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CitizenKate

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Everything posted by CitizenKate

  1. I love your posts, and your designs, Johan. Both are very imaginative. Can't wait to see the results. Kate
  2. And another one from... Kansas??? Well, I'm not from where you're from, but glad you're here, anyway! Kate
  3. CitizenKate

    1st post

    Come on in, Chris, and have a seat at the work table. Glad you could join us! Leather scraps over there <-----... The coffee is over there. ---> (Johanna makes it extra bold.) Sorry, the donuts are all gone, but Clay will bring more in the morning. Feel free to ask questions and share your ideas, and don't forget to post images of your work. Kate
  4. Agreed... Any discussion we have about tool quality or specialized gadgets for leatherwork should be kept in perspective of these other factors, such as the experience, skill, and budget of the person buying the tools. Despite what I have observed, I still believe Craftools and the other mass-produced, entry-level tools, are the best tools for beginners to start out with. Experience and skill will make the biggest difference in the quality of one's work. A higher-quality tool will make a difference, in my opinion, but only once the person using it has already developed the skill and discernment to leverage that quality. Kate
  5. Whether it works out for your situation or not, no worries either way... just thought I'd throw it out there. Kate
  6. He's got it bad. Tsk! Kate PS: Join the crowd!
  7. I've got a bench-mount stitching clamp that isn't as expensive as a stitching horse. You can take a look at where I posted it for sale in the Marketplace here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=6380. Kate
  8. Hmmm... that's an interesting point. I've been shopping around for tools and machines I can use to try to make some of my own stamps, and this sounds like a good way to start experimenting. Thanks for the tip! Kate
  9. That looks cool! But pardon my ignorance... I've seen the "bio" style of art when perusing tattoo flash, but what does "bio" represent? (Hope I don't regret asking... ) Kate
  10. Hopefully someone from Tandy who knows what is in the works will see this and address it. I am sad to say, I have seen a noticeable decline in the quality of stamps from Tandy just in the last 5 years. I have bought several extra copies of stamps I already have for teaching classes, and they are quite different from the ones I bought only a few years ago. But I have heard hopeful rumors that they are re-making the patterns from which the stamps are made. I would be especially encouraged if they were looking for ways (since these are mass-produced, not handmade) to apply more modern CNC milling techniques to make them. Kate
  11. Marcel, what type of dye was used on this strap? The reason I ask is, when I use spirit-based dyes, I always treat the leather with a conditioner after applying the dye, because the alcohol really strips the leather severely. Lexol is the one I use, but there are many other great products out there made for conditioning leather. Kate
  12. Nice! I really like how you have built separate stations for each task - tooling, cutting, stitching, setting fasteners, etc. That is what I hope to achieve the next time I remodel. That way, you can have numerous projects going at the same time, and don't have to keep setting up and tearing down the setup on a single workbench for each task. Kate
  13. Better yet, don't spray anything without either a spray booth or a respirator and good ventilation. But I will agree that spraying it is a great solution. If you have to do this often, you will save lots of buckazoids by getting a $12 single-action sprayer. Kate
  14. My usual method of cutting a circle (like for a coaster) is to use a pair of dividers to scribe the circle into the leather, then cut it out in one pass with a heavy-duty Xacto knife. If the knife is kept sharp, it will cut easily through fairly heavy leather in one pass. To keep the dividers from poking a hole in the center of the circle, I use another small bit of leather to protect the piece I'm cutting on. Some people will advocate the use of a round knife - that is probably better if you have one and know how to use it safely. If you don't mind a hole in the center, you can cut a perfect circle by nailing down a piece of leather, poking your knife through the leather at the desired radius, then just turn the leather while holding the blade stationary. When the leather has turned 360 deg., you have a perfectly cut circle. If all else fails, and you plan to cut a lot of circles, you can have a cutting die made. A die as simple as this can be made fairly inexpensively. If you don't have a press, you can just tap the die into the leather to cut the part with a mallet. Kate
  15. Yeah, it's called fudging. LOL Most border impressions can be tiled a little tighter or a little looser with no significant disruption of the pattern. So, a few or several impressions before you get to the end of the circle, lay out the last few impressions without actually making them to see where the last one ends up relative to the first one. If the last one looks like it overlaps a little with the first one, tile the rest of the impressions just a little tighter. If there ends up being a gap between the first and last one, tile the last few impressions just a little looser. Kate
  16. I'm sure you'll get a lot of different responses to your question. There are several people here who have developed methods of achieving that look. One way I use is to just antique the piece without resist, and in some cases, enhance the aged look by shading the edges with dye. This can be done either with an airbrush, or you can just rub the dye around the edges with a soft cloth. Kate
  17. Way to go, MacGyver! That's pretty clever. Kate
  18. It's a free country, my friend. If you don't want it, don't buy it. Kate
  19. Might be easier just to sit on a chair or stool whose height is adjustable. Kate
  20. I think I know what the problem is, if you're using the same type of setter I am (I'll post some photos when I get a chance). The post of the female half has to be really flat after being set, or the two halves don't snap together very easily. So what I do, after setting the post on the female half, I turn the setter over and tap on it again with the flat side of the setter. This makes it nice and flat, and the snap works a lot better. Kate
  21. With single-action spraying, the spray is usually a pretty wide pattern and is either on or off. It can be adjusted, but you have to stop spraying to make the adjustment. With dual-action spraying, you can make gradual adjustments to the width and intensity of the spray, as you spray. Hope that made sense... Kate
  22. Back in September, I posted a photo of this stitching clamp design I came up with a few years ago, along with instructions on how to make one. (View the topic here.) For those of you who aren't into woodworking, I decided to make up a few to sell. These are just like the one I've used for years, only smaller, and this time I actually took the time to sand and finish the wood. I also added extra leather on the inside of the jaws, and came up with a better way to mount it on the edge of a workbench or table. Features: - Holds projects up to 18"; total length, 24" (PM me if you're interested in a larger size; I will be making larger ones.) - Jaws are solid oak - Clamps are padded with soft upholstery leather to protect your project - Jaws are beveled to provide easy access to your work - No need to move your work every few inches of stitching - Can be temporarily mounted, then put way when not in use, or permanently mounted using included fasteners - Very small space requirements - Much less expensive than a stitching horse Introductory price: $55 + shipping Send me a PM if you're interested. Front: Back: Mounted, holding work (bolts can be inserted the other way, if desired): Kate
  23. I've always loved the imaginative stamping patterns that Allan has designed, and I always look for his work at exhibits. Great article! Kate
  24. I can't even think of a superlative that is adequate for this! How about... IMPRESSIVE! The characters you have created with the leather costumes, and wow, the makeup! are incredibly realistic-looking. As convincing as any fantasy character could be, anyway. Hope you keep posting your work. Kate
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