Garyspruill

:-) It's part of our DNA I guess?? Funny combination about self: Educated Texas redneck (country boy), that is a full blooded Sicilian. What a flipping combo.

明白了，谢谢你

LetterT It's just an idea put into action. Nothing more, nothing less. Anyone can do it. Where most fail is:not knowing the market and how much cash to put into an idea before walking away from it before you bankrupt yourself. I personally have had to walk away many-many times. Yes, it is fun. Take an idea or market, research the heck out of it, find ways to make it better and more accessible to the end user, walk away from the na-sayer's, build it from the ground up and then: use my favorite four letter word: NEXT! My next project that I am working on: transition plates for cargo trailers. Sounds weird does it not? For those that may own cargo trailers, that gap between the door and the cargo area is never fun. I had an idea to make one with push shocks on it where when you open the door, the plate pushes down onto the door. May be a good idea, may not, may be one that we have to walk away from, who knows?? Keep pushing! The thread company I have had running around in my head for several years now. Ever since I got into leather working as a hobby. Note: I am not an expert at leather working. I learn every single day something new and love it. Yet, I am tired of all the junk thread we have to use or pay through the nose for as it passes through US customs and wholesaler's then on to retailer's to the end user's. I just want a great product, that all can afford.

Like I said, I must have been hungry Most of the colors are off the scale, others, ????? Certain colors that I want, they are fighting with me on. Who would have thought yellow was such a female dog?? I have got to get them to surrender to it, cause in the end, I really want about 3 different yellows total, bright yellow, sunflower yellow and mello yellow. :-) The battle "ain't" over yet.

NVLeatherworx, Thanks for filling in for me while I was gone. I was out for 3 weeks, Wife and I hit Italy, France, Germany and the UK. Tried to make it to Romania, but planes trains and buses would not work together. I wanted to go there to see this leather factory there, heard they have some great oil tans there with great colors, but just did not come together. Maybe next time. I think I have a good lead on a great paint company in France we spoke of. They are sending me samples of the primer and paint this month. Primer is white going on, then clear to dry. Then paint on top of it with two sheen's. Satin and High Gloss. Thanks again Gary

If you like that cigar color, wait till you see the rest of the colors I am "fighting" for. :-) Pulling the curtain back just a tad to tease: wait till you see the color: butter toffee or cream or caramel. You see a theme here?? Butter Toffee is in the cream color family with more tan in it. Super rich like a coffee creamer. Cream is a really smooth true cream color that is super rich, really pops out on a red or buck brown leather Caramel: OMG. looks just like a cube of caramel candy in a wrapper. I sewed a line with it in some really dark dark brown oil tanned leather and it looked like the inside of a mars bar. I must have been hungry that day I was looking at colors.:-)

Hey guys, Sorry for the delay in posting, been out of the country. I am still in the battling process with the mfg's. Man are they slow! If a thread company and a snail had a speed race, the snail would win kind of slow. My largest hangups: I want a hand thread that includes a 0.60 and certain colors. They (mfg's) want to start at 0.80 to 1.4, I want 0.60 to 1.2 Next is colors: simple stuff right?? Well, not so. Example: Yellow. Yes, yellow. Mfg wants a huge $$$$ to have this color, even though I have a contract with them to an open 25 color selection on my end. Its all the small stuff we have to go through to get to a synergy relationship. You do this, I do that, we are both happy. This is pretty much where we are. Logo's are done.Name of company is now trademarked. Website is all but done (need to add the colors :-))))). Marketing channels are all but done here in the US. Have set up selling channels in many other countries to include France, Italy, England, Romania and Hungry. Had a wax issue with the thread that is now resolved, we went from not enough wax to way too much wax to now, just right (my opinion). That was a tough one. It will not be long, 5 to 6 weeks is a guess. While all this is going on, I am also working on a tool section, machine thread section and a paint section as well. Thanks for the comments Gary Spruill

Marietje: I have made several bags from the patterns of DieselpunkRO and my wife loves all of them. :-) I was making the Witch Doctor Bag (pattern) for myeslf and when the wife saw it, she took ownership of it and I finished it for her (hmmmm?) I only "wish" I could figure out what he (Tony aka: DieselPunk) uses on the edges to darken them up and make them look patina (darker) like he does. The bag you made: looks fantastic! Great Job! When cutting out the leather, don't you just love all the stitching plugs EVERYWHERE? It took me days to get them all up from the floor:-) Your edges look fine. This is how they are suppose to look from the tutorial.

I own two sets of their pricking irons. The 3.0 and the 3.85, work great. I bought one of their round stitching awls as well. Oddly enough, the irons are great, the awl had issues. If you decide to get a set, shipping takes a little while. Irons: easy in and easy out, well polished, all around, good value. Gary Spruill

Just my thoughts Juki LU-1508N with a speed reducer. Works great on small stuff, bags, wallets, Has the ability to run #69 to the thicker threads with a dual tension setup

thank you TomG Yes, I use a lot of the same. I just saw that purple stuff in the video and was wondering what it was and I have a few projects that I wanted to use it on myself. This is why I was asking the "if" anyone knew what it was Thanks again Gary

This is more of a question about a product. I saw a video on youtube where a leatherworker was applying a purple colored - oil based - leather balm to the edges of his project. Turned the edges to a really aged look. The question: does anyone know what this product is? Does anyone know the "where" to get it?? The purple looking balm was in a white balm container with a screw on lid. Looked almost like a normal leather balm but was purple?? Here is the video where I saw the product, the product asking about is at about 6:51 minutes into the video: Video Click Here Gary

:-) still trying to meet a marketing side, Thank you: Gary

Mr Duck Blue, Thank you for your response, Mr Richard (NVLeatherWorx) has given me a different view on the "why" our mfg does not want to make the 0.60, yet after many phone calls, emails and discussions - negations, the best answer I have gotten so far on that size of thread is: let's see how the sales go first, then re-look at it down the road. Hmmmm? Note: I am not a settler nor like being under the gun for future items that I want to offer "now"! I have to either proceed with what I have or start all over with a different mfg to get it and settle for what I am getting, which I do not want to do. I may just have to give in and accept the fact: I have to wait and listen to all the folks tell me they want a 0.60 till I get it. I hate it that way, but may be the only route to go at this time. Once sales are what I think (my opinion) will be, it will not be long until I take a bat and force them to make it for me. The sewing machine thread we are looking at: is left twisted (Z) and double bonded and some type of pre-lubed thread. I am still learning all the products they use to get it lubed, but getting there. They offer up to a 500 series in sizing, yet thinking of not going past the 300 series sizing for product marketing purposes. Duck Blue: I have about 5 folks trying out this thread for me. I do not feel any of them would be upset "if" I offered some to you as well if you wanted to take a test drive with some just to get a different set of eyes on it and see the "if" we have it right or not? I am a guy that loves feedback, both good and bad. If you do want some, send me a PM with your shipping address (include you name) and I will pop three of 4 spools in the mail to you. I really want this stuff "right"! Not close! I have (4) spools setting here on my desk right now for anyone that wants to participate. Size: 0.80, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4. I bought this really cool wooden spool spinner that grabs the spool, and winds thread on it from the larger bolt. Man that thing make my life much easier :-) it's original use was for yarn. Thanks again, Gary

I am agreeing with you. I am also going back and forth with the mfg about it as well, just have not won the argument "yet"

chrisash, Man do I agree with you on that one. The company I am working with, all but refuse to make it below 0.80?? NVLeatherWorx explained it to me the why they wont but, still working on that one.

Going to make a second attempt at this. Just did these 4 lines.

Me: originally from West TX, Odessa. Understood about the Shreveport mention. I go there and head to N. Market St.: Shreveport is the capital of East TX if not mistaken?? I know exactly the building you mention, I live in Azle about 1/4 mile from Eagle Mountain Lake.

I just checked my PM messages, had a super nice person ask me to show them the gen 4 results of this project: thread I really do not know how to do this except through photos, so,,,,, I ran a line of some for review. Spec's: JJ 002 needle, Crimson Hide Pricking Irons 4.0, my thread: flat waxed braided poly - 1.0mm (can't disclose the company name yet), color: Cigar, Wicket & Craig 4 oz black bridle leather. Tried to get good photos of the thread and how it lays in the photos Any comments - critique - advice would be grateful! Gary

bikermutt07, Thank you for the advice. I agree with you. I have already been in contact with him via emails back and forth in the UK. He is a stout supporter of Tiger Thread, yet is open to others, have taken notes from him (his emails) and passed them along to my mfg's. Huge help. Once all is 100%, I can promise: he is getting a case :-) to try out any darn thing he wants. I never knew NVLeatherWorx was missing. Meet Mr. Richard in the last month. Have to agree with you, tons of knowledge there. He is helping me out a ton on this project and I am saying "Thank you" for it! I noticed you are from Bossier/Shreveport, love that city(s). It depends on who you talk to so you have to include both of them. :-) Thanks again for the advise, I am absorbing all of it. Gary

Just an update, We were working with three companies to help design and make the thread that we wanted. That number has been narrowed down to one company now. We are in the process of picking out colors (that is a pain) to best suit the needs of leather user's. We are allowed up to 30 colors, yet to help us, we are most likely to narrow it down to around 25. We also have folks that are on this very forum testing different generations of trial and error of the product to insure it is in my words, perfect. The gen 1 model, did not have the correct thread count in the braid, that has been fixed. Gen 2 and gen 3 did not have the correct amount of "wax" in-on the thread, this has been discussed and fixed with the mfg. Gen 4, I have here with me and is now being tested and re-tested to insure the quality that is to be expected. Once all approve the product (me) and others, then the colors need to be picked out - tweaked - and ordered Once all this is done, then comes the website - looking at different e-commerce platforms, wordpress, opencart, and others to provide the best shopping experience possible. Already working on images and backgrounds and videos for the website. While all this is happening, we are also working on the sewing machine thread, edge paint, and hand tools. I so badly want to announce the name of the new company, but by advice of the legal eagles, they want all the paperwork done - stamped and in their hands before I do. Sorry? Some know it already by me, once all is done, will announce it. Cool?? Just wanted to update all that are following this process - journey! Gary

Great find,

It does and thank you,

Wow everyone! Thank you to everyone for helping out. Will contact all three listed in this thread and see the "whats up" with all three. Thank you, thank you and one more time: Thank you Gary

The normal question that comes from this title is: who makes clicker press dies. My question is a tad different. When I come up with an idea, I put it on paper, then to graph paper and cut it out from there. My problem is: when I need to have a clicker press cut out dies made, I, as in me, am not up to speed on the software knowledge to give the die makers the needed files/file types they want to be able to make these dies. I downloaded a 1 week trial of Adobe Illustrator and my goodness, it was like,,,,, not happening. The technology curve fly by me like a bullet I guess. I killed that crazy subscription. Almost tossed the laptop out the window in the end:-) Here lies my question: Do we know of a maker of clicker press dies that we/I can send our paper cut outs to - that they can make these files for us?? Take my paper cut outs, draw them out in a correct type software package and save them to the files or file types they need to make these dies? The aka.: artwork? Maybe someone on this forum that does this as a service for ($)? The next question that I will most likely be asked is: where are you? I am in North Texas, aka: Azle, TX: suburb of Fort Worth, TX I use a normal hand 4 ton clicker press. Any suggestions or directions would be grateful Gary