UKRay

How long does the compressor hose need to be - or is this only obvious when you have ordered a hose that is too short? Ray

Great looking cases! Nice to have you here on the forum. Ray

I believe the Royal Mint has discontinued use of the groat these days and shillings are also off the menu but we do still have pounds; at least, other people have pounds, I just have leatherworking machinery! Ray

Yup - that is exactly what I mean! To be honest, Doug, I don't have time to moderate comments on a blog site - and my guess is neither do you! I simply disable the comment facility. No comments and no complaints either. If they want to complain I'm not that hard to find, but I haven't had a single grumble. The value of the information means they are getting something for nothing. I agree again. It is an easy, benign thing to do to 'em and although plenty of people recognise the blogs for what they are, they often link to them because of the value of the information on them. A good example would be the 1940s leather blog. I went onto a number of forums and hunted around until I found a question about restoring wartime leathergoods. I then left a perfectly polite answer pointing to the blog as a source of information. - 'light blue touch paper and retire' as it used to say on fireworks. In addition I searched out a range of 1940s re-enactment societies and asked them to mention the blog in their online newsletters. I then contacted a number of shops that specialise in costumes for re-enactors and pointed out my blog to them as a useful resource that their customers might find useful. Several went a lot better than that and put permanent links on their web pages. I'm still getting more than 300 visitors a month to that blog and I haven't touched it in a year. I know many of those people are now dropping onto my pages because they show up in Google Analytics. Which reminds me, if you want to see how successful your blogging is then you need to find a way to track visitor numbers to your website. Google Analytics will tell you which sites your visitors came from (it calls them referring sites). You will be pleased to know that Google Analytics is free too! Thanks for the kind words, Doug, I'm glad the thread is helpful. Get back to me if you have any other questions. I may not know the answers but I can be very convincing... LOL Ray

Larry, the quick answer is try a few things and see what works. Personally, I squirt a little Lexol into my casing water to soften the leather and improve the depth and colour of the impressions. Not much so it doesn't cost a lot. I also drop a little washing up liquid (as a surfactant) in there too, and on the odd occasion when I remember, I use a few drops of teatree oil (which works as as an antiseptic) to keep away the fungus. I guess if you add it all up, my casing water costs me about 20 cents a pint, absolute tops. Now, if you are asking me if it all works then I can only say I believe it does... I'll leave the science to those better able to explain it. Have fun, Ray

Can't argue with that, Clair. Of course there are people who have been doing something for years who you believe get it wrong, and often they won't listen to 'the truth as you see it' because they are perfectly happy with what they are doing. YOU may think they are wrong but it probably works okay for them. Who is 'right' then?

Welcome to the forum, Cowgirlrae. I'm sure you will soon find your way around and meet lots of people. Check out Luke's 18th century style leather covered canteens for some ideas on how to do the job. He might even give you some hints himself! Ray

But who is to say what is right or wrong? Let's face it, leatherworking is not an exact science. IMHO, someone who has been making money doing something for thirty years is more convincing than someone just starting out and thinking they know all the answers. Remember that there are two sides to every story. The guy may have had a good reason for saying what he did... Ray

John, Welcome to the forum. It would be a good idea if you completed your profile with a website address and some information about your organisation so folks know who they are dealing with. Best wishes, Ray

Lovely job, as always, cousin. Have you got a canteen shaped wooden mould you stretch the leather over or do you work directly onto the liner? Ray

I do appreciate all your help, people. And thanks for puling all those quotes together and answering them all too, Kate - wish I knew how to do that! Okay - it looks like a double action, syphon feed brush and a collection of 2oz paint/stain pots will sort me out. I'll also need a compressor, airline and some filters - is there anything I've forgotten? What size needle do I need? I do like the look of the Iwata brushes and although they aren't the cheapest, they come with a healthy set of recommendations. The problem is that there doesn't seem to be any simple way of understanding the maker's coding. This seems like a fairly standard problem with lots of airbrush manufacturers. I suspect it is because, as a beginner, I haven't learned airbrush language yet. The Iwata HP-BC Plus airbrush seems to fit my needs (what do you think?) but I've also noticed some huge price discrepancies. One supplier on eBay is almost half the price of the others. Okay they are selling from Macau, but is this likely to be a problem if the goods are branded? Ray

John, I'd love to think that I had invented something that other folk copied. Sadly it is unlikely to happen... but if it did, I'd spend a while creating an amazing website that left it in no doubt who did the development work and the initial build. I'd then post that website on every board in my business area leaving it for the people to find out the truth for themselves. Folks are not silly. They know BS when they hear it. I'd make sure that I gave my invention a fancy name - the 'JB Cross Over Dee System' - or some such nonsense. I'd then make sure that my fancy name was the only one used in my industry by spending time on the forums talking about it and making sure folk knew who had done the hard work and who was being generous enough to share their intellectual property. I sure as hell wouldn't be asking questions about the rights and wrongs of copying something. We all know what is right and what is wrong - some folk simply ignore the voice in their heads and do it anyway. You can't legislate against people like that. Reference: Inspired piece - that is easy too. If the idea has been taken and changed then that is an inspired piece. Anything else is a copy. Sadly, IMHO, there is very little you can do about copies other than take the steps above. Whatever you do, don't get mad about it as that is very unlikely to help the situation... and, bless 'em, people are inclined to laugh when you lose it! LOL Ray

Thanks for your contribution Max and Clair. Most useful especially the bit about balance - I hadn't even considered that. Kate, It took me a while to work out what I want to achieve, but here goes: I want to be able to spray an even 'wash' of colour onto veg tan leather, I then want to be able to add a dark border that gradually fades to the base colour (mainly on bags, pouches and game boards) I want to spray masks with exciting colours (okay, I know that one is a bit woolly but think about Leatheroo's amazing airbrushed masks and you will quickly understand what I mean). I want to get that level of 'transparency' you can't achieve using a rag or sponge to apply dye. Having done all that I'd like to apply finish to my projects - although I don't know which finishes work best with an airbrush. I did wonder if a compressor that could have two brushes connected at the same time might be a good time saver... but what do I know? Does anyone do this? Ray

The rolling tools thing is a regular occurrence here too. It featured in another thread a while back when we talked about the Leatherworker's need for amazing peripheral vision and lightening fast reflexes to catch the tools as they drop off the edge of the bench. The worst thing is slopping a cup of coffee on a sloping bench... it goes all over the place! Ray

There are so many airbrushes and compressors on the market that it is very hard for a newbie like me to decide which one to go for. Help me guys - watcha got and how well does it work. I need a mid-to-high range airbrush for dyes and finishes - would your setup work for me? What makes it good and what makes you mad about it? What would you rather have? Ray

You might find it easier to groove your stitch line before sewing. It allows the stitches to lie into a channel which somehow makes them look straighter and neater. I'd definitely echo Celticleather's suggestion about the pricking iron and diamond awl , but would also suggest you look at the stitching punches that Tandy sell, They are also angled to make the stitches lie more neatly, the big difference is that you can punch the holes right through with them whilst the pricking iron is only used as a marker for the stitches. This is an easier technique for a beginner to master. Jordan's suggestion about always using one particular needle to start the stitch with is one I was taught as a lad (and that was a long while ago!). It really works and helps to keep the stitches regular. I would also agree that smaller items are harder to make - but maybe that is because my eyes are getting worse as I get older. A trick that might help you get the same tension on each stitch is to have the work in a set of clams or locked in a stitching horse jaws and pull both threads tight together and listen for the 'twang' the thread makes when you pull it tight. Try to match the sound each time and you should find your stitches become more even. The higher pitched the twang, the tighter you have pulled the thread. Try it - it works for me. Finally look at the thread you are using. You stitches seem nicely formed to me but the thread seems to have twisted as you pulled the stitches tight. Check the lay as it may be you would benefit from using a reversed lay (in other words the threads are twisted together the other way). I once purchased a reel of second-hand thread that was, supposedly, the 'wrong' lay for me and I have to say, I never made anything that looked good with it. I eventually threw it away and bought a new reel. This stuff gets a lot easier the more you do it... practise, practise and then practise some more. Ray

This exercise was really useful, Holly, as I was planning to make some big changes in my workspace and I have just decided to leave things alone. Mainly, my problems revolve around having a 'split' workspace. My handtool and sewing machine work area is upstairs on an uneven wooden floor and my heavy machine area is downstairs on a nice flat concrete floor whilst my office and packing area is in the middle. I also have two sewing machines in another room where they are definitely 'in the way'. Ideally, I'd like to have everything in one place... Sadly, it ain't gonna happen 'cos although I can probably get most of the stuff from the nice warm hand-tool area downstairs, the machine room is completely unheated with a cold concrete floor. I don't dare take the machines upstairs as the floor has been there since the 14th century and is likely to give way if I put any more weight on it; whilst the office is the size of a small cupboard. Not to worry, I know I'm better off than many folk. What I need is another building.and to get rid of some machinery... but which machines can I bear to part with... Think of the expense... Yup. I'll leave things alone for now! LOL

So the problems are not confined to the UK then.. I suppose that makes me feel a little better. Mike: The rock salt solution certainly would deter all but the most enthusiastic tricksters but I can't see me remaining at large long enough for it to be a viable option! The 'All Hallows Eve' side of the story is interesting as controlling misrule was, pretty much, what the whole festival was about. Sadly most of the demons we need to deal with these days wear hoodies and carry stones and knives... I rather think that Halloween, like many other lovely things I remember from my childhood, is being spoilt but the lack of respect for others that is endemic in modern society. Isn't is sad that parents are frightened to let town kids play out of sight and even country kids aren't entirely safe from marauding weirdos. How did this happen? Who thought up booby trapped treats? What a wicked thing to do to a child. Maybe kids aren't the only problem? Australia and New Zealand do seem to have a better level of parental control than many other places - would you agree Tony? Ray

IMHO, unless you have a good use for bellies there is little point in buying them. I would be inclined to work out your waste bill and see how the real life figures stack up. I did this many years back and now tend to buy backs or double butts for all my strap goods. I only use belly leather for moulded work and I don't get too much of that right now although it is in the great master plan to invest some time in wooden moulds so I can use up more scrap - so maybe that is your answer, you need to work out profitable ways to use up the scrap (tool holsters, lighter cases, etc etc) and then buy cheap sides! My other deciding factor would be the quality of the leather you need. Any side deteriorates in quality the nearer the belly you go. The expression 'how low can you get' really applies here. For good consistent quality, IMHO there is no question other than whether to use backs or double butts. Ray

Now that really was quite naughty... I wouldn't be surprised if she whomped YOUR ears for that... (Whips AND chains eh? woohoo!)

Hey, Mike - had you thought they might all have been in awe of your work? Seriously, a nice looking job, and one to be proud of. Having said that, I'm not a regular contributor to the saddle end of this forum as I'm not knowledgable enough to know what is good and what is not - but I take a look around an a daily basis to see what can be learned. In fact, wasting huge amounts of time looking at beautiful tooled and carved saddles is one of my biggest weaknesses... LOL Ray

I hadn't thought about the maul aspect, Kevin. I would think the heaviest of the Tandy mauls would be perfect - although I am fortunate to have a truly massive Barry King mallet that makes short work of any punching job. You simply need lots of concentrated weight that can apply enough pressure to the punch to cut cleanly. Just mind your fingers when you whomp it! Ray

This is a great design and a very well constructed piece of work. The classical looking carving work on the front of the case is exceptional. Is the design n your own? Ray

Nah, you're going to have to be a lot worse than that for me to post the pirate picture. Johanna will wack my ears SO badly if I post the pirate picture...