David

Kate and Troy, Thanks for taking a look. I'm glad you are enjoying it. Today is a work day (at my regular job) so tooling won't get started until late. Inside my head eh? So THAT'S where the voices are coming from....... I thought I needed to increase my meds..... lol Take care Dave Theobald

Today I had a few interruptions, The Bengals and the Colts..... So I didn't get quite as much finished as I had hoped. The tooling continued as did the swivel knife work. I alternate back and forth to give my hands a rest. Today the Phoenix was almost finished. Thanks for taking a look. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Dave Theobald

If you do decide to try it, turn your work upside down and place some weights on it. This will prevent the edges from curling up. Dave

Thanks for the question MadMax. I hope this doesn't start some sort of firestorm. One of the many things I've discovered that goes against conventional wisdom. I know I'll catch heck for this so I'll tell you now that I'm not trying to start an argument or even a discussion. It has been my experience that whether the leather drys out or not makes very little difference. Tests have proven that the leather hardens with each drying.....by .003%. That isn't enough to be noticeable by carvers. This hardening accelerates after about a dozen dryings....but I'm finished long before then. If I really want to keep the leather damp I simply turn the tooling board face down on my marble top workbench. Try it. Dave

Thanks Storm, This is pretty tedious cutting and tooling but that's the stuff I enjoy. Keep checking back, it will eventually be finished. Dave I back the leather with packing tape and then rubber cement it to the wood tooling board. The board is 1.5" thick. Dave Thanks Doc, It will eventually get finished. I know it doesn't look like much now. Dave

I have not attempted one of these step by step posts for quite a while. I've been getting some requests that I make a more complete post like this. Please come back daily to see how its coming. This seat is going on the premier build from a new bike shop here in Cincinnati. Some of you may recognize the name.... Hopefully it will make a magazine or two. There is a time deadline on this one, So here we go. Today, the artwork, and transfering it to leather. Many leather workers use that plastic film to trace their pattern on the leather. Since I usually only make a seat one time, I use plain old paper to trace to the leather.... so secrets here. Hope you all enjoy this one Dave

Standard seat $475 I supply the pan Deluxe seat $575 I supply the pan Dave

The Enco site seems to be dead Dave

Kate, As an alternative to clear-lac or saddle-lac (Tandy) Go to a hardware store (I know Lowes has it) and purchase a small can of Deft wood finish... available gloss or flat. Apply just like the leather product. Dave Theobald

Hey Troy, One of these days, I'm gonna get a sewing machine......right......as soon as I hit the lottery. That is hand stitching and took way longer than I want to admit. I'm slow because I don't do a lot of it. Thanks for taking a look at the seat. Dave By the way the customer saw the pics and liked the color. I'm relieved. Thanks again to everyone who commented on the seat.

KyTim, The dye is a combination of Medium Brown and Saddle Tan Fiebings spirit dye. It was applied with an airbrush. The antiquing paste is also Fiebings and is a compination of Medium Brown and Sheridan Brown. Thus far there is no top coat, but, I'll probably use Leather Balm with Atom wax or Aussie Cream Conditioner. Dave

Workingman, I don't have a write up on the lacing. It is a round braid or basketweave. Tandy leather sells a booklet called How to Lace. That is where I learned to do it. Dave

Great work Bob, I like the combination of leathers. Very classy looking. Dave

Finally finished this. At least it is finished in my eyes. This is darker than I usually like to go; but that was a customer request. Dave

Sorry Outcast, I didn't make myself clear..... The seat is to be dyed today and the customer will see it later today.... Then I can't make the change....after it's dyed. Dave

Thanks all for the very kind comments. I try to keep a customer "connected" with his seat build, so every night I take a picture and send it to them, so they can see the progress and watch their seat "come together". This is the first customer that has taken these photographs as an opportunity to change the design. Even the sacred heart was an afterthought. It has been frustrating to say the least. After the seat was being assembled and he saw the progress, he demanded that the tiny swirls next to the star (on the back of the seat) HAD to be added. You can imagine my delight. I'm holding my breath when he sees the final color. This will be the one thing I can't change.... the saga continues. Dave

This fellow bought a Sucker Punch bike used. At one time it had one of my seats on it and he wants one of my seats on it now. The bike shop agreed to having me make one..... so here it is. I'm in the process of finishing up this seat. The customer has had issues regarding the final design; but we are now going to go quickly to the conclusion of this seat. Let me know what you think. David Theobald

Last summer when we passed through Missoula, Mt. we stopped at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation visitor center and I picked up a book there called Rocky Mountain Elk Portfolio, the Photography of Donald M Jones. This book is full of great elk pictures that I thought might be useful for some leather carving patterns. The first picture I wanted to make into a carving is a close up of a bugling elk. My first attempt at this I wanted to do flat and uncolored for a change. All the time I was working on it, the leather was begging me to emboss it, but I resisted the urge and left it flat. Here's the first attempt. Almost as soon as I was finished with it, I just had to try it again to see how it would look embossed. I liked that one even better. When I attended Kathy's last class in Rapid City, I took this along to show her what I was working on and she asked if she could use it as part of Columbine's guild display and I agreed, but told her I wanted it painted when I got it back. I was just joking (well, sort of) but I got it back yesterday and it was painted, and I think it's amazing!!! Kathy did a fabulous job with the coloring. Thanks Kathy!! Beautiful as always Clay David Theobald

Looking good Bonnie. Just finished? Dave

Steve, That is some great work, Please post whatever you are working on. I'm always in the market for some inspiration. Did you spray your deft on? David Theobald

I'm glad it inspires more that just me. Dave

The color looks great, I sure don't see the puckering Good job Dave

Hey Troy, What knocks me out is all the work that you put on that photo. That's a whole different body on the guy's father. Different hand position, cigarette is gone, sleve rolled to mid forearm not to the elbow, different shirt, different pants, and boots. That's not to mention the work on the bike.... glossy paint, and stripes on the fenders. Is that a different bike too? That's quite a re-do on the photo.... Nicely done. Dave Theobald

I gotta go with Kate on this one, Yeah the color is nice. But that is some great carving. Well done Storm Dave

Great, Another craft I have to learn.... You realize that at 64 there are a limited number of these left for me. Dave