CitizenKate

I thought you were going to end that with, "...and it's all music to my ears!" Kate

...and younger than we will be, so enjoy it while you can! Sorry, I'm not much of a poet - ha! Happy Birthday, Ken! Kate

Sometimes less is more, knowhutImean? Nice clean look. You really know how to bring out that rich, natural texture of the leather. Kate

It's kinda funny to see who-all shows up to view the topic when someone includes the word TOOLS in it! Kate

Ooooooo... ouch! Kate

Hmmn... not quite what I intended to say. Where I grew up, we referred to youngsters as pufters. Sorry if I offended anyone. Kate

I like Grey Ghost, too. I've gotten 3 stamps from him, so far, and the quality and service are top notch. Kate

I like how you did the colors on this! Either I can't see the scuff marks, or I can't distinguish them from the glare from the lighting. Either way... if you happen to have a sprayer, you can touch up the finish with a light spray of 'shene, which should fill in the scratches without disturbing the surrounding area, then after it dries good, buff it to blend it in with the surrounding area. I fear that wiping on more 'shene may create more flaws in the surrounding area. Others may have some ideas about this as well. Kate

This item has been sold. Thanks, Kate

Ah, wadda ya talkin' about? He ain't even 50 yet. Still just a pufter. Nevertheless, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Kate

Cool! I haven't seen this before. Thanks for sharing! Kate

Slightly over 31,000, to be more precise. Kate

What a cute couple! Pat, another thing you might consider is letting him pull the smaller dog in a little cart, in which case you could make a harness and some reigns. A 140 lb dog, on average, could pull over 400 lbs on level terrain (assuming he's healthy, and takes to it), which means he could quite easily pull a people cart. You can see lots of great videos of dog carting activity from this site: http://dogdrivingflix.magnify.net/watch/ This is my favorite: http://dogdrivingflix.magnify.net/video/Ji...Tom-driving-duo Kate

I guess that's my cue to get back to work on the wiki engine. Kate

It will be shipped from Kansas in a regular package. It doesn't weigh much, but I'll get the actual shipping weight and post it later today. Kate

I'm upgrading to a bigger splitter, and this little fella needs a new home! (Don't worry, I don't treat my pets this way!) I bought this 4" bench splitter new a couple of years ago on sale for around $99. It's got some dust on it, but otherwise is in very good condition, and has many years of good life left in it. Nowadays, you can get them new for around $180. I'm offering it used for $75. This splitter is obviously not a high-end machine, but it will split most brands of veg-tan and some softer leathers. The blade needs to be stropped and/or sharpened frequently for best results. If interested, send me a PM. Kate

Why not just use the [upload] button to upload them into your post instead? Just a thought... Kate

Hi, John. Glad you've joined us! My advice is, start with what you feel most passionate about doing. There will be some trial and error involved. But we will be glad to help you along your journey to creating what you envision. And be happy to chat about the kids, the in-laws, and local weather conditions along the way. Pull up a seat! Kate

Wow, haven't seen you in quite a while, Jim. Nice work! Good to see you're still at it! Kate

That's right, only this stuff is a much finer grit than the stuff you use in a regular sand blaster. It is referred to as "air eraser compound". One of the first things I did after I bought the tool was to go online and find out where I could get more of the compound (powder) that is made to be used with this tool. Unfortunately, HF doesn't seem to carry it separately. But I was happy to know it can be purchased in 6oz or 5lb containers at Dixie Art, which is where I also buy my airbrush parts and supplies. You can probably also get it just about any place that sells airbrush stuff. Kate

Great post, guys! Really enjoyed reading about your trip and seeing the photos. Kate

It comes packaged with an aluminum oxide compound, which is a fast-cutting abrasive. I've found a few places to get more of the stuff. They simply label them as "slow", "medium" or "fast" cut abrasives, but don't specify the exact compound that is used for each. Kate

The coloring was done with water-based dyes mixed to approximate the golden brown hue of the upholstery leather. It was antiqued with a 50/50 mixture of Tan Kote and All-in-One, then sealed with a wax finish. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I use All-in-One, because I always assumed it was more for beginners. (I.e., You're making a trade-off between quality results and ease-of-use.) In fact, I originally bought it to use for teaching purposes. Used by itself, it's okay. You can get by without any additional finishes or sealers if the article doesn't get much exposure to the elements. But mixed with the Tan-Kote, it produces a much richer, mellower finish, the finish is more stable, and it's a very workable antique agent. Wax finishes are great with water-based dyes. They don't lift any color out during application, and once cured, they really do a good job of protecting the colors from moisture and other elements. Yes, I had thought about that. I figured the only way to really find out if it's going to be a problem is to do some beta testing (to borrow an IT term) of the design, in other words, try it out and see if any issues arise with the buckle. If so, I suppose I could go to a leather-covered buckle, or just experiment with other types of closures (which I will probably do anyway). I have a couple of pretty nice guitars, so it wouldn't take much to convince me. Glad you like it, and thanks for the feedback. Kate

I've been working on several new guitar strap designs. This one has a kind of western style to it, and I kinda like how the look of it turned out, although I'm still making tweaks in the construction design. This one is adjusted with a second strap attached with a belt buckle, rather than the slip-through strap that is typical. The buckle goes in back. The shoulder portion is padded with cotton batting, and lined with soft upholstery leather. Very comfortable! The billets are lined with calf skin. Kate

I have one, and I really like the way he presents the scroll design process. It can be applied to various other styles of scroll work as well. Kate