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LatigoAmigo

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Everything posted by LatigoAmigo

  1. LatigoAmigo
    You managed to take a lemon and make lemonade. Nice job, it looks great.
  2. LatigoAmigo
    It does, but I help it along as much as I can. First I coat the leather with a paste I make that I found on the site here. It is for braiding (Ivory soap, lard and water), but ends up like a very light saddle soap. I apply it before lasering and it picks up much of the residue that might find its way onto the surface of the hide, then wipe with a microfiber cloth. On the edges I use foaming saddle soap and work it in, then wipe with a microfiber cloth. Then I seal the edges with Tokonole edge paint. It applies easily, is water based and dries quickly. Two coats of that and I'm done. The smell is cleaned off of the surface, and any residual smells are sealed into the edges. If I do any engraving, I rub Fiebing's Antique Finish into the lasered area, and let the leather soak it up, then rub the excess off very gently. Laser engraving creates an image that is very fragile, so I don't rub it in, but I don't engrave often, so I have limited experience with it. Hope that helps. I must add that I don't cut veg-tanned leathers, only chrome and combo tanned (like latigo).
  3. LatigoAmigo
    I create all of my own patterns using Adobe Illustrator. I spent some time studying graphic design, where I learned a few "tricks of the trade." On Craig's List, I found a 100-watt CO2 laser located nearby. It wasn't what I would have preferred, but it fit my pocketbook. The work area of the bed measures 20 x 30 inches. There is a bit of a learning curve when cutting various types of leather, and then there is the smell. I just installed a fume extractor to eliminate offensive odors.
  4. LatigoAmigo
    The body of the bag is bison, the handle is latigo and the trim is cowhide, all purchased from The Hide House in Napa. The material is cut with a laser cutter (including lacing holes) and then hand-stitched. This bag took about 30 hours to produce. Here are some more pics.
  5. LatigoAmigo
    Oh, now I see the liner. Very clean. I don't do turned bags, so I'm not hiding seams, but looking for an opportunity to add pockets and dividers. I typically use a leather that's softer than the shell and have used a variety of leather types (pig, sheep, goat, calf), but lately I've been using what Maverick Leather calls "horse front." It is a thin but sturdy material with some "character" built into the finish (I also cut it for lace). But... because of the pockets (sometimes with zippers) it means that I am building two bags, and dropping one into the other. Takes more time, but I can't seem to do anything less. I have read several books on bags, but it mostly becomes trial and error, because in order to fit correctly the interior bag must be shorter and narrower than the exterior bag, while at the same time they must be nearly the same size where they are attached. Otherwise the liner will not lay flat, and will not look or work very well.
  6. LatigoAmigo
    Definitely worth looking at. Very nice job. I wish I could give you some critical feedback, but I can only say that it is an impressive bag that simply knocked me out. When I make a bag, I've found that I must line it. I know that many leather workers on this site don't line theirs, but I just can't bring myself to do that... it seems unfinished. Have you given thought to a liner of some sort?
  7. LatigoAmigo
    Waxed polyester hand-sewing thread has been made by the Maine Thread Company for over 60 years, and it is made in the USA.
  8. LatigoAmigo
    Keep in mind that leather working has a long and storied tradition. If I was building a saddle, I might go for the bonded nylon, but I am a bag maker, and find that my bags are not put through the rigors of a saddle. Since you want to make things that will not be soaking up the rain, or baking in the desert sun, trust me, you will be happy with poly thread.
  9. LatigoAmigo
    You ask soooo many questions... you might do what most of us did (before the internet) and simply experiment with materials. That's how you'll really learn, by trial and error, because there is more than one answer to what seems to be a basic question. For example, what kind of thread are you asking about? I have many sizes and styles of thread, but only hand sew, and use a range of sizes. I get most of mine from Maine Thread Company, and prefer their waxed polycord which comes in a wide variety of colors and weights. What I've found is that the weight of the thread is not directly related to the weight of the leather, but more a function of the spacing of the lacing holes and the overall look that I am going after. Sometime you will want the thread line to really "show up" and other times you will not want the thread to compete with the rest of your design. So get playful and experiment, you will never regret it.
  10. LatigoAmigo
    Some of the rich colors seen in vat-dyed leathers cannot be duplicated with a bottle of dye.
  11. LatigoAmigo
    I stand by my earlier comments that each project has its own parameters, so there is no one answer as to the length of the lace. One thing I do know is that it's better to have the lace too long than too short.
  12. LatigoAmigo
    I don't really know without seeing the project, so I tend to defer to Bruce Grant. Here is his explanation. Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding 162.pdf
  13. LatigoAmigo
    Since this is a two-tone braid, would that be the total length of the two strands?
  14. LatigoAmigo
    I thought I might offer my two cents. I've done quite a bit of braiding and lacing, and find that there is no single formula for determining the length of the lacing material because of the many variables at work (thickness, spacing, distance from edge). I would suggest that you create a sample piece before you put too much effort into your final project. It will provide you with an opportunity to see if you are getting the look you want, and to get answers to your questions. I almost always build prototypes for my projects, and find that in the end it is worth the extra effort.
  15. LatigoAmigo
    That is a nice looking bag. I hope it's OK that I've downloaded and posted your photos. Links don't always work forever.
  16. LatigoAmigo
    I was fascinated too. I will never look at leather hides the same way again. Thanks for sharing.
  17. LatigoAmigo
    The saddle looks just great! My wife is a meticulous cook and our son-in-law is a doctor, and they have many conversations about food turning rancid... and that was my first thought... can the duck fat go bad? Think of it... you're sittin' in that saddle on a hot summer day... is there any chance that a "duck like" smell might come wafting up? It would drive my wife crazy. Because of that possibility, I would stay away from animal fats and only use proven leather care products.
  18. LatigoAmigo
    That's an engineer for ya.
  19. LatigoAmigo
    I apply it to the leather, swirl it around with my fingertips, then wipe it off with a clean micro-fiber cloth.
  20. LatigoAmigo
    I'm not sure how to keep it from returning other than air the hides out every once in a while. But meanwhile, I use a saddle soap foam that I buy from Amazon. Provides a very gentle cleaning.
  21. LatigoAmigo
    In the link you provided, the machine was referred to as a laser engraver, so that might be all you can do with it.
  22. LatigoAmigo
    This may not be the book you're thinking of, but it might hold you over. By my favorite author Bruce Grant, romel rein construction can be found starting on page 164. I am including the whole book because he references other knots in the construction of the reins. This is a scanned version of the book so it is a little hard to read, but if you like it, I would suggest you purchase a hard copy. I've seen it available through Amazon. ps. It is a fairly large file and could take a while to download. Encyclopedia_of_Rawhide_and_Leather_Braiding.pdf
  23. LatigoAmigo
    In order to follow the outline, the laser's software typically has to be set to "cut" mode as opposed to "engrave" mode, and the file must be vector based as opposed to bitmapped, (which is what your files sound like, as vector based files can be enlarged without distortion). Do your machine offer the "cut" option in its user dialogue box?
  24. LatigoAmigo
    There are many variations in leather, so this is probably true, but I have never seen stretch marks on the belly of any hide that I've ever owned.
  25. LatigoAmigo
    You would want the insole material to lay flat, and that might be hard for the belly leather to do.
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