WoodysWorkshop

I have been reading much on treating leather with neats foot oil, mink oil, resoline, bees was and such. All I know is what I watch for free on Tandy's web site. I've searched here and online for finishing instructions, with very little luck. Does anyone know where I can get some Free finishing literature? (please post link) I did a sheath for my son, used water and a wood form and finished it with Super Shene. Got some neats foot oil at the local Home and Farm store, but it turned the leather real dark under the shene on the front from treating the back. I have some patches I did for a friend using Cova Colors and you can hardly see the colors now that it turned dark on the front from treating the back. I am so confused on where to go from here I'm afraid to finishing anything now, it's unreal. I'm hoping someone can point me in a direction I can learn something useful...Like what to use and when to get the results I need.

How'd the Native American Indian's do it? Buffalo, Elk, Mule & White Tail Deer, Bear... Their cloths, shoes, boots, tools where all made of leather and bone (needles). Even their TP's were hides. Can't be all that hard. Making tooling leather, now.....that's a different story I'd imagine!

What about silicone pouches that plastic surgeons use for female enhancement? That should make your buns feel real cumfy!

If you go HDPE, get a thick one, at least 1". Once both sides are worn enough to cause problems you can run it through a planer and make it smooth again. I did that with the kitchen cutting boards when I had my wood shop. Worked out great.

I would assume Ebay would get a stick up the backside for doing business outside of Ebay if you are using them as a kind of advertising device. The big wigs there are some pretty greedy Ba$tard$, and have no human compassion at all, unless they are getting paid to Give a $hit. The fact that they are allowing people to sell black powder model rocket engines, which is against their policy (and law to ship without the proper license), is fact money talks. I've complained on every listing of BP engines I've seen, and they never get pulled. Lately, Even AP Engines, cases, reloads and single use (which you need the proper certification to legally buy) are even being sold. I'm sure it won't take long before some idiot will get one off Ebay that requires legal certification to buy the engine and seriously hurt themselves. And when it comes out they bought it off Ebay... Ebay will get their butts sued off, which I would love to see. Not that it would a good thing for us that follow the rules use common sense, because it would probably force the Feds to impose more stricter regulations on us. With Ebay's $$$, I'm sure they have pull in politics. Especially in CA.

I want to try and make a sleeve for my 8 oz flask. It will be carved and finish (providing I learn a way to finish that works) and either hand stitched or laced. I won't be bonding it to the flask, and will have a bottom on it. Maybe a sock would be a better term? The flask is stainless steel, hip pocket style. Thank You All Kindly for any and all suggestions.

I will say I would prefer the angle reversed, as well as the firearm itself for me. But that's me. Reaching behind my back isn't easy with my back problems, and painful. I prefer the underarm cross draw. All in all, it's just common sense.

Warriors yes, Everyday citizens...no I knew this would come up....

What about selling on Etsy? The guy selling the leather stamps from Bulgaria is selling there, no difference compared to ordering directly from him. I just started looking at Etsy, so I really don't know anything about it.

Are you suggesting he blew his balls off? He must have left the safety off? NOTE: The safest way to carry a gun...Is Unloaded. That is, don't keep one in the Chamber, and the safety ON.

I ran across an add looking for a specific design and it was about Artist's Water Color, Coloring Pencils. At the bottom of the list they say they can be used on is Leather Coloring. They are fairly Cheap! $25 shipped (within the USA) for 72 colors. As a kid there was nothing better than getting the BIG box of Crayons with the sharpener in the back, and I got really good at coloring. Rarely went outside the lines.... Has anyone tried these? Though I'm not sure how one would go about applying them in thin layers like fading from one color to another... NOTE: I use to do Custom Auto Painting. Cob Webs, Fading, Shading, little bit of graphics and air brushing for a short time. [Thanks Crayola!] EDIT: I did a search on how to use these things. Watched a Crayola vid. You put them on dry, and use a wet brush and mix. Seems extremely easy to fade and shade. And if there is too much color, you can lift it off with a wet Q-Tip. Now, mind you, the guy is an artists and was using water color paper. But Dry Veggie Tanned Leather wouldn't be all that much different of a media. I think I will send the wife out tomorrow and buy me a 24 pack of the Crayola pencils and try it out on some of my scrap rounders for the heck of it. They are junk by nature and failure (we all have those don't we?). I'll post some pics once I give it a go. This seams promising. I've used permanent markers before because that is all I had for the color I needed, (and as a pack rat I took my markers from work when I was laid off from the office, haha to them) and it worked out great! I'll add pics of those 2 rounder before I ship them out.

Hey everyone. I just watched a documentary that showed a Lady using a Dremel with a ball bit, with perfect cursive writing putting words on plastic for signs, in a very large scale. It was clear plastic laid over a ruled bench top, similar to what the pages were like when we all learned to write in cursive. I've got some of them type of bits for my Dremel, and I've done similar free hand stuff in wood with my Dremel for tree ornaments and such. I was just curious if anyone has tried this type of Free Hand Lettering in Leather with a Dremel? I have a bunch of little pieces (Yes, I'm a Pack Rat) and I thought about gluing them down to a piece of scrap wood and give a go at it and see how it comes out. If someone has done so, and can or would like to share some photo's that would make you a Super Hero! I guess my main concern would be to do it with wet or dry leather, and how fuzzy it would end up being. If someone has tried it and the outcome was less than acceptable, even if you could burnish it in some way, I wouldn't waste the time or material and save it for some other ridiculous idea. Thank You Kindly, one and all for any info one might be able to share.

What is with the spool of cable??? I'm confused....

I have a bunch of adhesive backed 3M gold colored products in a wide range of grits left over from my Auto Body Tech days. I also have some pieces of melamine coated particle board, which are about as flat as you can get. The 2 work really good together. I use them when finishing out fins for my model rockets and lately they have been handy to clean up wood for my leather molds. I have rolls of 2-3/4" wide and 6" diameter, ranging from 80 to 400 grits. I also have quite a hoard of w/d 3M sanding paper from 240 to 2000 grits. People call me a pack rat, so be it. But even back in the day that stuff was expensive. No way was I going to part with it!

I forgot to mention, he even has Inca type stamps. The first I've ever seen anywhere, which surprises and interests me. I am a great fan of Ancient Aliens!

I can't say about other wet stones, I've only owned the Norton's and that was their recommendation to keep them submersed. I did have a el' cheapo Harbor Freight Jap water stone in the 6000 grit range. It seam to fall apart as soon as water touched it. Not a slurry, more wet chalk. I wrote it off to another bad lesson with Harbor Freight and moved on. If you look up Norton's website, get the part numbers and do a search for the Norton Part Numbers (same with DMT) and spend a little time you'll find them in the price range I stated. I looked them all up a couple months ago out of curiosity as I was thinking on getting a second kit in the box. (wish I would have bookmarked it) I was thinking on hitting the local watering hole at happy hours and see if I couldn't make some thirst quenching money while I was there, buck an inch seamed fair at the time. I did have a 16,000 grit stone on my watch list on Ebay for a long time, but it sold out last week and deleted the listing last night when going through it. It was at $125 w/free shipping. It would take an awful large amount of jewelers rouge to off set an investment like that. If I was a barber it would be a different story. But the only hair I cut is off the back of my arms to test sharpness. If you want, since I ain't doing much due to back pain, I wouldn't mind looking it all up again (bookmark it this time for myself) and post here for you. But you find that the difference between 1000 and 4000 is like a moonless night and the brightest day. With 4000 you will start to see a mirror finish as with the 1000 it gray and no shine. Meaning at magnification, the edge still looks like a saw blade, not a clean edge. NOTE: Serrated knives are a joke and a gimmick to trick you into thinking they do not need sharpening. A lesson on using a steel upon request.

I received it. I am very impressed with the quality they show in your catalog they leave in the leather, the unique designs, and the ability to have a custom one made!

I buy on Ebay on occasion, but not that often. Only when I bid what I think a Vintage Model Rocket is worth to me and if no one out bids me, good for me. I have no fees to pay. But as for you, it is a GD shame they did that to you. They make way too much money off of people anyways! You might want to look into an Amazon Account, though I know nothing about Amazon or their fee system. I do wish all the best in your business. As a side note: It is against Ebay policy to sell pyrotechnics of any kind, including Black Powder model rocket engines. AND, you have to have a license to ship them...legally. But more and more I see these offered on Ebay, and they sell, and people are getting away with it. Honestly, I would like to see what would happen if just before a holiday, EVERYONE would pull all their listings on Ebay for 3 days in contention of the outrageous fees they charge. But that's just me. The White Collars at Ebay probably would be warring Brown Under Panties by the 3rd Day!

I have PMed you my Email. I am very interested in the Dragon Scale Stamp, No. 62! Thank You Kindly!

Looks good to me! Arm guard? and small quiver...what else would one want for going wakling through the woods! It would be nice to pull a bow back again. Maybe someday they will be able to 3d print me a few new pieces of my back so I can...

There is many different ways to get to any one result. I've tried many, not all, and what I stick with works and it's easy for me. I just try and share what I know, and learn what I don't.

Trick is not let it get too dull and just strop it like your knife. Wife freaked out when she cut pizza last week. I was touching up the kitchen knives and seen it in the drawer and it looked all dinged up. She put pressure on it like it was 1/16" thick blunt edge. Made a good scar in the aluminum pizza pan, LOL. I'm just glad she didn't have a finger in the way... Took some lengthy work on the wet stones first and lots of stropping. But it took hair off the back of my arm slicker than greased lightning.

I learned a loooooong time ago how to sharped chisels and plane irons for my wood working. Nothing sucks worse than dull tools! The best thing you can do is get yourself a DMT 10" 2 sided diamond stone with Course and Fine grits. These will get the initial angle set and bring the edge to shape and straight. It is also used to flatten the faces of your wet stones when needed. Then go buy yourself the Norton 8" set of wet stones in 4 grits. 220, 1000, 4000 & 8000 grit. You will seldom use the 220 because of the diamond stones, but it's the cheapest way to buy them. When you get done going threw all the grits down to 8000 your edge should shine like a new chrome mirror, but the edge isn't done yet. If you really want a good edge, get a 15,000 or 16,000 grit Jap wet stone. A good one is an easy 100 bucks. Myself, I don't use one. I shave with a straight razor and never have a problem getting a shape enough edge to cut to the bone without even feeling it. You need to get yourself a nice piece of 1x4 about 8 to 10 inches long and glue a piece of nice veggie tanned leather to it. Poplar is good, but make sure it's flat before you glue your leather on it. You tape (or use self adhesive) 220 grit sandpaper on your granite block and sand away at the one face of the poplar, or other hardwood. Get yourself some white and/or green jeweler's rouge and rub that all over your leather. Stropping block. Pull towards you, with the edge away from you. Do both sides evenly. Set the edge down, pull, pick straight up, turn over, Repeat. Keep the same angle as you pull or you'll round your angle and you don't want that. It takes a little more stropping when stopping at 8000 grit than 15 or 16 thousand grit, but it gets just as sharp. That's why I haven't bought one yet. My Norton wet stone set I bought for $120 some 15 or 16 years ago, and they are still going strong. Same for the diamond stone which was around $70. The Norton set will run you around $250 these days, and the diamond stone about $100. Keep your wet stones stored in water, that's the key to longevity. If you let them dry out after each use, they ware faster. And keep the slurry. You can use it to polish something sometime or another, but only what you wipe off the blade. Keep the slurry on the stone as much as possible as that's what does the cutting. I made what I call a Wet Bench. Has a tank in it with a mini drain like a sink for changing out the water that I keep my wet stones in. Routered out a piece of bullet proff glass (plastic) to hold the stones when in use over the tank. Norton does make a kit box that holds water, stones, rages and has a 3 sided stone vise that rotates inside the box. That's about $300. Once you learn how to hold your angle when sharpening on the wet stones, there won't be a dull knife in your house. Nothing bothers me more when I go to cut up a pork back strap and the cleaver don't cut clean with little downward pressure. It's an up front investment that will pay for itself many times over in the years to come. You'll just have to take my word on that. Pics posted upon request...

I spent a week in Lansing, stripping in seams on a school. Lansing is a baaaad place. I live about 3 hours North of there at the cross roads of US10 & US131. The Back Country. Very peaceful and serene.

Thanks, I was hoping that wasn't the case. We have lost a great teacher I'm sure. Very sorry to find this out. May his eternal life entity enjoy his next journey.