JAZZMAN

Hi i know that most people recommend going to a kitchen worktop type place to get hold of a granite or marble slab from a scrap bin but i am unable to do that as i have a disability that would make it hard for me to get it home, so i need to get one delivered ,i have seen one on ebay and wondered if it might do the job.Here is the link. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Worktop-Saver-Kitchen-Chopping-Cutting-Surface-Board-Granite-New-By-Premier-/191400329687

Hi 25b, i have just ordered a pricking iron it came to under £7 including postage and does indeed look exactly like the ones on goods japan,at this price i thought go for it , do you have and use some of their tools and have you found them to be a reliable company? If you could tell us a bit about your experiences with them that would be great, thanks again for the link.Peace.

Welcome hobbihorse, i too am new to the forum as well as being new to leatherwork,exciting times ahead for me i hope.

Wow thanks rohn, i am impressed with how well the dye has dyed the leather, my dream is to get into the carving and colouring side of leatherwork i always think the coloured items look particularly nice, thanks for the info, i hope i get to learn more from you in time, back to my first project a plain belt for now though.Take care.

So should i buy a heavier nylon hammer for riveting then or a dead blow hammer, i am not sure which is best?Sorry if i am coming across as a bit of a dimwit.

Hey there that a nice bench, i reckon it could double up as a bed too for those late night projects or if youve had a row with the wife, but seriously your lucky to have a garage, i too am stuck with the corner of our bedroom as my workshop, but there is always someone worse off than yourself i suppose, although i have yet to meet him.

Hi Rohn, i am a total beginner to leatherwork, i quite like the colourscheme it works well together and shows me that not all leatherwork has to be black or tan, could you plaese tell me do you just dye the leather and then add a finish coat on top, or is it much more involved than that.

Hey zulu, sadly going away on a course would be out of the question, the reason i have come to leatherwork is because i have a degenerative disease in my spine which severely restricts my mobility, my wife is my full time carer and has to help me with getting up and down stairs on and off buses that sort of thing, i also have other health issues which would prevent me from travelling long distances. I am not telling you this to look for sympathy(i did the feeling sorry for myself bit when i had to give up work ten years ago) i am merely explaining why that would be out of the question. Are we talking good single malt whisky, i love glenmorangie myself when i can afford a bottle that is.Oh yes i am in West Yorkshire, where are you?

Hi Camano thanks for the reply, am i right in thinking that dead blow hammers are rubber coated, if so are thay fine to use on metal stamps or do they do a dead blow hammer that is not rubber coated? Like i said i really do have a lot to learn.What do you think of this one. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hilka-Pro-Craft-2LB-24oz-Dead-Blow-Hammer-rubber-mallet-tent-pegs-dead-weight-/201169168968?pt=LH_DefaultDomai

Wow, thaks for the warning zulu, i never realized you would have to pay import duty on things like that, it is not something i know anything about, the pricking irons seem to be the main thing on there website i might consider buying as they seem to be well priced and good quality,thanks again for the good advice.

Wow raw66, i am only just starting out on my journey in to leathercraft and so cannot offer an expert opinion on your work. However i do know that i would be incredibly proud if i had produced those items,great work, how long have you been doing leatherwork?

Hi Midwest and itch, thanks for the replies, i know your probably thinking to yourselves this guy is bonkers just hit something with it and see what you think instead of asking for advice about a mallet on a forum, but sadly i have so little money that i am having to buy my tools very slowly indeed and i do not have any stamping tools or even bits of leather to try it out with, so i really do appreciate you more experienced leatherworkers taking the time to help someone like myself. This forum seems like a quite friendly place to hang out. I have had a few bad experiences on some of the other internet forums where people have become abusive for no apparant reason,i can be a bit oversensitive at times and find it quite hard dealing with those type of people ,so thanks again for the help. Take care my friends.

Hi Zulu, yes i have heard of goods Japan on Ian Atkinsons you tube chanel that you mentioned before to me, how long is delivery from there? I also think i have learned ny first lesson and that is that from now on i am going to buy undyed leather so i know exactly what reatments have been done, but it should still make a belt, i will be happy with it if it is just usable for the first attempt. Also thanks again Dwight for looking up my belt and responding to my post. I have every intention of sticking this out but i cannot deny that it is one of those things that takes a lot more skill and knowledge than most people including me realize. However like most things in life i am assuming that the harder something is to attain the better the payoff in the end.The sweetest fruit being on the highest branches and all that.

Thanks for the reply Dwight, here is a link to the leather i bought, naybe i should have bought a natural one then i could have done all the treatments myself, should you normally dye a belt before burnishing then or do it after dyeing, wow do i have a lot to learn. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200954815153?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2648&var=500179930925&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Hello everyone, i have bought a pre dyed black leather strap blank to make my first leather belt project. It is one inch wide and has cut edges, can i still burnish the edges of it in the same way as i have seen on tutorials. Should i use an edge beveller and if so which size should i buy and can i do it with just water. I have a cheap burnishing tool coming from china, hope that will be ok to use as it was only 99p. If i bevel the edges will this remove the dye or should i just burnish the edges without bevelling first. Hope these questions do not sound too stupid but i really do not know hardly anything about leatherwork yet, i have a lot to learn.

Hi everyone, i have just got my first mallet for leatherwork it is a thor 1lb nylon mallet. I have to say it is a bit smaller and lighter than i thought it was going to be, do you guys think it will be ok for general leatherworking. The yellow mallets from tandy seem to have a bigger head on them, i bought this because it was much cheaper than the other type. While it seems very good quality should i have gone for a bigger one and if so which one. Unfortunately i dont have any stamps yet or punches to try it out, i am building my tools up very gradually due to having very little money, i am really worried i have wasted my money.Here is a link to the mallet i bought http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121287575052?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Thank you once again to camano ridge and zulu, i am not used to having people wanting to help me so selflesly, it truly is a pleasure to meet you both, as you said zulu coming to something like this cold is indeed a little daunting maybe more than it would be to someone else who maybe had experience of other crafts where there is some crossover. But i intend to stick this out, i think i might well just start with a keyring or two, at least then i will be making something i can use. I will do some reading i have ordered the Valerie Michael book that seems to be quite well thought of by most people. I will also watch some of the you tube videos and get back to you with some questions if i get stuck. So off i go into the land of leatherworking, see you soon and thanks again.

Wow Zulu, thank you so much for taking so much time to help me with this i really do appreciate the help more than you realize, i think what i am struggling withis knowing where to start and which things to buy first, but before i take up any more of your time i promise to go through your fantastic list of ideas, thank you once again for your kindness , you are a good person with a big heart.

Thank you zulu. yes i am going to go ahead with leathercraft, i have to say though in the uk it does seem quite hard to gather info and find suppliers,thanks for the info i will look into those suppliers and let you know how i get on. I am going to order some offcuts off ebay for messing around with and practicing that sort of thing. I am also tempted to buy some of the cheaper tools off ebay to see how i go on before buying the more expensive professional level tools. I cannot deny i find the lack of info and help a bit overwhelming so thank you for your guidance i really am struggling to get going.

Hi i live in the uk and was wondering ,if you buy from tandy uk what are the postage costs, i can not seem to find them on the site, also how long does it normally take to get your order please.

Hello Zulu, and thank you for your very helpful and thoughtfull responses to my questions, you are very kind to spend so much time and thought on me. If you do not mind me asking one more question, what do you think would be the best starter project that i would gain the most from, i agree with you that it is best to do something simple well rather than a complex project badly, any ideas would be most welcome. Thank you once again for your kindness, hopefully i will make some new friends on here as well as learning new things.

Hi Sam ,nice to meet you,sorry if i come across a bit silly here but would i not also need to buy a mallet , cutting mat and knife in addition to the 7 tool set, i thought i might begin with a belt or wallet.Is that 7 set of tools just for the carving side of things.

That looks fantastic, i have always had a bit of a thing for workshops, they can seem to take on a personality when they are right. Is it just me that is a bit wierd.

Hello everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. I am now 50 years old and unable to work due to being disabled i have a degenerative disease in my spine which restricts my mobility and ability to walk without walking sticks. I have a lot of time and have been looking for something to learn with all my spare time. When i was young i got in to a bit of bother with the law and was sent to a special attendance centre as punishment. I remember we used to do leatherwork and glasswork and always thought it would be something i would love to get into a lot more. Well i have decided that it is time to do that now. My biggest problem is going to be my low budget so do you think i should start with a tandy kit or maybe just start buying things individually.I am a bit unsure where to start and so that is where i hope this forum will come in. I will be asking lots of questions that's for sure. I am really hoping that this will put back some joy into my life as i have had to give up so many of my other pleasures due to ill health.

This was a double post by mistake, if the moderators would like to remove this one that would be great,sorry about that.