johanna does (or did) a bit over there too.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! We've got tons of info here for your perusing pleasure, and we're pretty handy in the "Help" department too. We also love pictures. So.....get some ideas on what you want to create, and if you have any questions on it, we'll be glad to help you out.

Just outstanding work Kevin. You really set the bar high for anyone doing inlays and overlays. Keep up the fantastic work.

You should be able to remove it by using a Q-tip dipped in acetone or denatured alcohol. Damp, but not dripping, rub lightly. If you happen to have any Fiebing's Deglazer, that works well too.

B, being an ambassador has nothing to do with the quality of the leather work. Those of us who are ambassadors were asked to take the position to because we're all over the board, at all hours of the day, and make the efforts to greet each new member we can and help them learn to utilize this site. We, as a group, are the 'extra eyes' for the moderators because we spend so much time here. For me, I'm not an ambassador because I've learned a lot about leather, rather, I've learned so much because I'm an ambassador. Do I spend x amount of hours per day? No. I might not be on for several days at a time, or even as long as month. We all have lives in TRW, and it's understood that life comes first. When we do spend a lot of time here, we help out with 'the little things' around the site, and I must say, periods of severe insomnia come in handy. In regards to contributing to the site....I agree. We all love this site and from time to time there are donation requests when needed. The upkeep of the website, especially as it's grown (you should've seen it 3 years ago), does require money and was one of the deciding factors to having the ad banners at the top of the page. Contributions are still needed, and the staff appreciates all those who do so. If anyone is interested in making a contribution to the site, you can click on the little down arrow by your name (top right corner on the forum home page) for the pull down menu, then click on 'paid subscriptions', or go to your profile and look for the same There's also a "Donate" box just under the 'recent status updates' box on the right side of the screen. Thanks for bringing up the little reminder about what keeps this site online, M

That looks like a pretty simple design...any chance you could make it? carve out of wood maybe? Could be another skill to teach.

Yes, you could do it, but I don't think the results would be satisfactory using a sponge. You might try just dyeing it first, then once you have a nice even coat, applying a light coat of oil. The most even coat of dye I've personally achieved is with an airbrush......although, I must admit it was a pretty thorough coating when I knocked over a bottle of dye.

Okay, need to correct my own statement...needle's stitching straight. It is that style of needle (D=diamond) that causes the stitches to lay in that pattern. I prefer it as it closely resembles handstitching. Changing the needle type should cure your ills.

Good looking color, and thank you for sharing it with us. If I may make a suggestion, look around at some feed stores for you syringes. I picked mine up for about 30 cents apiece.

" A man will stand on the side of the road for a very long time waiting for a roasted chicken to fly in." I suggest checking with Jeff Mosby at GreyGhostGraphics, and Brenda at Lasergiftcreations.....dot com. Mine was $35 +tax and shipping, from Brenda. All our communications were by email, but I described what I wanted, she sent me a 'proof' image, I okayed it, and two days later I had my stamp. Superb service. From what I have read here, Jeff has a great reputation too, but I haven't had any dealings with him.

I'm another user of Weldwood, and also recommend using an awl. If you want one that'll work, you can order them through just about any of the suppliers. You could make your own with a bicycle spoke, if you like to do that sort of thing, too. If you want the best, get a Bob Douglas awl. Marlon mentions sharpening it......it should be sharp enough to puncture your finger and you not realize it until you see blood spots on the leather. Really. The diamond shape is important to make the stitching look good, and for the holes to close up around the stitch. It penetrates and pushes the leather out of the way to make the hole. A drill bit removes the leather from the hole, and that will not close around the stitches well. David Cole (DCKnives) sharpens the shank of drill bits and reverses them to make holes- it still pushes instead of removing the leather.

Calm down, put the drill on the table, and step back. Take some deep breaths, relax. Now, we need a little more information on exactly what you're doing. When you say 3 pieces of leather, I'll presume you mean welts. I completely understand how difficult it is to get through welts, I've done several by hand and that's one of the things that drove me to a machine stitcher. Are you trying to hand drill the holes? If yes, then the issue is that it's very difficult to drill straight holes in angled material. You NEED some type of drill press. Ideally, you would be making the holes with an awl,( but that is a task in itself, pushing through that much leather) because you can watch where the point is emerging on the back and make small adjustments. Nobody cares how many corrections are INSIDE the leather. Next is the task of dealing with the welted edges. I learned quickly that anytime you are compressing a welted edge, that the leather will tend to buckle. It's an easy solution to an apparently daunting problem: You need to make a blank to support the sheath from the inside. An example: Sheath composed of front, welt, and back....any weight you want. Since the sheath is hollow between the welts, you'd add a strip of the same material as the welt between the front and back to act as a temporary spacer. This is not glued or stitched in place, it's only there to keep the leather from bending. The same thing applies to punching holes on a sheath that has a wedge shaped welt....you need a wedge shaped blank. It also is important to do this for the OUTSIDE so you can keep a mostly level working surface. It's hell trying to stay plumb when your reference is an angle. To tackle your particular issue right now: If you don't have access to a drill press, or the tools to make a press jig for an awl, all is not lost. It'll take a bit more time, but here's how to do it: Mark and punch the stitch holes in the front and back of the sheath with no welts, before doing any other assembly. If you've already added the belt clip, take it back off, you need flat leather. You can even do it one side at a time! What you need is some reference points to line up the pieces of the sheath, and a way to transfer the stitch pattern to both pieces. This even works on non-symmetrical sheaths because you can simply flip the pattern. Stop and check the alignment a few times along the way. Once you have the holes in both sides you should be able to lay them together and have everything line up perfectly. Now for the welts. If you have a constant stitch spacing marked, you could lay out some strips of welts and mark and drill them the same way. Use oversized pieces, longer than what you need, and with NO 'wedge' cut to them. The holes won't bother the blade that tapers the welt at all. You should be able to dry assemble everything (or use rubber cement, which is removable) and have all the holes match up. Well, that took some time, but wasn't too difficult. Ah, the inlay....If you've perforated the edge of the inlay, you can try to reuse it, but it might be better to skive down a border. Yes, extra work, but the end result is worth it. Lay out your inlay pattern, but include at least a 1/4" 'border' INSIDE the 'window' for the inlay. When you cut the border, it doesn't matter how wide outside the inlay because you can always trim it back. I'd suggest that the piece you use for a frame around the inlay be at least 3/4" wide to give you a little "wiggle room" in the assembly. Dye (and maybe tool?) the frame/border. Attach the 'frame' to the inlay, and you now have an inlay piece with an attractive border that has a solid edge for sewing. Assemble the frame/inlay piece and the sheath. Line up your holes and recheck everything. Should you need to make some holes in the inlay's frame where it's covered some stitch holes, use the existing holes as guides. Presuming everything lines up, add glue and stitches, then finish as usual. A few steps back, when making the welts, you could skip the pre-drilled holes and just use an awl to stab the holes, using the front and back holes for guides. If you'd like some additional reference material for how to do the holes, look in "holsters, sheathes, ..." at the first pinned tutorial, by Jim. He shows how to lay out and line up the holes. Be sure to practice on scrap, and get back to us if you have any more questions. Some things can be a real PITA, but if you step away from it, and break it down into steps, then plan the steps, it gets easier. Mike