Handstitched

In amongst that great tooling, its pretty hard to spot . Pffft... I wouldn't worry about it, looks great . We all know our own work. HS

Thats quite smart looking. I used some blue thread on a belt dyed with whiskey antique , I took a bit of a punt. You never know if you never give it a go. Looked damn good Nice HS

I think you may be right. I Googled ' Vintage tin smithing machinery' and what came up looked very similar . I also looked up " Johnson & Sons" , the name that is on the right . There is a model number(?) at the top. Not clear enough. I can just make out ' Sydney Melbourne ' on the plate. A similar looking machine ? The pic is listed on ebay as a ' Peck Stow & Wilcox turning machine' HS

Peter O'Tooles view of marriage , " find someone you don't like and give them a house" . HS

Well, this has turned into something quite educational . Here in Oz, our standard single phase voltage is 240v and 3 ph is 415v. HS

I bet he puts his underwear on back to front as well HS

Out of general interest, is that sting ray leather? Nice texture whatever it is. HS

Well done on that friend ' If you can't buy it, make it ' HS

Just have a common sense approach to all the chemicals we all use HS

Cant wait for our summer to end , I'm over it. Next week, hot hot hot . 40c + , about 102, 105 + F, you get the idea. However, recently in Victoria, (east Oz) they had snow....lots of it , in February , go figure,? and we're frying our a***ses off in the west . "Beam me to....Victoria Scotty " One bit of good news though, theres a vintage vehicle swap meet coming up on the 19th , car, tractor, parts etc....AND, a clearing sale on the 25th , lots of lovely 'stuff' to buy...AND I have both of those days off...woo hoo...ME time @Frodo whats ' grits' ? HS

ahhhhh, so THATS where jigsaw puzzles are made Sorry,, off topic, couldn't help myself HS

@chuck123wapati Howdy friend , how's your gut health? All better hopefully. I picked up a nearly 8kg lump of beef rump today from an indy supermarket . About $11.00 per kg . Not sure how that compares to your $$ , quite ex$y I'm guessing, everything is ex$y in Oz atm . I cut it up into some rump steaks and x4 rump roasts, they have a good layer of fat. Fat = flavour...mmmm Some of which are going on a spit or my Weber . But too hot & dangerous atm for hot coals....doh!!! Patience is a virtue. Take care HS

I bet you feel like a kid on Christmas Day by now . Now its time to have some fun I bought a guide ( mainly for belts) with my 441 clone back in 2005, but to this day I haven't used it . I go a lil 'off course occasionally , but so what. I call those ' humanity stitches', lets me know I still human HS

Thats a beauty and a great set up too ...and how dare you be so neat & tidy HS

Many moons ago , a fresh newbie to leather , I got a piece of granite from a stone mason not far from me. I told him what I did, and paid $20 for this chunk of granite off cut, a good 14" square, and a good 3" thick. Now, the fun part was getting it from his yard to my station wagon........it weighed a ton. The mason must of had a good laugh at me carrying, fumbling and nearly dropping it . He could at least given me a hand...nup. I never used it, too damn heavy, my bench would have collapsed under the weight , lol . But then someone gave me a nice piece of marble almost the same as the big piece pictured, I cut it in half, just perfect size. I have a spare piece that I once used for leather demos. HS

Thats a lot of basket weaving , and very well done too . HS

The colours are stunning , goes well with the bass I don't know why I don't do much inlay work myself , looks great. HS

Happy Birthday to her Enjoy your fiesta ....and yes, have a few gut pills on standby ...I do HS

No, theres a bottom in the foam insert, its about 10-15mm thick and quite easily hold the weight of cans or stubbys , but you may need one if you're using foam rubber. HS

I had all my "holiday" plans set, I tidied the workshop, put up some shelves, but I ended up doing a bit of a rush job for a friend...then another customer job came along...and another. So much for my plans.Not knocking the work or the money, but I just like a bit of ' me' time . Its also been damn hot, so hot the front tyre on my grey Fergie exploded . I was in my workshop at the time, scared the crap out of me. I'm not a hunter, but people do hunt roo's , not sure about rules & regs. But I think its a bit of a 'no no' to hunt the 'doe's' in case they're carrying joeys ( babies) . Take care of that ulcer, if it is that. A bit too much spicy food perhaps. I love a bit of spicy food, but makes my belly ache a bit sometimes. I didn't know there are roo farms in the US. I wonder if there are any Emu farms as well. ( pronounced eemyoo) . Emu meat is an acquired taste , strong game flavour. Roo's are all muscle , hardly any fat at all. The big reds are the roo equivalent of a 'condom full of walnuts' . Take care & good health HS

I get my supplies from them too, mostly roo hides, but I also get some lace from them too . But I find Birdsall lace seems to ' sit' or lay down better . They also have both ' classic' ( matt) or glazed lace, but just a quick rub over with some super shene after lacing does the same thing Thats interesting, run by ' Aussie ex-pats perhaps. HS

Yes, I make 'stubby holders' , ' coozies' . I use a polystyrene foam stubby insert to accommodate 375ml cans or stubbies , but they can also be made using foam rubber, similar to what is used in wet suits. Craft shops or leather suppliers may have it. Some may even have an adhesive backing , or use contact adhesive. I have a set measurement for mine , but when cutting the leather piece , allow enough for the thickness of the foam rubber in your measurements so the bottle or can slides in . Hope this helps HS

@Danotriglide Its no good to you , but all my roo lace comes from ' Birdsall Leather' NSW Australia . The freight will be ex$y to the US . But I wonder where US suppliers get their roo lace from,there aren't any kangaroos in the US? HS

We had that as well ....and , a very mild turkey curry( its summer here atm) ...and ham stir fry's etc. HS

Off topic , the ham & turkey left overs are now in the freezer to make soups in winter. HS