fredk

Interesting I just use thick thread for heavy duty, thin thread for light duty. I've never even thought about the thread strength Considering that tent and tilt and truck curtain makers use a double run of stitching and their thread doesn't look overly thick I reckon you could use two stitching runs. Spaced well apart and maybe with the sewing holes staggered, and maybe threads of different colours?

Here is a pixie of some of my stock. You reminded me that I have them and I had started to paint the pink ones and I think I actually paid slightly more for per 6 than you did for 10 The ebay seller I got them from has about 6 or 8 trading names on ebay and even tho I bought about 50 or so of these and the deal was fine he has me blocked from buying again. But my ex buys for me and gets them sent to her address and forwards them on to moi

I used to get them from a chinaman seller on ebay. Last lot I bought were about the same price you paid

Fast drying; I have three things which I use, a, as others a hairdryer, b. a small air-blow room heater, usually used either on cold or only the lowest of warm heat, c. I have a spare car in my driveway. I put items in it. Even on a cloudy day it gets very warm inside it and really speeds up drying Average humidity here runs at 88 - 90% all year round so I often need that car

Can you still buy the books which list brands? A copy would be handy for when we add some brands to our leather for that 'unique' look, I mean, like, one brand per hide ain't enuf, we need more

Have you back-flushed it regularly?

If your extra holes are bigger that 2mm, get two of the hole punches and wrap duct tape around them. Start the punching with double holes, then singles, using the last hole made to put one of the punches in to keep the spacing

Sounds like a bit of cattle rustling went on

I used to get that mis-alignment problem with pre punched holes when I first made these; Problem solved by punching holes along outside edge of the front and back pieces but punching only one hole in each edge of the gusset, at centre bottom, for parts alignment, then using either double-sided tape or glue to hold the gusset in place and making sewing holes by using an awl, a few holes at a time, sewing up, then more holes and so on

Its because you have two circles of different diameters

oh no? At one time I used to make shoulder bags out of upholstery leather. I'd bought several Kgs of it as off-cuts Anyway, a woman asked me to make a shoulder bag for her. I rootled through my stock looking for some nice stuff when she spotted a nice coloured piece with a large scar on it, The scar was about 6 inches long with a real ugly edge to it. She wanted that piece as the front of the bag. After finding out what it was, in her opinion, 1. it was unique, and 2. only real leather would have it

Could I have the stencils please?

Actually, I find I'm using a quality handle with 18mm snap-off blades much more

similar, but I don't like a retractable blade and my main knife is a 'carpet fitters' version shape; the middle one and for roughing out I use a hook blade in it;

A. inform local trading standards offices of your concerns. I'm thinking that most places have such located at, in or near the local town hall B. Many years ago now, about 15, I was in touch with my TSO;, In the EU 'Leather' is no longer just the material made from the skins of animals, its just a describer. In the same way 'cloth' can be used for wool, cotton, silk

deviation; I think the very dangerous thing I/we used to do as youngster would be called a 'mortar' Here, the real fireworks had long fuzes, which gave you 20 to 30 seconds to do anything.We got a length of plastic water pipe. Stuffed a 'sky rocket' firework down it. On top of that we put a paper cup or paper cone filled with fire-crackers. We lit the fuzes on the fire-crackers or other small fireworks. Then one of held the pipe as another lit the fuze on the sky-rocket. The tube was hastily shoved into a bucket of sand or soil, at an angle off from vertical but close to. The sky-rocket fuze had been cut short so it would go off well before the fire-crackers. If all worked well the skyrocket launched taking the paper cup up and as it exploded it sent the fire-crackers flying out, and then they went off, whirling and twisting as each section exploded. Sometimes, one of us (usually me) had to hold the bottom of the pipe to stop it falling over, and sometimes (a lot of times, ) the fireworks didn't go skywards but dropped on to somebody's house roof PS. as my friends knew I was from Chicago they gave me the nickname 'Chicargo Chuck-a-boom'

Years ago I came across a craftsman, who I knew casually, at an out door craft fair. His specialty was/is high quality wood turned items and other wood work using extremely very nice woods He had printed signs on groups of his items. But he had one price sign that said £2000. He placed it randomly on his wares. As I watched I saw the sign working for him Like this; 'Is that really the price?' 'yes it is' 'What, £2000 for that ?' My friend lifts the price sign, turns it round, looks at it and says 'oops, thats in the wrong place. Those are only £x each' 'oh, thats better, Can I have that one with the dark & light wood?' My friend then tells the buyer what woods they are, how to look after it, then throws in foc a small tin of special wood polish See, psychology, the customer is drawn by the £2000 price sign and even when buying at the lower true price in the back of their mind is the thought they got a big discount bargain, £x instead of £2000

If the case is made tight to the battery, the thick leather and straps underneath should be sufficient to prevent any 'sag', (imo)

Spoiler! No Way Hose-A. I need to see if he has clean hands earlier as well Actually, yes. Western dentists, as well as English Victorian era dentists were good. Dentures were made of real human teeth, either from cadavers or from donations. As early as Roman times soldiers had a good a side-earner taking teeth from the battle dead and even from prisoners and selling them to denture makers. There was little wrong with most teeth in Victorian times, Very little sugar in the diet. Almost, the poorer you were the better your teeth were. Unlike today And you didn't want to complain about their dental work on you, especially to a certain one! PS. Notice the guns? afair, just right for the period, Due to Clint. He is what is commonly called a 'history buff' He has always insisted that things are correct for the period in his films. Even to having an exactly correct copy of a newspaper in one of his films. Its seen on a table for about 1/2 second, but it is period correct

Now I'm gonna have to watch that whole film again to find that!

As you would be aware; piles of horse manure & waste hay can start burning in its depth. If not noticed and dealt with this fire can build and explode outwards setting fire to hay bales and buildings. I once had the winter supply of coal and logs start burning in its depth. This pile was right up against the oil tank which held 1000 litres of heating oil. The tank was plastic. My father did a lot of wood-turning and he often had the waste start burning as he worked

a diversion, a wee story. When I did freelance photogs & journ, when doing groups of people I use to get one of them to write down everyone's name because we have so many weirdly spelled Oirish names. After getting the list I was checking them over with the person who got them and wrote them down for me. When I got to one name she says 'thats me'. I says, 'you spell your name with a (x)'. 'No!' she says,' thats wrong'. 'But its your name and you wrote it down' says I. (pause) then she says 'I'm so used to other people mis-spelling my name I mis-spelt it too!' I once did a book cover thingy. Wrong spelling of name. I did the name on another scrap piece of leather, fancied it up then glued and riveted it over the mis-spelt name. Job was a good un, person thought it was 'really nice' ! A very handy way of covering up those wee mistakes