fredk

Peeps, have you seen this story? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50030291 In case you cannot access the story to read it ~ California has now banned the use and sale of fur products, effective from 2023. That may seem a long way off but its only a few years. Its the slippery slope, where Cali leads others, especially N.I., follow quickly Exotic furs and bear furs I get, but where does that leave deer, rabbit, squirrel and even sheep fleece?

Flat or round? round or flat? Personal preference really. I have plenty of round thread, and I have plenty of flat thread. I like both. I've not found that either one is any 'easier' to sew. I've mainly switched to pre-waxed flat polyester thread as my spools of round waxed thread are running out and I can't get more of them. I do like the way the flat thread seems to lay flatter and neater when pulled up snug in a stitch Thickness of thread should suit the project. I have no hesitation in using 1 or 1.2mm thread on a Plague Doctor's Mask but I'd not use that on a credit card wallet, for that I'll use 0.65 or 0.55mm thread Just get a few different sizes of thread and needle to suit and get used to those combinations and how they look on your work. I buy my flat threads out of China from ebay sellers. The cost is really cheap and the threads are ok. What are you using to make your sewing holes? are you sure its making clean through and through holes? I use these a lot: On thin-ish leather they cut through but on thicker, eg 3mm and above, they don't make through and through and I need to use a sewing awl to finish the hole otherwise the needle either won't go through at all or it struggles well. thats how I do it, one needle through, then the other passed though and both threads pulled up snug at the same time ~ if its in my stitching clam, if its not I pull one side up snug then the other.

For 1 or 2s I use cardboard, for more numerous I get acrylic templates cut, or use 3mm MDF, or I stick the paper/card pattern onto special kitchen cutting mats I get from Ikea then cut them out - all depends on how many of the item I'm going to make and how complicated it is I draw up the pattern to exact sizes and take it to a place which cuts out with a laser mostly. They charge me a pittance to cut my templates in clear 3mm acrylic or 3mm MDF. The plastic mats I get from Ikea can be cut with my leather scissors.

If its just for cutting on and not for heavy stamping - the glass from the door of a microwave oven or standard cooker

Lookin good there

No good without pictures Rule 371 section G, subsection 74, item 3 says, "you must provided pictures of all results every time you have done something the other forum members want to see"

1. That size of needle should go thru that size of hole cleanly **. Are you using a correct leatherworking thread knot on your needle? ** my JJ 2/0 needles are 1.4mm and my JJ 1/0 are 1.04mm. I use both with 1 / 1.2 mm thread in 1mm holes 2. I use pre-waxed flat and round thread. After attaching to the needle I rub beeswax over the first few inches and rub it into the thread with my fingers, a bit like burnishing it in 3. On a long run of sewing, in fact on any length, I keep an eye on the state of the thread. As soon as any part starts to look dry from the wax rubbing off as its pulled through numerous holes I pull the thread over a block of beeswax a few times to restore the waxing. I pay especial attention to the thread around the needle's eye where the wax rubs off quicker. Waxing, waxing, and waxing some more as you go 4. and you need to wait more than a few hours for a response. The members on here are all over the world and very many have businesses to run, lives to run and not on the forum 24/7. I've not been looking thru the forum for about 28 hours. This is a forum for leather working, not machines. If you mean leather sewing machines - no it isn't that either, that is just one small part of the forum

When you press your stamp(s) ~ press and hold down for at least 30 seconds, a minute, even two minutes is better. It helps to prevent the leather from reforming and softening the stamped image

One on each foot silly,

umm, to darken orange add red, to lighten it add yellow

I suggest you wet mould the top piece first. Use a piece of leather much longer than it needs to be so you can pull the end down real tight. I find if the leather is cut too close to where it should end I get wrinkles, but if I take it well beyond that point I can pull it tighter.

I've never noticed the twist of any of my threads. . . . . . . and I ain't gonna go looking at them now! Never heard of this. Never happened to me, To the OP. I use Poly as that is what I can get in colours to suit / match my leather colours. The Poly I buy is flat in section. I like the way it lays flat when pulled snug. ~~ this was my 1500 posting!

A good dose, but not too much, of neatsfoot oil on them too will maybe soften them. You'd need to let the NFO soak in for a few days at least before the leather shows much difference

Does Chisash mean contact adhesive? The OP is in a $ using place - US, Canada, Australia? For under £10, about US$12.50, I can buy a tin of contact adhesive which will do the area mentioned, 31.5 sq ft Does it have to be sewn? or just attached? I've used contact adhesive to adhere leather, PVC material and cloth to wood panels for vintage cars Using the awl in a drill press idea is just for making sewing holes. A sewing awl blade is just a special kind of knife. In a drill press it will cut thru thick leather and maybe thin ply but you are looking at 5mm thick ply - the blade will bend and break. Drill the holes and stitch using the two-needle saddler stitch method

What about this one from Tandy's Leathercarft Library. Its a free PDF and you can print it out at a size to suit your project Link: https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/product/1449/celtic-cross-ii

Wot he says. Another idea. Take the SD cards out. Wet the centre of the case, fold over to find the centre line, gouge a shallow trench along that centre line. If you don't have a gouge use something to press a good hard line on the centre line. Still being wet, fold over again and then tap the fold with a mallet [not a steel hammer]. Let it dry and the case will have a preferred fold to it

Don't use an awl on plywood. Use a small drill ~ maybe 1/16 inch or less, it will be quicker and less dangerous

I too know it as piping. I've used thin electric wire / flex for the internals, as well as round leather lace, cord, string, whatever has the diameter I need. As well as doing a separate welt you can turn over one edge of one piece and sew the cord into that as you sew the main seam. Fold the main leather over the cord and glue it down

The meths I buy is purple coloured and this does not show in either dye nor acrylic paint I thin with it. An alternative is IPA which is totally clear and sometimes cheaper per L

Try: smoothing as usual with your 400g then use 600, 800 and then 1000/1200. Try mixing some beeswax with shoe polish and apply that. Buff / slick it in real fast with a piece of denim or linen - you need to build up friction heat to soften the wax & polish to get it soft, into the leather and get it nice and smooth

On the second one the stitching is flesh to edge. I've never seen it on this forum but I used to make my knife sheaths that way. The stitch on the front goes into the edge of the leather forming the top and the stitch comes out the top. You need to use a curved awl and curved needle to do it. The plug forming the top & bottom inserts needs to be at least 2mm thick, 3 to 4mm is better On my sheaths I went from the back, thru the welt and then out through the edge of the top layer, thus no stitching was seen on the front of the sheath

It looks grand for all that. Sewing a circular base into a tube ain't that easy or straight forward

Tandy lists which button-hole punch to use with each of their SB studs, As you choose each size of punch the spiel in the box at the bottom changes to tell you what size stud to use https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/buttonhole-punches But I have S/B studs from several different makers and although they are nominally the same size they actually need a different size hole for the centre post

Thanks for posting I can never have enough bag patterns. I'm a sucker for them

ah shore do The only time I reckon I used mine was as an anvil at a medieval show. I was the go-to-guy for on site repairs. One of the demo fighters comes to me. His sewn on heel on one of his shoes was loose. Medieval shoes have only a thin leather heel, about 3mm thick. So I used tacks to re-attach the heel using this tool on the inside of the shoe to turn over the tack points by hammering the tacks thru and onto this tool