fredk

A comfortable knife, easy on the turn and no wobble, but its the blades that matter really edit; here is the review YinTX refers to;

In my area some women have turned 'scrapbooking' into a paying hobby. Folk bring them their cuttings, old cards, old letters etc and they put it all together into what we used to call in child fostering a 'memories book'

I have two. One from Le Prevo, cost about £10 its ok. Another I got from China via ebay, it cost me under £5, and I think its better than the other. No play in it and it seems to turn smoother.

My 60mm is a Fiskars, like this one; Push the orange thing on the top and it pushes the blade out to the cutting position, it also makes the orange button on the side pop out. Press that button and the blade snaps back in to the safe position I'm not sure what make my 28mm is now, its got no name on it. I thought it was an Olfa. I've had it for several years now. Its got a head on I can set at any angle, in line with the handle. I store it so its in-line and set the head/blade at about 30 to 45 degrees for cutting I cannot compare the two as I've only ever owned these ones

Must be a difference in knife model. On mine, 60mm & 28mm, the blade guard remains fixed and the blade is moved out to the cutting position. I no longer have the 45mm, I passed it on. Looking at the 28mm again, I reckon I can cut away some of the blade guard to make it more useful.

Proops sells through ebay as well. Though I'd hardly describe what they sell are 'man-toys' ~ they sell tools, tools for making things https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Business-Office-Industrial/12576/m.html?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEFSXS%3AMESOI&_ssn=spoorp&_sop=15 I second the use of a rotary blade knife. Invest in a 60mm diameter blade one by Fiskars or Olfa. Not only are their blades superior but the knives themselves are more ergonomic. Plus, I've found, the best of these knives slide the blade down to the working position, from its safe position. The 28mm and 45mm knife blades don't clear the handle by more than about 1mm, not enough to cut through 1mm leather. The 60mm comes down further.

That looks like a bespoke piece but I reckon a ball-head from a camera tripod could do the job. Use a heavy weight duty one from the likes of Manfrotto

ooops, sorry, I was talking about placing ready-rivets, not brass rivets which need a setter.

1. You must be using really thin leather. I can cut as thin as 1mm with my strap cutter 2. plan ahead. cut a wide piece of leather, enough for several straps. turn this over and glue to the main hide. then use a strap cutter to cut the double thickness in strap widths as needed. using a fresh sharp blade you'll get a nice clean cut edge which won't need any sanding

a wee tip idea for placing those rivets into hard to reach places, 1. cut a length of thin card, thinner than cereal box card, but that would do 2. a few mm from the end poke a small hole, small enough to hold a rivet step fast. don't punch the hole, you need the card that forms a rough ring around a poked hole 3. use that assembly to take the rivet to its hole in the leather and push it thru that hole 4. when its in place snap on the head. most rivet heads snap on tight 5. either then or slightly later, give that card strip a good hard tug to rip that few mm at the end, allowing it to come free of the rivet. if you use thicker card, partly cut thru the card from the hole to the end of the strip to help it rip away 6. smash down the head of the rivet, using your favourite hard long anvil as backing I have a couple of lengths of 3mm steel bar and an odd shaped bit of 6mm steel plate as insert anvils.

We have a specific section on Leather sewing machines and sewing leather. Either re-post your queries there or get a Moderator to move it there https://leatherworker.net/forum/forum/50-leather-sewing-machines/

If that doesn't turn out I bought a set of these, I use them with my press. 7 sizes from 20mm to 50mm, going in 5mm steps, includes a 40mm https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7Pcs-DIY-Leather-Punchers-Craft-Cutter-Mold-Die-Round-Hole-Punching-Tools-Kit/353080017082

I've no experience of Edge Kote. Edge paint is as thick as non-drip paint. You put it on with a spatula or one of these roller type jobbies I've never had a problem of it peeling. Perhaps its the way I put it on? I do only really use it on pre-dyed chrome tan. I get a colour to match. eg I have a load of lavender coloured leather so I got some edge paint to match as neither the raw edge no black looks good on it

This is true. You and I would have a meter and know how to use it but I'm reckoning the OP doesn't have one and gave the basic search instructions

Yes. For that reason I only use for edging the same colour as the front & back You can get 'edge paint' which is thick and doesn't bleed down off the edge

Obviously you have a power supply lead grounding somewhere. Un-plug the machine from the power supply socket. Then start by taking the plug apart and going over the power lead to see if there is a bare wire or a break in the power lead. Go over it carefully, inch by inch, look closely, bending the power lead back and forth, work along it. If you see nothing there, check the switch unit in the machine for a bare or broken broken power lead, then check from the switch to the motor. Remember; always keep the machine un-plugged from the mains power supply whilst checking the power leads

Try mixing up a strong solution of pure lemon juice and water and soaking the piece in it for a few days then hang up in an airy place to dry.

a. We are all constantly learning b. Its good to aim for perfection but never worry, none of us has ever achieved that (well, I do all the time, ) We just have to accept that our efforts will fall short but at least we tried! c. By pushing the envelope we learn new things and new ways and discover what we can or cannot do. Its better to try and fail than to sit back and think 'I can't do that' d. It won't be long till you try again. Its like that old silly saying about falling off a bicycle/horse, get right back on it and try again, and again. . . .

Photos placed directly on here are good I never go to strange, unknown links, especially video ones

Which camouflage stamps and which backgrounder have you? Which are you going to use? The numbers on the handles would do for info. Is your plan to use the camo along the border above and below the 'makers' stamp area? I'm just trying to get a picture (in my head) of your design.

Mycelium is the fibrous part of certain fungi. It sounds like this stuff makes a sort of suede felt in composition

Pictures help

Well. I'd treat it like a work of art and not a bit of leather. What I would do, 1. get a piece of marine grade plywood for a main back piece. 2. cover the plywood in very thin acrylic sheet, such as a perspex, about 1mm thick 3. use a hard wood such as oak, walnut, teak or redwood, to frame the plywood. But never use any soft wood. The frame to cover the edges of the ply, plus the depth of the leather plus about another 3/4 inch, plus 1 inch off the back of the ply 4. whilst making 3, drill 1/2 inch holes along the top and bottom edges of the ply/perspex combination, depending on length of the leather piece and ply backing, one hole about every 6 inches, do not have holes along bottom in a direct line with the top ones, stagger their spacing. Rebate the front edge of the frame about 1/4 inch deep 5. use brass tacks to tack the leather to the ply/perspex combo. 6. cover the front with a sheet of clear acrylic perspex type, set into the previously made rebate in the frame This is basically museum type casing for preservation of artefacts

The only stuff I've had success with is lacquer thinners, aka cellulose thinners I usually use a ball point pen to mark leather, but those marks are either cut away, skived away or they mark gouge lines - see the pattern The very worst to use is an indelible marker, aka a Sharpie. Even when you remove the ink the mark comes back as a ghost through you dye and finish

I got some from Le Prevo and it seemed ok. It was only used on a few odd projects but I had no problems with it. I got and used silver and gold. Scroll down just about half-way on this page; http://www.leprevo.co.uk/hides.htm