LatigoAmigo

So what did you replace the Chinese laser with? I'm familiar with Trotec lasers and what a wonderful job they can do , but from my experience it appears to be nearly ten times the price of a Chinese equivalent ($36,000 vs. $4,500).

I've signed up. Illustrator is a powerful program, and this looks like a very interesting class...

That could be the one, but I'm not sure because I bought it from their store (when they were in Petaluma, CA) not from their website. You might give them a call, they might be able to provide you with a sample (nice people, family-owned business). I still have the hide as I've never come up with something to make with it, but in my youth yellow latigo was all I ever used for women's handbags.

I bought some yellow latigo from Maverick Leather a few years ago that would work very nicely in this situation. The leather is more supple than other latigos that I've owned, and looks like it would age very well. I almost cried when I saw it because it was so soft and silky smooth, yet heavy (5-6 oz) and durable.

The most durable leather I work with (and always my favorite) is latigo, which is chrome tanned then veg tanned. Hide House carries a nice selection.

Some people rave about Inscape. Download page here: https://inkscape.org/en/release/0.92.3/

That is the nicest valet tray I have ever seen. Beautiful work.

Interesting looking table. Links don't always work over time, so I'll post the photos for you.

Is this workshop going to be at your place in Rhodes?

Check out Leather Craft Pattern. Here is where you will find their version of the Birkin Bag in PDF format: http://www.leathercraftpattern.com/leather-downloadable-patterns/Leather-bag-patterns/leather-bag-pattern-pdf-download-ACC-20

You might try this link. I came across it doing research but have no experience with this company. http://www.leathercraftpattern.com/Leather-supplies/Pattern-hardware/ACC-20-bag-whole-kit-hardwares

My wife has a ceramics studio that can get cold and we have had great success with radiant heat, which is pointed toward her wheel, her tools and her clay. At one point the radiant heater died, and at the time all I could find to replace it with was a convection heater. That did not work nearly as well. Sure the room warmed up, but her tools and the clay did not pick up any of the heat. Radiant heat warms the object, convection heat warms the room. The choice between propane, natural gas and electricity is going to be based on the available power source. But, for what it is worth, each plug-in, 120 volt heater will draw approximately 15 amps, so your electric service will have to be able to handle the load of several heaters. The advantage of electric is that there is no ventilation required. Gas is a whole other topic, with issues of plumbing, thermostats, ventilation, etc. Best to contact your service provider for a their recommendation.

There is no image to view, so one can't see what you are referring to in this post. But regarding laser engravers, some communities have "maker spaces" where laser cutters/engravers are available for use. It is a great way to learn how they work and see if one might belong in your future.

This table shows the radius of the circle based on the number of stamp imprints that will fit into that circle. Hope it helps. # of Stamp Imprints Radius in mm 8 15.28 9 17.19 10 19.10 11 21.01 12 22.92 13 24.83 14 26.74 15 28.65 16 30.56 17 32.47 18 34.38 19 36.29 20 38.20 21 40.11 22 42.02 23 43.93 24 45.84 25 47.75 26 49.66 27 51.57 28 53.48 29 55.39 30 57.30

Are you talking about Tandy's Leather Tanner's Bond Adhesive Tape for example? It gets some pretty good reviews on Amazon. How does it differ from "ordinary" double-sided tape, like that found at an art supply store?

What is "double-sided leather tape" that you refer to? I am a visual person, so I'm not sure if that helps me understand what brand you are using or how the tape gets applied. Does it go on the zipper, then you press the zipper onto the leather? How do you know when it has been properly aligned? I'm sure it is not complicated, but just wanted to see the entire process.

Nice effort on the video, but you skipped a most important part... how did you hold the zipper in place while you stitched it in? Did you glue it in? Did you use some special bonding agent? In the video you mentioned taping the zipper in, when when you came back that the taping and stitching was done. So, what does the tape look like and how does it work? Tape that I've used did not hold the zipper in place very well, so I wanted to see how you did that.

I'm feelin' ya. I love math and math problems, but over the years the ways these kinds of questions are answered has slipped away, so these days I let software do the work. Adobe Illustrator allows one to create a "pattern brush," so I made a circle with a diameter measuring 8 mm (0.8 is very tiny... can do that too), and made a circle with 24 of them. Let me know and I'll make you a template for any size and number that you'd like. It is very easy to do. Twenty-four 8mm Circles.pdf

You are kickin' some b*tt. Very nice.

I made the pattern myself. Somewhere online I found the dimensions of various sized Birkin Bags, so that gave me the overall size I was looking for, then I went to work using Adobe Illustrator to replicate the various images I found as a basis for the design. Of course I wanted to give it my own flavor, so I rounded the corners to soften the look.

The determinant is not just the weight of the leather, as the way the leather is processed also makes a difference. For example, I have some "stuffed" leather that took many passes to cut through, most likely due to its density. Even though I'm using a 100-watt laser, I'm finding that it can take 6 or more passes to get the cut and finish that I want in that weight leather. The software can make some difference, but generally that is governed by the manufacturer. You will find that the process requires trial and error, as there are many variables to consider.

What you see are "raw" edges, which burn black. After cutting, there tends to be some smoke and heat residue on the surface, including the edges, so after wiping everything down with a damp microfiber cloth, I clean it up with saddle soap. I prefer Farnam Leather New Glycerine Saddle Soap which is a spray. Works wonderfully. Then I finish with a leather dressing like Obenauf's, paying attention to the edges, which helps get rid of the burnt leather smell. Hope that answers your question.

My niece teaches print-making at the local junior college, and she refers to the laser-cutting process as "edition-able" because once you have the pattern you want, you can produce it over and over. I'm kinda caught up in the world of one-offs, but maybe someday I will design something I'd like to repeat.

That is good to hear. I also have a CO2 laser (a "homemade" 100 w), and have enjoyed the experience. Here is my latest project.