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Everything posted by fredk
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I had a faceache book thingy for about 2 or 3 years about 4 years ago. I did not use any of my true info for it; false name, false d.o.b., false email addy, false cell phone number. . . . you get the idea. Amazing how many people knew me and had seen me in the coffee shop/computer shop/library/ down at town hall I only had it cos a group I was involved with notified committee members of meetings only by facebook message Thing is; facey spook is a service. Although you do not pay anything you buy into it thus the provider can ask for any info they want as long as its not illegal to do so. Its their play park, you have to play by their rules or don't play. I decided I no longer wanted to play with them.
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Hi & welcome to the forum I would get some sort-of flesh coloured - or near enough - linen/cotton mix material and glue patches over the holes on the inside. At least 1/4 inch beyond the edge of the hole should do. Use contact adhesive, just enough to stick the patch
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That was a right bit of work to bring it back into use. May it last you a long time of pleasant leather working
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Leather Knife Sheath
fredk replied to noobleather's topic in Gun Holsters, Rifle Slings and Knife Sheathes
That is a Japanese skiving knife. As the OP says, he bought on a recent trip to Japan. I have one and just can't get used to skiving with it; I end up going back to my regular skivers. Thats a nice looking sheath for it too -
I got mine thru ebay [as usual] 99p each, or less example listing; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Retro-Alloy-Metal-Flower-Purse-Bag-DIY-Craft-Frame-Kiss-Clasp-Lock-Bronze-ME/142820308015?epid=19006374628&hash=item2140c0f42f:m:m9IuvzJ_RmZSL-owdAhWTjA:rk:5:pf:0
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Anyone know what these are or want to buy them?
fredk replied to grayeagleleather's topic in Old/Sold
If its blunt-ish on the outside edge, its a carpet layer's knife, if its sharp on that edge as well as inside the hook then its a bird's head knife The kink in the knife tang is so the carpet layer can trim the carpet right at the skirting -
Anyone know what these are or want to buy them?
fredk replied to grayeagleleather's topic in Old/Sold
Its actually a carpet layer's knife But I use one for cutting leather -
PVA will do the job as will regular smelly contact adhesive
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A pattern like this can be made up in almost any size. I print out on A4 and take the printed out page to my local library and use their photo-copier to enlarge it
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As well as dipping try regular household sponges. The ones you can get 10 for £1 at Home Bargains, Poundland, Tesco etcetera For bigger stuff and more than one in a dye session dipping is the way, but if you have only one, two or three items of modest size, thinned dye put on with a sponge is handier
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I do believe you are correct; the hole for the Sam Brown is too close to the top edge. Mount one of these [link below] in that spare hole on your bag. It would be handy for clipping things like key rings to https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10pcs-Brass-Rivet-Studs-Screw-Fastener-Screw-Stud-Round-Head-Ring-Leather-Craft-/222859962824?var=&hash=item0
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1. damp form the leather first. Let dry. Take off, then glue back on. 2. I seal wood with PVA glue. Let dry, then apply one coat of adhesive to wood, and a very, very thin coat to leather; join together 3. 2oz would be enuf for the job
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Interesting old YouTube Video - Saddlers in Ireland
fredk replied to jcuk's topic in Saddle & Tack Maker Gallery
aye, a good film Made in the first third of the 1970s. Hunting with hounds became illegal in Ireland in the mid-1980s. This saddlery closed about the early 1990s afair -
Fair enuf. I know what you mean Sorry, no suggestions on a fix for that
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Yes, looking good. I do not do a lot of stamping, but I notice you do not have any guidelines marked. Lightly marked guidelines every few rows can help. The lines would be lost in the stamping
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A. language; deep can be; top to bottom or front to back. Here I assume you mean front to back 1. it looks like a continuous radius on this bag, but you could do rounded corners for a flatter bottom on the bag 2. & 3. A common way to join the gusset to the body - as here - is to fold the edge of the gusset to meet the body. Skiving the edge helps it to fold. On a bag this size I'd go for 3/8 inch [10mm] all round. Thus to get 5 inch internal you need to add 5 + 3/8 + 3/8 = 5 3/4 inch wide gusset. You also need to add 3/4 inch to the length if you are after a certain internal size. eg; if you want 17 inch internal then you need at least 17 3/4 inch wide main body leather. One 3/8 needs to be taken into account on the height of the gusset. eg, you want 12 in deep, add 3/8 for the fold over at the bottom end = 12 3/8 But essentially you are still working with a gusset 5 in wide with a 5 in radius. I always glue the skived edge of the gusset to the main body. By working carefully I can get the edges to line up pretty near perfectly. Once glued in place I make my stitching holes and sew up. One simple sewing down the front panel, round the bottom and up the rear panel. BTW I only hand stitch Also; I usually make the cardboard gusset templates [one with fold allowance, one without] first then measure around the edge of one to find out how much leather I need to go around it, then make my main body template with that measurement included. That way saves a lot of mental arithmetic, just read off a tape measure,
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I make game boards covered in leather. I have made a few backgammon boards in my time. 1. Make sure your base wood board is sound and well seasoned. Any shakes, wind or not being well seasoned will leave you with a leather covered piece of firewood 2. Veg tan leather, minimum of 2 to 3mm thick 3. Normal contact adhesive. Put onto wood base mostly, use very, very little on the leather. Too much on the leather and it will seep thru. I seal the wood / MDF with PVA glue first 4. Apply leather to wood base and roll over it with a rubber brayer. Press just hard enough to get the leather stuck down, not too hard or the leather might stretch - which you do not want. Work from centre outwards, towards corners and edges 5. Allow the board / leather glue joint cure for at least 36 hours. 6. Draw the gaming area directly onto the leather using templates and a sharp pencil. You need 12 points down each side, separated into 6 + 6 with a 'doubling' bar in-between plus a bar between the opposing 6s 7. I use a wood carvers V chisel along with a guide to gouge out a V line between the points and the other leather. For backgammon points, make a small indentation at the apex of the point first, then the chisel will stop at it and not over run leaving you with a cut X at the apex. I use a steel ruler as guide and I do one line at a time, doing all lines which lie in one direction, then the other direction, I never do one full point, then the next etc. 8. I use regular alcohol based Fiebings dye to dye the points. I thin the dye 1:1 and use a small paint brush to apply the dye. Several coats are usually needed to build up colour depth. After application of the dye and a decent drying time ~ about 48 hours ~ I apply several coats of Resolene to the coloured points. Its up to you if you want to dye the doubling bar as well. I do it a 'natural' colour darker than the rest of the leather - next step 9. With the points done and dry I wipe on 'antique-ing' cream dye, then wipe off the excess, leaving antique in the V grooves. I leave this to dry for about 3 to 7 days. The antique finish gives the leather a nice toned colour. It is the favourite of my buyers; they don't like the too even coverage of dye. The resolene on the points protects their colour from the antique-ing. The same basic process for applying a dye 10. After the 3 to 7 days [7 days cos I just might forget about the board] I apply a beeswax-neatsfootoil mixture. Its a hard mix with carnauba wax in it. I apply this and heat melt it in then buff the leather up with a buffing brush and rag. Job done My son still plays chess regularly on a board I made him about 15 years ago
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I may have the pattern of a bag very similar to this in one of my ancient books. The bag in the link has tabs and Ds on the gussets for a shoulder strap. Also; just move the Ds on the back from low down to higher up for a hip-hugger shoulder strap. Leave off the big O ring on the top of the flap. There would be no need to change any part of the rest I reckon I could draw up a pattern for this in about 1 hour. But I ain't offering as I'm too busy with other stuff right now. Its a really basic simple classic design Edit, to say. There are some elements of that bag I do not like. 1. Riveting on the tabs & Ds on the gussets. Although rivets are strong I have found that riveting on in that way sooner or later leads to the tab ripping off, usually the rivets pulling thru the main gusset leather 2. None of the edges are beveled and smoothed. Something I always do. Beveling, smoothing and waxing/painting not only makes the bag nicer looking but it helps weather proof the bag; water can not soak in thru the raw edges 3. The use of the large O ring central top will put an undue stress on the centre of the top. Again sooner or later, the weight carried will cause the centre top to pull upwards. It would be better with the straps pulling on the outer support straps 4. The shortness and straight top edge of the gusset. This leaves a very large gap under the curve of the flap. This might be ok in dryer climates but in wetter [ie UK] and dustier environments it'll let in all sorts of things; rain, sand, dust, insects. To be more weather proof the gusset should have a taller semi-circular top for the flap to rest on. This bag is nothing more than a slightly different version of the traditional British school satchel. Once sold for use by every school child in the UK it is now sold in fancy colours as a fashion bag. Even then the price is about a 1/4 the price of this one
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wot he says. most excellent changes
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Vintage alphabet spots needed!!
fredk replied to ScottySpottyBelts's topic in Leatherwork Conversation
Money misunderstanding; I mean, the price is £5.90 for me but the Aus price worked out at about £4.75 - 20 % cheaper btw; thats for 8 sets of alphabets. At some time you may run short of vowels. The same seller sells individual letters. In one selection you can buy 30 off each of the letters; L O V E 30 x 1 letter = about £1.55. Another selection is F C U K https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30pcs-Metal-Alphabet-Letter-LOVE-Rivet-Spike-Stud-Spot-DIY-Rock-Punk-Accessories/401614477234?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170920101022%26meid%3D9952467bc97847ae8c6b42d26c3143e5%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D11%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D401613992501%26itm%3D401614477234&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109 -
another suggestion; use iron-on adhesive and put on a lining of silk. Anyone I know sensitive in that way is not with silk
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Vintage alphabet spots needed!!
fredk replied to ScottySpottyBelts's topic in Leatherwork Conversation
That was one of several links. One was priced in Aus money and was about 20% cheaper than £, but that one doesn't post to N.I. -
I got an effect similar, but not as artistic, as that by accident. I dipped dyed a coffee cup wrap, then later dipped it into a bath of resolene. When I took it out I noticed that the resolene had made the dye run, even though it had been dry for 3 days. I wiped the surface of the wrap with a cloth to take off the excess resolene and in doing so it spread the dye around much like in the above photo
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Wot he says. I've only used mine a few times but I've never got ridges and never had to apply any pressure; the roller just glided along