Double U Leather

Wow Storm..........those look great. Nice work.

Thanks Storm. I still fit in the "rookie" category though..........LOL

I haven't posted anything in a while, so I thought I'd put this up. It turned out okay...typical flaws that I wish I had a muligan to fix. Oh well...someday I'll get it all figured out. Let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

ClayB hit the nail on the head. I do alot of bargrounding rather than backgrounding, but if I try to do it when the leather is too wet, I get stretching and uneven work. The bargrounding is the very last tooling I do on a piece, and the leather is very nearly dry. It's still moist enough to make the tool marks dark, but not much wetter if that makes sense.

Looks good as always Bob. I"ll have to keep my eyes out for 'em. I'm actually in OKC at the moment announcing the world show. Anyway, your work is outstanding.

I guess I'm just simple minded enough (or maybe I've had too many concussions) that, to be honest, I don't even remember the old format. I've adjusted to this format, and like it quite well. When it first changed, I had some anxiety simply because I don't like change a whole lot. But, now that I've gotten accustomed to this format, I love it. I will have to say, I like it better now that the color scheme is a brown rather that the early blue. I didn't care much for that. Bottom line.......Johanna and gang are doing a helluva job with this site, and if I can scrape together enough pennies soon, I'm darn sure fixin' to be a contributor.

Maybe the belt was cut from the butt end of the bull. Could be recycled grass stain that penetrated the bull's skin. Seriously, it's hard to say what caused it, and unfortunately I don't have a rememdy for you. I'm sure someone on here will though.

I guess we could turn this into a "Letterman Top 10 List". But I wouldn't probably have 10 considering this shop is far better than the garage, a bedroom, or stall in the barn shops I've had in the past. Nonetheless, here are my shop frustrations. 1) Not as much room as I'd like (Never will have enough...lol) 2)Rather expensive to heat with electric heater 3) Not enough orders (See #1 above) 4) Not enough tools (See #1 above) I guess that's about everything that really frustrates me and my lil shop. All in all, I like it alot.

I think it would be an accurate assessment, and a correct assumption, to definitely believe that you indeed do have the hang of it. That the long way of saying

I've done a couple painted belts. I've painted first, then let dry 6-8 hours at least. Overnight is better just to be safe. Then Neatsfoot, then Neat Lac, then antique, then Tan-Kote. It's worked for me so far.

Let 'er buck.

Tim.....looks like it's kinda like riding a bike. You haven't lost your touch in those 20+ years it appears. Nicely done. You'll be richly blessed I'm sure. As for the staining, I like to use the classic Sheridan style approach to finishing. 1) Neatsfoot Oil- depending on how dark you want it, determines how many and how thick the coats are. For a lighter color, I'd put just a light coat of Neatsfoot on one time. (Let dry 24 hours)* *Important step 2) Neatlac- I like Neatlac, but others prefer a different type of resist. Spray or rub on an even coat being sure to cover every little bit. I use the aerosol cans myself, and put it on generously. (Let dry)* *I like to let it dry overnight to be safe, but at least a few hours. I've ruined many projects getting impatient in the finishing process. 3) Antique- I use Eco-flo gel antique. I've also had good luck with Fiebings antique paste. Either way, do as the directions say. Wipe on, wipe off. The more you wipe off, the lighter the result. (Let dry)* *See #2 4) Tan-Kote- Apply a generous amount being sure that every nook and cranny is covered. Don't worry if it kinda puddles in the depressed areas. After it dried the puddles go away. (Again let dry) 5) When Tan-Kote is thoroughly dry, I take a clean piece of sheepskin and buff it to a shine. Hope this helps. This is how I do it. There are other, far more qualified than I, that may offer further assistance. Good job and God bless.

Russ.........those look real good. They are a touch bright, but the customer is always right...LOL. Just hope they don't spook the horses!! Good work.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for it?

Frank, I had the same issue a couple weeks ago with the same scenario. Rawhide mallet, new punch, dry leather. Once I wet it, it went right through. Of course, I tooled my belt, so the wetting wasn't a real problem. Except that I'd, finished the tooling, had it dried over night, and was ready to begin the finishing process. I had to re-wet the entire thing to avoid the water spot dilema. The lesson I learned was to punch it after I'd wet it, before I tooled anything. I guess with your situation, you'll probably have to wet the whole thing, punch, and then let dry completely. Hope this helps.

Dang Storm..........that's awesome. Good work.

First, I'm no expert in this area at all. There are some real good sewing machine gurus on this board that may be better able to answer your question. That being said, I'll give you my $.03 (factoring in inflation and the economic stimulus package we should all be receiving soon). There's alot of machines that claim to be "industrial". Without knowing what model # you are referring to, limits the accuracy of the advice. I've got a Singer (that of course off the top of my head I don't know the model # of) that can handled 1/4" leather relatively easy. I use it to sew 8-9 oz. Herman Oak tooling leather onto 3-4 oz. chap leather. I has no issues with that. However, anything much thicker causes it to have some hiccups. If I'm going to sew something 1/2" or thicker, I'll go to my Singer 45K which is a cylinder arm machine. That machine will sew up to 3/4" with no problems. A simple answer, in my opinion, is that it's very hard to have one machine that can do it all. If you have more questions, let me know. I would also suggest talking to Art or Cobra Steve (those are the only two I can think of right off hand) on this forum. They've probably forgotten more about sewing machines than I'll ever hope to know. I'll also check the model number of my flat bed Singer later this morning when I go to the shop. I hope this hekps. I think you'll find the people on this forum more than happy to help in anyway they can.

Richard........I agree with Andy all the way around. If you got a saddle stand or rack, you can grab the horn in one hand and the cantle in the other and push them toward each other. If the tree is broken, you can see and feel alot of movement. To visually see if the tree is damaged, you'd have to tear it down quite a ways to expose the tree. As for the horse not working, I've run into the same dilema with my son who is 16. When he first started tying down, he had a horse that was supposed to be a real good tie down horse. The horse would work for a few runs and then quit. Finally, after alot of practice, when my son was stepping off better, the horse began to work again. Alot of calf horses quit working due to pilot error. Another factor may be his hocks and/or stifles. They can get sored up pretty quickly if you're running alot of calves. I'd probably lean more toward horse issues than saddle issues. And of course, every now and then, those horses just need some ol' fashioned tuning. You can PM me if you want about some of the methods we've used that work really well. Good luck to you.

Good stuff amigo. I really like the cross hatch deal with the dots. I've done the cross hatch, but without the dots. I like it. Like everyone else, I'd like to see the insides. Job well done.

Nice work. I've never tried the air brush route, but maybe someday. How did you make the ends to attach it to the guitar? Pics of that would be nice to see also. I've got a Christmas strap to build as well, and just looking for ideas. Good job.

I'd like to wish my dad a happy birthday. He doesn't tool leather, but on Oct. 13th he turned 87!!! He still hunts and fishes, and still plays a mean game of cribbage. Happy B-day Pops.

Hey Storm....that's a cool paper weight. I really like the arrowhead basket stamping going in different directions. I've tried the arrowhead weave, and it doesn't always turn out so bueno. Good work.

Thanks for the compliments gang. As for the name, compared to alot of other folks on here, leatherrookie is highly appropriate. Storm...I don't think lifting him over my head is an option anymore. Hasn't been an option for quite a while. Although he's only 16, he stand 6'1" and weighs 198#. If anyone gets lifted over anyone's head, it's him lifting me over his...LOL. I still have the upper hand though.....if he gives me too much grief, I just tell him he can't borrow the truck to go rope. At that point, he pretty much will do anything I say. I'll be screwed when he gets enough money for his own rig though.......LOL

That's good stuff. Nicely done. You should be proud, and I'm sure the new owners will be proud as well. Kudos.

Just got this finished for my son. I noticed the other day at the practice pen, his old belt almost didn't stretch far enough. I guess when you keep feeding them, they keep growing....LOL. Anyway, let me know what ya'll think. Thanks.