Sheilajeanne

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!

I once made the mistake of putting cayenne pepper in an Italian seasoning bottle and not removing the label. I knew what was in there, and even if I forgot, the colour of the contents should have been a dead giveaway. Then, my diabetic friend who has poor eyesight was doing some cooking in my kitchen... Fortunately, I caught her before she put too much into what she was cooking!

You don't live in Canada, battlemunky! They are all too common here! At least my pharmacy has designed a bottle for the medication caps that allows you to disable the child-proof feature by removing a small tab on the cap, or I'd likely be leaving my pills sitting in the cupboard WITHOUT a cap on them! Unfortunately, can't do that with liquids...

Me too, Squid! We have them in Canada, and they are a terrible PITA! Glad to know that trick with the inner cap, will give it a try! One way I've tried to avoid trouble with opening them is making sure I wipe both the threads on the bottle and the cap before closing the cap. If the buildup of dye doesn't come off with a simple wipe, I'll wipe them down with alcohol. Another really annoying thing about them is they are supposed to be childproof, but they sure aren't LEAKPROOF!! And you'd think that would be one of the most important features of a bottle that contains dye! To deal with the leakage, I keep them in plastic sandwich bags, inside a clear plastic storage container with a lid. You can get bottles suitable for dye storage at craft stores. Michal's has dropper bottles with caps, and also larger clear plastic bottles with a spout that flips up. I bought some of the latter, but have never gotten around to using them for some reason.

Looks like he's plotting his revenge!

Okay, I finally gave in. I am now the proud owner of a Singer 99K. It runs, but not well. Probably just needs cleaning and lubrication. It came with a table, but the table isn't in great shape. Some of the veneer is peeling or missing, though the legs are solid. The machine is missing the attachments. Got it for $60. I'd post pictures, but the seller already took the photo down. Will let you know how things go... Am I nuts or what...

kgg, not going to sell for that price! I've seen the featherweights for sale, in good working condition, for around $100 - 200 Canadian. The treadle machines generally go for a lower price, as they are harder for this generation to use. Electric Singers in good working condition generally go for $100 and up, depending on the condition of the cabinet.

Very nice! How many layers are in the handle/divider section? You did such a nice job of the edge, I can't tell!

I just found my cheapo Tandy stitching chisels, the black ones, are pretty much beyond the point of saving, even though I've always used a poundo board underneath them. The Tandy pro chisels are on sale for 20% off right now. I'm in Canada, so importing stuff from the States (or elsewhere) is pricey and slow. Would the Pro tools be worth the money?

Klara, I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing with my strap cutter! Why couldn't they modify that one to use the old-fashioned razor blades? They still sell those in pretty much any store that sells the modern razors with the interchangeable heads! And you'd be able to flip the blade around once one side got dull, so it would last twice as long. I was looking at the slit in my cutter as I changed the blade, and wondering just how I could make the slit longer so that type of blade would fit. But it is such a narrow slit, I'm not sure how to do it.

Thanks, that's what I thought!

Gotcha, Fred! Will go for the cheap ones next time I need a 45 mm blade!

So, to continue the tale... No one sells the injectable razor blades that fit the strap cutter anymore. You would have to order them online, and since I also needed the rotary cutter blades, off to Barrie I went. Tandy (where I was greeted warmly by name!) had a package of 5 strap cutter blades for $3 and change. They also had a 45 mm Olfa blade for $9 and change. I decided that was too much money, and headed off to Michaels (craft store chain). I don't really need a blade for the 45 mm cutter right now - I must have bought a replacement at Tandy at one time. They had ONE 45 mm cutter hanging in the paper craft section and NO replacement blades. The employee I talked to said getting supplies in was a real problem since the pandemic hit, and no, she wasn't sure where I might be able to find blades. So, this morning, I went online, and ordered both 28 and 18 mm blades. It's $13.69 for 5 28 mm blades, (Solumex) and $12.89 for a 6 18 mm. blades (Headley). And I didn't realize until just now that I'd ordered from two different manufacturers! I thought both were Solumex. Guess I need more coffee! Will be interesting to see if there's a difference in how well they work, and how long they last! I also could have had a set of 6 45 mm cutter blades for $6.99, but when the prices is that low, I start to get reaaallly suspicious of the quality, especially when no brand name is given!

You've obviously never tried cutting leather like this! Scissors would produce a horrible uneven edge. Honestly, I've never had this much trouble getting a clean edge on a piece of leather before! It's not thin leather, either - just has a soft temper and is really stretchy. It was probably meant to be garment leather. I thought I had spare blades for the 28 mm cutter. I was wrong. They are utility knife blades. Off to Barrie today...

Will try that when I can get a new blade. I totally lucked out today when I tried to find something sharp enough to cut this stretchy leather. The drugstores don't sell the injectable blades anymore, and Home Hardware doesn't sell the rotary cutter knives or blades, only utility knives. They do have them in their online websites, but there's not enough demand for them to stock them in their stores. Given how long it will take to order them online, it looks like I will be making a trip to Michael's and Tandy's in Barrie tomorrow.