Sheilajeanne

The problem is we keep finding brand new misteaks to make....

JJN, there was a top and bottom to each casting when they were doing the machine arms. How would the sand in the top part stay in place while the metal was poured in? Or did the wooden patterns burn up as the metal was poured? (That seems quite wasteful!)

Did they cast those machines using the lost wax method?

To put my 2 cent's worth in here, what a person looks for in a wallet is very individual. However, to generalize, I've noticed men often don't bother with a change purse, they keep their change loose in their pockets. Women are more likely to want a change purse. Men generally want smaller, slimmer wallets, as they carry them in there pants pockets. Women carry their wallets in their purses, so their wallets can be larger. They sometimes go for a clutch style wallet that has a large change purse, and space for cards and cheque book. Some people want a wallet that can hold a lot of plastic cards. I have a friend (female) whose wallet is bursting at the seams. I couldn't even BEGIN to tell you how many cards she has stuffed into that wallet!! There's a middle section to the wallet that is JUST for cards - never seen a wallet quite like it in my life! Women like colourful wallets. One of my friends has a wallet with a beach scene painted on it. Another has a wallet that's pink. Men prefer basic black or brown. So, there's my thoughts. And as for what others have said above, please pay attention. They speak the truth. This is NOT an easy hobby to master, and you will never stop learning! Oh, and unfortunately the way we learn is from our mistakes...

I use a polished granite floor tile for tooling. It weighs a fraction of those Tandy slabs, and gives me a good tooling surface. I think the idea of the poundo boards on one side, and a granite tile on the other would work well, and be fairly easy to transport. The tiles are also much cheaper to buy! Edit: just looked up these tiles on the Home Depot website. They are about $5-6 bucks Canadian for a 1 foot square tile, or $7.20 for an 18 x 18" tile. I've had mine for about 5 years now, and it's never cracked or chipped, even though I've dropped it a few times. https://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Tile-Natural-Stone-Tile-Granite-Tile/N-5yc1vZasju

That's AMAZING!! That factory was HUMONGOUS!! I worked in factories during the summer when I was a student. I shudder to see how little protection there was for the workers to keep their clothing or hands away from moving belts, stamping machines and other dangerous equipment. I assume the casting was done by the lost wax method, using wax molds that melted when the molten metal was poured in? I've used steel bearings to clean out the inside of Coleman lantern gas reservoirs (founts) but until I saw the scene in that film where they use bearings to polish the machine arms, I had NO IDEA just how efficiently the bearings can do the job!

Woldbill, I always balked at getting that Tandy marble slab. I thought it was ridiculously expensive. I went to Home Depot instead, and bought a 10x10 polished granite tile. So far, it has held up to everything I've done, and if it breaks, it's $12 to replace it! Places that make counter tops and headstones are also a good source for slabs, if you don't want to pay Tandy's prices. They will often let you have their off cuts for nothing.

The opening in the top part of the A's does not go all the way through. The leather has been stamped to make a small depression, then painted white to match the background.

There are commercial car harnesses for dogs. I'd have a look at how they attach to the seat/seat belt. That set up does not look at all safe!

Yes, bevelers need sharpening. Awls need sharpening. ANYTHING with a cutting edge will eventually need sharpening! Currently, the Leathercraft Library at Tandy is available for free download. This book tells you how to maintain and care for leathercraft tools. As tools are THE biggest expense item when starting this hobby, this is something that's really important to know! https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/product/1141/leathercraft-tools-by-al-stohlman When I purchased a large lot of stamps recently, I noticed some of the older stamps, the ones everyone thinks are so great, weren't that good. Some were okay, some weren't. It's logical to assume that even stamps that are frequently use will slowly deteriorate over time, and lose their crispness.

If that's what you are paying for a patcher that's missing parts, has no table, and no motor, I can see now why Wiz was pressuring me to buy the antique Singer patcher that was available locally WITH a table and motor, for $300.!! Unfortunately, I needed a new lawnmower more than I needed the patcher!

Tan Kote is a resin-based finish. Even though it's not a water proof finish, I believe it does have some water resistance. My guess is the resin in it prevented the antique from soaking into the leather. Next time, I'd apply the antique before the Tan Kote.

Your stitching is lovely, and having tried Celtic knotwork, I know just how hard that decoration must have been, unless you used a stamp!

Was thinking the same thing! Nice job!

I like your idea of having two slots in the end of the strap for adjusting the length! Never would have thought of that! Great idea! Right now, I'm mainly playing my classical guitar, which doesn't have an end button, so the strap is an embroidered fabric one with a plastic piece that slips into the sound hole. I mostly play sitting, so rarely need the strap. I used to have a leather strap with a pad on it, and can remember that damn pad NEVER being in the right spot!!

Did you paint or dye the black background? I think it looks very nice!

I spent HOURS doing this yesterday and late last night! Well worth the time it took. Being retired has its advantages...lol! My one regret was all the previous downloads I paid good money for were now available for FREE!

Okay, I'm obviously from a part of the world which is NOT 'big cattle country' and am more familiar with dairy farming than beef! But yeah, that makes sense!

Most castrations these days are done with either elastic rings when the bull calf is only a few days old, or with bloodless castrators that crush the spermatic cord and artery, when they are slightly older. I imagine bull scrotums aren't all that easy to find! Only a mature, or nearly mature bull could produce one big enough for a pouch, and very few farmers want to let a bull calf get that big, as they are so dangerous and hard to handle. Just wondering where you'd source something like that... Also, guessing the flap has to come from another source? Or is the scrotum big enough that you can make a flap from it too?

Cool! Never saw anything like that before. Took me a moment to figure out why the edges on the belts died...lol! Okay, they were DYED.

Very spacious! Are those black things on the floor belt templates? (First photo.) And what's that covering the floor? Too shiny to be cement! Is it some sort of seal on the cement?

YOU'RE (courtesy of Grammar Police)

Okay, you have a Tandy store nearby... Ask them to show you the 6 basic stamps that come with their beginner's kit. That's the best place to start. They include a backgrounder, beveler, veiner, seeder, pear shader and camouflage stamp. The next tool I bought after that was a basket weave stamp. Since I don't like doing basket weave, I've never used it! A mule foot stamp and a stop stamp are also a necessity if you are doing Sheridan carving, but as has been said above, a LOT depends on the type of carving/stamping that interests you. I've been doing this for 3 years now, and currently have over 300 stamps...

The Indiana Jones bag is actually a WWII gas mask bag. My dad had one, which he passed on to me, and I found it very useful when I was teaching outdoor education. It's canvas with dome fasteners, and several pockets inside: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=indiana+jones+bag&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyLDpBRCxARIsAEENsrK23Ji7_P7aaMz6Mr3TdzpxHgUbhLAp6dyVuArjjXevRFZ8_jjL3w8aAnk6EALw_wcB&hvadid=208428154976&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9000736&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9025011960869597833&hvtargid=kwd-302372876131&hydadcr=23338_10093183&tag=googcana-20&ref=pd_sl_865h16da4e_e The construction is very simple. The strap is canvas web with a slider buckle to adjust the length, and it is stitched to the outside of the bag with an x pattern stitch. As for the leather button, a wood toggle would also work, and actually look a bit better than the button. Or, of course, a deer horn toggle, if you can find one.

Windsor bag closure: a leather button and some lace: I didn't like the plain leather button so I replaced it with a fancy metal Celtic concho. This is a from a Tandy pattern.