YinTx

Pretty cool, I like the contrasting colors. Any pics of the inside you can share? YinTx

Count yourself lucky, I've been on the hunt for a nice Randall type splitter for some time. Nice collection you have going! YinTx

That is sweet! Great story to go with it. Thanks for sharing, look forward to seeing it cleaned up and in service! YinTx

Is... is that.. a scratch? Oh, my heart aches for thee! Such a beautiful bag... What is the wizardry you are sketching to lay out a zipper? I've not seen that before... and I've not been too successful with zippers going around corners, either! Do explain... I like where your bag is going, and I suspect I will suffer some degree of envy here when you have finished... YinTx

Wondering if it started life out as something entirely different, like a large nail/spike? Blunted the tip, and filed/carved the head end into the shape it is now? Folks have been making stamps from nails, bolts, and other odd items like valve stems for a long time.... YinTx

I like them both! Awesome initiative! YinTx

J&FJ Baker & Co make leather at a site that has been a tannery since the Roman Times. Not sure if they do an unfinished leather or not, or if the price is one you'd be willing to pay, but an option for you none the less. YinTx

If by branching out you mean "I'd like to excel beyond a doubt at other aspects of leatherwork" I'd say you have succeeded. Well done! Thanks for sharing! YinTx

Huh, I don't have any of that. Was going to send you some white thread to finish it up, it was looking so good! Sorry can't help you out with the Tandy stuff! YinTx

I have heard that it works well, and I have been curious to try it out myself, so I'd like to live vicariously through you if I may. Since you now have it, please let us know how it works out, and post photos along the way! Much appreciated! YinTx

Definitely nice! And what kind of white thread did you use? YinTx

I have a bunch of duplicates, but I think they are all different eras and makers, so maybe not duplicates? For instance, the 510 basketweave, I think I have 4 or 5, none of which make the same impression. ?? I'll look at the veiners, I think those are the ones I most likely have repeats of... YinTx

Northmount, Awesome, thanks for the detailed instructions. Is the spacer you speak of the one that is already built into this 3 ring binder that I bought, or do I need to add one to it? The other thing I am struggling with is finding a chicago screw with a diameter small enough to fit into this spacer - none of the ones I have do. YinTx

Cseeger, I have seen this video, and watched it many times and tried to duplicate his results without luck. Tan Kote is not really a resist as such, and will allow the color of the antique to reach the leather. It is also considered a solvent for antique, and I have ended up with sticky, blotchy messes on large projects trying it this way. I have even tried to let it dry over several days, considering the humidity in this region of the country, to allow it to be truly dry. I am more than certain it is my method and my expectations of the results that are flawed, I am just not sure what it is. One individual who has been doing leather successfully for many years showed how to do this with very little resist, and very little antique. HIs came out really nice. Complete opposite of the slather it on process everyone else emulates. Sadly, I couldn't get that to work for me either. Eventually someone like you is going to suggest something that finally clicks for me and I'll get the process to work. I have yet to study the Sheridan Carving book that has been suggested to learn that techniqe, so I still have hope. I have so many tooled bits ready for antique, but now I am afraid to ruin them so there they sit - including this fourth effort at an oak leaf! I must be doing something right, one guy asked me how much leather I had to waste cutting the leaves out and attaching them to this piece of leather...didn't believe me it is one piece of leather! I think I still need to improve the center midrib, it is coming out much thicker than I'd like.. YinTx

I did a little simple math some time ago... One year of retirement is equivalent to 32 years or so of working. As in, you get the same number of vacation days in one year of retirement that you would working 32 years, at 10 days off per working year (remove the weekends, rounding acceptable here). Powerful incentive to save for an early retirement. Congratulations on building a successful business, and having a successful exit strategy. May you live long and healthy and blessed. YinTx

All that being said, there are those who seem to be doing just fine with their resist and antiquing work as can be seen all over this site. I just haven't cracked that nut yet. YinTx

I still haven't found the best way for me yet, but I watched someone put on resist very thin (like almost dry, applied with a cotton applicator) then antiqued with great success. I tried the same technique, and didn't do so well - ended up with a very uneven application of antique colors that I was not happy with. Most success I have had is with the Clear-Lac, or no resist at all. Neither result has been what I am looking for. YinTx

I hadn't heard of Pro Resist. Is it more like a resolene or a Clear-Lac? Either way, I am learning that the skill used to apply it is as important as the resist, and I haven't broken the code yet with Resists. Yours is well done. YinTx

What type/size of scrap leather do you find most useful? YinTx

Not too late, and a great lesson. Many thanks Mr. Park! YinTx

Awesome detailing! And I have antiquing envy... it looks like you have the resist techniques down pat. Care to school me on how it should be done? YinTx

Age and smell might cause you to pause... understand the condition prior to purchase, so you don't end up with useless material. YinTx

I would think you might just back stitch to start, then cut off the knot when you are done? YinTx

northmount, I know this is an old post, but this is the info I am looking for to finish several binders I have in progress. Do you have any photos that illustrate how you use the spacer, Chicago Screw and oval screw in sequence? Many thanks in advance! YinTx

plinkercases, the second photo is probably the best photo of the petal lifters up close. also see this one, as I was filing it down. Recommend putting something under the file to make sure it doesn't bend and snap on you. Nothing fancy, just a gradual curve along the bottom side, just like a petal lifter you would purchase. Comes to a sharp edge, I finished it on an oil stone. I suppose the next versions will have a bit more of an abrupt curve, and I'll finish the sharpening a bit more, perhaps with a ceramic stone, then strop. Garypl, Again, tricks I learned at the IFOLG show for a backing. Used 3M clear packing tape on the back of the leather, apply rubber cement to it, let it dry until barely tacky. Then, apply rubber cement to the back of a plastic place mat that you would buy at WalMart or the Dollar Store. (.89 at Walmart, $1 at the Dollar store... your choice. :)) When it is dry also, put them together. Don't peel anything apart until after the leather is completely dry. Place the leather face down, and peel the plastic then the tape off of the leather. This was the second item I had tooled with that process, seems to work ok. Hope I answered your questions? YinTx