CitizenKate

Ooooo... coool! Can't wait to see more. Kate

I'm still testing the antique/highlighter, still no formal opinion... The dyes... interesting. I've had some color samples (with no sealer or other finish) sitting in one of my south-facing windows for over a week, where they are getting several hours of direct sunlight almost every day. So far, I don't see any signs of fading. They don't seem to be exhibiting the usual signs of "bleaching" either - wonder if the color is having an effect on that. I took a photo of them before placing them in the windowsill... I'll take another photo in another week or two so we have a reference point to compare, and post them so you all can see. Kate

Marilyn, I'll be interested in seeing how this turns out, since I've been wanting to do a project just like this... I think you can re-attach the hardware after the leather is in place, but you may need to get longer screws than the ones the box came with. I've been using brass fasteners whenever the fastener has to come into contact with the leather, and so far haven't had any problems with leather reacting to it. I think the saddle makers out there can also suggest what fasteners you can use with leather. I would definitely use an adhesive. Either contact cement, wood (carpenter's) glue, or Tanner's Bond should work fine. I've used carpenter's glue to attach leather to wood, and used contact cement to mount the leather for a game board to its backing. Here are the trade-offs: With contact cement, you pretty much have one chance to get your leather cover placed perfectly, but then once it's on, the bond is complete. With the white glues (carpenter's glue or Tanner's Bond), you have some time to adjust the position of the leather on your box before it sets, but you need to be prepared to carefully clamp the leather on the project to keep it in place while it's curing, and keep the area free of excess glue. I'll let someone else comment on the foam, since all my attempts to pad something failed miserably! :scratchhead: Kate

The titanium blades I've used held up significantly better than the regular steel ones. Also, I've adopted the practice of stropping my box cutting blades, and that helps me get more out of each one. Kate

Larry, When posting a topic, you can add a photo by scrolling down to the bottom of the page where it says "File attachments". Click the browse button, navigate to where your photo is saved on your C: drive (or wherever you have it), click "Open", then click "Add this attachment". Hope this helps... Kate

Ummm... where's the sample? Kate

Hello Ann, Thanks for introducing yourself, and welcome to Leatherworker.net! I believe there is a tremendous market for quality restorative bookbinding, if the prices I've been seeing on eBay for restored antique books are any indication, and that (usually) represents the low-end of the market. (Which is why I wouldn't recommend selling your wares there, except to gain some exposure.) Just visited your site... you do very nice work! Kate

I usually get together with a few friends, blow up a little take-home pay, then sit out in the yard on lawn chairs with a glass of our favorite beverage and watch the rest of the neighborhood go up in smoke, in a very colorful way. There are times when life in the USA rocks. This is one of them. Kate

Yes. That is usually all there is to it. Kate

Bill, probably any of the USB drives will work fine for you. Just make sure it's big enough to hold all your data. To use it, all you do is plug it in, wait a few seconds, and Windows will tell you your device is ready to use. Then go to "My Computer", and you should see the new drive in the list there. Kate

I just got mine. I called Tandy in OKC today, and asked them about the colorfastness of the Eco-Flo products. Their answer was: There has been no official word from the chem labs about that property, but we're testing some samples we have recently made. I went ahead and ordered a few small bottles to try out. The first thing I'm going to try is to color a piece of scrap with it and leave it sitting in a nice, sunny window for a few weeks. That should tell us something... Kate

:biggrin:

Hmmm... this poll won't let me place my vote without voting in all three categories. Am I overlooking something? Kate

Love your work, David! Kate

Rob, please do share some of what you have learned! Kate

Sounds like another order in the works... Kate

Roight! Especially when they're dead, eh? Kate

Beautiful, Holly! You chose the coloring/staining scheme very well. Kate

... or for that matter, how about some applique braiding? Ooooh, brainstorming. I love it! Kate

Well, I don't know about changing the color of the finish on upholstery leather. Someone else may know more about that, and I wouldn't mind knowing a good answer to that question, myself. But my thought is, maybe you can make the pieces you make with it more attractive by adding some ornamental hardware, such as conchos, decorative rivets, some bling-bling (which by the way, is not really my bag, but a lot of people like it), or beads. Another possibility is to add some trim pieces made of tooled veg-tan, or perhaps even some leather appliques, ala Peter Main. Kate

Your point is well taken. When I first posted on this topic, I was only considering how the strength of the leather is affected by having the grain broken by a groover. If the seam is going to be exposed to a lot of abrasion, as you and Darc have pointed out, then slightly compromizing the strength of the leather is a sensible trade-off to protect the thread from abrasion, which is more likely to cause a failed seam, especially with heavier leather. With the items I make, the seams are exposed to very little abraision, but since the leather I work with is relatively light, such as with a wallet interior, the seam is more likely to fail because someone tried to stuff too many coins into a zippered pouch, and the strength of the leather at the seam is a much bigger factor. So I will amend my original position about grooving, based on some very good discussion by you and Darc. My position now is: "It depends." Thanks for the "clue-by-four" of leatherworking wisdom! Kate

The pieces I sew are anywhere from 3-4oz to 5-6oz. The piece I was able to tear was 3-4oz, and it was right along the grooved line where it tore. I can tear a piece of 5-6oz., too, but only with vice-grips. Very good points to consider, Darc, and I agree that different pieces have different considerations. I know the effects of the groove on the strength of the leather are as much of a consideration when you're using heavier leather, just as I mentioned previously. Kate

LOLOLOL!!! You guys crack me up! Kate

Second that! You can do amazing things with it, with amazing ease. Kate

Anything that breaks the grain side of the leather, will weaken it, so I agree with those who advise against using a groover. On one piece I was sewing, which I had made a cut groove on, I was actually able to tear the leather with my bare hands along the line that had been grooved. Imagine how much easier once the holes are punched. Since then I have not used a cut groove to mark a seam line. This should also be considered when carving a design into any piece (as in, with a swivel knife) that will bear a load (such as a dog leash), unless the leather used is fairly heavy. Kate