Sheilajeanne

Something else Ferg did that was really smart: He detached the machine from its base, then used the screws or bolts that held it to the base to attach it to the bottom of a box he'd built that exactly fitted the machine. Even if the machine fell over, there was no way it was going to get damaged because everything was protected, and couldn't move. Wish I'd taken a picture of it. The box wasn't solid, and he assembled it around the machine after attaching it to the base. You could tell he's been moving heavy machinery for a lot of years, and knows how to use his mind over muscle.

Oh, that's not too far away from me! (Actually, I lived about 20 minutes from that shop for about 10 years.) Will keep them in mind! When it comes to moving machines Ferg had this amazing stair climber cart that will be a huge help in getting it downstairs. It also has a lift mechanism that will help you get it into the back of your vehicle! Walmart sells them. https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/86190-roman-shoes/ Scroll down to see his post!

Speaking of which - when I googled the statue, hoping for a better look at the legs, I found out it's frequently misidentified. It's actually a statue of the Roman God of war, Mars.

Chuck, guess who originally posted that shoe on this site? Yes, it certainly looks very modern! https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/86190-roman-shoes/

I was thinking that might be made of some sort of metal, maybe gold or silver. The guy was a king, after all!

Lots of different styles of Roman sandals if you google on the net, but nothing with embroidery, at least not from that period and culture.

Do you know where I could find pictures, Fred? This is an area that really fascinates me!

Wow, if this statue is accurate, the Romans certainly knew a thing or two about carving leather!! https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1606773432988293&set=gm.631730784643480&__cft__[0]=AZWjkPvfqsDQVr3EqB6V5xPdfKrDhUrtuTWfu3hMP5OUxdtG1MeQswA7HNlm9iH5WhyZpr87r-DxC99c-BypBM_2zb0YUu1FoQDq0qqBzufpDkx-QIHxKTeNMfsMzyg8TGfX0mWgmeD6vY1Pm6Bg0xu5dn7OaH8JSeZCJpqgEcaQVXloGdieUpQjnv9xcnH8Wjw&__tn__=EH-R

LOL! You know, this isn't such a bad idea! The guy is obviously hunting, so must have some razor sharp arrows in that boot. The boot sole and heel counter would prevent them from piercing the 'quiver'. The one drawback might be the arrows going down into the toe of the boot. I imagine he's put something into the boot to prevent that. Wouldn't want an arrow coming through and sticking him in the butt!

...but need a new quiver! Let's hope his wife broke a heel on the other boot, otherwise he's going to be in BIG trouble!

Just a shoutout to those of you affected by this. The pictures I've seen from B.C. boggle my mind. Many areas a totally cut off due to roads being washed out or buried by mudslides and blocked with fallen trees. Both the Trans Canada and the Coquihalla highways have huge sections of them washed away. Rail lines have been destroyed, too. Over 300 motorists had to be evacuated by helicopter from one section of highway. And remember, this is the Rocky Mountains - there aren't a lot of alternate routes available!! THIS is Hwy # 1, the Trans Canada, near Lytton, B.C. It's going to take months to fix this: Next picture is the town of Abbotsford, which is right next to Vancouver. Both Abbotsford and Merritt are under evacuation orders: The video shows the damage to the Coquihalla highway, the other major highway serving the area: https://globalnews.ca/video/8378266/b-c-s-coquihalla-highway-seen-from-the-air-shows-extent-of-the-damage I haven't seen pictures from Washington, but I understand it's really bad there, too! Anyway, if you're the praying sort, these people could use a few!

If you are running Windows, you will have Microsoft Paint. Right-click on the photo, and you'll get a popup that includes 'the option 'Open with'. Click on that, and select Paint. When the photo opens in Paint, the tool bar at the top includes a 'resize' option. Click on that, select 'pixels' and enter a figure of around 500 for the horizontal dimension. The vertical dimension will resize automatically to keep the picture in correct proportion. If you want to save the original non-resized picture, select 'save as' from the menu bar, and give the resized photo a new name. If I'm dealing with a cell phone picture, I e-mail it to my desktop computer. When I attach it to the e-mail, it gives me the option to resize it.

Have met Ferg in person - he's amazing!

I didn't ask. He was working on my old riding mower, which was pretty dirty and rusty. The bearings needed replacing.

Come on now, no one twisted your arm and made you watch it! Yeah, the popsicle sticks look like mini tongue depressors. And, as the song says, kids can use them to build things.

Yeah, just giving that clarification for those in the U.K. And round N. American lollipop sticks would suck as glue-spreading tools... . So, popsicle sticks for the win... Edit: if you remember the Jan and Dean version of this song, you are OLD!!

I save popsicle sticks for spreading glue, so the sandpaper sounds like the best way to go. Popsicle is actually a brand name that's become generalized, like Hoover for vacuum in the U.K. In N. America, lollipops are hard candy on a stick, popsicles are frozen flavoured water or ice cream.

Cool idea! I think I have some paraffin blocks, as someone recommended them for finishing edges. I have some small files, but they aren't as fine as jeweler's files. Will see if I can find some. And, of course, nearly all women own that type of nail files. Wonder if jeweler's rouge would also work for the final polishing.

Chisels have arrived! The prongs are thinner than the Tandy black chisels, and therefore should be sharper/easier to punch through the leather! They also match the 8 stitch per inch width I need for this project. Fred, how did you sharpen yours?

Wow, with the price being that cheap, I'm willing to give this a try! I really need something so I can finish my project, and if I use Chrisash's tip, hopefully they will last a long time. I would pay much more than that for a single one of Tandy's Pro Diamond Chisels!

When I look at the tines under high magnification, it's not so much bending as it is they've become blunt. VERY blunt - to the point the metal has spread out sideways from the points. You'd think I'd been pounding it on a rock... Yeah...Springfield. Unfortunately I'm in Canada. Shipping and duty costs, plus really slow shipping is why I prefer to deal with a Canadian seller, if possible. The Canadian postal service is MUCH better than the USPS. Last time I ordered something to be shipped from Tandy's, it arrived within 3 days!

Good idea, Crisash!

Tugadude, thanks. I have two of the above Tandy chisels, but need one with the teeth slightly farther apart for the current project - 8 stitches per inch, while the diamond chisel I have is 9. And I am NOT satisfied with the black ones! They are supposed to be the higher quality 'pro' chisels, but in spite of me never having used them without a poundo board beneath them, they are pretty much ruined. And, of course, this happened in the middle of a project, so I want to get something quickly so I can finish it. Are the poly boards easier on punches and chisels than the poundo boards? Just wondering what I could have done to have gotten a longer life from these chisels.

For small caps that give me trouble, I pull out the old nutcracker that's been in my family for generations!