CaptQuirk

I picked up a big picture frame at the local version of a flea market for .50. Came with a poster of components for a helicopter chassis for free. All I wanted was the glass.

Not too shabby, and bonus points for using a round knife! Those are a bit more advanced than what I'll use. Aw heck... there's the other one!

Try this

What size are you looking for?

For the buckle, I have no idea what that style is. But, a quick Google gives me this.

Well, that's your problem right there! NEVER use a device that thinks it is smarter than you! I am rocking a 10 year old flip phone like a Puerto Rican Drug Lord

Hey Gnome, welcome! I don't know what kind of computer you're working with, but most have basic picture editing apps. The size restrictions here are 800x600. Use the Force... um, search feature, on your computer to find image apps, or Google for a free one. When you get it figured out, let's see what you've got!

I had to give up the table, when the wife's sleep was being interrupted by my leatherworking. I ended up having to clean out half the storage building... and things have been sooooo peaceful since then

I WISH I had a spare room when I started! I had to compete with the rest of the family for the dining table! And you are right, I suppose, about new people getting hate for making some money. But, there are a lot of folks who have guns/knives/whatever that they want a decent leather item for. And, judging by the amount of folks here, a whole lot more people making them. Is my holster better than the next guy's? Maybe not. But I do my best to make a decent item, and sell it for a decent price. I'm certainly not getting rich, but I do well enough to buy new tools and materials. If you can't compete, you are doing something wrong.

Just cutting out the leather and putting together the same thing that everyone else is doing, is not art. It is the little touches, the tooling and things, that set it apart from mass produced items.

If you are an artist, i.e., you make an artistic item. If you have people who like said items you make, and are willing to give you money, it becomes a business transaction. Making a lot of items, and are finding a good demand, it is a business. If you just do it, making artistic items, and don't care if anybody buys them or not, you just enjoy doing it... that is a pretty good thing in itself, and nothing at all wrong with that.

I am offended, that you would assume that I might be offended...

Wait a minute! You're not... the Shake Weighty guy, are you?

I agree with a lot that you said. One of the items I ordered this last time (and apparently the reason I was double billed), was an economy oblong punch. They were ordering it from Tandy. If I had known that, I could have just gone to Tandy directly. A while back, I ordered an overstitcher. I wasn't billed at that time for it, because it was backordered. They didn't mention this when I placed the order on the phone. A week later, they got it in and shipped it, then tried to just take the money off my card. Of course, we were tapped when they did that. So then I get several calls from them wanting to get paid, which went straight to voicemail. As soon as I got the messages, I called back and arranged to pay. I order several items, including a stitching chisel and antique brass rivets. They sent a lacing chisel, no rivets. I call, and they tell me to keep the lacing chisel, they'll just send the right item. I never did get those rivets. I like to talk to the sales people on the phone, to make sure things go right. That doesn't seem to work here. It goes from the any sales person available, to a nameless picker, to the packer. So many hands, so many chances to screw up my order. When I was selling auto parts nation wide, I talked to the customer, I picked and double checked the order, packed it, and shipped it. I knew every single customer because I talked to them with every order they made. Just gotta love progress!

For edge finishing, get a bar of glycerine leather soap. Use a damp sponge, and wipe it on the bar, then on your edge. A lot of folks use either edge slickers, or wooden slickers, to get a good burnish on the edges. The leather artist Al Stohlman suggests a piece of canvas. I have just started using a nylon edge slicker myself, after using a piece of scrap leather, flesh side against the edge.

I like it all, but really like the wood work! Nice stuff, Sir!

After 5 days, they finally released my money. I'm still not sure why it is just me that has such a hard time getting a correct order from Springfield. It isn't really that complicated.

Welcome! What a wide range of crafts you cover, I can really appreciate that. Sometimes, the best projects cross lines and blend different mediums. Looking forward to seeing what you have to share!

Springfield has a much better selection than Tandy, but out of at least a dozen orders, Tandy has never made a mistake, Out of 6-8 orders with Weaver, maybe 3 were correct. Shipping cost is not even a factor at this point.

It rubs the lotion on its skin then puts the lotion in the basket

I'm wishing I never gave them another chance. I ordered 2 rounded punches, and one oblong punch. Total price with shipping is $35.60. I get 2 receipts. I email and ask, because it looks like I was being shipped two packages. "No, they are only charging you once". I check my card, and sure enough, there are 2 charges, one for the partial order, and one for the whole order. I'm sure they will fix it... eventually. In the meantime, that money is tied up and I can't use it. Yeah, they seem real friendly, but that doesn't help me out as much as accurate orders and timely delivery. Now, if only they could "accidentally" send me a couple sides of that Hermann Oak...

@RockyAussie- I usually also form the outside, just to get a little more detail, then lay it over the inside to form them together. It just gets a little tricky to glue them together, punch the holes for stitching, etc. Gluing the two layers first sounded plausible, but just didn't work out as well.

That is beautiful! It takes a real skilled hand to do tattoos, and you have it!

Somewhere along the way, I read somebody say to glue the 2 pieces together and treat it as a single piece. I tried it, and that didn't work out. I will go back to forming the outside, then gluing the inside to it. Never had a problem like this before.