CitizenKate

Hi Nathan, Game boards are my specialty, and I am familiar with that type of leather inlay work. It so happens that I am working on a design for a Backgammon board/case very similar to the one pictured. If you prefer to make it yourself, I'm willing to sell you a copy of the design with instructions for making it. I could probably even put together a kit with all the parts you need. I could make it for you, but there would be a pretty long wait, since I'm pretty swamped at the moment with other committments. If you're interested, send me a PM with your email address and we can go from there. (Not sure if guests can send PM's, but I hate to ask you to publish your contact information in a public forum...) Kate

Would it matter if there was a hole in the middle? Kate

Eric, I don't think you're "missing" anything. The arbor press does exactly the same thing as the imprinting machine, and with the addition of some custom attachments, you can make them do a lot more. Also, if you're considering getting an arbor press, don't forget to check at places like Harbor Freight or Ebay, where they often have really great deals on these machines. Kate

Clint sent me some new links and I updated his original post with them, so you should be able to see the images again. Cheers, Kate

<nodding>... If something creepy is what you were trying to create, I would say you succeeded. LOL Kate

I use wax-based finishes over acrylic on a lot of projects and don't have problems with cracking. But here's my best guess what you might try differently... try diluting the acrylic paint and applying it in multiple thinner coats to allow it to absorb into the leather more. That will not only allow the surface texture to show through better, but will also make the color more stable. I've used wax, acrylic, and lacquer finishes over acrylic paint, and they all seem to work well if you apply the paint in that manner. Kate

LOL Nobody's in trouble, it's a perfectly legitimate question. Just explaining the guidelines to the noob, here. Good luck marketing your product. Kate

Hi Steve, Looks like you make a product a lot of leatherworkers would be interested in. As far as this site goes, you are welcome to post information about what you offer in our Marketplace area. (Please do not attempt to advertise in any other forum, other than in direct response to general questions other members ask about products you make.) We also have a business directory for leatherworkers and suppliers. Basic listings are free, or you can get a premium listing that gets your info seen more for a monthly or annual fee. You can also buy ad space on the forum - PM Johanna to find out more about that. We are also compiling a list of local guilds, but LCSJ publishes a list of them, if you want to contact them by direct mail. Kate

If the guitar has a strap button on the body near the base of the neck, the hole you punch on the front end should fit it perfectly. If there is no button, loop a piece of latigo lace or polyester cord through the hole, and the cord is tied around the neck above the nut. Kate

We will look into what's up with the profile content. Meanwhile, you can just go to advanced search, and where it says "Find Author", enter "Don101" (no quotes). Kate

Wow, Tina, you wasted no time getting busy. Is "poaible" another name for a belt bag? I would surmise there are a lot of well-accessoried Vikings running around Sweden these days. Beautiful work, as always! Kate

Try "Don101" instead... Kate

You can probably get olive drab green by adding a little brown to some green dye. If you plan to use antique, don't forget to take that into account when mixing your color. Kate

Great news, Tina! I am soooo looking forward to seeing new work from you. Kate

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. Wasn't expecting a response like this for just some coasters, but even so, I'll try to do better next time. Kate

Those are some great lion images. Great collector series. I'm going to have to try something like that. Kate

Some of their stamps are sold at our local Hobby Lobby, so I've been able to see them "in person", and they are comparable to Craftools. Kate

That sure is a feast for the eyes!!! I love seeing new ideas like these. Thanks for posting! (Maybe someone should invite them to join us... ) Kate

Here's a link to the topic RobDude30 referred to... http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=836 Kate

What do I think? I think that's pretty darn clever! Thanks for posting it, Ann. Kate

It can be a challenge to color leather without degrading its natural appearance. If you are interested in exploring working with coloring leather, I highly recommend the tutorials posted by ClayB, this one in particular: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=11979. The holder design is a simplified variation of one I saw earlier in another post from one of our members in China, boma. (http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=26081) His design is much nicer than mine, I think... more elegant. But mine is very quick and easy to make, and there is room for more decorating possibilities. I was considering sewing some cork to the back of them, which I may still try sometime. For these, I decided to just use 2 layers of leather with the flesh sides facing each other, so they have top grain on both sides. That way, I could use my maker stamp on the back, too. For coasters, I use a lacquer finish - Deft clear satin wood finish. It's totally water-proof. You could spill hot coffee on them and other than smelling like coffee afterwords, you wouldn't be able to tell anything was spilled on them. I was thinking about you when I was doing the edges. They're still not "Bobby Park" edges, but I do believe I get a little closer every time. Kate

That's a pretty broad question, since there are so many choices and considerations. I have a small hand-operated benchtop press, with a few dies I've had made, and it's worth its weight in gold if you ask me. It's great for smaller parts, say no bigger than 9"x9". BUT, you don't necessarily have to have a press bed that's as big as your part to cut it. I can cut parts slightly longer than 9", by moving the die and the leather across the bed while making multiple strokes. A little more work than just one stroke, but still a lot less work than cutting by hand. If you don't have enough to invest in a press that will do everything you want, you might consider getting something that will do at least some of what you want, then upgrade when you've made back enough to invest more. There are at least a couple of topics here on this forum about how to modify a shop press (such as those found at Harbor Freight) to make it work as a clicker press. Texas Custom Dies also has 12-ton presses that they make (probably modified shop presses) that are reasonably priced. Another thing to consider if you really want one of the big industrial presses, is whether you have a facility that can handle it. Many of them are very big, and very heavy, and require 3-cycle current. There are some smaller ones that don't require quite as much overhead, but when you're shopping for one, that's something to take note of. Kate

I do a lot of antiquing (about 99% of my projects get antique applied to them) and I also prefer more of a matte or satin finish. (Too glossy looks too much like plastic to me.) There are a few different finishes I use, depending on how water-resistant/proof I need the finished item to be. Most wax finishes are fairly water-resistant, but not water-proof. I use it on items that will not normally be used outdoors or exposed to a harsh environment. There are several good products in this category that give leather a nice satin finish are Bee-Natural, just about any neutral shoe polish, or Aussie Wax. I've used all of these with good results. (The shoe polish goes on better if it's applied with a soft-bristled shoe brush.) If you need water-proof, I haven't found anything yet that beats a lacquer finish. Since you can't get Neat-Lac any more, a great alternative I found (actually David Theobald turned me onto it) is Deft clear satin wood finish. Indy, I'm not sure what you're going to find available in Austria (where there are no kangaroos <grin>), but probably any lacquer-based satin wood finish that you find in lumber or hardware stores would make a suitable alternative. There's a trick to applying a lacquer finish. If you put it on too heavily, or if it puddles in the tooling impressions, it will form a plastic-y layer of solid finish that will crack when the leather is flexed. You only want as much on the leather as will absorb into it. So apply it in 2 or 3 very light coats. If you have carving or tooling, use a piece of sheepskin to apply it. Wipe it on, work it in a bit, then wipe off as much as you can. Let it dry to the touch between coats. Kate