Randy Cornelius

My base price is $250.00 for plain with Wickett & Craig or Herman Oak leather. Randy

Those pesky thread ends can be cleaned up with a lighter or a small pointed soddering iron. Melts them so they don't come undone. Make sure your edges are rounded, burnished and sealed.

Weaver Leather but you need a tax ID to order

I think I would treat this just like a moldy saddle that would come in for cleaning. Saddle soap, water and scrub, Set out to dry natural and see what you have. Oil and dye. I have used some of the products to clean soiled leather but not mold. Beenatural makes a anti fungal leather conditioner that I use on saddles would work well here also. I would not get too upset, I think it will clean up just fine. Why don't you post some before and after photos and tell us which way you went here. Randy

I have a big tub of them in the shop, they work great for just about everyting. Don't know what Iwould do without them.

Be sure to go over the piece with some type of leather stripper to remove any finish that may be on the piece. The dye will not penatrate the leather if there is a top coat finish. Randy

I rember this thread that Bruce started some time back. Afte reading it I done some thought and have been using neopreme to make ankle holsters here of late. and decided to use some of it for a seat. I think if worked fine and works better that the padding the saddle suppliers sell. You can buy it by the yard and it comes 50" wide. I have found all kinds of uses for it. I have also been using the neopreme in rebuilding motorcycle seats as it does not compress as much as regular foam. Do a search and you will find many suppliers for neopreme. Look for the kind they use for wet suits for divers. Randy

Everyone has thier favorite cement but whatever it is be sure to mix, shake or sturr the container before use. Cement is just like anything else, you let it set and some of the components will settle. I buy duall 88 by the gallon and have not had much trouble with it needing thinned. Maybe because I shake well before use. I gave up on my pot a long time ago because of these problems. I just put my cement in an old water bottle with a small hole in the lid. Squeeze out the amount you need and use small scrap of sheepskin to apply. Stick the sheepskin over the hole when done and it is sealed until next time. My thoughts on rubber cement is buy the best you can find. I buy the Barge or Masters Brand of rubber cement it works a lot better that some of the others I have tried in the past. I think the secret here, (if there is any) is to keep your containers sealed when not in use and shake, stirr or mix well before use. Randy

My son Riley and I were just up to see Bill last Thursday. He does not live far from us. Riley is going to college at Highland Community College which is in the same town that Bill lives. I am sure that Riley will be spending a lot of time with Bill. He seems to be doing great. He will be in Columbus Ohio at the IFlLG show teaching classes. Randy

What kind / brand of leather are you using. I stopped buying Tandy leather years ago because of the same type of thing happening after casing the leather. Use Herman Oak or Wickett & Craig and you will not have that problem.

I am looking for some good quality silver buckle sets for an up coming project. I have ordered from Hanson in the past but cannot find their web site for some reason. Would like some suggestions for some good silver suppliers. Needing some 1-1/2 buckle sets. Thanks Randy

Stay away from that cheep tandy stuff and buy Herman Oak or Wickett & Craig. Rancy

We gona chat here or in some kind of chat room. Only been in one of those once. I'm game as it's too hot to go out side. RC

I carry a G-21 with a tack light attached everyday. It is issued to me so I have no choise. The challange in building a holster for these is that in the end they all are no more than a bucket with a strap. As he stated you have to have a strap of some kind just to hold it in a holster or they fall out. Simply because there is no way to put any interal retention device with these tack lights. It is hard to wet form them as the leather tends to form around the light and that then hangs up when drawing. As a LEO I feel the benifits of a tack light on a pistol are few. I would rather have a level 2 0r 3 security holster with internal retention divices. Just my .02 worth. RC

Welcome to the forum. It is good to see someone getting into leather work out of a need. I have found that there are people out there willing to pay good money if they can just find what they want instead of settling for what they find on the shelf. As far as "how to" get all the books you can. Go to your local Tandy / The Leather Factory store and pick up some of the Stolhman books. If you don't have a sewing machine then the book on hand sewing is a must. Also the 3 volume set of how to make leather cases. There is a lot of good infomation on making strap goods. Also the 3 volume set on saddle making. Again a lot of good information on making strap goods. I have an old patteren pack on making bridles and breast collars, not sure it's still available but you can look. The pattern pack on saddle bags is also a good deal. Buying books is an investment and are a constent sourse for knowledge and ideas. I have a shelf full of books that I use all the time. Also pick up some of the ready made goods that you are currantly selling. Look at the construction and tell me you cannot figure out how they made it and then you can make it better, stronger and last way longer that the manufactuer does. Build your business on quality above all else. When you make it the best you can they will not come back for that piece again because it will last but will for everything else becasue they know you build it to last. As specific questions here, post your work, we are not afraid to tell you what you done wrong and how to improve, that is what this forum is all about, knowledge. Glad to have you abord. Randy

Bruce, I have heard of the 3 string balers out west but have never seen one. I bale with 2-wire so I can crank it down and get 100# bales if I want but cannot get anyone to handle them so I just bale around 65# that way Riley can find other kids to help him put them in the barn. At your price of 208$ a ton that calculates to about 7.00 a bale at my weight. It seems that prices are fairly close all over give or take. I charge what I think the market will bear. Just like my leather goods. They cut the wheat last night so we will be baling wheat straw today. I have heard stories that some people out west are turning thier unwanted horses out with the wild horse herds on the BLM land because of the high grain and hay costs. Take Care Randy

Clay, just to give you a little perspective. 3 yeas ago diesel was 1.00 gal off road, fertilizer was 500.00 a ton and wire for the baler was 48.00 a roll. This year off road Diesel is 4.50 a gal and fertilizer was over 800.00 a ton and wire is now 70.00 per roll, weed control chemical went from 60.00 a gal to 120.00 a gal. I have put up a little over 1200 bales of hay so far and used over 200.00 worth of fuel. It cost 1.25 a bale just to have the hay crew pick it up and put it in the barn this year up from .60 a bale. I have crunched the numbers and I have 3.50 per bale invested and that does not include my time riding the tractor for hours on end and any repair bills. The brake job on my tractor last fall was 1800.00! So I am just like anyone else in business, I diserve to make a profit. If you are paying 5.00 a bale you better be thankful. Sorry but all these high prices have me fummed just like everyone else. You pass it along or go out of business. Just to make this leather related, I got 2 hides from W&C yesterday and the shipping was almost 75.00. Used to get them for 25.00 shipping. Randy

The Stolhman book has a shoulder holster pattern as well as the books put out my Mr. Simmons. Look at Tandy for the Stolham and Hidecrafter for the Simmons books.

I am in the middle of hay season here in eastern Kansas. We put up 800 + small square bales this Tues. Thanks to my son Riley and his hay crew. He delevered 350 bales to area horse people. It is making real good this year got about 100 bales to the acre which is good for this county. I start on big bales next week if the rain will hold off. I have had to raise my prices this year but if I cannot make any money at it I might as well just quit. Fertilizer, chemicals and diesel fuel along with wire that we tie the bales with have doubled in price. We are delevering it for 6.50 a bale and letting them pick up out of the field for 4.50. We are selling good brome hay. Just wondering what people are paying in other parts of the county. I have raised the delevery charge because I was hoping people would quit having me delever but not the case! People what it stacked a certin way or the boys have to carry it a ways because they cannot get the trailer in close so that is why the delevered hay is so high. It takes 3 times as long to delever as if I would just put it in my barn. Happy 4th of July Randy

Look at the Artisen Toro 3000 for around 2000.00

The Boss does a good job sewing 5oz and up. But caused be to use bad words when trying to sew anything lighter than that. If just does not want to sew light weight leather very well. You have to keep making adjustments. There are a lot of good elect. machines out there for just a little more money. You will be well glad if you spend a little more and get a better machine. I have an Artisen and love it. The Boss is dusty in the corner of the shop now. Randy

Ohio travel bag Co.

First, you did do a nice job, I agree with everything else that has been said, that with some improvements you can be really good. I would like to add that you could improve by use of a lifter or undercut beveler on your flowers and leaves. It would give you an added depth to your leaves and flowers and smooth out the lines going around the round edges of the leaves and flowers. Keep on tool'n Randy

WOW!, very nice work. You should be proud. Can I ask what the sale price was? Randy

I think that a good round knife would be high on my list. Learn how to use one and sharpen one and it will be the best investment you will make. Marlon hit it with the rest of the list, sewing tools and materials and rivits & setters and hole punches. I personally hate the rotary type and prefer the drive punches. Also oblong hole punches for the buckle holes. Good luck Randy