maxdaddy

The bottoms on the pictured mugs were wet formed to make a 'cup' shape and then shoved up inside the body of the pre-punched mug and stitched. I never got that process down to a consistent repeatable set of steps and each one was a real pain in the butt. I use wood bottoms nowadays. I made a jig for the bandsaw to cut wood circles with angled sides and that saves a TON of time in the process. If by 'smooth outer' you mean 'no visible stitch lines', then you'd probably want to lap/skive and glue the seam. Then yo could use smaller thread and get a smother look. Mine are butted and cross stitched. These mugs were some of the first that I ever made, and since I don't have a source for more antlers, I've considered removing the handles and building another mug for them. I'm sure they would turn out better now that I've got more experience.

The waxing technique that I've settled on is: Melt the wax in a double boiler setup Pour it into the mug and swirl around to get consistent coverage Pour the remaining wax back out. Repeat as needed until the desired thickness is achieved As for cleaning after use, I recommend that customers rinse/spray with cool water then gently wipe and drain upside down. No soap or hot water. The whole process with the wax and the hardening of the leather makes a very solid feel, but the wax is susceptible to cracking if dropped or crushed. I've had to re-wax a few, but have also had some luck with setting a damaged mug in the sun for a while and letting the wax soften up and self-seal. That's worked for small cracks in the wax.

Thanks... and absolutely! The pictures above were taken prior to the mugs being sealed with beeswax. I apply a pretty thick coating of beeswax which makes them completely water, and beer, tight.

Well, it all depends on your definitions of 'good' and 'solid'. I've made several mugs using antler handles and after some early experimentation I came up with the following…. Antler choice: First of all, the antler piece has to be 'right' for the job. I've made some with antler pieces that were just so-so, because I don't have a large selection to choose from, and the end result is never satisfying. You should also consider the safety aspect of it and not make a handle that has upward-facing points. It would be easy to poke yourself in the eye if you're lifting a pointed handle to your face while consuming large quantities of beer and not paying close attention. Also, the nature of antler curvature lends itself to some mugs being 'left-handed' and some 'right-handed'. Construction: Instead of attaching the antler directly to the mug, I attach it to a patch, that is then attached to the mug. I didn't want the body of the mug being directly connected to the handle and the patch provides a bit of strain relief, or shock absorption, if you will. I've made the connecting patch out of hardwood and even glued several pieces of skirting together to about 3/4 inch thickness. The typical patch material that I use, however, is thick leather, like 12-14oz. If wood or a laminated-leather patch is used, you'll need to contour the attaching face of it to fit the shape of the mug since it won’t bend like a flat leather patch will. Attaching the antler to the patch requires that stitching holes be drilled in the antler and then matching holes be punched in the patch. The face of the antler has to be shaped to the contour of the mug for solid contact. Once the holes are drilled in the antler and the patch, you stitch the antler to the patch, and then stitch the patch/antler assembly to the mug. That one sentence will likely involve a lot of broken stitching needles and frustration. Attached are some mugs I made a few years ago, along a few pictures of the process. I haven't made an antler mug in about three years because I don't have an antler source. I'd be willing to buy some of yours if you're willing to part with them and if the price is right. Welcome to the forum, and be sure to post some pictures of your handiwork. Stitching holes and contoured attaching face. Stained: This is the first antler mug I made. Note that the antler is stitched to the thick leather patch which is then stitched to the mug. Second antler mug, pre sealing. This one has a thick leather patch also. Third antler mug. THis was a left-handed mug due to the antler characteristics. Note the laminated leather patch. This was the fourth antler mug that I made. It's got a laminated patch too and I had to cut away some of the antler material because of some damage. I stuck a concho and a hanger hook in the space. THis is the fifth antler mug and is a right-handed mug based on the antler curvature.

Thanks for posting a good cheap solution to a common problem for all of us.

Stewart, I live about a half hour away from you in Plant City, and have many friends and some kinfolk in Lutz. I enjoy seeing your leather pictorials and if you ever want to meet and chat about the craft over a couple of beers let me know.

The timing of this couldn't be better for me personally. Thanks for spending the time on this Brian!

Looks great. Did you line it inside?

That's hysterical.

Regardless of the topic, I typically get some value from reading your posts here. So, thanks. So, if you were to document some of the paths that you had to travel in order to become profitable (that's what this conversation is about, right?) I would be very interested.

Love it. Be sure and post a few of it on the Harley.

Thanks for the heads-up on this!

That's some nice engineering!

That's a cool idea! I can't participate in this go-round, but it sounds like a fun way to bring the virtual and leather worlds together.

Nice! Please post some pictures of it when you get it all setup in the final configuration as well. I've got my mind set on doing something similar and would love to see more of your build.

I would try using the nail holes in the ornaments for stitching to the larger piece. It may not have the expected look, but it should be easy enough to try out and decide if you and the customer are OK with it. The picture is of an antler-handled beer mug I made a few years ago and it has a slotted concho stitched onto it, similar to how I'm suggesting. I punched holes around the perimeter and stitched through the leather all the way around. (There used to be a tassel hanging off of the conch slot but it suffered an alcohol-related demise.) The antler handle was contoured, drilled and then stitched to a smaller intermediate patch which was then stitched to the barrel of the mug. I'm showing this project simply as a means of offering another perspective to attaching unusual things to a leather project. I've stitched coins and conchos to other projects but can't find any pictures to show at the moment.

I actually pull mine across a strop a few times before I start using them and then apply beeswax about every fifth hit.

Wow! I love your work.

Thanks for sharing that information. I'm sure that there's a laser cutter in my future and every time I watch one in action I think of several things that I could do with one. I like how you use it for a big variety of different jobs. It was obviously a good investment for your shop.

I'm heading out to the shop now to see if i've got the raw materials on-hand to build my own. Thanks for sharing.

Nice! I like everything about it. Lots of good ideas put into action there.

Welcome! I'm just outside of Tampa in Plant City.

Good stuff!

No. I don't have any printed documentation for it. Good luck.

Yes I still have the splitter.