Scary Leatherworks

Can anyone post the instructions for a lock stitching awl. the one with the thread attatched. got one used with no instructions and don't know how to use it. Thanks Scott

I'd like to add one more part to Kustomizers question. Who do you use to ship? Because I just went to UPS to ship the mustang seat and they said $36.00 to pack it and another $76 to ship it and it was going to take ten days for delivery. Scott

I am wet molding a project (bag) and want to apply something to it to stiffen it so it wont lose it's shape while being used. any ideas? was wondering about gluing a fabric liner to the inside would the glue stiffen it? Scott

here's the top of a motorcycle that I vinegarooned. I made mine from a quart of white vinegar, a 3" piece of rusty re-bar and some old used steel wool. I only wiped mine on with paper towel and it soaked in just fine. I did'nt want to soak it and possibly ruin my tooling. then I applied 3 separate coats of neatsfoot oil and finished with leather balm. After the finish was applied is when it really blackened up. I will also add that after I laced my seat side on and wet it to wet form it to the seat that the vinegarooned top repelled the water before finish and ........after finish Scott

So my friend was complaining that his checkbook was falling apart and asked if I could make him a cover. I asked him what he wanted and he said "whatever" I always get that reply nobody ever wants to supply the design. So I found a picture of one of his tattoo's and used that. I used light brown to chocolate brown to black dyes. I think that chocolate brown is one of my favorite dyes. Scott

sorry I missed your post. Hope you got your answers if not try and repost it in the motorcycle section

Nice job. isn't it satisfying to make that for your bike instead of buying it. Makes it that much cooler. That's the same reason I started out also. And most people that ride a bone stock bike always seem to say we've ruined ours with our own personal touches. Scott

Just finished this day planner to be donated at work for a raffle to help out a co-worker in troubled times. As usual my pic's aren't very good. There's some problems with the stitching but not as noticeable after the dark dye is applied. the image is of Shiprock, which is an old volcano on the Navajo reservation here in NM close to where I am currently working. Thanks for looking Scott

Ok so it's finished and was a real pain in the A*& it wouldn't have been so bad had the driver seat and passenger seat been two separate pans. Thanks again for all the advice given. I trimmed the foam down on the driver's seat. I stained it with vinagaroon. it is actually a nice deep black the pics aren't very good. The artwork for the seat was the owners tattoo, which I thought fit better on the passenger seat, so for the driver's seat I put a timing chain and gear. I thought it would go well with the gear thru the skull and the owner is a mechanic. critique is welcome. I've added the before picture. Also for some reason I could not get the wrinkles on the pass seat out even after letting it dry and restretching. Only way was to trim some leather out and lace it. Just seemed like it was to round and was nowhere to pull the extra leather to. Scott

That seat is very cool. I like that rich brown color. I use Leather Balm with Atom wax. It's what David recomended and it works well Scott

AZRider, here's my 2 cents. I use cool water to soak the sides. If I remember correctly hot water can cause the leather to harden taking away some of it's flexability when dry. I also ONLY wet the sides the top doesn't need it and can make your top vulnerable to scratches, marks etc... I personally don't use glue. Some do, some don't. Before I put the cover on I mark the center of the seat front and back, then I mark the center of the leather top center front and back. It just gives me some reference marks to line up with. The back and front of the seat are the hardest to put on. If you can't get all the wrinkles out let it dry and go back the next day after the leather has "set" to it s new shape. The remaining wrinkles will be easier to remove. Scott

I noticed that too. I just right click on the image code then click the "copy" then paste it in same as before. Not sure why it stopped turning when it's clicked Scott

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will stick to my usual leather then. I just happened to see the splits and thought I'd give them a try since I prefer to use lighter weight leather on the sides for wet wrapping. I definitely don't want to use poor quality materials. Scott

nice seat Dave. To bad that black hides all the detail. Green bike Brown would have looked nice. I'm trying to get out of dyeing my next seat all black also. Have you ever tried the vinagaroon for black? Just wondering what you thought of it, since I was considering it for the seat i'm doing and you have given me some great advice in the past and I use the same finish as you. Scott

I need to order some leather for the sides of my seat that I'm working on. Top is done and I thought I had plenty of material for the sides but alas I do not. So my question is can I use a "veg tanned split" for the sides? I can't go to the store and look at it so I'm not sure if it's what I want. Not planning on tooling any on the sides just vinagaroon and X lace. Scott

The top is overlapped 3/8-1/2" Scott

ok here's the pics of my original blackberry case sorry I dont have pic's of the one I made. The one I made was similiar but instead of two separate pieces sewn together mine was one long piece folded in half and sewn up both sides. hope this helps Scott

I have a blackberry and I could post a pic of the case that came with mine. I just recently made a cell case for a similar phone. I didnt have the phone so I traced it on a piece of paper and traced the side also so I'd have the thickness. Then I made a blank out of cardboard. Cut a piece of leather wide enough to cover the phone with 1/8 inch seams and long enough to wrap it lengthwise. then stitch the two sides the top is left open and just cut it to shape (U) on the top. I left my sides a bit wider then trimmed them close after they were stitched. Also if you make it tight enough you can wet mold it to shape for a perfect fit. Scott

I've got Fiebings cordovan dye but it's near brown. Did you mean the pic came out red or the dye? I am still looking for a nice deep red dye. tried oxblood and red. both are too pink. Sorry don't mean to high jack your seat post. Is that skull a "day of the dead" inspired skull?

Nice seats. What did you use for red on the "memory" seat Scott

ok one more question. this one is more of a poll. Since the passenger seat is so large and the tooling pattern would fit either driver's seat or pass. seat where would you place it it you had the choice?

here's the pics of the bottom of the seat. I am palnning on tooling a top for it. It's supposed to be his tattoo. I was asked to do it all black but also said to do what looks best. the bike will be flat silver. I'm try to get a light grey by thinning some fiebings black to use for the anchor and gear. maybe a cordovan for the life ring. Any suggestions would be helpful and greatly appreciated. Scott

Ok I just got another seat to recover. I didn't know all the specifics on the seat I had been thinking it was a solo seat. Its for a military guy in Iraq. His buddies are fixing up his bike for a surprise when he returns (my brother being one of the buddies). This seat is a Mustang for a full dresser and the pan is metal and seat and passenger seat are all one big pan. not able to separate them for covering. Has anyone ever done a seat like this? I need to somehow get the new cover down in between the seats. Thanks in advance. P.S. anyone have an entire elephant hide? I'm gonna need it to cover this monstrosity Scott

trying to finish up some projects I thought I'd try while in between motorcyle seats. I made a day planner for my brother. I also thought I would try to make a bracelet. Since my wife and mother-in-law quilt I figured I'd try to make one with a quilt pattern. This pattern was titled "windmill" Scott

Here's my 2 cents. John and Randy have already said about everything. You should go to the motorcycle section here for research. There are some new tutorials just posted. WET the sides as John said. It will allow you to stretch the leather tighter and get out more wrinkles. What I do when I have a steel pan is to drill my holes the size of my rivets but on my first go around with the fitting I hold the leather on with sheet metal screws that way if I can't get out some of the wrinkles (always happens to me) I can let the leather dry and "set" then back out the screw re-wet and pull out the wrinkle. only then do I put in the rivets. Scott