CitizenKate

Heheh! There are, now! Your bag makes quite a powerful statement. It's always a pleasure and inspiration to see such originality. It gives me hope that there are infinite possibilities of new styles of leather art that have yet to be created. Kate

If that were true, then PETA would definitely have to take a square stand against food altogether. I vote they get to be first in the no-food line. No pun intended, roight? Kate (Did I get the acronym right this time?)

And he was probably bragging about how it could handle rough terrain. Kate

Something tells me there is a story behind that! :biggrin: Kate

If you're not particular about "period correctness", probably the most water-resistant finish you can use would be lacquer. Try some Neat-Lac applied in three or four very light coats, and let it dry good between coats. If period correctness is a major consideration, probably wax is the best you have to choose from. More coats might help. Kate

The box is 40"x40"x40". (I needed something big enough to hold my large game boards.) Two of the lamps (top and right) have 100W daylight bulbs, and the one on the left side has a 40W daylight bulb. Kate

Here are the photos of my softbox, along with a light stand, both which I built with PVC pipe... The "diffuser" is a vinyl shower curtain. I use a long sheet of felt for my backdrop. A lint roller is very handy for getting lint off. Kate PS: Bruce, love the salt & pepper set!

Okay, I'll give that a try, too. Thanks, Regis! Kate

I have a Sony Cybershot, which I've had now for about... <counting on fingers...> 5 years. I chose it for its optics and its macro feature, and was not disappointed. If you are planning to use it to photograph your leather work, and especially if you plan to sell your work online, a macro feature is a must. Kate

I posted some photos on this thread (of how to use latex rubber for leather work, that is). This little idea of gearsmithy's turned out to be pretty useful. Kate

Actually, I didn't think of it, until gearsmithy brought it up on in another discussion. I love all the brainstorming that goes on around here! Kate

You can find an assortment of thread weights and colors at Maine Thread Co. I think with a little more edge dye and more slicking, your straps should look pretty close to your sample. It also looks like an edge beveler of some kind was used to make the edges more rounded, but sometimes just slicking can also create that appearance. Kate

Using an airbrush or sprayer is definitely the best method if you want the colors even. For those of you who still prefer hand brushing, it helps to apply the color diluted first, then make subsequent passes with stronger dilutions of dye until you have the intensity you want. Kate

I got a chance to use latex rubber as a dye mask on my powercat clock project (yes, I'm finally getting some more work done on it), and decided to snap some photos as I worked so you could see how well this latex rubber works as a dye mask. If you like to spray on your dyes, this seems to be a fairly trouble-free way of keeping the dye off the areas of your project where you don't want it. PLEASE NOTE: Putting this latex product on leather may affect how the leather is able to absorb dye after the latex is removed. It has also been known to cause some discoloration of some leathers. (I haven't had this problem with the leather I use, but some people have reported this problem.) It's generally best to only use it on areas you don't plan to apply dye to. It is still usually okay to use paints and antiques or stains in those areas. But if in doubt, test first. ALSO PLEASE NOTE: This demo was done with the dye being applied with an air brush. If you are applying dye with a bristle brush, you will still need to be somewhat careful around the edges of the area being dyed. If your brush is loaded too heavy as you work around the edges, the dye can bleed under the mask. To prevent this, be sure your brush is loaded relatively lightly as you work around the edges near the mask. The product I used is from Woodland Scenics that I got from the local Hobby Lobby in the section where model train stuff is. It's a fairly thick, creamy material with a very slight odor to it. I think it was a little thinner when I first bought it, but it has sat on my shelf for probably about a year, and has thickened slightly in that amount of time. I found it easy to apply with my acrylic shader brushes. This is the second coat that is going on. Two coats seemed to work fine, as you will see at the end. Here is how the project looks after two coats of latex have been applied to the entire matted area in the middle of the clock, around the powercat logo. It still hasn't dried completely, but when the entire application of latex turns clear, it's dry and ready to spray on. It took this one about a half-hour to dry completely. I masked off the rest of the leather with "purple" painter's tape to protect it from overspray. The latex is used to get into the more intricate areas of the design, and the painter's tape is used for more nondescript areas. Now spray the entire area. You don't need to worry too much about getting it on the mask. In fact, you want to make sure the color is nice and even all the way to the edges of the logo, so the dye needs to be sprayed well into the masked area. Now the tape is removed... And here's the slick part... look at how this stuff just peels right off the leather! Behold, Willie is purple! (Although it looks a little more brownish in the photo.) Almost a perfect dye job. I ended up getting just a little bit of latex into the edge of the logo, so after I removed the mask, I was able to do a little touch-up in a couple of spots with a lightly-loaded brush. There was no noticeable discoloration of the leather where the mask was applied. (But note: the slightly discolored areas you see on the project were caused by mold. The mold is dead, but the stain, unfortunately, is more or less permanent. Fortunately, this is going to be my clock, not someone else's so I don't have the dilemma of whether to re-do it or not. I'm hoping the antique will cover up that little problem.) I'm hoping to finish this up tomorrow - no promises - the leather part, anyway. I'll post another photo after the dye, stain, and finish are done. Kate

How do you normally apply the shene to the gel antique? Paint it on, wipe it on with a cloth? Thanks, Kate

Regis, Do you use any stains or antiques? Kate

Hmmm... that's interesting. I'll give that a try. Side note: the antique I normally use is mainly just tan-kote with some dye mixed into it, and a little neutral antique paste to soften the finish. When I wipe a water-based finish on over it, it stays put. Longer than the others, anyway. Thanks for the tip, Kate

I'm looking for a new stain/antique/finish combination that will work well for beginning leather crafters, which I hope to start teaching next summer. Specifically, I need a finish that can be applied with a foam brush or cloth that won't smear the [expletive deleted] antique. I could just have the class use what I use for my own projects, but there are two problems with that. The stain/antique I use is not a prepared product that can be used right out of the package, and the finish works best if it's sprayed on. Most beginning leather crafters are not prepared to invest in spraying equipment. I'm also not a big fan of Pre-val sprayers. I've tried all the stain products offered by Tandy (the gel antique, the color stain, even the all-in-one), and they all smear when I apply any water-based finish with a foam brush, even though the direction say they can be wiped on. The gel antique seems to hold up the best, but I chose not to use it for other reasons. And I know the all-in-one is supposed to be a one-step stain and finish, but when I tried it, it dried with a rather chalky surface texture that did not buff out. So in my opinion, for good results, it too needs a finish. Also, all the finishes I've tried so far (*shene, Bee Natural, carnauba creme) yield the same results. Personally, I prefer wax over acrylic, but if I can find a stain/antique that won't smear with acrylic, I'll consider that as an option. I just want to find one combination that is simple for beginners to use and produces nice results, and they can go on from that point and find things they may like better. So what say y'all? Thanks in advance for any input... Kate

Chris, For stropping, you may also want to try just a larger piece of rigid cardboard, like illustration board (available at art supply stores), as I think the business card may be too small to make a good long stroke when stropping. Lots of short strokes can make it difficult to strop at a consistent angle. Casing overnight vs. casing and carving right away: Wow, there are so many ways people have of casing their leather... I think the way Randy described it is nearly identical to the way I do it. On some occasions, I have put a piece of plastic over the leather after wetting it, and let it sit for an hour or two, before lifting the plastic and letting the surface dry. On those occasions, I do get noticeably better results than if I just case and let the surface dry right away. That is, deeper impressions, easier carving, etc. I think this is because the water has a better chance to penetrate to the inner fibers of the leather, which is where you really need it. So for what it's worth, you may want to try that. The knife should slide smoothly through the leather with just a little resistance, but not catching as you draw it through. As Randy mentioned, you should only have to use slight pressure to cut the depth you need or draw the knife through the leather. Whenever mine starts catching as I'm cutting, it's either one of two things: 1) the leather has dried out too much. In this case you would also notice that it's difficult to cut very deep into the leather, and you can usually see it getting dry. 2) the knife needs to be re-stropped. If your knife is catching all the time, your leather could be a little too wet, or you may just have a knarly piece of leather. As for the knife, I think you can make the one you have work just fine; see what you can accomplish first by tweaking your stropping and casing process. Hope this helps... Kate

I will venture my best guess... Since (I'm gathering) the splotches appeared after the first coat of antique, we can probably rule out any interaction between the two coats of antique. Without putting down a resist before the antique, the antique can sometimes highlight the leather's characteristic flaws, as well as your tooling and carving. That is, there are areas of the leather that the antique will absorb into more than others. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make working with antique a little different. Another possible thing to rule out is, could there have been something on the leather before you applied the first coat of antique that it is "sticking" to, or reacting to in some other way? If so, then maybe eliminating them is as simple as making sure the leather is very clean and free of contaminants (and completely dry) before the antique is applied. Another possibility - tanning flaws. I've had some leather that had some strange, light-colored areas that were barely visible before being treated, but when the antique hit it - HELLO! (I.e., Start over!) In those cases, maybe using a resist will prevent those kinds of splotches, especially if you're trying to get a smoother look on your leather after the antique. If you prefer a more natural or even a more distressed look, it may come down to learning to spot the flaws and avoid them. Hope this helps... Kate

I've tried it on a few pieces so far, and I got very nice color and antiquing from it. The only thing I didn't like was how shiny it was after it dried, and I like a more mellow finish. Putting a wax finish over it softened it up. Kate

I also treat the leather with Lexol after it's been tooled and dyed. The dye especially can really dry out the leather. Be sure to give the conditioner a good long while to dry before adding stain or antique. Hmmm... what product are you referring to as "stain"? All the products I've tried that the manufacturer refers to as a stain are not that far off from an antique. They all color the leather and accentuate tooling, so I've always thought of them as alternatives, rather than as treatments you use together. I just use one or the other depending on what color I like and how heavy I want the antique effect to be. 1) A lot of people use a resist before applying antique. The antique still works properly, because it can still fill the depressed (tooled) areas and cure in those places. I just doesn't highlight the natural characteristics of the grain as much, so it renders a bit smoother and lighter appearance to the leather. 2) (I'll leave this question for someone who uses resist with antique.) 3) I've tried the ruler method, and for a long time I used a squeegee. Now I just use paper towels, and keep them flat as I wipe them over the leather to remove the excess stain/antique. The best way to wipe off the excess probably just depends on what you're using. Kate

Oh yes. I've seen ebay auctions offering rare (fictional) artifacts obtained while playing games like Asheron's Call, Ultima Online, Everwinter Nights, etc. The seller takes the (real) money for the artifact, then the buyer and seller's respective (fictional) characters arrange to meet in the arena to make the swap. I guess it's kind of like selling game pieces, in a way. I think that's the motivation for some people to advance so far in the game. I've never been able to stay with it more than about 12 or 14 levels before I start getting bored out of my (fictional) mind. Kate

Good thought, but a latex mold is a very flexible mold, used mainly for liquid castings, but too soft to make an impression in leather. It takes something that is more rigid when it cures. I've also tried making a casting of my carving using the liquid resin you can also buy at hobby stores. It is rigid enough, but too brittle. Kate

Guess I'm busted! Here's a link to the product I'm trying out: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKU28 Kate