bikermutt07

@immiketoo has some background with different acrylics. He may have a hobby lobby suggestion.

I assumed it was auto correct for biker belt. Who knew???

Isn't that how they make cheap dress belts? Where it has the thicker padded center?

Spectacular job.

If you want I have extras of all those tools you mentioned. Strap cutter, inexpensive swivel knife, super skiver, and rotary knife. I'll cut you a great deal on it. No worries just an offer. P.S. I haven't made a mystery braid yet. Haha

I have seen some regad style units in woodcraft's catalog for 150.00. I haven't tried them, but they look like quality units. I have also seen the gravity fed glue pots for really cheap from them and rockler (compared to leather suppliers).

Also, check out the blog pages on Don Gonzales's website. He has some great stuff including free PDF print outs for costing out shop rates. Really great stuff. And then watch some of the craft show videos from wortheffort.com. His marketing strategy for crowd working is really thought out well.

Welcome aboard. I have found better leather burnishes a lot easier than cheaper leather. Watch some learnleather.com and Don Gonzales videos. Also, Leodis Leather and Armitage Leather videos are staples in the community. Good luck with the kidneys.

Usually a 150 from what I've seen. Mine came with one as a complete set and I'm sure it cost less. It is pretty quiet.

As far as I know that all rings true.

I'm not sure. I haven't gotten to use them much. Probably what ever size is used most for rivets.

Good job. I really enjoyed the music.

@battlemunky mine are individual punches. I got everything from .5mm to 10mm. It was like 59 bucks. It was barely a wimper once moment. I really like them. I like those awls too. And the little needle containers, and the sanding pads, and the patterns. I have some of their thread but haven't tried it yet. I really like Wuta.

Great job.

Now that I have a bit more time.... I really like Wuta. They make quality stuff at a reasonable price. Now it usually comes on the slow boat from China but they are up front about that. The few problems I had (maybe twice out of 20) were handled quickly by them. I have no complaints about them or their tools. Their templates are also pretty spot on.

These I have been really happy with.

Great job.

I have been toying with the idea for awhile. I have planned to use furniture tacks with cement as well. I am also thinking of a rabbited edge where the leather meets the wood. Then no skiving needed.

I finally had to give up on the terminology. Here is (my) method. Pick a front side for the stitch. It doesn't matter which way the slant is... Towards me or away from me. Which ever way the slants are going I pick the first hole on the end that is slanting away from the edge. So, if the slant is towards me I start on the back. If the slant is away from me I start at the front and work away from myself. Now I put the needle through that hole and center my thread. Now here is where that front and back come in. Take the needle on the front and put it to the bottom of the next hole. Then take the back needle to the top of that hole. Pull them snug, not super tight, snug. Repeat over and over going slowly making sure to always keep the front at the bottom and the back to the top. This makes a very presentable zig zag on the front and a straight line on the back. That is good enough for me, for now.

Welcome aboard.

They're cheaper by the dozen.

Sorry I missed this , other Matt and Mrs other Matt. Looks like you got plenty of great feedback already.

To put it in fireman's perspective... Domestic/industrial machines = entry tool. Leather machine = Jaws of Life. For what you are looking to make 8oz leather would be a good fit. Veg tan leather is what you are looking for. If your budget permits, just start with quality leather. Hermann Oak or Wickett and Craig are what you should be buying. People starting out find problems with low quality veg tan and they don't realize the leather is the problem. Uneven dying and poor edge finishing come to mind. Most YouTubers never mention this. When you watch Don Gonzales slick an edge with water and a stick in two minutes, he is not using Argentinian leather from Tandy. As for tooling and painting leather, it takes a lot of practice. Some guys jump out and do really well in the beginning. They have an already established background. Tattoo artists and model builders with air brush experience seem to make some nice stuff right off the bat. I have been dabbling in leather as a hobby for 4 years now and I wouldn't make a chew toy for my dog with tooling on it. There is a lot involved in this hobby. And, please don't take this the wrong way. If you want your brothers to have quality crafted items, you will need to invest some time in the craft. This is a frustrating wonderful craft that we all love. But, there are a lot of knocks getting started. The ongoing joke is instead of buying that hundred dollar belt or wallet, I'll just make it myself. Four years later, I have invested 3 grand and I have a wallet or belt I can live with. YMMV. Good luck

Fancy with a touch of schmancy. Good job.