strapt

Sorry I don't know the answer to your question Paul. But I gotta commend you on what looks to be a VERY cool piece once finished. Nice work so far... Love to see the finished product when you're done with it.

My 2cents on the drawstring pouches... Sewing a channel around the top might help it close rather than running cord through numerous holes. However, in my own experience I've found that having 2 strings laced through a few holes works pretty well. Pull on them from opposite sides. Here's a pic. http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:vBc3pf...20pouch300c.jpg

Thanks Luke. I suspected that might be the case.

oops - let me try those links agai. I'm not so computer savvy y'know. gerter saddle strings:

Hello All, Quick question: I have an order for some sock garters for an 18th century re-enactment troup and wondered if the latigo saddle strings from Tandy would bleed dye onto the guys stocking? see the Tandy item here: java script:openWindow('/core/components/zoomtool/scripts/popup.asp?path=/media/images/product/5008-04-L.JPG&width=400&height=400&pageid=2701',%20'imagepopup',%20435,%20459); And what I'd like to make with it here: http://jas-townsend.com/images/large/ga-753.jpg any advice would be a great help. Thanks all! Dave

You could use the eco flow blockout and then use their antiqueing. It's an acrylic thing not the paste antique Fiebeings makes. But it might work for what you're doing.

Hello Musika and welcome to the board. You've certainly come to the right place for your questions, I have found the board to be a wonderful community and quite helpful. All that being said, I am unfortunately ill advised to answer your questions specifically having done virtually no armor pieces myself. I too wondered why Tandy priced those armor bends by the pound. Seems a little strange to me. I thought it might have been a typo at first... I do have one question for you though: Are you planning to actually use this armor in combat (mock or otherwise)- Or are these pieces more for a costume sort of application? Your construction may differ depending on your actual use of the items. Perhaps some of the armor experts on the board here can chime in with tips for you...

Gotta agree with AndyL1 on this one. a stitch groover will help considerably. As for knocking the holes in the piece, I've done this a couple different ways: from using one of those sewing awls, to punching them in with a home-made tool. (a nail glued into a piece of dowel. Flat on the top so I can bang on it with my hammer) Then I had a conversation with my local tandy mgr, who was very helpful btw. She recommended this thing:http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/image.aspx%2fmedia%2fimages%2fproduct%2f3008-00-L.JPG-105x105 you have to buy the set to get the smallest size bit. They don't sell the smallest one individually. I used it on my latest project, a cartridge case for some rev war guys, and it worked like a charm. The holes line up great b/c the chisel has 3 prongs, so you just overlap one of the holes and always get perfect spacing. They were also small enough to make the thread look decent. I don't think I'll do it any other way from here on out. This was a great solution and cut hours off stitching it with my old method. My only gripe was not having an overstitch wheel with proper spacing to make those stitches all lay down nice and uniform. But they still looked pretty good. (maybe someday I'll get the camera and post some pics of the thing) Hope this helps. Best of luck with your project.

I like twin oaks shot gun idea. Sounds pretty cool. (I might have to try that on some of my own projects) But if you're looking for something a little more uniform you might consider using a piece of peg board as a template to help with layout. Heck I guess you cold even rubber cement the leather to the peg board itself, then punch your holes...

As far as slicking a thicker edge, like when 3 layers of veg tan come together. My mentor recommends using the ceramic insulator from an electric fence. You should be able to pick these up anywhere that sells feed or farm tools. Maybe a Rural King or Tractor Supply. Seems to work pretty well for him, I'm still trying to find time to get one of my own...

This is a great question Wyvern, thanks for posting it. I've been wondering the same thing now that most new dyes and antique finishes and such are some form of Acrylic. I have always been under the impression that an acrylic finish was basically like a coat of plastic on top of whatever the item is. And so in my own feeble mind it seems like trying to oil or wax something with a plastic coat on the top of it would be an exercise in futility. So I'm wondering the same thing. After applying an acrylic dye/antique/top coat/ etc etc...how do we make sure the leather is properly cared for? Maybe some of you eco-flo pros out there could clue us in? Pretty please.

For larger cuts I use a metal 60" rule from the lumber yard. The kind of thing drywall guys use. I tried clamping the rule to my bench top with the leather under it but couldn't get enough bite in the middle stretch of the rule to keep it flat on the leather. So now I cut large items on the floor and hold my rule down with some scrap 1x8 and a couple (rarely used) 10lb dumbbells. For smaller cuts, like for a notebook cover. I use a corkbacked metal rule about 18" long. Left over from my days as an artist, this thing is invaluable. If you don't have a corkbacked rule, get one. They're cheap and quite useful. As for quilting scales, I would caution anyone who cuts against a plastic straight edge. Typically (for me anyway) it only takes one or two uses and the straight edge is no longer straight b/c I've trimmed tiny bits of it off with my oh so sharp utility knife. I ruined a few drafting triangles that way as a graphic design student many moons ago.

hey speaking of blood on leather- when I first started I toyed with the idea of calling my little enterprise "pound of flesh leatherworking" b/c I left bloody thumbprints on EVERYTHING I touched. (stupid awl) It became a bit of a joke after awhile. And of course turned me off stitching completely. Thankfully, I've gotten a little better at it after some practice - but I have certainly spread my dna around plenty with those first dozen projects or so. bleh - But in an effort to close on a positive note, here's a cool tip I recently learned about: Aquarellable pencils - my lovely wife works in an art supply store and brought me a couple of these not too long ago. They are like a colored pencil but the marks are water soluble. So I can mark construction lines, if needed, right onto my project. Then wipe the lines off after with a wet sponge. These things have saved my skin (oh, pun fully intended) - a couple times. Stabilo makes the ones I have, a white and a chocolate brown, the can't be more than a dollar or two and have really helped. Just recently I did a belt order and the customer informed me after I emailed him pics of the finished product that he wanted holes for the buckle punched around the entire length of the belts. I grabbed my hole template and my trusty white aquarellabel pencil. Marked my belts, punched the holes, and wiped those lines right off... yay! No ruined belts, none to start over - and a happy customer in the end. Okay, back to work with me.

When I started doing leather work I had a method very similar to what Drac describes. Beveling if it's a thick piece of hide, then wetting and slicking with a wooden slicker given to me from my mentor. However, after some trial and error I am now using the Tandy nylon slicker in my (very inexpensive) drill press. I have to say doing it with the drill press has been a real time saver. I used to slick by hand and it took hours, depending on the belt and the quality of the hide. Now I can knock one out in about a 7 minutes and then touch up by hand if needed. I have been experimenting with burnishing the top surface too - using several different tools in an attempt to find the best method. Do any of you have pointers on burnishing the top?

here's my latest favorite: -leather dye makes great wood stain - don't knock it over onto the bench when dyeing. or - contact cement makes a great dye resist - don't apply too much when joining 2 pieces together. (actually I've solved that last one by using 2 sided tape instead of cement. Much easier to control...and no mess)

Hey Carr... In a past life I worked for a guy who airbrushed shirts. He kept his stencils from blowing around by shooting them with a little spray adhesive first, then burnishing them down with a rubber roller. Like the kind used to ink up a printing plate or something.... Just be sure not to buy the industrial super strong spray adhesive or your stencil will be stuck. He had an old box fan he would turn on and stick the stencil to the intake side to hold it in place. Then shoot it with a little glue, turn off the fan, stick it to the shirt, burnish it down and shoot away. He could turn a shirt around inside about 7 minutes. Man I miss working for that dude. He was a cool cat. He used a few stencils made of x-ray film. But he used quite a few made of poster board b/c he could cut the corners and fold them up to form a kind of barrier to keep overspray under control. Usually about an inch or so border around the stencils by folding up the edges and stapling them together. You could also turn down your psi a little bit. But that can get tricky trying to dial in the correct amount of pressure for the liquid you're spraying. Might be easier to just glue the stencils down. Temporarily of course. and that's my .02 for today.

As for the hardware question, I've had decent success using a conway style buckle. I usually stitch it to the strap so that all the metal bits face out and the inside of the strap has no exposed metal pieces. http://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/mon...24519_thumb.jpg But back to Billys original question - any bit of reasonably strong thong or lace would do the job to attach the strap to the headstock of the guitar. Heck I've even seem people use shoe laces or bits of ribbon.... On one custom order I had, I made a smaller bit of strap to take the place of the thong. (sorry, no pics) - It was just a 1" wide strap that fit under the strings around the headstock just like a bit of thong would. But the ends of the smaller strap had holes and a chicago screw that attached to the end of the larger strap. This way the musician could bolt down the chicago screw and know for certain the strap wasn't going anywhere. And it kinda looked cool that way...

Wow you guys... Thanks for the suggestions. Valuable information in every one of your posts. I hadn't even thought about "shop damage" on my work. And it sounds like each (with the exception of Bruce) has had a pretty por experience doing this. UKRay, your questions are spot on, and it really helps to see it spelled out in black and white from someone elses hand. I think I'll tell him it judt won't work and see if he wants to do a wholesale deal on a smaller order instead. Thanks to all of you for chiming in. Your experiences really help this newbie make a wiser choice.

Okay friends, I have had an offer to supply a vendor with Kilt Belts on a consignment basis. Trouble is: they have not been terribly communicative if the past. (And I've never done consgnment before) - So I'm just not sure if this is a wise idea. They want 20 belts to start and only have 2 shows left this season. They also have another guy supplying belts for them too. For me this seems like a pretty big leap, I'm supposed to pony up materials and time, create 20 belts for the guy and mail them off in the hopes he someday sends me a check for them? btw - my kilt belts are 2 1/2" wide, so 20 of them will be quite an investment just for the leather... Guess I'm just a little bit nervous of the deal. Any thoughts on this kind of program form you pros out there? Am I just being paranoid about it, or is there some way to protect my end when negotiating this kind of deal? Bleh - What do you all think?

Wow, thanks to all of you for your thoughtful opinions/suggestions. Looks like I'm going to do the whole nine, cutting, backgrounding and all - your kind remarks were justthe kick in the britches I needed. Thanks all! Now I've gotta get back to work...

Thanks Roger!

Good morning all, I have a quick question about carving celtic knotwork. I have a rather large belt and intend to carve the entire lengthWhen doing knotwork I usually lay out my pattern then hit all the lines with my swivel knife first, before going cross-eyed with my backgrounder and beveler. My question today is: have any of you skipped the swivel knife step in this process? And or - What methods do you practiced veterans use for a project like this. Will my pattern get all "muddy" if I just start out with the backgrounder and beveler? Any thoughts or suggestions from the community?

I punch my holes for stitching most of the time. (I know, that's not the proper way to saddle stitch.....) I use a home-made awl that is merely a nail cut (or ground) flat on one end and glued into about a 1"d dowel for a handle. The exposed end of the nail is then put to a grinder to get a nice tapered point. The advantage to the dowel is that it is flat on the opposite end, so I can hit it with my mallet. I lay out my holes with a stitch wheel, grab the homemade awl and a my mallet and knock the holes in. Piece of cake, and no drill press. I'm too busy using the drill press to slick edges afterall.

I have heard-tell of a leatherworker round here that makes his own dyes, and that he has gotten a nice Grey color from soaking steel wool in his dye medium. Not sure if he was using an ancohol or water or what, but if making your own dyes is a project you're willing to undertake I would give the steel wool idea a try. Maybe the industrial nature/colors of your bike would compliment a "steel" colored dye?

Thanks for the kudos guys... They were all a lot of fun to make. justwakinup - the keepers on the kilt belts are actually held on w/ 4 chicago screws. But I punched the holes and placed the screws inside the keeper, under the visible layer. This was a real pain to work out, but became necessary b/c any more length to the fold over on the back side would have interfered with the first set of belt loops on the kilts. Also, the client had requested they be able to take the belts apart and change buckles or keepers if possible. By screwing it all together out of sight, I was able to meet their request. Unfortunately I hadn't yet discovered this site - and I put the "screw" side of the chicago screws facing the back side of the belt, and the sharp edges did do a little damage that I had to repair before delivering them to the client. d'oh! There were 6 of these things in the order. 2 1/2" wide, w/ 2" width on the keepers. big beefy belts to fill up the belt loops real nice... Wish I had more pics to show, but the belts are long gone now, and I'm the proud owner of 2 more kilts for my efforts... love the barter! Thanks again all for your encouraging words. I'll post more as soon as I can convince the missus to help out w/ the camera again.