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GrayHallidayJr

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Posts posted by GrayHallidayJr

  2. Posted · Report reply

    17 hours ago, spacedog said:

    That looks great. I really like the face you did.

    Thank you. Speedy biker was what I was going for. I took a hole punch bit of scrap leather from one of the the buckle holes on the billet and tried to mould the face around it by placing it underneath the leather, gluing it in there and then placing the backing liner over it. Made the nose on the face pop. I really should sign up for a class or watch some YouTube videos on how those guys are achieving them 3D effects.

  5. Posted · Report reply

    On 1/1/2021 at 10:53 AM, maxdaddy said:

    Gray, I've long admired your work. Can you describe how the laser is used in your belts and strap projects?  

    I burn the uploaded artwork directly onto the leather. You can dial in and get so much more detail with the leather. The above fish scroll is a tad over an inch in height. You could never get scrolls that small with a swivel knife. Then bevel. I used to cut the art edges with a swivel knife, but it’s not necessary. It’s easy to bevel off of the laser burn. 
     

    The artwork takes the most time. The laser is only as good as the artwork you are printing. You can upload any number of designs/images from the internet- some with photo like real ness. I once did a black and white photo of Hank Williams and the shading was perfect. Looked like the photo. Once the artwork is in the Glowforge system, you can just hit print again as many times as desired. Or resize it to a wider belt. Everything else before was just a one off. I never used stencils I just cut and drew onto the leather. I still do some “old school” carving. It took me a long time to self teach myself the Krita art software. That was a slow learning curve. 
     

    All in all, the laser is a great tool for the artist/leatherworker. A paintbrush in the hand of a novice won’t produce a masterpiece. 

  11. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, Stetson912 said:

    Your style has changed but is still awesome. Your floral is different. Smoother maybe? I cant quite place it. Still looks great tho. Welcome back!

    I’ve been studying some engraver’s work. Definitely has added depth and overlay to my simpler scrolls.

    49 minutes ago, battlemunky said:

    Yet another Gray Halliday home run. Man, I like looking at your work. Glad you are back at it!

    Thank you. I forgot how good it can make you feel, those small moments of satisfaction it provides through the process. Good to be back at it a bit. 

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Long time! Really enjoyed browsing recent Show Off threads, so many cool projects. I took a long break from any leather work and really enjoyed getting back to it. Here’s my latest, a hat band. I wrapped it around a cloth band I’ve been wearing on my sombrero- it’ll tighten down another notch for a perfect fit when the old band is removed. Taking it in to the hat maker to swap it out. Anyway, let me know what you think. Always looking to improve. 
     

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  16. Posted · Report reply

    5 hours ago, LonesomeLeather said:

    Very nice, I always enjoy your style as well.

    What stamp is the leaf background, near the ends? -if you dont mind my asking

     

    Sergey Neskromniy from Bulgaria. Quality stamps for reasonable pricing. 

     

    9 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

    Glad to see some more of your work. You've been missed.

    Excellent as always.

    Thanks! 

     

    4 hours ago, Stetson912 said:

    Nice to see ya again! Good stuff as usual

    I appreciate it!

     

    2 hours ago, YinTx said:

    Fantastic, intricate artwork.  Stitching is great too.  What did you use for stitching?  I like the retro buckle with this style art also, very fitting.

    YinTx

    I use a Cobra 4. Any stitching machine can be temperamental. I’m always sure to give the old gal a pat when things go smoothly. I typically pair Ebay purchased vintage buckles with my straps. You can find decent brass from the 70’s in the $10 to $30 range. 

     

    2 hours ago, alpha2 said:

    Always like to see your work! Great belt.

    Jeff

    Thank you. 

  20. Posted · Report reply

    On 2/22/2019 at 7:10 AM, cseeger said:

     

    I've said it before and I'm going to keep on saying it because it's important for the craft to have examples of truly original styles.

    "Gray, you have an original, unique style that's readily discernible in all your work.   To my way of thinking, that is as impressive as the work itself.   Actually......? it's more impressive.  Not to impune anyone else's work, just saying it's a fairly rare thing to see."

     

    Have you considered a .licensing arrangement with Tandy?  I'm serious.  Their collection of 1964 same o' same o' is, well, lame and boring.   PM me if you're amenable toward something like that.  I can provide some info that could help in that regard.

    Thank you! It’s such a generous compliment. It’s so gratifying when others enjoy your work. I feel like there’s still so much for me to learn. The work of others continues to inspire me to advance my skill. I’ll PM you, I’m open to any guidance/direction you might provide. That sounds like a dream.

     

    On 2/23/2019 at 3:08 PM, GregS said:

    Hank has a pretty cool belt.

    Thank you, Sir.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    18 hours ago, YinTx said:

    Yeppers, another fantastic piece!  Awesome to see your work again.

    Weeeellllll..... I cut the strap about 6 months ago, and have been pondering it ever since...  sketched a pattern for a guitar strap a few moons ago... also still pondering it and haven't cut the leather yet... so maybe a few years?  When I finish one, I'll have a definitive answer for ya!

    I came across my tooled belt a year ago, and it looks entirely hand tooled, I think.  And it is pretty well detailed also.  Makes me wonder who did it!  I don't think I could duplicate it if I had to.

    YinTx

    Haha, I feel a lot better about how long it takes me to do a belt! Thanks for the encouragement. Re: the tooled belt, I have one that’s all hand tooled with my name stamped across the back. Stitched too. I had it done at a state fair in Indiana, as I recall. I can’t imagine someone on site banging out belts that quick! 

  22. Posted · Report reply

    47 minutes ago, battlemunky said:

    lol, it took me a year to make my first one...it was a lot of stitching and I haven't started my second, lmao. I know that doesn't help, just more for fun. Mine wasn't carved either, just lined. Most of that time was getting past the intimidation I felt, for some reason belts scared me. One little mistake on an inch isn't bad but propagate that sucker out 40-50 inches and you have a lot of scrap leather. That was my thinking anyhow. My next one won't be lined and I'll probably knock it out in a few hours, again, no decor though. 

    It’s time for me to make myself a new one. Been field testing my last one everyday for the last three years. It’s held up well, but my skill and tool chest has improved a bit since then. I like the way this one turned out. Maybe I’ll convert it to grown up size. 

    40 minutes ago, alpha2 said:

    Nailed the "badass", for sure!

     

    Watch out for that kid. Haha.

  24. Posted · Report reply

    47 minutes ago, JD62 said:

    drool.gif.a28e983286fe2e99beab6aeaff689928.gif  Yup you did it again!!

    Thanks! Made this one for my cousin’s kid. He’s a thunderball. I’ve still got my tooled belt from when I was a kid. Hope he keeps this one as a childhood momento. 

    39 minutes ago, battlemunky said:

    Really awesome stuff!

    Thanks! I’m going to try to scale back production a bit to focus on improving quality. I got busy before trying to keep up with demand. It took all of the fun out of it, hurrying the artistic piece. Each one takes me a long time to make. 

     

    A question for everyone; How owe long does it take for you to make a belt?

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