LatigoAmigo

Can you be more clear? Not sure what this is... maybe a vice and a hammer?

I use a bench-mounted press that I purchased at Campbell-Randall for $125. It has a twist handle which helps to sense the pressure on the snap/rivet as it is being set. I like it a lot and would highly recommend it. http://www.campbell-randall.com/product/italian-twist-press-no-3

My guess is that it is not the snap setter, but that the post is too long, and when compressed, pushes back into the head of the snap. You are using snaps with "short" posts, but you might try a little experimentation and trim the post down even more to see if that works. Because, what else could it be?

A possibility might be inside of a clothes dryer, using a sweater drying rack. I use this setup for drying leather finishes all the time. Works great.

Maybe you could try it out and report back. Cottonseed oil is not so common around here, so it might be up to you to give it a shot.

Since cottonseed has been around as long as the wild west, do you think someone may have tried this before? When I was a kid, one of my friends used olive oil instead of Neatsfoot oil on his baseball glove, and the thing turned the most awful gray color. I think that vegetable oils have a shelf-life that may affect their performance. But don't let me discourage what you want to try, I could certainly be wrong about this oil.

Oops, I didn't see the 2" part, however the 2" is carried in their catalog.

How about Ohio Travel Bag? This info can be found on page 404 of their current catalog.

Thank you, this is very helpful.

Sounds great. Where do you buy this stuff? Does it go by any other names?

This is from the Horween Leather website: CHROMEXCEL® Chromexcel is the original pull-up leather; using time honored techniques and formulas that were developed nearly 100 years ago. Chromexcel is still produced in the United States using a bark retannage from a proprietary recipe, and then genuine hot stuffed with our secret blend of natural oils and greases. Chromexcel is characterized by a rich pull-up in full aniline, hand rubbed finishes. Made to this day with old world craftsmanship, modern Chromexcel carries on a long history of superior comfort and durability. And if that is not confusing enough... ESSEX Essex is a vegetable tanned side leather that utilizes the same traditional tanning extracts as our Genuine Shell Cordovan. Essex, and its waxed versions, Dublin and Derby, took us nearly three years to develop and perfect. This tannage is marked by a high oil content and ages beautifully over time. The Essex family of leather is very versatile and can be used in a wide variety of products. And then there's this, from the Maverick Leather website: Latigo leather is best described by our friends over at The Tannery Row: “Horween Latigo is a combination tan that blends the durability of a chrome tan base with a heavy veg re-tan to create an unfinished, natural look that’s excellent for molding. It holds embosses well, retains molded shapes and has both full and corrected grain versions.”

Just know that you are not alone. Zippers can be very challenging.

You will also want to order a small funnel to fill them with.

And I'm sure it will look just fine. To apply Edge Kote (or any dyes), I found an item that keeps the dye from running onto the surface of your project. It is Montana Black Empty Marker 3 mm Chisel that I got from Amazon. Works great. I use it for Edge Kote, which is water based, and also for spirit based dyes. Does not work so well with the edge paints mentioned above.

They are not the same. Getting an decent edge (i.e., polished smooth with a finished look) on chrome tan is very challenging, so edge paint is a common solution, with the burnishing done using a heating iron (but not always). Beveling the edge is an option, but not commonly in use, as it makes painting the edge more difficult (my opinion).

If my memory serves me well, when I started working leather in the late 1960's, leather was marketed as being either oak-tan or oil-tan. When I came back five years ago, the terminology had changed to veg-tan and chrome-tan. I have some chrome-tanned and hot-stuffed Horween leather that just about drips oil, so I can see where that terminology comes from. To answer your questions: I almost exclusively use non-veg-tan leathers in my work. Because they are vat-dyed and come in rich and wonderful colors, they are very good for wallets and such. I almost always clean my leather with saddle soap, and finish with a oil-based conditioner. There are many finishes available, so I take that into consideration. I typically use a Dremel tool to burnish my edges, and often with some edge coat along with a wax-based conditioner (not sure what Yankee wax is), but, again, it depends on the particular leather, and of course, the look I'm going after. But I must confess, I use a laser to cut the leather, so my edges come out of that process somewhat burnished.

This reminds me of something I've learned in advertising, that the seller could contend that it is a "printer's error."

I can only address your rivet question. The other questions are a little too open ended for me. You might want to check out a few websites to see the specifications for various rivets. They are typically measured by cap width and post length, and that should be clearly stated in the description. Since rivets are produced by many different manufacturers, I tend to buy from one supplier so that I can mix & match when necessary. My favorite is The Buckle Guy because of the way the rivets are packaged. This site advertises other suppliers who, I'm sure, are just as good.

Round braids can consist of 3 or more strands. You might check out Bruce Grant's book, "Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding." It is available on Amazon, and will answer any braiding questions you might have.

This is the largest cutting mat that I have been able to find. Not as big as you are seeking, only 3" x 5", but it has been a good mat. I found it available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sullivans-087168-SUL38233-Table-White/dp/B006JJG6D6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547741618&sr=8-1&keywords=sullivans+36''x59''+gridded+cutting+mat+for+home+hobby+table

You might try is site: http://www.lzpattern.com/patterns-sewing-patterns-bag-pattern-leather-patterns-stitch-patterns-crochet-patterns-leathercraft-leather-craft-leather-crafting- leather-carving-leather-art-leather-working-leather-tools-leather-craft-tools-leathercraft-tools-handmade-tools-CSL-08?search=hermes&description=true&category_id=60

You will be more likely to get help if you can post some pics of the rivets in question.

That is where to start. Some more books on leather are available (maybe even at your local library), and the various authors will help you decide what tools and supplies you will want to stock up on. Good luck.

If you can afford to gamble, you might consider ordering something to see what you get. Personally I would be hesitant, as there are imperfections in most hides, and if what you get is not to your expectations, it will be a lot of trouble returning the item and getting a refund from what looks like an offshore company. I would say "buyer beware."

You have provided quite a lesson on laser cutters/engravers. Wow. Maybe you could put it into a document that people could download. This information is not readily available, and can easily get lost in the abyss of postings here on the website.