Jump to content

fredk

Contributing Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5,601

  • Joined

 Content Type 

Everything posted by fredk

  1. fredk
    I get my leather from Leprevo in Newcastle, north England. They might send to you. In theory there should not be any customs charges as we are both in the EU [still] I just tell Leprevo what I want, what I need it for and leave it to them; they've never let me down in 17 years of buying from them Send them an enquiry, it can do no harm. http://www.leprevo.co.uk/ PS; they are far, far way cheaper than Tandy for leather
  2. fredk
    I too use the wooden Tandy strap cutter. I just never trust the measurement gauge printed on it, its not accurate at all. For buckle straps I cut a bit of card to fit thru the buckle and use that to set the strap cutter
  3. fredk
  4. fredk
    Better apart and dull then still stuck together and unuseable. A good coating of a beeswax polish will bring the shine back up
  5. fredk
    What about trying a soaking? not just a wetting but a real immersion in water for a period?
  6. fredk

    SLIDES

    fredk replied to SoTX's topic in Braiding

    The OP says he makes em; they're scarf slides SoTX; never seen any book or nuffin on making these or anything like them. Looks like you may be a leader on that. Does look like thinner leather might be the way to go tho
  7. fredk
    I would draw/mark just a guide line, then stamp the design along it then go over the guide line, cutting or stamping it wide enough to cover up any overlap. Or if the fancy stamp is cheap enough and I was going to use it a lot I'd buy another and file its corners off to suit the curves just my $1 dollar [inflation] worth
  8. fredk
    Nerver, ever 'bin' an item that hasn't turned out how you expected it to Someone else will think its great and pay decent money for it. If you have a 'bin' of rejects, failures or second-quality its not good publicity for your other work I find finishing of leather products is like art; there are no failures, just things don't turn out how it was expected to I think that holster has a certain antique & used look to it
  9. fredk
    I haven't but a client did. He showed me what a really nice shine he got. A week later he was back; the wax had dried out and was flaking off making his item look like it was falling apart. It took me ages to remove that wax and refinish the item. Turtle wax is not meant to be used on anything flexible, just unbendable surfaces like the hood or trunk lid of a car
  10. fredk
    I agree, it looks like upholstery leather Easy test; take a small cutting, use a match/lighter/candle to set fire to it - if it smells like burnt flesh you have leather, if it starts burning and giving off black smoke with small black sooty bits you have PULeather
  11. fredk
    As above; quality zippers last better than cheap ones whether they be plastic, aluminium or brass. However, in damp or wet environments the aluminium one will corrode faster and seize up sooner.eg, a case for a fishing reel; use plastic or brass for quality, but not aluminium
  12. fredk
    I bought a set of these; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172479859661?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Not used them yet but I reckon they might come in handy. As they come they're ok sharp Also bought a few of these; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-Half-Round-Belt-Strap-End-Punch-Wallet-Cutter-Tool-Leather-Craft-10-45MM-/391213513381?var=&hash=item0 They need a good sharpening when they come [how do I get rid of this double spacing of lines??]
  13. fredk
    I'm watching from the bleachers
  14. fredk
    I always skive a short length, just like the buckle end of a belt; from where the end would attach thru to the end of the strap
  15. fredk
    I used an angle-grinder to cut a large circle hole punch down to an arc
  16. fredk
    I'd go for the hard copy. If like me, you'll print out every page, put them into slip-pages then a file, by the time you've added in those extras and the time to do it you'd be better off just getting the hard copy. Plus [not with Tandy] with some scanned books they weren't scanned properly, missing out lines, compressing paragraphs into a few squashed squggly lines.....
  17. fredk
    What about a clothes storage bag and a vac? The clothes bag already has a vac connection and is of thicker material. Local shop to me sells clothes vac storage bags in various sizes for £1 [US$1.50?] for one or two - depending on size What would you use it for in leather working?
  18. fredk
    What about ye? Hi from me too
  19. fredk
    The press I thought of using is no longer available so that idea will have to go on the back burner
  20. fredk
    Try deglazer. I had a bit of leather that wouldn't take dye evenly; deglazer didn't make much difference so I used cellulose thinners [aka lacquer thinners to you maybe] to clean it, that did the job well, but it also took oils out of the leather, but that didn't matter too much as I just used beeswax/neetsfoot mix on it to replace the oils. For some things I brush Resolene on. Its a 1:1 mix with water. I get small air bubbles but I don't let them dry, I just keep brushing over them till they are gone.
  21. fredk
    Most excellent, very nice indeedy Better taking time and doing neat work than trying to rush it.
  22. fredk
    The bubbles will pop but leave minute circular marks looking like tiny holes.
  23. fredk
    I like it, but I'm not sure just when I could use it
  24. fredk
    I use Fiebling's Deglazer. Sometimes, very rarely, I use lacquer thinners
  25. fredk
    I either dip or use a sponge for dye. A sponge for neetsfoot. Sponges are the cheap washing-up ones 10 for 99p [10 for $1 to you] For buffing; As Mattsbagger, bits of old teeshirts or cotton rag I get from a car finisher supplier. All disposed of after a project is done. Only one not thrown away too often is my rag block for applying beeswax/neetsfoot polish finish on.
×
×
  • Create New...