hidepounder

If I was going to copy it I would do exactly what dirtclod suggested. Do a rub-off and then re-trace it. Piece of cake!

Ferg, I agree with Ben.....your first choice should probably be Bob Beard. He has made several specialty blades for me. They are made of tool steel and are hard enough to chip my concrete floor without damaging the blade....true story! He is one of the few guys who still make shollow ground blades which I happen to love and they are of the highest imaginable quality. Bobby

Belts are easy to measure. There are a couple of good methods and the folks who have advised not to trust the customers measurements are correct. I use a belt I made for measuring. Quite simply, make a belt with a lot of holes punched at 3/4" centers and and mark the holes. Now all you have to do is have your customer PUT HIS BUCKLE ON THE BELT, put it on and record the hole he uses. Also discuss the length of tail he wants and use the hole numbers to record that measurement also. In otherwords record the hole number where they want the tip to end. Now you have a correct waist measurement and tail length. No guesswork involved! The next best method is to measure the old belt. My belts typically have a 2-3/4" fold which is skived thin and I punch 5 holes at 3/4" centers. Hope this helps.... Bobby

Draw your circle with a compass and then use a round knife to cut the circle. Cut a series of straight or slightly curved arcs until you get all the way around. Don't try to make a freehand cut on a circle unless you really know how to sharpen your round knife and and have some knife skills. Cutting a series of straight slivers is a very easy way to cut a circle. Hope this helps....... Bobby

Glad the tutorial helped. I was preparing my response to you until I got to this last post and I see you have a handle on it! Terrific!!! Bobby

For me a 34" or 36" cinch is pretty darned big. I ride descent sized head horses and usually use a 30" cinch. I don't want my cinch ring to ride too high because I think my saddle stays in the proper position better when I have a good 8" between my dee ring and my cinch ring. That usually keeps the cinch ring out of the way where it doesn't rub, also. I had a 16-2, 1350 lb head horse that I used 32" and 34" cinches on.....a 36" cinch was too long. Additionally I use a full cinch on the off side. I just think it's easier for me to keep the cinch centered which is important to me because I use a Roper cinch and a tie down when in the arena. Bobby

Yes I coat all the exposed surfaces, tooled and un-tooled with Neatlac.

I just wrapped a wood burnishing wheel I got from Weaver with heavy canvas and taped it on.... I think you'll be pleased. The more you use it the more it molds to the wood. It will last a long time.

Hi David, I'm glad to hear the machine does a good job. I have watched the video with great interest but it just doesn't show any results. I would love to see some close ups. Bobby

Ben you're right.....and Bruce just posted bunch of pictures of the tools he currently has for sale. I don't think he has any Rose's at this time but he has several other nice knives for sale right now. Try this link: http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale

Bob Douglas usually has a couple in stock and they are always in excellent condition. He just doesn't mess around with anything that's not in good shape. He will be a little more expensive but all his tools have been cleaned up and sharpened. Bob Douglas Tools 307-737-2222 Tell him Bob Park sent you.

Ben, congratulations on a beautiful maul from Ed! I know how much you appreciate the gesture as I too have been blessed by Ed's kindness. I was going make a separate post but decided it would be appropriate to show another example of Ed's workmanship and generousity here. Mine is #3 and is a beautiful work of art! I'm having a hard time leaving it on the bench. I find myself packing it back in the house where I can keep my eye on it, LOL! Thank you Ed! I would also like to tell everyone about another item which Ed is making. It is a terrific little rubstick and he calls it the "Snake". He tells me it is an old time design and I had never seen one before. It is a very handy shape and size (about 5" long) and I'm really excited about it! (I defintely need to apologize for my lack of photography skills.....it doesn't do justice to either piece)

So you're looking to have the bottom of the Koozie have a 45 degree bevel and the bottom of the sides that meet the bottom have a 45 degree bevel also so that you can sew them together. A French Skiver is definitely the tool I would use! Bobby

I burnish 5/6 oz leather all the time. You have to use something like two thin pieces of wood clamped on either side or something similar to stabilize the edge. If you're using a mechincal burnisher it is a simple matter of holding the leather taught between your hands while you move it through the burnishing wheel. Hope this helps.... Bobby

I have never used that rope tool so I'm no help there, however have you ever tried cutting a rope pattern with a swivel knife? It really isn't that hard to do and if you take your time I'll bet you'll be suprised at how well it turns out. Practice on a piece of scrap leather and see how it looks. Bobby

You could use a circle cutter to cut the leather out and then you could bevel the edges. For a perfect 45 degree bevel you would probably have to build a jig that holds a razor blade. You might be surprised also at how accurately you can cut a bevel with a good French Skiver if it's sharp. Hope this helps..... Bobby

Are you speaking of your improvements in tooling or improvements in waste size?

I used to line my products with pig skin but have switched to calf. In my opinion it makes a higher end lining and I am able to provide some finger cut patterns in the calf that really sets off the interior. I am not oppossed to utiizing a quality pre-manufactured liner either. In my opinion it is better to use one of the liner kits like Chaynor-Fennelli makes than it is to try to construct a lining if you do not have the tools or the skills to make a proffessional grade lining. A good pre-fab interior can result in a higher quality product for less money. I can't begin to make an interior for what I can purchase one of those for. The limiting factor for me is that I may not be able to purchase the style or size that I want and I am unable to do any custom decorative carving to a pre-fab interior. If I use a fabric lining for a purse or wallet I use 1000 denier PVC coated nylon. My experience has been that the very first thing to wear out on a purse or wallet is the fabric lining and replacing them when they are worn out takes more work than the entire project took from the beginning. So I began gluing my 1000 denier lining with Barge cement, directly to the leather and then constructing the purse. Now I don't have to worry about the lining wearing out. Neither of the 3M products held up well enough for my taste and so I use Barge cement. Because the fabric is PVC coated I get a terrific bond with no bleed through and the fabric is tough enough to last a very long time. I have been installing this material in rope bags for several years and have yet to have one come back for repair to the lining and they get way more abuse than a purse or wallet does. It's a little more expensive to use but if you're making a custom product it should superior to it's production made counterpart. Bobby

Rookie, You are making some great strides in your tooling. This is the best project I've seen from you so far. You asked for constructive criticism so here are some suggestions that I think will help move you to the next level. When you installed the lining, you did so before sewing the binding to the leaves. Consequently your stitching on the binding shows up on the inside of the album and looks unsightly. It would look a lot cleaner if you stitched the binding and leaves together and then glued the lining in and stitched the perimeter. Additionally the lining under the binding should be the same as the rest of the lining. Why change colors? It's distracting. On your tooling.... you have a really good design and the pattern flows well. I like it! You need to get a flower center beveler and use it around the flower centers to help accentuate them. Also, if I were tooling that flower I would use a narrow un-scalloped veiner (shell tool) to terminate the cuts for the flower petals where they die into the flower center. It will add a lot more depth and movement to the flower. When you're beveling the petals on your vines be sure to taper down to nothing. Your beveling ends too abruptly there. I would also like to see you elongate the petals on your vines so that they don't just die in the middle of the background. They need to reach the opposing elements. You've done a great job here and your customer will be thrilled. I hope this helps..... Bobby

seveneves, I'm no saddlemaker but I'm impressed with the level of workmanship you achieved on your second saddle. Time to learn to tool it. Nice job! Bobby

In my opinion it is one of the highest quality, most versatile and durable machines made. I have had one for several years and I am able to sew with #69 thread all the way up to #345 thread and above. There was a learning curve for me, however, it was my very first machine and I had to learn by trial and error so that was a big part of it. I wouldn't trade mine for anything. It will easily sew through 3/4" of leather. I have also sewn my 2/3 oz linings on it. I prefer to use a smaller flatbed machine for the light leathers, but the 205 will get the job done. Hope this helps..... Bobby

Wow! What an opportunity! Wish I could be there! Bobby

Bob....thank you so much for the kind words. It is always rewarding to hear that your efforts are appreciated and I'm just egotistical enough to enjoy it, LOL! I like to use a spray bottle also. It seems like it makes it just a little easier to get an even application of water.

It sounds like you're talking about harness leather which I've never tried to tool. I wouldn't think that it would absorb water very well or tool very well. I think probably that the poor result was due more to the leather than to the process you used.

I wrapped the canvas on the burnishing wheel and taped the ends. I also added Barge cement along the edge to keep it down. The canvas stretches and conforms to the wheel. I didn't glue directly to the wheel because I didn't want to ruin it and I didn't k now how it was going to work. However I have never had to do anything to it since so I have left well enough alone. Hope this helps.... Bobby