Handstitched

Yes, and I'm enjoying it too .And I have no doubt that it will be solved , thanks to the help from the good peeps on this website . @jasj I also wonder if Tom Lay attended the ' Rose Parade' in the b/w pic in his early days ? Perhaps he took the photograph ? I will have to have a word from the vendor that I bought it from for more info, as he still attends some of the markets I attend. I guess the other question I would like answered, however irrelevant , how much would the book be worth...now...as I only paid $10 ( Australian ) at S/H market stall . But whatever it is worth in $$ it will never be sold, I think the history or its ' provenance ' is priceless to me now HS

@jasj WOW !!! wow wow wow !!! OMG !! What a revelation !!!! Yes, its been a great help. Thank you so much Check this out: this is from the show results from ' Perth Royal Show' 2012 ( Western Australia) a show that I have Judged at, in recent years, the leatherwork section of course https://www.perthroyalshow.com.au/wp-content/results/2012/index.php?file=CREATIVE_CRAFT.html In the list of results , it mentions ' Thomas Lay ' 0151:SCARECROW.First- Thomas Lay 0152:HANDBAG.Second- Thomas L further down the list: 0160:ANY OTHER ARTICLE.First- Thomas Lay this can't be a coincidence , ..........surely ?? HS

Snap !! Great minds thinking alike here, because thats exactly what I did this arvo on a holster . Just wondering if clear PVC hose ( not fuel hose) is what you're thinking of ? Great idea . HS

It won't do any harm to re- assess my workshop space I guess. Put my 'thinking cap ' on and see what space can be utilised better. There is one part of my workshop that I actually hate, ( I'll take a pic, although it will be embarrassing to even show it ) But thanks HS

G'Day, I had a similar issue . so I used these: https://www.birdsall-leather.com.au/ADDw/Durable-Dots-Long-and-Short/pd.php The stem is 8mm. I use them on most of my belts. It does save having to skive the ends of the belts. HS

@Dwight thats a fantastic idea , fairly simple to make too . Unfortunately I don't have the space even for that . Although I do try to keep my belt blanks hanging up wherever I can , otherwise they'll have the bad case of the ' curly wurlys ' ( as I call it, all curled up, not lying flat ) . " One Powerball"....I could double...triple the size of my workshop, I would have all the space I need.

Yep, how can we forget that ? Or am I an old fart like you ? Quite a nice drop too ,these days I just buy whatever is in the " bargain bin" ...and tastes nice She was a ...' Smurfette', but also prayed while you slowly got s*** faced !! HS

@TreesnerI hear ya loud and clear !! I used to work from my Mothers sewing room in the ' early days', not much bigger than a 3 x 3 gazebo space wise. . With her materials and my rolls of leather in the same room, , it was getting a bit cramped. Rolled up was the only way to store them . However, even that idea had its limits. So, we ' bit the bullet' , and built a small 20 x 20 ' workshop on the property . I got myself some old heavy desks etc from a local S/H seller for work benches, modified them, joined them together, made shelves , racks etc. to take all my rolls.. .....& rolls of leather. Even now, I still have difficulty storing rolls of leather , go figure ? My workshop is a perpetual mess,.... and so is my Mums !!!!!! Every Monday is " Tidy Up Day " for me. . But rolling your hides etc. is probably best for storage . HS

G'Day, I have the same book and have no issues at all. If it helps, the stock number on the front is 61946-00 and the copyright date is 1978. You might have picked up a dud . HS

I have only used jewelers rouge . Works fine for me. But ' smurf poo' ?? Are smurfs grazing animals ? hate to see when they throw up after a big night, maybe too many " blue lagoon" cocktails ? !!!! Thats just silly ,.....blue lagoon cocktails....geez, They just drank too much ' Windex' !! HS

G'Day, I have done some spraying with dyes & sealers . Here is my little set up for spraying . I have two ' touch up guns' like the blue one in the pic. One for dye , one for sealer . I always take them apart after each use give them a good clean and soak parts in acetone or thinner etc. The compressor is self explanatory, .....that brand is no longer made ha !! But it still works fine, touchwood I have never put sealer through my air brush , only dye, most of which are water based with a little bit of alcohol for drying purposes. The simple little bag was just a test piece. I used the air brush for the contrasting colour around the edge, and the other spray gun for the sealer. I also thinned out the sealer with water. HS

Maybe use an old shower curtain to cut up and use as a lining for the bag? ( or buy a cheap one) , something that can be easily cleaned with a cloth. HS

I have used a plastic toy gun which is the same shape & size as a .357 magnum to make a holster, but not to wet form to get the exact same shape. The client brought his ( real) 357 to my workshop , to find they are an exact match to my toy one, pure fluke Not such a 'goofy question' after all eh ? HS

Yep, me too . I smoked a pipe for a while, just trying to be different I guess . I used a *popular brand pipe tobacco * and it was very aromatic . Loved opening the bag ( or the tin), especially a fresh one and taking a deep breath.... OMG it was goooood. Errrr, ...meanwhile back at the pipe holder......... I have skived a little bit off some rough leather before to take all the flaky stuff off . The blade needs to be really sharp, ( or a new one) not a bit dull if using a hand skiver. HS

I agree. Some customers don't always think ahead. It might be a ' last minute decision' to get a hand made item/gift .....just before Christmas, not realising that other people have made the same decision. So you just have to be a bit ' diplomatic' . And don't forget,most of us are making stock for the Christmas period and,..... and you too would like some some time off at Chrissy with family & friends. We do have a life outside making leather goods you know ? What??? a life ??? ha ha HS

G'Day, A'h yes , Christmas where everyone runs around like a ' blue a**sed fly ( an ' Aussie-ism' ) looking for something to buy family or friends only for the recipient to say " ....gee....thats ...just what I always wanted.." ....which is code for, " its crap" . But to answer your question, if someone places an order with me close to Christmas, I always say, " I can't make any guarantees that it will be done by Christmas " Or a variation , " I can't make any guarantees that it will be done by Christmas as I have many Christmas orders to fill, but I will do my best . " And so on . They need to understand that like me and many others, I am just a sole trader . I have this sign on my stall : " We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing.” And, : "The impossible we can do, miracles take a little longer" HS

Well, this brings back memories. Apart from the pimples & puberty... I did do a little bit of ' powder coating' in 'metal work in 1st year high school. ( well, at least I think it was 'powder coating'? ) It was a metal pen holder. Heat it up with oxy torch , and dip it in some plastic powdery ...stuff. And it comes out all beautifully coated . As for sewing machines, I'd be happy with a nice paint job and finish it off with some decals @iron1951 what machine is it ? We'd love to see a ' before & after' pic. All the best in the restoration HS

Over 15 years ago, I bought a leather ' bum bag' for about $5.00 from an *op shop for my fledgling business. *You call them 'thrift shops' ... I think? I was a little suss when I noticed the label on the inside was removed. My suspicions were correct when I found a wallet ( in My Shed of Junk) that a mate bought me some years earlier that matched the leather on my ' bum bag' ....it was elephant hide . After 15-16 years of use, I think I might change it...eh? We just don't know how these animals died or how it they were treated. They could have been 'responsibly sourced' or...... ?? This could open up a can of worms. HS

Yup, theres also one very old ' elephant in the room' , 'Raven Oil Dye', its , ..well......oil mixed with dye However, I did make the mistake of putting Raven Oil dye on the inside of a belt ( in my wee early days) . No matter how much sealer I put on, it still leeched out onto clothing. OOPS !!! I now use water based dyes with PU sealer. All good now HS

In cases like this, I do have a water based dye , the colour is ' Camel' , that does help( I thin it out sometimes to get the colour I want . Its a close approximation to ' aged leather ' . You could put it out in the sun, it is skin after all, but that could also dry it out a bit too much . But you could use oils and dressings to soften it up. HS HS

G'Day, I have used *toluene to soften up contact adhesive, and I have also used it to ' thin' out the the last remaining bits of contact in the tin to make it stretch. It gets a bit ex$y to keep chucking out the little leftover bits in the tin. But yes, acetone can dry out leather . *Be very careful if you decide to use toluene . Wear eye protection and gloves, because it burns !!! HS

My Mother put a needle from her *Pfaff 60 straight through her finger many years ago . Needless to say I have learnt from that, considering the needles from ' our machines on steroids' we all use are like long nails , so I keep my 'fingees' well away from the business end of the machine . I have never had the need to use PPE while sewing , only with other machines like buffers, grinders etc. *the Pfaff 60 is now in my workshop sewing thin leathers . Can't help but think of what Mum did every time I use it. * HS

Thats where Queensland got them from, I think. Some silly politicians thought it was a good idea to bring them in....not. Read all about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad Theres a lot to read . HS

Yep, its a pretty darn strong toxin alright. It kills a wide variety of native fauna. It can sometimes be used as a narcotic.... .....um ..*gross warning* ... .....people lick them . Dogs are even known to get hooked on the toxin ( and end up at the vet no doubt) as it gives off a 'high' ,according to Queensland locals that I've spoken to. But this is going off topic. I prefer making Cane Toad leather goods out of them . And besides, I much prefer a cold beer to get my... ' high' HS

Nothing wrong in being a little paranoid. Our health and safety is important, regardless if its a hobby or a business. But like I said earlier, I have been slack in that regard, so I should....correction ...will be more vigilant. But I always use a respirator when spraying dyes & sealers ( and with lots of ventilation) as I don't know what chemicals are in them . As for dye on your hands, I tried using rubber gloves and different grades types etc. only to find them more a hindrance than a help and making a bigger mess as they don't always fit properly . So these days I just use scrap sheep skin swabs without gloves. ( Cotton ear buds are handy for dying in intricate bits too.) Sure I'll get dye on my hands, , but it wears off in a few days . If customers ask about the authenticity of my products being handcrafted, I just show them my hands....simple I also use a moisturiser cream on my hands HS