fredk

Reading thru this and what Ed has added; we have very different sponge qualities between us. None of the various other sponges I've used has every broken up, flaked or gone hard with dye. I've been using the washing-up ones for several years now as they are handiest to get

I use the regular washing-up sponges available in multi-packs in normal supermarkets. I suppose Walmart would be to you what ASDA or Tesco is to us in the UK; cheap shopping prices. Sometimes I rip the green pot scrubber part off but mostly I just leave it on. Usually the sponge stays flexible even when the dye has dried on it. I tend to use a new sponge every dye session as they are so cheap. The sponges are about 3 inches x 2 inches x 3/4 inch; just the right size

A suggestion/idea to re-enforced the handle, especially at the top end. Undo the stitching of handle to Koozie. Make a piece of metal, preferably brass, or steel or aluminium, in a S shape turned sideways, long on the lower bit. It only needs to be about half the width of your handle. Slide the bottom of the S into the handle and catch the upper part under the stitching of handle to Koozie. This will take the upwards strain. The metal will resist and help keep the handle in the shape it is now. I had to do something along that line when re-enforcing some dagger scabbards which wanted to twist due the weight of the daggers. I used thick brass sheet sandwiched in the leather.

You'll need an insulation layer between the leather and the metal handle. Something like wood. The constant regular heating of the leather will lead it to dry out, shrink and crack

Very nice work again whatsyournameagain I'm kinda a worried about the attachment and form of the handle. Is it riveted on? The handle sits nice now but after a bit of time that top curvy bit will bend upwards, caused by the weight. Without a re-enforcement inside it I think that curved handle will straighten out when the top joint bends upwards

Two ideas; 1. use a sharpening stone and file to reduce the size of an awl bald to the necessary size 2. mount a glovers needle in a handle and us it as awl

Thats one way. After your suggestion I was thinking of glass bowls and such. Let the HDPE set and prise it out. Use it to mould over or use it as a male form to push the leather into the glass container. Someone (I can't remember who) posted on here; he used two glass bowls to mould, pushing the leather into the larger with the smaller bowl. But if you only have the one bowl?

A. Data sheets on materials are a world wide requirement; but often only available from the manufacturer, rarely does a on-wards seller have them, but many do. Email or write to the manufacturer directly. Failing that; In N.I. we have a Health & Safety Executive Office, if you have something similar in your local town hall they can obtain the necessary data sheet. Anything marked Toxic must have a data sheet available to anyone who asks and in most cases it must be provided within 3 to 6 hours of asking B. 'Acrylic' refers to the resin. The carrier for the resin can be water, alcohol or cellulose. A mask should be worn whilst spraying any of these as the acrylic resin hardens to a sold when in the lungs. A strong smell on this might indicate its cellulose carrier based. Brushing on, sponging on or dipping, only good protective gloves need wearing. The fumes do not carry the resin C. When the acrylic resin is set and hardened it is an inert plastic; not toxic at all

What is your thinking on this? I find the question rather vague

The customer is always right, even when he's wrong. If he insists on snaps at least discuss the pros & con of snaps versus Chicago screws

What size are you looking? I got a 1cm x 1cm Bw stamp from this ebay seller https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/013-19-Quadratic-Basket-Handmade-Brass-Leather-Stamp-collectibiles/142892490974?hash=item21450e60de:g:V5UAAOSwwbdWQhwn BiN; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/013-19-Quadratic-Basket-Handmade-Brass-Leather-Stamp-collectibiles/132707077572?hash=item1ee5f54dc4:g:V5UAAOSwwbdWQhwn Good quality, it arrived in about 4 days from him. This design is so simple one could cut it with a dremel type drill and a file

Thank you for the answer. 8 oz is indeed quite heavy/thick. I suppose I would have used about 5 oz / 2.2mm

thats well tidy mun edit; PS. What weight/thickness of leather did you use?

Science lessons time. Leather is made of lots of fibres, criss-crossing every which way. There are packed together in layers, looser on the flesh side getting tighter on the grain side. When you apply dye the dye attaches to the surface of the individual fibres. Dye applied to the flesh side soaks in quickly as it can penetrate the gaps between the fibres; put enough on and it'll dye the grain side eventually. The compactness of the fibres on the grain side doesn't leave any space for the dye to run into. Wetting or dampening the leather opens up the fibre structure and allows the dye to flow. 'Acylic' is used as short hand for the dyes or sealant. The colour or sealer is an acrylic resin in a carrier, usually for us its either alcohol or water. When the carrier evaporates off the resin hardens. There is actually very little resin in the mix. After dyeing, when we put on thinned coats of acrylic sealer, it attaches to the fibres like the dye and hopefully it locks the dye onto the fibres. But there is still gaps between the fibres. Room enough for beeswax and neetsfoot oil mix to be rubbed it. Putting on the BwNFO first I think fills in too much of the gaps not allowing the acrylic sealer to get to the fibres Did you do science at school? Did a teacher ever do the 'Is the bucket full' bit? First he puts a load of golf balls into bucket. Is it full ? Yes we say, Then he pours a load of ball bearings into the bucket. These fill the gaps. Is it full? Yes. Then he pours in a load of sand, which fills more spaces. Is it full? Yes. Then he pours in water till its up to the brim. Is it full now ? he asks .....um, not sure now. Thus with leather; theres lots of room for more liquids to be added.

I would suggest they are cutting it to get the sizes people want to buy A shoulder needs cut in two if you want to buy a half-shoulder, a whole hide needs cut in two if someone wants a side

Just a couple of weeks ago I ordered a new 'maker' stamp from a seller in China, via ebay. Ordered it with another special stamp. The 'maker' stamp I ordered was an oval design, 3cm in width by what-ever high it cost me £14.99 inc s/h. It took all of 10 days from placing order till it dropped thru my letterbox. The other stamp was 6cm wide, it cost £24.99 inc. I've only ever got binary stamps made by the Chinese sellers. I don't think they can cut shaded types.

I do it other way round; I seal with some coats of diluted resolene then burnish in a beeswax/neetsfoot oil mixture

You need something of interest in that patch of green meadow Divide your image into 9 spaces; two lines vertical at equal spacing and two across at equal spacing. This'll give you a grid to work on 'the rule of thirds' for image composition. Items of interest should lie on or about the intersection of the thirds. Also draw a triangle from the rider to the cabin to ??? and then back to the rider - you have no dynamic triangle as you do not have that third point of the triangle - something in that meadow will complete the triangle - somewhere about the third/fourth fence post from the right and just a bit below where the post goes into the ground

I use both on the same items. I've never heard those reasons you quote. I wouldn't agree with any of them

Not leather work - its about chocolate. In short the story proves how hard it is to 'trademark' [or 'copyright'] a shape. The maker of KitKat has not proven its ' distinctiveness' against rivals' similar bars https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44939819

I get mine directly from sellers in China/Hong Kong/Malaysia via ebay. Price about £1.60 per 10, cheaper in bigger orders. They are better too I think as the shank is parallel and not tapered

If its acrylic, try thinning it a bit with a floor 'polish' sometimes called Klear or Future or 'Pledge with Future Shine' [it has many, many names]. Its actually not a polish but a quick drying acrylic varnish. Its very thin, almost as thin as water. I use it to thin acrylic paints and it speeds up drying time

I'll throw in my $2 worth [inflation!] Your Leather work is a craft, but not just any craft. Its a skilled job. Where you live people will always need horse harness and chaps and the other items made of leather. Those people will also need car mechanics, electricians, butchers; your leatherwork is no less than one of those occupations As long as you can read, write, do maths, communicate properly, you'll never starve knowing how to make good things in leather. I once knew a chap who traveled the world. He knew two things; how to teach English and how to play a guitar. Thats all he took with him. Traveled the world for 8 years just doing one or the other. He never starved

sheesh, you do powerful good work. You have real talent for this leatherwork thing

way to go!! Feels good, don't it?