wolvenstien

First off... I am gonna step up and set a few rules here for us on the committy. First rule... We vote on everything (except these rules) and if you dont like the outcome of the vote, oh well, suck it up and help anyway. Second rule.... No arguing amoung ourselves about anything in here. We are all here for the same reason and we are adults, and trying to get something going on this board for the other members. Third.... This is supposed to be fun, keep that in mind at all times! Fun for us gettign it off the ground, and fun for the members who we are doing this for. More rules to be posted in the future as needed....

Kate, how is the strap attached? does it go under and come all the way up to the snap and is "riveted with the snap? Or is it sewn into the edge? Or is there a rivet or something under the strap that we cannot see?

I use mine regularly..... and have had absolutly no problem other than a tube getting packed and ending up splitting the side... got a replacement tube and back on track... No clue... might have been milled wrong and got through quality control.... you got a picture of the rotory part? the teeth on the side should be evenly spaced, and put the center of each tube in teh place...

Well Rose, you wanna be a commity member?

Ok, Johanna, I am stumped... I tried to make a poll on the question of the contest and couldnt do it... so I just posted it as a question in the thread....

Pete, I dont know about traveling for a ribbon or a Bob Beard tool, I cannot speak for everyone else on the board... As I said, it is a good idea, and possibly something that can be worked out in the future... Make a post, and see if anyone wants to get together for the Fourth of July celebrations coming up or maybe some other date. I dont own this site, Johanna does, and as she says, we are all part of it, so make a post, and ask.. it wont hurt anything... I was given the task of putting together a contest for everyone on this site who wants to partisipate.

Very good point Kate. And something I did notice but didnt dwell on since I am a righty... but shoudl have since my wife, and both her parents and her sister are all leftys.... I will have to look at mine later when I get back into my shop and see how hard it would be to modify it for a lefty... Mike

Would you enter a contest via mail? or post pictures? Trying to see if more people would mail thier entry in to be judged or if they would rather post pictures of the entry....

Pete, you gonna flip the bill on the hotel? That would go more into what Johanna said about lots of people not traveling... and what not... I myself am not going anywhere unless it is right here in my back yard... I have been a member of several groups online, and most of them have meet and greets at least once a year, in different locations, and I have never been to one even though I would love to meet these people who have shared so selflessly with me and educated me in whatever the group was about. I cant speak for anyone else, but I am sure there are others like me, not to mentions tose who cannot afford to teavel, or get off work, or have family issues, or whatever... it is a nice thought, and would be something to maybe shoot for in the future, but I dont think this is something that is logisticly feasible in the now. Mike

Unless the powers that be say different, I dont believe there would be any entry fees.... if there are, it would be very minimal, and go for the server costs and whatnot I am sure... As for a "best in show" I guess that would be ok, if the contestant, wanted to enter thier item to be judged along side everything else outside of his/her experiance range.... As for setting limits on experiance, I dont think setting a year limit would work... I am less than a year, and perhaps look like less than a year, but others could have 10 years and still be "new" in thier work..... and someone with two years could be experianced enough to compete against someone with +5 years... this would be a matter of self catagorization, and there would be no reason for someone who knows they are working as an expert to enter as a beginner... honesty goes along way here... Anyone outside of ABN want to judge and get in on this? I think the idea of judging in June as a memorial to this site would be great and is an awesome idea! ABN, you have a PM.

too cool

Ok, as the topic implies and the first repost of Johannas says... Lets talk about putting on a contest, one that you are not required to be a member of a guild to enter, and can be entered by all. I am only putting this out as a suggestion, I was thrown into this by opening my big mouth, but would like my fellow members here to add your input to this and help us create something that we might want to make as an anual or semi anual event for the members here. First off, I would like a handfull of members to volunteer as Judges. As a judge, you will not be permitted to enter the contest, so if this is something you would like to partisipate in as a contestant, then dont volunteer as a judge. I am thinking three judges and two alternitive judges incase something happens to one or more of the first judges. Post back here suggestions for a carving: I would like something that is on the beginner level, and that has complete directions so the beginner can do it, but even the experts can enter using the same carving.... (remember there are no rules yet so I am only throwing this out there and everything will be discussed by the judges and then put out for the members... ) everyone knows what level you are so when it is submitted, you tell what your level is and it will be judged accordingly. Lets get something started.... Also... If anyone out there wants to donate soemthing for the winners of each class... or whatever, please speak up about that too. Thanks Mike

Carl, I in no way was trying to belittle what the IFoLG does. What I was doing was making gest of the fact that you have to be a MEMBER, just like you stated yourself "The IFOLG sponsors an annual show for all their members at which any member can enter items for competition." I understand what the IFoLG does and also understand that they are instumential in alot of things that just cannot be done without them. Johanna, Whats this putting my head on the chopping block? What did I do to you? Or not do as it may be? I will stop this side track of the thread and throw it up in another area... or same area different thread of its own so as not to steal the thread away from Dan Hammons who is looking for information, and I inadvertenly cluttered up his thread with this...

Interesting... and not to steal the thread from you, but anyone who can give better input into this... I didnt realize until Oscar mentioned it about the leather pulling the gun oil away... if I wanted to make a holster, what kind of leather would be best for the inside part that would be touching the gun? Glad this came up, cause a friend is wanting me to make a belt holster for his 9mm.

What we need to do is create a non guild that does everything the IFoLG does without requiring competitors to be members of guilds! I am still along way away from full understanding of guilds and the "master" guild..... even after having a lengthy conversation with Johanna, but i figure, an established conpetetor to the IFoLG would probably get some competition entries from independants that would blow your mind... Oh well... a guy can dream cant he?

Two constructive comments, not ment to be harsh... in the botton of the tail... bevel deeper... and where you beveled along the back... it is nice and deep, but you want to roll your tool alittle bit so the back of the tool doesnt imprint into the leather... I am not sure how to word this to where you can understand it, cause if I heard someone telling me, I would be like HUH? if you look at your beveling on the back of the cat, you can see the entire surface of the tool and it is causing the entire tooled area to be below the top of the untooled leather.... look at Clays step by step and see how the back is deep, but it isnt the entire width of the tool, you want that slope to come up and meet the top of the leather, not come up a slop then dead end into a shelf, then come straight up to the top. Does that make since? This is something that I am still having issues with then i am not paying attention, and I have to remember to keep the tool at an angle so I sont allor the full surface to appear on the leather, just the tip and most of the surface.... Other than those two things, looks good.... I guess thow things speak out to me most cause they are things that I am working on myself... Mike

Too cool How old is he? My boy is 19 months... i let him sit on my lap when I am working and he is interested in sitting still for more than 5 minutes... I imagine in my minds eye him working besides me in the years to come... I relish the thought...

they make a very cheap threader.... I dont have a problem threading my machines... but hand needles... I use a threader...

Billy, Clay... Thanks very much I called the 1 800 tannery number, and was sent to the sales department at extention 217. I asked for a catalog to be sent and was told they had a price sheet and swatches... so... I am not sure what I will be getting, but will post back when it gets here... and NO MINIMUMS! LOL Mike

I have dyed the back of several items I have made... one of them being a collar that I made for the girlfriend of a good friend... she wears it while belly dancing and she works up a good sweat while dancing... I have asked her several times if she had dye bleed out onto her neck, and she has yet to tell me yes... As for the back.. (and I might be wrong here so anyone who sees that I am, chime in) using a conditioner will prevent it from drying... Also... this is spirit dye, not Cova Color paint? If it is the pro dye, then you can just apply some oil ( I like neetsfoot oil myself) through the black on the back and it will help the holder from drying out and it shoud not come off through to the cards as long as you dont saturate the leather with it, apply the oil and let it soak in, apply it again, and you should see it soaking in slower, and once more if you want, and thats it... I apply my neetsfoot with a dobber, and apply it evenly in about three coats... Hope this helps you Mike

I really like the buckle also... care to tell where you got it?

Very nice job.

Thanks for the inputs... beezachoppa, the rivits I used are a combonation of the 1271-12 studs and the 1275-12 caps from Tandy... They are (to my knowlege) Nickle plated gilt (whatever gilt is). You suspect they will rust? I wanted to go cheap as I could on that bag since i only charged the guy $50 plus shipping.... he did send me his old bag to take the brackets out of... LOL.... you think if I used the same combonation of big cap and small stud of the 1379-12 / 1383-12 that it would look better from the underside and the rivets would not rust? Those are quite a bit more in cost.. almost three times as much for the same quantity as the single caps.... but not made from GILT (ok, i think I discovered what gilt is... it is the yellowish finish... over whatever metal used... the "Steel Double Cap Rivets" come in Gilt, Nickel and Black.... When you put "Studs" on a bag, what exactly do you use? I used the cap rivets for two reasons, they looked ok in the size and amount I wanted to add to the front of the bag, and they were there to hold the fringe onto the flap... I did buy a 30 pack bag of "Round Spots" tandy number: 1330. But i didnt like the idea of the two prongs coming through the leather to the inside.... and how would I attach the fringe... I thought about attaching the fringe to the lower lip of the opening with the lace... but that would not be right if all the other bage I check out in the motorcycle stores... the lace on these bags was attached to the "lid"... and I had no clue nor want to try to attach it to the lid with the lace in the direction the fringe would hang... so the only other option I had was to use the rivits to attach the fringe to the lid.... esantoro, I would not be about to give you any info on where to get the brackets, inside or out... I could not find any... I would like to but I cant... I do have some detailed pictures of the brackets with a ruler to give measurments and what not... The particular bracket in the bag is flexible so that the bag can contour to the inside curve of the windshield. I have another order to another guy who wants almost the very same look on a fork bag.... anything you suggest I change other than the rivets to double cap nickel plated brass?

technically, yes, you could, but the rear bracket has a ledge at teh top and borrom that keeps it straight on the windshield. the guy I made it for really wanted it with the bracket.....