BillB

Sharon, I hope you have gotten some help to solve this problem. You might try sending Johanna a message using the messaging system provided under your profile.

Welcome Kiwican to the forum. I hope you are getting a chance to look around and see what is on the Forum. I look forward to seeing some of your work.

Hello Manu and welcome to the Forum.

Pellechick, It is hard to answer your question directly since: 1. I don't know what type of machine you are using; 2. I don't know the thread or needle size you are using; and finally I don't know how many layers of leather you are trying to sew through. What I can do is tell you what I am doing with the 4-5 Oz and 5-6oz leather I use in make leather bi-folds for 8.5" x 11" writing tablets. 1. I use a Toro 3000 sewing machine. 2. I use 207 or 277 industrial nylon or linhanyl thread 3. I use Schmetz 794 D needles of size 24 (CANU:53:20MF1, NM:180 Size 24, 794 D, CYX3 D) 4. The leather bifolds vary in thickness from one layer 4-5oz leather with liner (4 mm) to 3 layers of 4-5 oz leather with on layer of lining (8 mm) thick. The tension of the needle side thread is very tight since it is dragged through the leather twice and then has to sustain the pull the "take up lever" when the stitch is set. If I grab the thread on the tensioner side of the "take up lever" and pull to create slack to remove the item I am sewing it does take a good steady pull. You can not create slack to remove the item to cut the threads by pulling the item away from the needle. The bobbin side thread is not tight and can be pulled easily but it is not loose either. I do not have a pull scale to give you any idea about the pull strength I am talking about but it take a thumb and finger to pull the bobbin thread and a whole hand to pull the top thread and it feels like it is cutting into the skin. I have include a picture of a bifold that I make and if you would like closer pictures of the actual stitching and thickness, let me know. I hope you can use this description and compare it to what you are doing and resolve your problem. BillB

Mike, You might want to check out the following books. 159 Celtic Designs by Amy Lusebrink from Dover Publishing Celtic Borders on Layout Grids by Mallory Pearce from Dover Publishing Celtic Charted Designs by Co Spinhoven from Dover Publishing Celtic Designs and Motifs by Courtney Davis from Dover Publishing Celtic Art, the method of construction by George Bain from Dover Publishing Dover Publishing has lots of books that can be used by crafters. BillB

Looks Good. And a good solution to a tough problem. BillB

Jimmy - You have a couple of choices: 1. Try to match the dye color and re-dye the ares that have been chewed on. Then, apply a finish across the whole bag to re-establish the finish. This may make the ares scratched and chewed on look like heavy wear areas. 2. Before doing #1 above, examine the bag to determine the assembly process so you know how to put it back together. Then disassemble the full bag. Cut and finish new pieces for the ones that have to be replace due to the extent of the chewed areas. Then re-assemble. 3. As recommended by "busted" start from scratch and make a new one. Which path you take should be discussed with the owner so that they understand that it will never look the the original and might cost more to repair than to make or buy a new one. Repairing can cost more due to the extensive labor involved. If the owner is really attached to the "original" then they may be happy with #1 above, but make them part of the decision process. Just my thoughts on the problem. BillB

K-Man - Have you looked at Tandy Geometric tools G536, G538 and G548? There are several others that can be used to create square patterns and used like a basket weave to fill large areas. Is this what you were referring to? The Tandy store had free handouts on how to use these as other stamps to create fill patterns. BillB

It depends on the dye, the leather and the project. In some cases the dip dye process will cause the leather to change shape. This will, of course, cause problems during assembly when the alignment of the various pieces is important. I will, in some cases, due a rough cut of the pieces, dip dye, and then do a final cut. BillB

Sorry to hear that your granite slab decide to split from you 8-) I went from granite to plexiglass and now use a 3/4 inch piece that cover my complete workbench 18" X 36". BillB

If this is a hair off hide, then I would drop it into a bucket of water and let it soak. When it is softens, then stretch it on a board and let it dry. Make sure it is tacked at the edges so it does not curl. Once it is dry, then dye it. Once the dye has dried, oil it. That is at least what I would do. BillB

JC - I would first take a piece on non-dyed scrap leather and oil it just to see how much the oil is changing the coloration of the leather, i.e. darkening due to the moisture content. Some oils will not only darken due to moisture but will also add color due to chemicals in the oil. By taking a non-dyed piece of leather and oiling half of it and leaving the other half alone, you can determine what affect the oil had on the coloration of the saddle. This will help you judge the color and saturation of the dye you will use since I am assuming you will also be using oil on those pieces as well. The last step of the testing of the pieces of leather you try your dye on would be to add a coat of oil to it since in normal use you will routinely oil it. I hope this helps. BillB

One other thing you might want to do now is to take a piece of scrap leather that you have. Cut it in half. ONe piece becomes the untouched control piece and the second one you oil it the same way and number of times you did the saddle. You can then compare the control item with the oiled item to judge how much the oil has affected the coloration. BillB

I forgot to mention that when using a digital camera or color charts from a computer screen or from a color printer, these are only approximations of the actual color. The settings on the camera, color teminal/display and the printer can and usually do change the color being represented. So remember to use them only as a guide. That is why you have to get a small sample of the dye you want to use and actually test it on a piece of scrap leather, preferably from the same leather you are making the bridle from. Why the same leather, because different tanners may use slightly different chemical combinations (natural or not) and the residual left on the leather can also affect the dye process and color. BillB

Leather darkens with moisture. The oil you have been applying has been adding moisture to the leather and is making it darker. Since you stated that the saddle was in good condition and the leather was very supple it may not have needed any oil or at most a very light coat. If you wipe your hand across the surface of the saddle and it feels oily, you have added too much oil and need to wipe that residue off. I would not added any more oil. Depending on how much oil you applied, you may need to let it sit for a month or two to let the moisture in the leather stabilize and return to its "natural" color. Leather will also darken with age so what might have been a light brown when first purchase may now be a medium to dark brown due to aging. Since you don't plan to use the saddle until next year, I would recommend putting it in a safe place with a light cloth cover to keep dirt off and let the moisture content stabilize. If you have a camera, take a picture of it now and compare it with the saddle next month to see if the color changes. I would go to Fiebing's website (www.Fiebings.com) to and under Leathercraft you will find a link to their Color Charts. I wold use either their Leather Dye or their Professional Oil Dye and find the one color that is closest to the color of your saddle. I would then buy that one and if there is darker version of the next to it, I would get that as well (4 oz bottles first) and a large bottle of Dye Reducer. I would then go to a store that sells canning supplies an buy 12 8oz glass canning jars and lids. I would also get a glass shot glass that is graduated. I would than take some scarp leather that matches the leather you are going to use and begin the process of formulating and testing various mixes of dye and reducer to get to the solution that matches your saddle. I would start with the dye that "matched" the color of your saddle and using it straight from the bottle, see what color it makes you leather scrape. If it is too dark then you will need to cut it with reducer. I would start with a 1 to 1 mix, i.e. 1 once reducer to 1 once dye and see what that does. If it is still too dark, then you go to a 2 to 1 mix, 2 oz reducer to 1 oz dye. If it is too light, you need to go the other direction of 2 oz dye to 1 oz reducer. If the dye it is too light straight from the bottle then you will need to mix it with the darker dye or cut the darker dye to lighten it. I used oz as the graduation, but for testing you may only need to use 1/2 oz graduations or less. I have even used an eye dropper and done it as drops, i.e. for a 1 to 1 mix, 10 drops of dye and 10 drops of reducer, a 2 to 1 mix would be 20 drops to 10 drops. Remember to let the dye dry before doing any assessment of color match since the moisture from the dye will make it look darker than it will be when it finally dries. Since you will probably be oiling the finished bridle, this will also have to be taken into account. It will take some work, but it is possible to get a very close match. Good luck and post some before and after pictures. BillB

I have a couple of suggestions: 1. Remember that not everyone has access to high speed internet. I live in northwestern Minnesota and we have DSL, no cable, no high speed wi-fi. 2. Review the wording that you use from the point of a buyer and not a seller. For example: "Chaps are made in house using the best and most practical leathers and hardware available" is "best and most practical" from a sellers profit point of view, is it from a quality to buy point of view, or is it just simply availability in the local economy point of view? 3. Although I can understand you company policy of not putting prices on the website, you will have to understand some buyers, like myself are immediately turned off by that and will go some where else so I can at least determine if what I see in the pictures and an associated price range is worth my time. 4. What market are you going for: Professional Rodeo only or the local non-professional rodeo folks? The look and feel I got from you website, pictures, explanation and policies was that you were only interested in the Professional Rodeo folks. This might be limiting the response to your site. Just my thoughts. BillB

I think some of the biker persona thing goes back to the Pirates and the Skull and Cross bones. A Pirate was a renegade and bucked the establishment at the time. Same as the early biker clubs which were not 1%'s but the folks who returned from WWII with time on their hands and a lot of skills. This is also where drag racing, and hot rods got their start. The 1%s came later. Just my opinion.

I would like to add my opinion. Having spent time in the northwoods of Minnesota and Canada I have found that the methods described in previous replies are all acceptable but are for the wrong answer. The reason for protecting the stitching from cut through is to protect the person carrying the knife or axe. If one falls while fully loading on the trail, and the knife or belt axe hits the wrong way, there is the potential for the blade to cut the threads on the sheath and then the person carrying the knife or belt axe. When I have carried a backwoods knife or axe, the sheath has two rows of stitching and at least one grommet. The grommet is on the outside of the stitching away from the blade so there is no problem with it dulling the blade. It is also at the tip of the knife sheath and the lower point of the belt axe sheath. This allows for a rawhide tie to be added to tie to the thigh of the person carrying the knife. This also reduces the chance of the blade being pointed out and at an angle that would promote cut through. I have always seen a welt used whether it is sewn in or riveted in and it is the welt that the blade touches, not the stitching or the rivet. Just my opinion from the Northwoods.

What type of blade are you comfortable with if any? I grew up using a sheath knife and years ago had one made to my specifications for cutting leather. I use that knife and a curved trimming knife to do all of my cutting with. If you are not used to a blade, then I would follow Oldtimer's advice. As for method of cutting I would first learn which way I cut best, i.e. left to right or right to left. Inside out on a curve or outside in on a curve. When and where ever you can for cut out like the ones for the pickups, you should use a hole punch at each end and then cut the straight lines between the holes. Hole punch for the holes for the controls as well. Never cut all the way to the corner on an inside corner. Cut from the corner out. So the rectangular notch at the end of the pick guard would require four cuts: 1) Starting at the top corner and working out to the edge; 2) from the same corner cut down half way to the next corner; 3) turn the leather so you can cut down from the bottom corner to the cut from the first corner; 4) from the bottom corner out to the edge. Depending on the stiffness of the leather you are using, I might even first leather cement it to a piece of poster board to help reduce stretching and moving while cutting, especially the very slim pointed ends toward the neck of the guitar. BillB

Slider - I used Professional Plastics at www.professionalplastics.com The product is Plexiglass-acrylicsheet-Extruded www.professionalplastics.com/PLEXIGLASS-ACRYLICSHEET-EXTRUDED They not only sell sheets in set sizes but will also cut-to-size up to 3/4 inch thick (my mistake on thickness) and 48" x 96" BillB

I use a lot of Tandy leather and their kits and over the years I have modified my casing process to include a complete soaking of the leather in a tub of warm water. I will completely submerge the leather until all bubbles stop appearing on the surface of the water or the surface of the leather when I remove it from the water. This process may take several hours. I will then let it dry and then case. What I have found is that since there is no documentation of where, when and how the leather of tanned, especially the leather in kits, this process allows the leather to swell back to its normal thickness. It also removes any residue from the tanning process. In the extreme case, I have seen the leather double in thickness and turn the water a medium brown color even though the leather was supposed to be natural in color. THis does add another day or two to my process, but the results, in my opinion are well worth it. BillB

I have used vinegar on unfinished leather that had developed mold. It worked fine. BillB

When I started doing leather in the 1960's there were a number of animal hides,like alligator, that were still readily available through Tandy. As those animals got over harvested, they became protected and the hides became illegal. Today, there is limited harvesting and the skins are available but for a price. Today you will see a number of hides listed as alligator embossed or ostrich embossed. Embossing is the process of pressing a design or pattern onto a hide., in this case a roller type press for high rate production. The tanning process has gone through a number of changes over the centuries. In a push to be more Eco friendly and to reduce the chemical damage to the fibers there has been a slow move towards the VegiTan process. Again, when I started in the 60s there was only the chemical or chrome-tanning process used in production tanning. There has always been low production brain tanning being done by specialized Tanneries. If you are into Native American regalia, or reenactment period clothing from Voyagers to revolutionary times, then brain tanned hides (deer, elk, etc) is the preferred leather. If you want really soft deer and elk hides for clothing, brain tanned is the way to go. As for why we have so much smooth surface hides, I would have to guess that it is because: 1. the availability of cow and pig hides in this country; 2. the high demand for a smooth surface (saddles, tooling, belts, car seats, etc); 3. costs that would be my guess. I have seen the styles and types of hides available change over the years, but the one constant demand is for smooth surface hides. Today I am see more hides with hair on than I have seen in the past, it may just be the current trend. That is my opinion at least. BillB

WinterBear Thank you BillB