fredk

Those are most very excellent I mean this as a compliment; they look like they belong on the pages of 'Packing Iron'

I sketch out on paper, try it on paper then make the pattern template out of cereal box cardboard

On this, if you use something like a nail or nail setter to punch a few ragged edge holes in the spring steel strip they'll give the lead something to grip and the lead won't slide off. An old idea I used to do when making heavy lead sea-fishing weights

Someone else had a similar problem,. They posted up back in February Two people at different times & places (maybe, I guessing) using the same product have the same or similar problem I'd suggest that its the Antique paste at fault. Maybe some change in its formula Have you tried Tandy Eco-Flo Gel Antique?

I once worked with a chap who had lost 3 fingers on each hand. We called him Kevin

These are on hold pending collection

I think you have found the 'kings new clothes' syndrome with watch straps ALL the straps I've come across have been very stiff and uncomfortable to wear and they don't soften up. When enquiries were made the answers were " they are all like that, thats how they're supposed to be, no-one makes a 'soft' one because they're all supposed to be stiff" , et cetera, et cetera A watchband should be comfortable to wear. So comfortable that you forget you are wearing it. But just try finding one like that on the market Your nappa one looks fine to me. Wear it

I know all of these as lacing needles

You don't need, nor, afaik, can you get a chisel for making diamond shaped holes for lacing. The holes are straight sided rectangles I use my 'fid' to widen the the hole when a second lace has to come through. It doesn't cut the leather it just pushes through to make the hole wider, then I have to be quick to lace through as that hole closes up soon btw; I use 4mm chisels for 3mm/1/8 inch lace. The chisels punch a hole but do not remove leather. After lacing up, an easy tap with a mallet to flatten the lace and the tapping also closes up the holes more. I use 4mm not only just for the extra working clearance but I've bought '3mm' lace that was closer to 3.5mm, and 1/8 inch which as wider as well.

My use of lemon juice was taught to me by a top museum conservator at the RAF Cosford Museum. They use it on all the metals used in an aeroplane. Strength of solution dilution dependants on metal and amount of corrosion

Experience talking ?

You don't 'need' to buy a new tool for making a groove; your ruler and an old used up ball-point pen. A used up pen, no ink, press it hard and it will leave a fine groove for you to follow

9 hours ago fredk said afair, and I may be wrong, the political chat was supposed to be in a hidden section, just like the 'life style' leather section, and you were supposed to ask to be allowed into that section. However, it appears it didn't go that way. The 'permissions' doesn't seem to work properly. I've never asked to be allowed in to the 'life style' leather section but I see everything anyone posts in there

afair, and I may be wrong, the political chat was supposed to be in a hidden section, just like the 'life style' leather section, and you were supposed to ask to be allowed into that section. However, it appears it didn't go that way. The 'permissions' doesn't seem to work properly. I've never asked to be allowed in to the 'life style' leather section but I see everything anyone posts in there

1. If they are steel or iron, put them in a closed up bath of very strong lemon juice & water. Leave them for a couple of days, inspect, and renew the juice. Eventually the corrosion will be converted 2. once cleaned up you can give them a light coating of spray paint. You can get a spray-on zinc coating [at least you could]. Car restorers use it on steel/iron parts

The rotary knife is good for cutting any thin leather, up to even 4mm thick. It doesn't pull the leather so you get a nice straight cut the whole length

Try to get one of these rotary blade knives. They cut this type of leather much easier

Dye the edge and rub in plenty of bees wax

1. consistency; on the three large pocket wallet you have sewn over the edges of the pockets in three places but not the fourth 2. your thread looks to be a bit too big for your stitching holes 3. your thread looks very dry - did you wax it? and refresh the waxing as you sewed? 4. I suggest you make a stitching groove along the line of your sewing. It doesn't have to be cut into the leather, it can just be a pressed in groove 5. use a lightweight hammer or mallet and tap down all your stitching 6. your back-stitching at the ends needs working on. It looks too rough but I think that may be because of # 2 7. I suggest you put a circular hole in the apex of each corner so the sewing changes direction neater 8. On the two pocket wallet; have you sewn over the edges of the large pocket? afais it looks like you did on the top but not the bottom, back to # 1 9. you can use strong double-sided tape to hold plastic windows in place

I think that is actually two or three stamps Something like a 'Sunburst' 301 in the centre and a veiner 406 on the edge

Look further up the page; I posted a photo of plumbers aluminum heat proof tape. That's what I use. I stick that [its self sticky] on the inside of the wallet, on the outer piece, then cover it with very thin lining leather so it can't be seen, just for beauty looks

But it ain't a 'scam' if the customer specifies or asks for it. The last wallet I made for a guy he asked for the RFID protection and wanted me to show that it worked. I asked him if he thought he needed it and he was quite definite that he wanted it and said that he reckoned his cards had been skimmed and he'd lost about £5000 and didn't want it happening again.

Our cards and equipment must be very different. At one shop I frequent, their card reader is well behind a spit screen. I can wave my card at it from 6 inches away and it will read my card - I have measured the distance. At one place today my card was no closer than the width of my hand - about 4.5 inches - away from the shop reader and the payment was taken Also when testing the aluminium tape I mentioned above, I made several small card wallets of various thickness of leather, all them to hold more than one card. I used cloth, plastic and thin leather linings as well as no lining. The only time the card readers would not read any [I used several different payments cards] of my cards was when there was that aluminium tape between the card and the reader The risks are not 0 - they are low but the thieves in Belfast got several thousands of £££ from hundreds of shoppers. And unless the shopper really notices they don't contact their bank over £25 - they just think they've spent it somewhere. Slightly different - but I do know of several ladies who had debit cards cloned and small amounts taken from their accounts regularly, each lady believed they'd spent that money. It wasn't until the police contacted them about the cloned cards did they find out the truth. Even I had a card cloned and my wife thought I'd spent the money and I thought she had spent it. It was all small odd amounts that looked like small purchases. It was only when our bank fraud office contacted us we found out A PS. Here you can get a card reader which will take a payment from your card and puts it straight into a paypal account, so that simplifies the route the stolen money gets to the thieves

Not really a scam using blocking material Christmas before last N.I. police stopped some thieves using a store type card reader to get payments into their 'account' The thieves were doing 'sales' of about £25 a time - the card limit on contactless was £30 - and were simply going by womens' handbags in very busy & crowded shops. They passed the card reader over near the handbag and the reader took the money from the card. Police would not give full details, for obvious reasons but advised women to use a RFID card holder