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Tokarsky

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Posts posted by Tokarsky

  1. Posted · Report reply

    You could try using burnishing wax, like Yankee wax, but that requires a flap wheel and brush to finish, though maybe a Dremel could work. Or, you could try lacquer, shellac, lacquer, varnish, or polyurethane. The entry in Wikipedia for patent leather explains how it was made before plastics (using linseed oil and varnish). Or, you could try Fiebing's Dura-Edge, a brush-on plasticky coating in brown and black.

    I thought about dura edge, but everything leads me to believe it's flexible which means it's less hard than I'd like. Maybe I just need to start experimenting with varnish and other hardware store items.

  2. Posted · Report reply

    I'm working outside of plain old vegtan, and I'm looking for any kind of edge sealant that will dry hard. For an example I'm using horsehide chromexcel and I can only burnish so much due to the kind of tannage it is, I can make it smooth and pretty, but it lacks the durability that a good vegtan burnishing can produce, even with several coats of resolene. I'm curious if anyone out there uses any kind of acrylic, resin or whatever-based product that provides hard edges?

  4. Posted · Edited by Tokarsky · Report reply

    Does anyone have access to a bench splitter or nicer in the Seattle WA area? I have about 50, 3/4" straps I'd like to try to split down to 6/7oz.

    If someone has access to one I'd like to work out a deal to get these straps done.

    Let me know please.

    Also, if anyone elsewhere uses this: http://www.tandyleather.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/3790-00.aspx

    What do you think of it, I might have to break down and drop $200 if I can't find a local helper.

  5. Posted · Report reply

    For better quality leather you should think about Hermann Oak. Have never had an issue with any of their products regardless of where I sourced it from. DO NOT purchase it from Tandy though as you will be paying WAY TOO MUCH for it, there are other options. I have been using H.O. for years and have found that their hides have the cleanest flesh sides (even in the neck areas) than any other hide out there. Not bashing Weaver but they typically stock their materials and supplies from the same sources as any of the other smaller suppliers and Tandy so you really aren't receiving much more than if you were to shop in a Tandy store, the name of the store is the only difference.

    That was Herman Oak via Weaver. I didn't know anything about the TR grade, maybe that's where it went wrong.

  6. Posted · Report reply

    Tokarsky,

    I can almost guarantee you that the people selecting and cutting your leather at Weaver are not custom leatherworkers. They really wouldn't have a clue what you need or what you are trying to accomplish. That being said, maybe you were expecting more from a side than you are really going to get. I do remember when sides had a lot more yield, but that was some time ago. Back in the '90s, we used to make holsters out of shoulders, not so much now. We buy full sides when we can select them ourselves, and that means going to the tannery or maybe the supplier (we go to the tannery), but if I need clean straps (like you wanted) I order backs; higher price, but no shoulder and no belly left over. If you read the Weaver Catalog, most of their stuff is Tannery Run graded, which means you get the next hide off the pile. It is just business, you do what you have to, and I guess you may have learned a little more about the leather business. If you order a strap back, cut into one inch straps, the guy who selects your leather and maybe cuts it, doesn't necessarily know you need perfect 80" straps, and even if he went through the entire pallet of sides, it might be hard to find anything that will give you the yield you wanted.

    Art

    Yeah, after I saw what I got I scoured their catalog for an explanation, I without a doubt should have gotten a Strap Double Back.... to finish my job that's what I'll most likely get.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    I think Weaver is a big enough company that they aren't going to try to cheat you by sticking you with a 4/5 when you ordered a 8/9 and hoping you wouldn't notice. I would sooner expect that from a smaller company, but there are so many people that work at Weaver and each person is just doing their job. They might suck at their job, but I don't think anyone is out to cheat you in that way. You have to understand the qualities within a hide. A cow only has one butt, and the neck and shoulder is not going to be the same quality as the butt. Their term "strap side" refers more to the type of leather than if that particular hide is suited the whole length for a given type of strap. We harness makers run into this with every hide we cut; that's part of the job, evaluating each and every hide and deciding what type of parts would be suitable to cut from it, I'm not saying you don't have a legitimate gripe with Weaver, because I've had to call and complain and send leather back also. But I'm thinking MAYBE you need to reconsider your expectations for cutting your straps the total length of ANY hide. I receive very few hides that make the grade for cutting a full length strap which will remain unlined and used at it's full length, such as driving lines. I doubt if it's one in ten. I have just learned to adjust my expectations and use every hide as best I can. When I get one that I know I'll be able to cut lines from, I set it aside, and that's the ONLY thing that gets cut from that side until I run down far enough toward the belly to make it unsuitable for lines. It often means an increased cost to the consumer, because of increased waste factor, but that's just part of the job and part of life.

    That's a fair statement, and again this is 100% new to me, first side I've ever bought. I think the hardest part is since ordering online I had to buy it sight unseen. I'd have gladly paid a bit extra to get a nicer or bigger or whatever side, but unfortunately I wasn't given that opportunity. I appreciate the input about adjusting expectations.

  8. Posted · Edited by Tokarsky · Report reply

    I buy a fair amount of leather from Weaver. Since I live on Vancouver Island, going and picking hides is not an option. Generally Weaver sends me reasonably good hides. You have to understand the grade of any particular hide you are ordering and adjust your expectations. Over the years, I have had a few problems but Weaver has always worked with me to a good resolution.

    When ordering, specify any (reasonable) special needs and they are good to try and match them.

    Yeah I can respect that, and upfront I gave them a ton of info with the order i.e. don't cut anything under 40", I wanted a longer hide hopefully at least 84" to get at least 2 40" straps per strap, the length they got right, the quality not so much. But this was my first side, I was hoping to have mostly usable material, with this I have about 60% usable, that just seems wrong. Someone elsewhere mentioned that maybe they tried to force a 4/5oz side to be a 8/9oz side, hoping I wouldn't notice since it was pre cut. Hopefully my pleasant but descriptive email gets the ball rolling on a resolution.

    Side note, I'm down here in the Seattle area, neighbor!

  11. Posted · Report reply

    I recently bought a side of Veg-tan from Weaver leather, and had it cut into 3/4" straps for making a bulk order of camera straps for a customer. When I received the leather straps (side) I started looking them over and most of them have a good 40-50" of quality leather, then it starts to degrade into this more fibrous portion that feels like its delaminating. Is this normal as whole sides go, or did they sell me a bullshit side of leather, cut it up and hope I'd not notice? I'll post pics as soon as I get home from the office, but I was hoping to get 2 straps out of each single weaver cut strap, but because of this nasty portion of leather it doesn't look like I'll be able to, on almost every long strap...

    Did I get a side with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_rot_%28leather%29 that isn't red?

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Beautiful! And wonderful burnish. Mind sharing how you did it?

    Thanks. So obvious step one is to cut and glue all the pieces as close to perfect prior to stitching. After stitching, I even up all the edges with my dremel and a sanding bit. I then use an overpriced tandy edge beveler to edge the now floppy edge corners. Next, and I hated to admit to myself that this made a difference was wet sanding by hand with 400 grit paper... I always thought wet sanding was pointless, I was wrong and dumb. After that moisten with gum trag and hit it with my "ghetto-cocobolo" dremel burnisher http://i.imgur.com/4UV1TfJ.jpg that gets it pretty good, but the last thing I started doing was rubbing some plain beeswax right on the edge and using some canvas to make it hard and shiny. Hope that helps.

  14. Posted · Report reply

    I switched my stitching priority and I think I somehow fell ass backwards into proper form...

    With this I had the grain side of the leather (shown here) facing my right hand.
    My pricking iron marks all direction /////// going down the grain side.

    Starting from the far end I awl'd from the right side through my pricks.

    Put my left hand needle in first, then passed the right hand needle over the the left hand needle but under the left hand needle's thread in the hole.

    Pulled tight and my result is what I wanted.

    But I just don't get it.

    SpYqYue.jpg

  15. Posted · Edited by Tokarsky · Report reply

    The thread is too large for that length of stitch. As a test only, use that same pricking iron and stitch every second hole. Your stitching if done correctly should improve on the backside. At that same stitch length (looks like 7 SPI) no matter who is stitching using the same thickness of thread it will look identical to your photo.

    I'll definitely give your experiment a try. Good eye btw I think the math is somewhere between 7 or 8 spi for the Chinese Irons I bought. Maybe I just need to drop from .030 thread to .020.

    The guy in the video is saying a rounder tipped awl follows your pricking iron marks and an acute tipped awl can wander. Makes sense, I'm not certain that's my problem, I think the size and makeup (twisted vs braided) of the thread is what is making it look odd.

  18. Posted · Report reply

    So I'm moving past dog collars and belts and looking to get into stitching items like wallets, bags, cases, etc... I bought a pricking iron set on amazon from some chinese company


    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LKUWN5O/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


    because I'm not dropping $250 on a hobby yet for some french tools... The iron set is 7.5 SPI. Wondering if this will be good for trying out some simple wallets or card holders?


  20. Posted · Report reply

    I have some of Weaver's oval punches that have received heavy use for at least ten years and they are still in good condition. I also have some CS Osborne oval punches that I bought right before the Weaver punches and the edges rolled right away, (hence the reason for purchasing the Weaver punches.)

    Interesting I'll look at weaver, thanks.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    Does this confuse anyone else? It seems like the dimensions of the Craftool Oval Drive Punch are all over the map, tandy's listing is confusing, I think Amazon is just plain wrong...

    Tandy's site can't keep the numbers straight between the item details and the drop down item selection...

    2ut0yth.png

    I purchase from Amazon

    Tandy Leather Craftool Oval Punch #5 9/32" x 3/16"

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039LBIDU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    and get this, which is definitely definitely not 3/16 by 9/32... 5/32 mayyyybe:

    35bxqop.jpg

    This is too much headache, I think I'm just going to continue to use round holes for my belts...

  24. Posted · Report reply

    That's a good idea. I went one better. I bought a white plastic circle slicker from Tandy's.

    I mounted a 3" bolt thru it, with washers & a lock nut. I put the bolt in my drill press & that way, I can rest the leather on the drill press table & slide it along the burnisher to seal the edges.

    Use a little beeswax & my drill press will smooth a 44" belt in a little under 5 minutes for both edges.

    Oh if only I had a drill press... And a shop full of other tools...

  25. Posted · Report reply

    Got tired of using a hand slicker. Thought to myself what is made of wood, has a burnisher-like groove, and is concentrically constructed? Wooden cabinet pull. Just hammered a useless dremel bit into the pre-drilled hole and in about 30 second I had something that worked like a charm!

    2valc84.jpg

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