azrider

I was going to give Deb a call this week, so can ask about this too.

There is a thead where this is covered, but all of the pictures are gone. I wasn't able to find it on the web either. I purchased a 12 ton hydrylic shop press today, and want to make it into a clicker/ leather press. I have a friend with a welder willing to help, but I want to make sure I understand what needs to be modified before I start changing things. I belive I need to add a 1 inch thick steel plate under the press, and replace the single ram with a heavy piece of square or rectangular tubing to make a straight press. Is the top piece usually welded on? I ask because the springs are on eyelet bolts, and I wouldn't be able to get to those if I weld a top plate as well. Any pictures of diy clickers? Thanks all.

So Ray, how about some pictures of your deep fryer and the dipping process?

Started setting up the Halloween decorations in the front yard today. Who else but a leather worker or a stone cutter would have one of these just laying around? This is my back up for tooling…

Looking to offer Christmas ornaments in the shapes of stars, sleighs, reindeer, or any other holiday shapes. Wondering if anyone has clicker dyes, and would sell some clicked shapes. Please PM with cost and shapes available. Thanks.

I bought a roll of plain brown shipping paper. Its a thick paper with no inks on it, and I have had no problems with the finish sticking to it. I wrap it well, and then put it in a box with packing around it. So far, no issues with shipping this way.

I started out with the chisel, and it worked. I can honestly say that my sewing got faster and better looking once I got a diamond awl and learned how to sharpen it. Osborne makes a small bladed diamond awl that tandy sells. It would be a less expencive way to see if it works for you. I ruined three chisels before I finally got the awl. (Punched too hard and went through the poundo pad.) I still have my original awl, and have sewn up to an 3/4 of an inch thick with it.

I am on Etsy, and get pretty good traffc from it. I am not on Artfire. How do the sales and traffic compare?

Thank you. I think Bruce and Spinner nailed why I was not comfortable with this setup. This store's business model is based on two income streams, rent and commission. With no incentive to really sell my stuff, and me knowing how long it takes my leather work to sell in other consignment settings, I see me paying more rent than I would get in sales. The other part I am having trouble with is this is a brand new store, so there is no track record to look into. Winterbear, I have been really selective about what consignment I do, for the reasons you mention. I think this particular opportunity would be better to offer them wholesale. They may not have the capital to buy it outright right now, but it makes more sense for me. Especially since they are asking me to make a type of product I don't have in stock. Mark, not all consignment set ups are bad. I have dog collars in a local vet's office that have been slow steady sellers for over a year now. The vet takes care of my collars, and has a policy of any item a dog chews, the owner buys. Depending on the seller, consignment can be a good way to keep a little money coming in. Still curious, is the rent plus commission a common thing?

I was recently contacted by a business owner who would like to have some of my items on consignment. I hesitate about consignment just because it means they have inventory that they have no ownership in, so it doesn’t matter if it gets damaged. I also have no guarantee that it will be placed in the store in way that will help it sell. The stores I have been dealing with charge 25% for consignment. That said, I do have items on consignment in a few stores. My items seem to be pretty low volume sales. The retailer that contacted me is interested in consignment, but with a different pricing structure. She wants to do a 10% consignment fee, and a $10-30 per month fee, based on how much shelf space the items take. This is a brand new store, so I have no idea what traffic and sales volumes would look like. The store will be in a historic downtown location in a medium sized town, and carry all handmade items, most from within Kansas. (I am intentionally not giving the name of the business or town, but it is over a 3 hour drive from me, so I won’t be able to check on my products.) Has anyone heard of this type of consignment arrangement before? What are your thoughts?

Part of me always wants to jump on the $3.98 a square foot gradeY hides when I see them. The truth is, I can never get that leather to tool, mold, or edge as well as I can when I quit being so cheap and buy the good leather. When the leather is easier to work, the practice with the best tools I can afford seems to go better. My stuff comes out better, and takes dye better. In my opinion, equally important to buying the best tools you can afford, is buying the best leather you can afford.

If I start sharpening something at 10pm, the wife is going to kill me. Must wait until tomorrow.... How did overlaping the skives work for you for larger pieces?

Looking forward to pictures. If this is the tool I am thinking of, I might have five or six in Grandad's old tool box. Hmmmm...

Google says its right at 100 miles from Manhattan to Baldwin City. Baldwin City is about 17 miles south of Lawrence, and about 25 miles southeast of Kansas City, if that helps. The stone is still on the drive way.

Thanks all. Thats exactly what I wanted to know.

I am trying to find more information on a Pfaff 1221. I did a search, and that particular model is not mentioned on the forum, and there is not much informaiton from google searches I can think of either. A local sewing machine shop has one for a very reasonable price. I understand this isn't a harness machine, and I would not be able to do much in the way of veg tan leather on it. This morning I took in some samples of glued together leathers to test on the machine. There was no thread, but with a leather needle it punched through 2, 3, and 4 layers of upolstery leather like it was nothing. It also punched through about a quarter inch of veg tan. The guy who owns the shop is worried about selling me a machine I won't be happy with. I am thinking I would be able to use this for upolstery leather, and possibly to sew a piece of 4-5 oz leather onto upolstery leather items I have made. A few questions: What is the max needle size this machine can use? What is the max thread size this machine can use? Stich Spacing? Anything I should know about the machine prior to purchasing it?

I have been using brown paper you can buy in a roll from the office supply places. I have also been cutting my scraps into lace. I don't bevel or clean up the edges of the lace, and use it to wrap the brown paper. I also include a "Care and Feeding" sheet in the package. Here is a picture of one I sent out this week.

I get this cramp too. I found if I stop every 20 minutes or so when working with the knife and massage my hand it helps. I would say get the expensive knife you have always wanted. When are you going to have this as an excuse again?

I have made several wallets using this pattern now, and would just like to ask the Mods to pin this topic. Thanks, Kate.

Yeah, the guy I bought mine from asked me if I wanted a second one, and I thought he was just throwing it in. By the time I figured out he wanted 40 each for them, it was already loaded. Mine is awesome to use, but I don't need two. My wife would like me to get the tombstone off the driveway.

Got a new stone to tool on, and it came with a spare. I have a 24x12 tombstone, 4 inches thick that needs a new home. It has a small error from when it was made, so was in a stack outside. $40, pick up only.

Did the knife come with a blade? One of my favorite blades is a craftool from the 50s. I spent some time getting it good and sharp, and then polished and stroped it. It works better than the ones I bought new at Tandy.

My first belt cost me over $200. It was worth it. If I was trying this out and wanted a simple belt, and was trying not to spend a ton, I would get the following: Pre-cut belt blank with snaps from Tandy Keeper Kit from Tandy Adjustable Crease from Tandy #2 Edger from Tandy Utility knife with a fresh razor blade from tool box. Dye small container from Tandy Saddle Soap- from my shoeshine kit Top Coat finish- Small container from Tandy Buckle from Tandy Read the tutorials on how to do edges and how to do make a belt in the how to section. Spend several hours making the belt. Let the finishes dry, and wear your belt. This was where I went back to Tandy and got stamping tools, a stone, and books. Looking back, just get the books your first few rounds.

Here's a link. Some nice tools. http://shop.ebay.com/michellel8366/m.html?_adv=1&_dmd=1&_in_kw=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

These are made from hard jacked horse butt from Siegel's. I am glad to hear you don't need the polishing compound, because it didn't soak in all that well. They worked really well when I used them though.