fredk

I prefer a full hide, or full half. As I make small goods I can get useable pieces out of the naturally squiggly belly edge or the sticky out bit where the legs were White, bright yellow, bright blue, bright green, bright red, bright orange in various thicknesses, from 1mm (2 oz?) mm to 4mm (10 oz?) mostly and did I mention WHITE I have an old order to recover car steering wheels. The customer would like to have them done in bright coloured leather. I've been sitting on that order since 2014 now. I think he has 350 to 400 steering wheels he wants me to do but I just cannot get the bright coloured leather in pre-dyed veg tan. When I try to dye it always turns out very dark

there speaks experience edit; I've just asked for some of this thread chat to be separated off as it has drifted so far from the OP's question

You can get filament and liquid resin printers. I have a resin printer. The resin costs about $25 for a 1kg bottle This figure is 28mm tall. It used 5p of resin, about 6c? Even if the whole bottle of resin were to be used that would be $25 or £30 (resin is dearer here). But at a guestimate only about 1/3 of a bottle would be used. The main price is in the scanning and making the computer file Doc says a blue gun is $50. Bunkhouse Tools sells resin cast SAA type guns for $36 - https://bunkhousetools.com/shop-1/ols/products/colt-xn-45-sa-5-1-2-barrel-xs9j It would cost another $30 to ship it to me if I wanted one Once you have the printer file you can print off as many copies as you want. You could sell surplus copies. (And within the computer file you can resize the object)

search out, if you can, people who do 3D printing. They operate places called 'workerspaces' or similar. They can 3D scan a gun and print it out in plastic. There are local restrictions tho You really don't want to use 'foundry' type moulding with an original gun. I used to that on a small scale to make car badges and such. You use 'oil sand' to make the mould, but that can get into the gun mechanisms which I think, unless absolutely & fully cleaned out might damage the mechanism

The easiest sewing machine in the world to larn on - you and

Hand sew the second time?

mmm, might be a way to get rid of that body I have in the freezer. . . . . .

or a blue plastic gun, but the holster still needs to be sewn up tight firstly

I think the bit you are missing is that its usual to sew closed a gun holster then wet mould it for a tight fit

Do it your normal way, but use a waste/slave* thread, then after its dyed, undo the thread and restitch with a better thread of the colour you want * in the vintage car world when we use something for temporary and its to be changed for a permanent item its called a 'slave' eg, we use spare wheels with bad tyres on them for moving the car around or when spray painting the car, those are 'slave' wheels, to be replaced with the better ones later

I noticed that the unusually strong sun light we have had here recently was bleaching my favourite black hat. Its my favourite hat right now because its the only wearable one I have right now. Also, with it getting soaked in the rain down pours we have had and its fast drying in the sun it was getting drying stains. So what to do? What any leather crafter would do. I got out a bottle of thinned black resolene and sponge applied that over all. Result! My hat be black again And to celebrate; remember its the LAW that your turn this up to 11! One of the greatest pieces of all time by one of the greatest bands of all time!!

I'm interested in some of the skins, but maybe not all. I need to workout a price to offer you. I want to give you a fair price for them (this my 4.444 recorded posting! )

I'll look into that

Skive first. If the edge is still too thick for your liking, very lightly skive the lining leather a wee bit. Goes against the 'rules' but that skived edge will be hidden by the sewing

I meant, if you go through a metal detector at a government building or an airport the lead will block and the security staff there will want to know what the lead is hiding

you can buy sheets of extremely thin self-adhesive lead. Its meant for fly-making for fly fishing*. But, 1. its expensive for all you get 2. its much heavier than the aluminium tape, 3. if you go through a metal detector / scanner it will block that and you'll be pulled and searched * who fishes for flies?

There has been a great increase in 'creeper' car thefts in the UK. N.I. is seeing the biggest increase. Several expensive cars just last week. It targets 'key-less' cars. In a 'creeper' theft the thief uses a special scanner reader to read the details of your electronic car 'key'. They can do it from up to 30ft from your key. Then they transfer the information to another device with which they can open your car and start it and drive away. All this inside about 3 minutes. The technology these thieves use is the same as used for reading debit or credit cards, oe even bus passes

People still get eaten by snakes in those regions

The aluminium tape works, why look for an alternative? Why should it not work long term? There is no 'wear & tear' on its blocking I made a simple card case as tester. The case held four cards. I put a piece of the adhesive aluminium tape on the inside side of each outer cover. Each piece was slightly larger than the cards. I covered that with thin cloth and sewed it up. No card reader could read any of the cards in the case.

Of course. They can come from almost anywhere. I was just thinking of the most likely places within the British Empire they might be brought in from. Back then the British did buy a lot of corned beef from South America I was just thinking; the snake skins could be brought in fresh; Capture your snake, starve it until just before shipping, then feed it a goat. The snake will become docile and the goat will last it for a few weeks, long enough to ship it in a crate from India, South America or wherever.

Good photo, thanks Can any of our experts perhaps identify the species? I recon these would have come from either India or Africa. India most likely

I use plumbers' aluminium tape. A roll of about 45mm x 45m costs, generally, under £/$5, Wider widths and longer rolls are available but I find 45mm wide suitable. I've tested it and it works well, it blocks even sensitive card readers from reading cards right up to touching them. And a roll will last you a lot of card holders or wallets. Its very thin and self-adhesive. Just stick it on one or both pieces of leather forming the card pocket and cover with a thin piece of cloth lining material

My turn; the holster is partly sewn to the back piece, just about where it will be folded over, then after the holster is folded over and shaped it is sewn to the back piece at the same time it is sewn closed Is there a prize for the best guess?

@Handstitched as far as I know Newcastle Brown is still available. I think I saw some in the alcohol beverage section of a supermarket. Its not one I buy. I'll check for it tomorrow

Slightly OT, but anyone remember this? A summer-time challenge; make one and see how far you can launch a small pebble