YinTx

Also, to answer the original OP's question on leather drying out, as I had the same issue: it seems we should be rewetting the *backside* of the leather as we work to keep it from drying, not waiting until it is too dry to work. I experienced my leather tooling reversing when I added water to the front, just as this poster noted would happen. Live and learn! CowboyColonel, thanks for that info, it will help me out some. I have tried to organize tools etc before I start, but I do tool slowly as well. I have found I can do most of my backgrounding at once - should I not be doing that? YinTx

I think you might be a lot faster than me, if you can do a 6x6 piece in 2 hours. Its taken me 5 hours to get to this point, and I still have to do the eagle: YinTx

JD62, and NVLeatherWorx - Thanks for that! I have never been a painter or an artist, I suspect I'd get outside the lines if I had to color anything! Maybe in the future I'll get enough gumption to give it a try. I would like to see yours! might be some inspiration in there... But, now that I have finished up a couple of projects, I can get back to carving and tooling again. I am in the midst of the antique experiment, and I must say I am a bit surprised by the results I am getting. I am using the Tan-Kote with success, so much so I will probably be using it in the future. I think it was as I suspected, I was using it way too thick. I am pretty much wiping it dry after applying - this really cleans things up and keeps it from cracking or peeling. Still have the finish coats to put on the experiment, so I will probably post a separate thread to illustrate the differences. Even with the number of results I have, there are still a huge number of combinations that could be considered. For now, I am trying to master a couple before I branch out into new realms... i.e. learn to walk before I try to fly! (which is kinda the opposite of how I operate) YinTx

I may give the copper bar a tweak upwards to lift it off of the leather, not a bad idea. I debated putting it on the other way, but I wanted the uneven bit on the underside. Not entirely happy with the bar, since it didn't exactly come out even, and I think the music case design does not translate well to a large case like this one, so I may reserve music cases to smaller works in the future. If I tire of the bar design, I can alter the bag with a clasp or some such thing, or just replace the straps with longer ones and go with a straight bar. Thanks all for the positive comments! Now to decide on how much to price it, or to use it... YinTx

Yeah, I conveniently forgot about that detail! I'll see what this one does.. cold drinks tend to sweat a lot around here, so the potential is definitely there! I'll keep the "texturing" thought in mind for future creations. Your's look pretty nice, by the way. Spot on stitching. YinTx

It is way too tight, this design it doesn't matter if there is anything inside or not, the lid fits down to the strap connection, and the bar is supposed to go across the back of the handle. But I have finished it anyhow, taking some liberties along the way to make it work. Here is the finished product. Sorry about the photo quality, whatever blood I had left from the stickin the mosquitoes were keen to acquire for their own, so I had a bit of a time holding still what with all their pushin and shovin to get at me. Thankfully none of the resulting splatter and gore got on the project. I tried to take one image inside as well, but this color just doesn't photograph as well as it looks in person. YinTx

Impressive work, and a good story to go with it! YinTx

Thanks, RockyAussie! and here I was thinking the 4 star was from my overactive typing personality! It has been delivered to the intended recipient, and is duly serving it's purpose now. I am curious to see how long it holds up... Thanks, Bodean! I think it was a stroke of luck, and not what I had in my mind when I started it, so we'll see how well I fare when I attempt another in the near future.... YinTx

Looking nice so far! And shouldn't be too hard to stay below my current thumb puncture record YinTx

They look pretty good to me. I'd be tempted to try to start/stop the stitching at places that need a reinforcement, like a pocket top, instead of a corner that attracts the eye, but that is perhaps a personal preference. What did you use for a liner? YinTx

Aren't the Artisan and Singers lockstitch machines, not saddle stitch machines? I don't think I've ever even heard of a saddle stitching machine.... saddle stitching kinda implies an awl and two needles and both hands with a single length of thread. Look forward to seeing more of your work on leatherworker, definitely nice stuff! YinTx

Impressive. And last I heard, genuine Panama hats are getting harder to come by as there are fewer and fewer makers. Also, this is driving up the $$, so that was a pretty expensive sacrifice for an experiment, but dang, well done! I like the idea of using different mediums as inlays.... going to keep that one in the back of my mind for future reference! YinTx

I really like your stuff. But I have a quick question: what machine are you using to do this? (quote from your Etsy page): "The holster is then put together with heavy bonded polyester cord in a saddle stitch with a commercial stitching machine. " YinTx

haha, ya I just give it a shake when I need to dye some leather red. latest greatest.. checking fit up.. not so great...will endeavor to do some artistic license to get better results... YinTx Tryin to get that edge to shine... time for some of that wine.

Was healing up just fine, and managed to send a needle into the same thumb yesterday. Interestingly, I don't tend to poke myself while actually putting the awl or a needle through the holes while stitching, but when something gets wonky and I am trying to untangle a thread or thread gets wrapped around something and snagged, that's when those lil buggers tend to inflict hatred into my digits. I use the cork method when I know I have a difficult hole to make, has worked well for me. Grey Drakkon, Thanks for that. I'm a bit concerned about the bar straps right now, they may be a wee bit too short. Time will tell when I get the bar installed. Might have to use some artistic license to accommodate it. Edges are all done, that bar is the last remaining bit... YinTx

So I've never done a figure carving before, beyond trying my hand at Sheridan Carving, and I've been trying to work out antiquing/resisting etc. So I knocked this out to have something to try a different approach at antiquing. Figure it's just about the right size for someone to set their cold can of favorite beverage on. Just thought I'd show it here for comments. YinTx

JD62, I have seen several of his videos, and this one in particular I have watched like 4 times since I have been so frustrated with the Tan-Kote. He is one of the proponents of putting on copious amounts of Tan Kote prior to antiquing. I am suspecting other's perception and my perception of copious are two different things, which is why I experimented with -thin- coats. The outcome was closer to what I had envisioned. NVLeatherWorx, I have an "experiment" in mind that is quite similar to what you are proposing. The only things I have used as a "resist" have been Tan-Kote, Clear Lac, Saddle-Lac, Resolene, and Angelus Acrylic finisher. Per my studies of Al Stohman's books, internet musings, videos, etc, I had been expecting varying degrees of resist from each, and to use each with different antique products (such as Angelus Acrylic antique with the acrylic resists/finishes, and Fiebings paste antique with the Tan-Kotes, Clear-Lacs, etc). So I intend to lay them out side by side, and see what looks I can accomplish with different combinations, etc. I hammered out some basket weave on some scrap belly with some texturing, etc today as a test bed. We'll see how it goes! And thanks much for the compliment, I was pleasantly surprised at how it came out, considering my complete lack of artistic capabilities in other mediums. That is probably destined to sit under a cold beer in my brother's garage, at 3"x3" prolly 'bout the right size for the job. YinTx

First experiment seems a bit successful... not quite where I want it, but infinitely better than what I was getting. The antique seemed to stay in the textured sections with differing degrees of tenacity. I tooled this cow skull just to see if I could, first thing I have done of this type, so don't be too harsh on the artistic quality. Here is the process I used: OTATC : Oiled with neatsfoot, treated with two layers of Tan-Kote, Antiqued with Medium Brown Fiebeng's paste, treated with Tan-Kote, then treated with Clear Lac. Here is where I did things differently: very thin layers of Tan-Kote, to where there was no shine, it almost all absorbed into the leather. In the past, I had been putting a heavy coat per all instructions, that set on top of the leather, which later peeled off. The final coat of Clear Lac was 50% thinned. I'll be doing some other trials, with different resists done different ways to see what I like best, but I am relieved to have achieved this result finally. YinTx

It seems I've either missed it, or no one has asked... what do you plan to sew mostly? I have both machines, and a lot of stuff the 4500 simply won't do for me because of the thickness, such as one layer of <4 oz leather to canvas. I suppose if you were an expert and could finagle the machine, it might do it. Otherwise, the smaller machine is the tool for the job. I even have difficulties getting the tensions right on that one with this combination. However, once you have to double up and have 2 layers of leather and 2+ layers of heavy canvas, sometimes the little machine won't step over the hump so to speak. All this being said, I am far from an expert, only having struggled to sew a few things on the machines I have. Just thought someone should pose the question "what is the intended use of the machine?" YinTx

As promised, a pic of the not so great edge, caused by trying to trim the suede only due to putting the liner in after the leather has been cut to size. Here is the last edge, dyed and ready for burnishing: Getting closer to finishing! YinTx

I've fought hard to resist the holster temptation... but I will give in eventually. Already have some blue molds... thankfully none for an old Blackhawk...or I'd have already given in! I have in my mind a holster I want for it.. but haven't seen one so I am not sure how to go about it... when I give in to the temptation, it will be fun. YinTx

I'll take a photo of a not so good edge. And I remembered that key rule, which I learned in the beginning when I was reading about stitching... at the time, I was thinking, "What are they talking about?" I soon found out. The thumb seems a bit better, so I made a little progress today, now taking a break to let the forearms recover on ice. YinTx

Looks like an ambitious project, look forward to seeing it progress. If you are seriously considering hand stitching, be ready for many many hours, as that thing looks like it has about a mile of stitching in it! Think I'd be tempted to get the machine to cooperate for a project like that. I think 4/5 oz leather would make for a heavy bag, just an opinion. Folks seem to think that a heavy leather equates to quality, so maybe go for the 4/5? Perhaps the body in 4/5 and pockets in 2/3 to reduce the weight.. YinTx

I think, as an artist, doing it right means doing it your way, which means making new rules, and new unique art. So I'd say you are doing it right. And very well. YinTx

You know, when you are bleeding, $*&t just got REAL. YinTx