mendedbowl

just buying better tools is beginning to look cheaper (and safer) all the time. those of you who have removed chrome from the cheaper tools...were the final results worth the effort? ken

Wow!! that really turned out nice! great work Crystal. ken

i have to keep many of my craftools separated... the republican ones lean to the right, and the democrats lean to the left... if they get too close together, they argue so much i can't get anything done...go figure... ken

sounds like a good idea to me Bruce. ken

thanks for the link ATX, a very nice site now i know what a few of the odd tools i've "collected" were meant to do. ken

Thanks for posting this Bruce. Great stuff! ken

just found one at Hidehouse here hidehouse hope it helps ken

it looks like the camera was almost directly overhead, looking down onto the item laying flat on a surface...there is a cast shadow on all four sides...so i would say he used a light box with four lights (one on each side ) but with more intense light coming from the bottom right corner in the picture as it appears here. hope this helps. someone had a wonderful plan for a light box in another thread. it may be worth searching. ken

it looks good! interesting way you did the handles. ken

looks good to me. i like that color and finish. looks like you did a great job. got any pics of the inside? ken

Hi Ed (BearMan), do you mind telling me more about your lead shot bag? I've been considering making one for myself, but i'm unsure about how big or heavy i want it. do you find yours very useful? does it get in your way any? any suggestions on improvements, or what not to do? any help would be much appreciated. ken

I have a DVD of Robert Beard doing some carving...he used an oblong tube shaped bean bag to help hold his design steady while he transferred it to the leather. I haven't made one of those for myself yet, but i plan to soon. ken

that's interesting, i like it. ken

hi Jim, looks like a fine box to me. is that an arrow head with an eagle? nice work...but i prefer elephants over eagles (roll tide!) sorry, i had to say that. your work looks great. ken

pm sent

Kathy those are beautiful! i really love how you did the cross. and the horses are stunning. are those original designs? if not, may i know the source please? i hope you post more pics as it progresses... i'm in awe. ken

maybe try using a deglazer on the leather, and add some dish soap to your casing water to aid penetration. ken

maybe check in the office and school supply area of walmart for a thick vinyl report cover or page protector

very nice work, i like it a lot ken

Looks fantastic to me!!! Tina you have great looking boo boos!!! oops...that didn't sound right. seriously it looks wonderful, i'm always amazed at your work. ken

Congratulations Tom! i look forward to reading the interview. i'm sure this is just the beginning... good luck with the future ken

man that is a great design! is that an original idea? i love the tooling i like the money symbol on the spider's back too...great for a wallet. i would try to make that stand out...either traditional black widow orange...or a bright green for money. i like Tom's ideas for the background and web...but i would try to make the spider a very slick shiny black so it stands out against the background. good luck i think it's a great wallet idea. ken

"oh...groovy baby" (in my best Austin Powers voice) sorry...i couldn't stop myself

hi sara, may i ask where you bought the leather? and what exactly was it called? was it labeled as tooling leather or something else? when you said "slightly sueded in areas" it made me thing you might have gotten something different than what you were wanting. was it the veg tan splits from tandy item number 9826-00? ken

interesting design style for a first project i like the color hope you enjoyed constructing that bracelet enough to continue learning and improving. there are lots of talented people who post here in LW...you can learn lots from them...i know i have. ken