Tugadude

Many products are what is termed re-emulsifiable. They re-wet when a liquid is applied to them. This can be a positive or a negative depending on circumstances. In construction, some bonding agents for plaster and concrete re-emulsify and it helps the applied product bond more completely to the existing substrate. Perhaps Tokonole is prone to re-wetting? I would try to get the manufacturer's input. Perhaps they are well aware of the product uses and characteristics and already have a suggestion on how to handle it. They might recommend a sealer be applied and they can tell you which type or types will give the best results. Or you can get feedback from people who have faced similar issues, but the advice you get is apt to be all over the board and in the end, just personal opinion. I'd try to get something more definitive from the provider or the retailer. Without a solution I can see even sweat causing the backside of the leather to become tacky and leaving stains on people's clothing.

I can't get an perspective on the size. How big is the anvil? They all look great.

I've noticed some incredible variations in the raw color of vegetable tanned leather. While I haven't done any testing, I'm assuming that if you use a light color dye, any variations in the color of the undyed leather will be apparent. So the main thing would be to make sure all of the leather for a project is similar.

So much fun to see some take what amounted to scrap and turn it into a thing of beauty. As I've aged I've come to appreciate repurposing in a big way and this definitely applies. Good on you! May it bring you many years of joy. Oh, one thing I'd do if I were you is to make sure that you identify that it was made by you. Someday someone may see it and not appreciate it for what it is. Stuff like this can last more than one lifetime!

I always dye before cutting and that eliminates the issue. So long as you allow it to dry before cutting of course. The other thing that can happen is the leather characteristics can change after it gets wet. Sometimes after it has dried it is much firmer.

I also use Weldwood, the red can. No complaints. Odor is what it is and you obviously want to have good ventilation. Depending on the project I've also gotten good results from double-sided tape, Tanner's Bond from Tandy.

Freight movement is a nightmare right now for many reasons. Lack of drivers, cost of gas and diesel, and more. The company I work for has had to resort to adding fuel surcharges to orders and I just saw today that Uber and Lyft are going to raise their prices due to the increased fuel costs. It won't get markedly better for some time. Prices on most everything are impacted by fuel and freight so don't be shy about buying ahead if you can.

Holy cow! (pun intended) All this talk about holes. I don't know that it's been mentioned, but some makers pre-punch holes and some use lasers to make holes. And I'm sure many use drills. There is no doubt the best way is a small hole that will close up and that is best accomplished with an awl or a very thin stitching iron. But I've seen nice work where the holes were drilled or burned. To me, the important thing to bear in mind is the fact many of us aren't doing saddles and/or tack. We build wallets and bags and key fobs and notebook covers and such and they don't have to withstand the rigors of use that saddles and tack get. So you can "get away with" most anything when it comes to making holes if the only stress is putting something in your pocket and maybe opening it now and then.

Update: McDonald's, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and General Electric all announced Tuesday they were suspending their business in Russia in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine. March 8, 2022, at 7:21 p.m.2 days ago

I love projects like that. I might have made it so the metal didn't extend past the leather, but that's a small point. It sure will look better than a paper clip. My boss uses one of those black bulldog clips to hold a stack of credit cards, ID and cash. It looks terrible, but he has no interest in changing. Cheapest wallet ever!

I've made adjustments to my homemade stitching pony over time. The one I built was based on a very basic design, similar to the Li'l Dude shown in a post above. I got tired of the clamping mechanism and removed it, substituting a plastic "C" Clamp. I saw it on an Ian Atkinson video. Works just fine. Then I came up my own solution and that is an elastic band, not a rubber band, but an elastic band like you'd see on clothing. I just wrap it tightly around the verticals and then when I need to hold something I just pry the arms apart and insert the item and let go. Done. I can always go back to the "C" clamp if needed, but for most of the stuff I do the elastic band is just fine.

Not that I'm aware of, but that would be helpful.

It is the distance from the edge. You can also buy an adjustable creaser. You adjust it to the size you want, the distance away from the edge.

I found the following on a website, the sizes pertain to the width of the crease. 1=1/16; 2=5/64; 3=3/32, 4=7/64, 5=1/8. The finer the work, the narrower you go in my opinion. For example, for a watch strap, especially for a dress watch, the 1/16" would be nice. For a more rugged leather strap for a sports watch, then wider is OK. For larger items, bags and briefcases and such, the #5, 1/8" creaser would probably work best. I don't heat mine, I prefer to wet the leather and it works well for my purposes. However, I've seen excellent results using heat and the electric creasers are the cat's pajamas if you want to invest in them. There are threads on them here where you can find recommendations if you are interested. They are by no means necessary, but having one would be nice. You can also go on youtube and watch some tutorials on creasing. There's one from Tandy which covers the basics, but it doesn't discuss using heat and doesn't address electric creasers either. But there are several which do. Worth a look. And yes, I agree that creases add to a project. To me it adds a level of interest on otherwise nondescript portions of the work. They add some class and professionalism in my opinion. But they probably aren't necessary on every project either. You have to judge each on its merits. And regarding your question about when to crease, I do it before marking my stitching line with dividers. I don't know that there is a right or wrong, just make sure that the edge of the leather is perfectly straight. The creaser and the dividers simply follow the edge. If the edge is wonky, then guess what?

Paint the edges with Edge Kote or similar. For red you could use black or get lucky and match the red. I will try to link some info for you. https://fiebing.com/product/edge-kote/ There are other, spendy brands and they are getting good reviews. You get what you pay for.

There should be a black or grayish straight piece which goes into the collet. It should have a hole like the one I showed the close-up of. Maybe yours is missing? The L-shaped piece on your groover is the guide. And it adjusts to change the spacing of the groove from the edge. You need the part that cuts now.

No roller, you simply drag it along the edge of the leather. The edge should be straight for best results obviously. It will follow the contours of the edge. You can drag it along a straight edge, and in fact they make a stylus style groover for that. The "L" shaped piece you see on the tools has a hole with sharp edges and it is that part that cuts the groove.

A cheap solution is to use a ruler held down by tape on both ends. Just slide the leather under the ruler and then use the ruler as a fence. There's a video, but I haven't watched it. This seems geared to maintaining a straight line when using letters, but with some creativity it can also work for any stamping.

This doesn't address the whole issue, but it would help to keep individual rows or columns of stamps straight.

Nothing wrong with this type either. I have one and like it.

A plain groove is accomplished with a groover. It will create a consistent groove, but you have to keep it square to the leather, just use care. This is one option... https://www.springfieldleather.com/Groover-Pro-Stitching-Set

First of all, thank you for your service and for the sacrifices that I know come with serving. I'm really impressed with your "can do" attitude and your enthusiasm for your business. I hope that you find your niche and that you make it a prosperous venture. Good luck in the contest and good luck in general!

Funny, just the other day I saw a youtube video where someone constructed an anvil out of a piece of track. He had a wooden form that he built around it and he could change the way the anvil works by removing it and then installing it back a different way. Easier to watch and ignore my feeble attempt to explain it!

Stay strong and don't lose hope friend!

Yep, that stuff! Edit: I'm sure that with a little effort you could find someone to provide you samples of the material. I'm sure there is a building products supplier in Australia that sells it. DuPont has cut sheets they give out for samples. Maybe they will give you some.