TomBanwell

I just finished my first plague doctor's mask http://tombanwell.blogspot.com/

Sweet!

I have had a shop on Etsy for just over two years now, and am very pleased with the sales. It could use some improvement, but that is pretty minor compared to the overall workings of it. Etsy literally made my leather mask business what it is. And it is so cheap and easy to try it out. Highly recommended! http://tombanwell.etsy.com

I tried this method using vinegar and it worked splendidly. First I put all my parts including tiny brass screws in a rock tumbler overnight with sand to remove the finish. After 2 hours in the vinegar fumes the parts were a nice dark brown. A little uneven, but I don't mind that at all for the look that I'm after. Before hearing of the fume technique I had brushed on vinegar and let dry, several coats. Also I had spritzed the parts with a spray bottle. Neither of those methods worked nearly as well as the fuming, so Noah, again I thank you for posting this.

Thanks, Noah. I got one more question for you. What does heating the brass parts do? Won't the tarnish remain without it? Thanks, this is a technique I am definitely going to use.

Noah, how long does this process take? Especially the hanging over vinegar part? Thanks, Tom

Thanks, that makes it very clear.

Thanks Noah, I can see that. If the clip is slipped through a slit in the leather and then riveted it would work fine. Thanks!

I bought several belt/holster clips from Tandy for carrying a cell phone on my belt. I notice it comes with a single hole at the very bottom of the clip. This doesn't make much sense to me. I"d like to keep the phone case riding pretty high, but if I rivet it there, seems to me the case will swivel and turn upside down. How is this supposed to work. Is it only designed for longer items such as holsters? Thanks, Tom

I don't know of a pattern, but you should be able to figure it out through trial and error. The eight top pieces will all be identical. Then add a straight piece around the bottom, and a crescent shaped bill.

Very beautiful work! Top notch. I can't see anything to improve.

Great marbling effect, Roo! I have never heard of using compressed air to blow the paint around to get that look. Good job!

Nicely done, sir!

Very nice!

Why couldn't it be Elmers? I saw a video online of someone stiffening leather that way.

Great mask, Roo. I love black and red together!

Here is my post-apocalyptic leatherwork. Gas masks. Lots and lots of gas masks.

I would think you could just use the tools to make an impression on leather, then scan them. In Corel Draw (similar to Inkscape) you can easily change the scanned jpg into a vector file, and within CorelDraw or Illustrator or Inkscape you could manipulate the individual vectors into a finished design.

Michael, The dye job on that mask is amazing! How did you get such clean lines?

Thanks. I was going to make it simpler, but the client wanted all the pieces and exposed stitching. It's just a standard butt joint. I don't know what it's called, but it goes straight across on front and forms X's on the back.

Well, dang, you guys are good! Tim guessed gas mask, and Luke guessed cow, and that's what it is. A gas mask for a fiberglass cow. I showed you the bottom so it wouldn't be too easy, but that didn't prove much of an obstacle. Here is the front view.

No doubt the strangest commission I have ever received. Can anybody guess what it is?

Great design!

Thanks for the post, Ray. I have a blog where I write about my leatherworking process. If you go back far enough you'll see my step-by-step on making several of the pieces on display at the Oxford Exhibition. http://tombanwell.blogspot.com/

Beautiful job!