Randy Cornelius

You can get the bigger pieces of the plastic template material at Hobby Lobby they are about 18 x 24

It's the Alcohol, I would not use it. Just use the oil dye straight from the bottle. I make a lot of holsters from Hermon Oak and I use oil dye and never delute it. Just use a scrap of wool and work the dye in until it's completely covered, let stand a few minutes and give it another coat. You should not have any problems with streaking if you work it in good. I think the alcohol is sucking all the moisture out of the leather and that is what is causing the cracking. Try straight oil dye on a scrap piece and see if it cracks. If it does it may be the leather but I would think it's just the alcohol. rc

I don't use a glass slicker all the time but sometimes when you cut out that pattern and glue it down to plexiglass and wet it to start cutting the water will bring out some of the imprefections in the piece of leather. I will take the glass and work out those marks what ever they are, stretch marks etc. with the glass. The glass will also firm up the leather, compressing the fibers on a loose piece of leather making it tool better. The glass will work better if after wetting the leather you work in a little drop of Johnsons Baby Shampoo. This will act as a lubericant for the glass and also for your swivel knife. If you are looking for a nice glass already to use Barry King sells them. Hope this helps. Randy

I think they quit making them, but not for sure. I have one I bought a couple years ago that I would like to sell. New sheath and all for 125.00 free shipping to lower 48 states. Randy

I belong to a Goldwing Forum and someone in the United Kingdom is looking for someone to repair / recover a Goldwing Seat. If you can help this person out let me know and I will pass on your contact infomation.

As far as hand sewing goes. I started using slim bladed awls from Bob Douglas tools several years ago and have never used anything else. Yes, they are expensive but you don't have to sharpen them before you use them like the osborns or others. Made life so much easer. When properly used they will last a long time. The awl hafe is personal choise, but get a good one with a good chuck to hold the awl. Grind a flat spot on one side so it don't roll off the table, hit the floor and break or damage the needle. That way when you lay it down it dont go far. Also when pushing the awl through a piece of leather, hold another small piece of leather against the other side instead of your finger, when the awl goes through it will poke the leather instead of your finger, don't hurt as bad and you don't get blood on your project. Sewing machines are a whole nother world. They are geat when they work, but when they don't it is very frustrating. You need to find someone in your area that works on them and then ask some questions. I find that most problems with my machines start with the needle. When a needle gets dull replace it. They don't cost that much. Then look at your thread. I simply changed spools of thread and solved a problem before. If your thread is raveling or tearing look for burrs on the shuttle hook, needle or elsewhere. The smallest of burr will cause all kinds of problems. Timing is a very big thing, sometimes the timming gets off for no apparent reason. You just have to be able to diagnose the problem and find a way to fix it. If your machine did not come with a clear and easy to understand manual I suggest you buy one. Thread tention adjustment will cause many to drink. Thread size virsus needle size is a problem some times. The right needle for your machine, you would hope the needles that came with your used machine are right, but do you know for sure. You just have to practice with your machine just like you would with a new camera or any other new thing. Just get some scraps of leather and sew, thread is cheep, use some up and find out those problems before you try to sew a project. Hope this helped in some way. Randy

Pilgram Shoe Machine Co. 1-800-343-3302 should have the parts for that machine.

I would reccomend Jesse Smith, Colorado as he used to be the instructor at the trade school in Spokan Washington. He does one on one and starts from the tree up. Yes he teached how to make the tree. Then I would suggest Bill Gomer Highland Ks, great one on one instructor. Can provide phone contact later, not at my home computer.

Just called in an order on Wendsday. You can mail or fax if you like but they take phone orders just like anyone else. If you phone in they can tell you if something is out of stock right on the phone. Been doing business with them for years and have no complaints as of yet. Randy

Thanks, looks like it will be simple but did not know what to expect until I pulled the old cover off, which I did last night. Will take the pieces apart and make patterns off that, Thanks again. RC

If you go to your local feed store, every pallet of feed will have a stiff cardboad piece on top of the pallet before the sacks are stacked on it. Its about 3 feet square. I find they give them away. Some are even waxed coated.

I have a corbin seat on my 1500 goldwing, love the seat but it is pulling apart in the seat area where they done all the decorative stitching. I am thinking of re-covering the seat. My question is to anyone who may have done a corbin seat. What should I expect when I pull off the old cover? Any tips suggestions that may be helpful. I have done a lot of leather stuff for many years but this fall under the upholstery business which I have done none of. Any help would be greatful. What about the rivits under the seat that holds on the old cover seems like it may be hard to line up new holes in leather to the old rivits holes in the seat pan. Randy

It depends of how "set in" the ink is. If it has been there for sometime and the customer has tried you remove it with seveal products before bringing it to you. I would try the deglazer of leather stripper may work with some success, try a q-tip and try not to smear.

Sounds like you need to get money up front for special orders.

I would think that for a boot, I presume a shifter boot or something like that you would want a flexable leather like a crome tan. There are many very good suppliers of crome tan leather. But if you are not sure what you want I would suggest calling a couple places. If you are on the west coast, call Stiegles www.siegelofca.com Central call Kevin at Springfield leather www.springfieldleather.com Northwest, call Vandy at Sheridan Leather Outfiters 307-674-6679 All of these people are very leather savy and can answer all your questions. I am not sure of an east coast supplier but I am sure someone will chim in. Randy

Most of the brands you state are all well suited for what you want to do, but service after the sale is the #1 thing to consider. If you want the very best in service before, during and after the sale, call Steve at Cobra / the Leather Machine Company. Search here and you will find time and time again how he has helped anyone with any brand of machine. He is a stand up guy and is tops with me and a lot of people on this forum.

Better Picture?

When I want to glue cloth to leather, like secureing zipper cloth edges to be sewn, I use a product called "Fabric Tac" It is a clear glue that drys fast and is really strong, it can be purchased at the craft department of most big stores, Walmart, Hobby Loby etc. It also works great on leather to leather bonds also. I use it for small projects like glueing edges together before sewing. Randy

I really don't like the eco flo stuff, it's water based and will run and fade. Don't really give me the look I am trying to acheve. Stick with the feiblings.

Are they big enough to hide your friends body! LOL seriously, how about a womens purse, hunting gear, gun sligs, back backs etc.

Having carried one of these for 28+ years I can tell you the design you posted is quite common, The problem is first knowing what type of fastening system is on the back of the badge, most have a pin / clasp system which makes it hard to attach without the clam shell design. First find out if this is the type of badge he has. Not sure what he is wanting, might just leave a large hole in the back lower part where you can get your fingers in to secure the pin clasp. Just ask him what he wants and then design it for him. I am guessing he cannot figure it out so he wants you to. I like mine to have a metal clip on the back, most of the time these are worn by LE working plain clothes. That way when you get home / off duty you can just un-clip the badge and go on with what every without changing belts / clothes. All my gear for off duty has a metal clip on the back except the holster, the holster will have the belt running through for security reasons. Badge, mag, cuff case and cell phone can have metal clips. Don't want metal clip on my weapon.. But that's just me and it can be argued both ways. Hope this helps. Randy

A splitter can be used for anything that you need to reduce the thickness of a piece of leather for. You can do some of that with a hand skiver, but for consistant thickness reduction the use of some type of a bench mounted splitter is very useful. Sometimes cheeper lace will come with thickness inconsistant, I have been know to run a section of lace through the splitter to give it a consistant thickness for lacing, rawhide is a perfect example. Depending on your source it will need split down for lacing. Hope this helps to answer your question. Leather work sometimes stops being a hobby and turns into an obsession, then you just have to have a splitter attached to your bench just becasue you can....There are those who have several splitters, (Bruce, you can answer this one.LOL) for what ever reason. Randy

The trouble with leather is that it's all a little different. Always when you open a new roll of leather to try some dye on a scrap piece to see if the med brown is truley going to be medium or if it will end up a very dark brown. I know that HO tooling or holster leather will dye lighter than saddle skirting. So you just have to try it first. If you are wanting a med brown try a saddle tan dye first. I find that the saddle tan on saddle skirting is what I would call a med brown. Good luck with you project. Randy

I may have to try this one, But I keep a bale of big bailer twine in the shop. Tie one end to the old leather when I pull them out. Leave the twine hanging out and punch a small hole in the end of the new leathers, tie on the twine, soak the end of the leathers to bend them just a little and usually they pull right through without sikined knuckles. I read in the Al Stolhman books that he used Vasline to lube up the bars for pulled the leathers through. I have some saddle butter of some flavor that I have used but don't like the idea of Vasline. Randy

I haved the full set of Weaver english point and the bag punches, best investment by far.