fredk

Thank you Yes I did. A4 sheet, two 'pages' per side, folded to make a 4 page A5 booklet size. As you can see, the 'dice' tray is just a hex valet tray Thank you Basically, there are 4 ships (the 5th is used in a variation). Monks (in a gold coloured ship) carrying a gold and jewelled book to the Abbey of Ard Mhacha at the very centre of the board. They play first. Followed by one set of vikings (black ship), who are chased by Brian Boru (green ship) to protect his monks. Brian is chased by his son-in-law, (red ship) another viking who is going to help the black viking. There are hazards and helps round the board. Two dice are used, but one is wind and the other is tidal current. The lower score of one die is subtracted from the other higher number and the ship moves that number, eg dice throw is 5 & 3, so ship moves only two places, dice throw of 4 & 4 = no move. The ships start play off the board and come on centre of each side according to their colour, and move one row inwards at the end of one circuit of the board. Rules include 'sea battles' and there is even the legendary Monster of Lough nEchach Vikings need to catch the monks before they reach the Abbey in the centre, or the vikings try to get to the Abbey first to raid it. In the first game No1 and I played on this board I was vikings and my red ship reached the Abbey first, so I won. A game can last from 30 minutes to well over 1 hr 30 minutes, all depends on the dice The real history is that Brian Boru gave the Abbey of Ard Mhacha 22 ounces of gold. They used some of it on a new gold & bejewelled cover for their 150 year old Gospel book. The Viking King of Mann, Brodir the Black tried to raid Ard Mhacha to get this book for himself. Boru stopped him but also had to fight his son-in-law Sigtrygg Silkbeard. The real circumstances were different but I aligned them to fit the game.

My sincere apologies. I jumped in on the tail end of this thread and never really read the start This is indeed clever and well thought out. T'is a shame I do not have access to the sort of tools needed to make somat like it.

I thought I'd share with you my latest board game Its a 'chase game' using the basic medieval 'chase game' tenets but I based the premise of the game on real Irish history. Off & on this game has taken nearly 20 years to get to this point. It took a long time to research the history, work it out then fit it into a 'game'. The game went thru a number of variables until it was good enough to commit to leather. Firstly the playing board. Overall the board is 39cm square. Covered in 3mm water buffalo hide, then the playing surface is a 1.6mm thick piece glued on and marked out. 11 x 11 squares, each 30mm. The details are some basic Tandy 3D stamps impressed, some details I had brass stamps made up and tooling stamps were used as well. Some of the squares were coated with acrylic varnish then painted using ordinary plastic modelling acrylic paints. After some squares and the edge surround were dyed chestnut brown it all got a couple of coats of the varnish to seal it and protect it. The varnish is that 'Pledge' floor 'polish' type stuff but a version I get locally to me I made and cast up the playing pieces. I came across a small wooden compartment box in a UK craft & book shop. It had a clear acrylic window on the lid which I covered with a stamped leather panel. The inside of the lid got a panel of thin green leather. I also had to stain and varnish the box. I had special plaques engraved for the box and the board. The main game pieces are 5 'viking' style ships, each approx 25mm long, and an Irish Celtic cross centre piece. The other items are; 2 dice, a miniature Bible, a bag of sails for the ships and a bag of Irish coins. I had to line the sides of the box compartments and make the support blocks for the pieces To add to the set I made a dice cup. The name of the game is impressed on the side of the cup. This is only the second dice cup I've ever made. And a hex shaped dice tray. On each side is a Celtic design, all Tandy 3D stamps This 1st set went to my No.1 son. Set 2 is almost ready to be sent to No.1 dottir

A couple of years ago I overheard my son doing this routine with a customer. My No.1 dismantles BMW cars and sells 2nd hand parts. A guy came in looking an engine and drive train. I'll not repeat it all but it went very much like the story above.

I just ask my supplier, Le Prevo, for any hides with scars or marks. They tend to sell such as lower quality suitable for 'historical re-enactment' as opposed to first quality for 'top-class' bags

me - roofers framing square for large pieces, woodworkers framing square for smaller. Rotary knife for thin leather, eg anything under 1.4mm or approx 3.5 oz

There might be major hardware store in your vicinity. Most of these will do mail order now with us all being locked up. Basically most of these hardware stores charge cents for D or O rings and you can buy 1 or a dozen The place I bought from (closed down now but I have another source) charged anything between 20p and 50p per ring, depending on size. A 'leather work' lighter weight version was between £1.50 to £3 for same size

For strong duty steel D and O rings I bought them from a farmers & builders supply merchant. I found the ones meant for 'leatherwork' were just not up to the job, they could be bent too easily. The ones I bought were meant for chain coupling and were very much stronger and very much cheaper. I also got the occasional roller buckle from the same place

Tandy allows free distribution of their patterns which they have offered free and for users to make unlimited items using those patterns You (the general you) must not pass off a Tandy pattern as your own. This includes patterns and tip sheets et al drawn up by the Tandy representatives for Tandy

Those look very nice indeed

May I add; that doesn't look like an ordinary washer. It looks like a coin or token. Perhaps something the holster owner picked up, maybe considered it his 'lucky' coin and wanted it on the strap My grandfather had a Chinese coin, which was round with a square hole in the centre, on his watch chain. He picked it up in the Philippines during the US-Spanish War there. He said it was a 'lucky coin' to him

I'm too tight a-wallet to throw these sorts of things away. If it was me I'd set up to drill out a hole on the back, tap it for a 3mm or 4mm flanged head screw and turn them into screw-attachable Same Browne studs

I've not had to do many straps recently, but, rather dip in a tray I got a length of plastic piping, about 4.5 feet long by 2 inches i/d. I sealed up one end. I mount that vertically with pipe clips on the side of a small bench. I attach a piece of wire to one end of the strap for hanging up. Also using that wire as a grip I dip the strap into the dye in the piping tube. I let the strap soak for a bit then I draw it out, allowing it to draw, carefully, over the edge of the tube which takes off some liquid dye on the strap surface. Then I hang it up to dry. If the strap is more than about 4 to 4.3 feet, I just dip dye one end, up to about 2/3 length, draw it it and reverse it and dye the remaining part plus a generous overlap. As the leather is bring dipped dyed and the dye is allowed to soak in I find there is no noticeable difference on the ends of a long strap. But the tube doesn't hold much dye, maybe 1 litre, and the leather soaks it up pretty quickly so a good stock of dye, thinned or not, needs to be ready to make sure all the straps are the same colour

you'll never quieten the noise of the hammering still using a mallet. I changed to using a press, a Tandy one. I can do virtually all my stamp impressions with it, any time night or day. In fact, its 02.43 here and I did some stamp impressions about an hour ago. My neighbours don't hear the press,

The copper & washer rivets you don't want to or cannot use

Harbor Freight have one for $9.99 https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools-compressors/air-spray-guns/air-brushes-kits/34-and-3-oz-airbrush-kit-62294.html

I'm in Donaghadee. About 20 miles east of Belfast. Just on the north-east edge of the Irish Sea and almost where Belfast / Carrick Lough opens. I know both Mayo Bridge and Stroke-City. Never lived in either but visited often enough I had to look up Lisdoonvarna. I reckon I've been through it at some time. I've been through most places here. I was once a car rally photographer so I spent a lot of time chasing cars and going thru middle-of-nowhere places No festivals or car rallies, no nothing, anywhere here this past year.

Use your 'cleaner' to dilute the Resolene. The 'windex', if its like our 'windowlene', will slow the drying of the Resolene a bit, meaning not so much drying on your needle tip Also consider a needle-less spray brush. I have a few different types of spray brush and for larger areas, quicker cover and more available fluid I prefer a basic needle-less type. Like this one; a Badger 250 It can be bought complete for under $20. Other makes of similar style are available, the cheapest I've seen costs about $10 It works on a simple venturi effect of air causing a suction and atomisation* of the fluid. No needles to clean, just that tube and nipple up from the jar. The spray pattern can be adjusted from about a Quarter (25c) size upwards * I'm probably wrong describing its working

Ask Le Prevo about DC 11-15 on this page http://www.leprevo.co.uk/rivets.htm I have some of these and they're brass metal, plated nickel in my case. But I bought them a long time ago and the newer stock may be different

B701 is a beveller with a fine check pattern on it? I prefer smooth bevellers. B200, is about the same size as the 701, and a B935 is good for small tighter areas. Its about half the width of the 200 If you want to keep to the checks then a B936 would be the smaller size, just about half the width of the 701 To go any smaller you'd need to grind a beveller down with a dremel type motor tool Also, have you tried tipping the beveller to the side to avoid any other work?

My oldest Singer is a 15K from a block of January - June 1915. Next oldest is a 15K-30 from a block in June 1937, then comes my 99K from a block in October 1956 Whilst not 'pure' leatherworking machines they sew the thin stuff I work with.

Yes you can Depending on your arbor press ram you may need to adapt it. Usually a hole of about 3/8 inch (9.5mm) needs drilling into it to take the parts, then you can use the parts meant for just about any press

Have you access to a lathe? If you have, mount up the head and reduce its diameter or cut a slice off the length

I use 'embroidery' scissors, bought in a knitting shop years ago. They are super sharp I also have some pairs of snips for occasional use and for cutting thin leather lace. like these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thread-Snips-Scissors-Yarn-Sewing-Cutter-Craft-High-Quality-Seam-Ripper-Each/142076493897?hash=item21146b4049:g:aX8AAOSwi2lZjYJv when I bought mine I got 3 for £1, so I bought a load and distributed them to friends

I think you are looking for a 'draw' or 'plough gauge' strap cutter https://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-Leather-Cutting-Machine-Aluminium/dp/B07WWDL7PY/ref=sr_1_6?adgrpid=58616271092&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZ-Tkt7D7QIVkWDmCh1THgReEAMYASAAEgK9W_D_BwE&hvadid=259095674075&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9046454&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=15844784943665506087&hvtargid=kwd-297398175991&hydadcr=28176_1821089&keywords=strap+cutter+leather&qid=1607614747&sr=8-6&tag=googhydr-21 https://hwebber.co.uk/shop/c-s-osborne-leather-working-tools/leather-knives-sharpening-stones/knives-sharpening-stones-leather-knives/draw-gauge/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6dDH_9_D7QIVqujtCh25XgclEAQYBiABEgKF6fD_BwE