CitizenKate

To begin with, what sorts of projects are you interested in doing? Kate

It's global... *sigh* When I was a kid, they didn't haul out the Christmas junk until just after Thanksgiving. Then one year we noticed they were starting to set it out after Halloween. We were joking, "before you know it, they'll be putting that stuff out in August!" Har-har! Well, guess what, boys and girls? This August I stepped into my local Hobby Lobby, and a full one-quarter of the store was arrayed with Christmas merchandise! I was disgusted. I thought, "Greedy retailers, trying to make Christmas run the year 'round. Shame on them") But then I asked the cashier if any of it was selling. She said, "Yeah, a lot of people are buying ornaments, already." Therein lies the problem, my friends. Kate [whistling "Jingle Bell Rock" ]

Oh for cryin' out loud... the reason I hate that thing is because I'm a lefty. It's made to be used right-handed. My right hand, although it can do some things as well as (or better than) my left, it struggles with pulling a groover smoothly around an edge. If only they would make a right-handed version of the blade... <sigh> Kate

Yes, I had exactly the same findings with the Staples store brand tape; the adhesive stays on the leather, especially when it's gotten a little too wet on the back-side from casing. Scotch brand is another one that comes off nice and clean. Kate

Hmmm... is there rust anywhere on the tank? Kate

Well said, Bill. Although I think a lot of us would like to see more comprehensive treatment of some subjects. We have been exploring the development of a wiki-based knowledge base engine that we think will fill that need, without adding too much complication to the administration of it. Stay tuned... Kate

As long as you can punch them evenly, and at the right angle, while you're juggling two needles. Or if your holes are too big for the weight of thread you're using. Here are a couple of my favorites: - Don't drop your dye brush. - Don't run out of paper towels when you're applying/removing excess stain or antique. Kate

Now that's an interesting question. I'll be looking forward to the answer... Kate

Consider a wax finish. It seals acrylics, dyes, and antiques very well, and produces a nice satin finish that is highly water resistant. Depending on what you get, you can spray it on or wipe it on. Some products I've used with very nice results are: - Bee Natural Leather Finish (sprayed on) - Trewax Clean & Wax Liquid Carnauba Wax (that's right, a floor care product; sprayed on) - Kiwi Neutral Shoe polish (wiped or brushed on) - Trewax also has a paste wax that also makes a great leather finish - it gives more of a glossy finish than the liquid. I would use something that is sprayed on since it's got gold leaf. Kate

Art, are those really fine-toothed blades? The blade I used was somewhat finer toothed than what the saw came with. Kate

Hi Davy - I love to see imaginative stamping such as the example you posted. Sometimes I think it's a good thing not to have too many traditional influences, because in many cases (such as yours), you have a little more open space to explore your own unique taste and style in leather art. Glad you're here, and can't wait to see more! Kate

Bob, what type of cutter are you using now? And what weight of leather are you cutting? I did try cutting leather parts with a band saw once. It was easy to cut with almost perfect accuracy, but the edges... whew! pretty rough! Kate

White is a very tough color to work with. But I've tried a couple of things that worked out fairly well. A lot of people don't like Fiebings white dye. It doesn't look very good when it is hand-brushed on, but spraying it on is another matter. Here's a color sample from a project I did a while back, in which I used Fiebings white dye, sprayed from an airbrush: Note, this piece had antique applied, so it's not the pristine white you may want for a wedding piece. That can be left off, of course. Another possibility is Krylon spray paint. Amazing, but true. If you don't have an airbrush, this is what I would suggest. It obeys masking very well, and if you spray it on in light, multiple coats, it saturates the leather evenly. Both products produce noxious fumes, so be prepared to use good ventilation and wear a respirator. Kate

Ray, mixing antique with Tan-Kote works very well for me, as well. Not only does it mellow out the contrast a little, but it also gives you more time to work. Furthermore, the antique/stain job (whatever you prefer to call it) ends up much more stable once it cures. In other words, the top coat isn't as likely to lift off parts of the antique job. I also highly support David's comments about using paper towels and spreading down some newsprint. Just... don't ever run out of paper towels, man. Kate

That sounds pretty slick, Hilly. I might just have to try that myself. Kate

Oh, by the way, Windy made the astute observation that the boards I used are not 2x4's but more like 1x2-1/2. Kate

Clay, I find it very easy on space consumption. When I'm not using it, I just have it standing up in a corner or laying on a shelf. Also, if your bench is not as long, you can always make it shorter. We'll have to see how this thingy looks 100 years from now! Kate

After noticing some of the discussion about stitching apparatus, I thought I would share a half-baked idea I came up with a few years ago that turned out to be pretty useful. The traditional stitching pony/horse designs were not working for me, because some of my pieces are way too large to fit in them. This is an extra-long stitching clamp which can hold any size piece from wallet sized all the way up to around 36" wide. And since there is no apparatus below it, other than the floor, it can hold a piece very long as well. It mounts on the edge of my bench with a couple of F clamps. It was made with two 2x4's: - I beveled one edge of each with a router fitted with a chamfer bit. The beveled edges make the work more accessible to your hands. - Then drilled two holes in each for the bolt and wing nut. - Then wrapped them with upholstery leather to provide some cushioning for the work being held. Only one half of the clamp is mounted to the edge of the bench. The other half is free to move. Kate

TwinOaks, who does IT report to? I am not informed about the internals of the organization, but if IT is not doing their job, as defined by their management, it is a management decision to replace the people doing the work. If IT is doing what management orders, and the desired effect is not achieved, then management needs to change the job requirements. Bottom line: this is on management. They get to choose whether to serve your needs or not. Kate

It really doesn't make any difference to me where I buy my stuff, as long as there is someone who has what I need. So they can take 10 years, for all it matters to me. It's nice to hear the local showroom is busy, and I'm glad to know they are keeping you happy, Marlon, but the fact is, they have obviously lost a serious volume of business in the last year. There are a lot of great leather workers in the Fort Worth/Dallas area, but the local market can't possibly make up more than about 30-40% of what they formerly sold to, so I would think it would behoove them, for their own sake, to do what it takes to get this done. On the other hand, if the current management doesn't mind shrinking the business down to just one local operation, it wouldn't make sense to me, but that's their decision. Kate

Lovely work, as always, Clay! Kate

I've done a couple of consignment gigs in the past, neither of which were very satisfying. If I were to do it again, I would want a consignment agreement that would include some extra consideration for the fact that it is MY money tied up in their inventory, not the vendor's. For example, I would include a clause that sets a time limit on how long the vendor has to sell the item. At the end of that time limit, it is the maker's option whether to extend the time, or take back the merchandise and offer it for sale elsewhere. I will point out that some shopkeepers will work with makers and allow them to add, remove, or replace inventory at will, in order to stay in the sweet spot for that particular market. If that is the case, a time limit may not be necessary, because if something isn't selling, you can just take it back and replace it with something you think will be more likely to sell. But if the vendor wants to dictate what items are offered, and doesn't allow makers to add/remove items at will, then I would include the time limit clause. One of the two vendors I worked with had a very crowded shop. One day, I went to check on things, and found she was exhibiting my game boards on the floor, leaning up against a piece of furniture. Suffice it to say, they were not getting seen there, as evidenced by the numerous sole marks I found on the leather. She really didn't care about the damage, or the fact the board now has very little chance of selling because of the damage. Why should she? It was not her merchandise. So another clause I would include would create some incentive for the vendor to take proper care of the merchandise, just as they would if they owned the merchandise, and make them responsible for any damage done to it. In other words, if it becomes damaged while on exhibit in your shop, you own it. I absolutely would not agree to any consignment deals without this clause in the agreement. Kate

Neat! Thanks for sharing that. It's now on my list of things to try when I finish what I'm currently working on. Kate

Tandy just sent me something that included a picture tutorial on using one of those things. I'll hunt for it and send it to you. Kate

Candidates for professional jobs are often advised to be clean-shaven, at least for the interview. I wouldn't say you would never get a job if you had a beard, but facial hair is a slight turn-off for some potential employers. On the other hand, I don't know of any company (other than what Clay mentioned) that prohibits facial hair, so once you've got your job, you can always grow it back. I know at least a few guys who took that route. Kate