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Is it possible with a CNC milling machine to engrave text onto a rivet head? ed

My preference when quality and price are factored in is for the edgers from Weaver in the $11 to $23 price range. I like the 0,1, and 2 in the (0080, Master Tools). I just ordered a #1 bisonette edger (67-4001, brand ????), as I have yet to use one. One of Bruce's posts gave me the heads up, though not necessarily for this particular make. The Tandy's could be much better (I prefer 2 and 3) if the toes didn't mark the leather, though you could experiment with grinding them down, which is what I should do. I get good results sharpening the Tandy edgers with only fine and super-fine grit wet/dry sand paper. I should be stropping with rouge but don't have a method for that. The only stropping method I've used, but don't like, is from one of the Stohlman books method. I will have to read through the many posts and experiment with some of the methods mentioned: one of them will work perfectly. From memory, the method I'm leaning towards is to use a folded over business card filled with rouge. All that said, the Tandy's are still worth having when you find the on sale for three or four dollars. Next time I see them at this price, I will stock up on extras just to experiment with modifications. ed

This is a big help. Thanks, Art Ed

Is masking tape safe to use for plotting reference points on the grain side of vegetable tanned and chrome tanned leathers? Thanks, ed

Ok. I finished all of the tutorials and now I am ready to download a CAD program. Any suggestions on a good user friendly 3D CAD program? Rhino 3D? ed

The Madness Continues: Here's my free CNC tutorial I receive daily in my inbox: ====================== Today we are going to talk about the first element of CNC. That element is design. Before you begin a CNC project, you need to have a plan of action. The design is like a blueprint, you know what you are going to build before you ever build it. Here are some important elements of design that need to be answered: What size will it be? What material will it be made of? Who is the customer? What will it be used for? Your design can be anything. It could be an industrial part or a work of art. This is only really limited by your imagination. Many people use CNC every day to manufacture parts. Many hobbyists use CNC every day to create art and various home projects. Before I design I like to sketch a few ideas out on paper. I like to toy with different ideas to spark my creativity. This is the equivalent of brainstorming. When I really get my juices flowing, that is when my best designs rise to the top. I generally carry around a notebook with me to note designs that I think of during the day. After I have a few likely suspects, I try to look through each of the ideas to see if I can merge them somehow. Some designs have different parts or components to them. Some of these components are better than others. Can I take some of these parts and add them to another design to make it better? Just like writing, editing your designs is a critical step in the process. Really when you are designing, you are trying to describe what you are going to build. The more accurately you can do that, the better the whole process will go. Just like a house, if you have a strong foundation, you will have a good house. If you have a solid design, the rest of the process is easy. Scratch down a few designs tonight to practice this process. Tomorrow we will look at how to take your designs and translate them into a computer. Here is a link to a video that covers this second lesson in the course. The video talkes about the 5 elements of CNC and you get to hear my voice for the first time. http://www.cncinformation.com/CNCBlog/cnc-...ning-learn-cnc/ There is more...If you sign up as a member of CNC Information, you will get special access to files and videos on the site. For Example, a G-Code Quick Guide and also a CNC Video Series on how to take an image and turn it into CNC Art. Here is the best part, becoming a member is Free. ========================== All of the YouTube videos are here:

These screws do need to be brass. I found one supplier who is almost perfect. Great pricing, but round heads, not truss http://www.smallparts.com/Brass-Round-Slot...amp;pf_rd_t=301 Lowes has something at about $.75 apiece. OTB has something that will be perfect if the thread size is appropriate at $14 per $100. The source above has the screws for about $3 per 100. Maybe I'll call and ask for truss head -- you never know. ed

I had been putting off the purchase of a bench grinder, but this is the straw that broke the camel's back. I have ordered a bench grinder. I need it for one or two other things, and just couldn't put it off any longer. ed

It seems that PVA adhesives of all stripes have a shelf life of 12 months. Has anyone had pva adhesive sitting around for longer than a year without experiencing any loss in adhesion and bond strength? What's the longest you've had it sitting around? ed

I'd be sure to have a 3lb maul on hand. I think I'd also like to have a 20 to 24 oz maul as well. I find my 3lbs mallet is getting lonely due to lack of use. It's riding the pine, as they say. I don't even know where my wood, plastic, and rawhide mallets are and do not care to look for them. The maul was new to me some time ago, as I had been using only a mallet. It soon overtook the mallet in usefulness. ed

Thanks for the replies. Art, are your CS from Weaver? I've got some female/head ends here but no screws. They are a bit thinner than the Weaver CS, which I have on hand. I'm trying to find a source for solid brass truss head screws in the needed size, either 6/32 or 8/32, whatever a size smaller than that of the Weaver CS is. Ed

The data sheet mentions "translucent" and "dries clear and colorless. The data sheet for the All-Purpose White mentions "dries clear" but no "translucent" anywhere. ed

Mike, Sounds like a great Plan A. Thanks. ed Does anyone happen to know what the thread size is on the Chicago Screws from Weaver? 6/32? 8/32? ed

Does anyone know of a method for shortening the female post of a chicago screw. I've got some female posts that are about 1/2" long and would like to be able to shorten them as needed. Using a hacksaw blade seems like it might damage the threads. Is there something like a small pipe cutter available? Thanks, Ed

So far, this link seems to yield the best price for four gallons at about $19 a gallon shipped. ed

A quick scan of the data sheets tells me the All-Purpose White is the way to go, as it has a slightly higher bond strength than Titebond White, which appears difficult to get. Melamine is out, as it seems to have a very weak bond strength. Feeler has been sent out to Fiebing's to get the bond strength of Tanners Bond. Nothing like R&D for procrastination. Ed

Just got off the phone with Titebond/Franklin. Three white glues that dry clear and set withing 10 minutes (I'm assuming) are: Titebond All-Purpose White Titebond White Glue (rep said this is difficult to find) Titebond Melamine Data sheets attached MelamineTB.pdf WhiteTB.pdf AllPurposeWhiteTB.pdf MelamineTB.pdf WhiteTB.pdf AllPurposeWhiteTB.pdf

I think Hilly's suggestion of a wood glue is a good one, and I just now found a white, clear-drying one at half the price of Tanners Bond. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006NNJY...851HN49QSYWYBFK ed

Here's word back from Bostik: "We don't sell that exact grade of PVA [Wickes Building PVA] - most of the building grades tend to be thicker (higher in viscosity) than the packaging and assembly grades we sell in the states - but I've got a few that would probably provide the type of bond you need. The first is our L5299, which is a general-purpose packaging and laminating PVA. The second would be our L5263, which is a durable woodworking PVA that meets ANSI Type-2 water resistance, and is higher in flexibility and adhesion than the other PVA. One last option would be our M30-029, which is a high-flexibility high-adhesion co-poylmer product. Samples of all three should be readily available." I'm not sure if any of this will be available in orders of a few gallons at a time. Ed

The founders are interested in adding franchises, but this seems like it would be a good idea for a start-up business for anyone who already has the space and/or machines. Geography a demographics conducive to tinkerers would be key, though. You can treat it like a gym, have presentations, classes, promotions, proprietary auction house. Twenty miles outside a large city should be enough. ed

more news on techshop: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080301/updates.html http://techshop.ws/techshop_in_the_press.html interesting link between techshop and etsy: http://chutzpah.typepad.com/slow_movement/...r-showcase.html

Now that I've received my briefcase locks from England, I'd like to learn how to make my own locks. If I can find a tech shop/gym in NYC like this one, I'm signing up: http://techshop.ws/facilities_and_amenities.html When will the madness stop? ed

Terry, That sounds perfect, and it also seems that coating one surface, which is what I do with Tanners Bond, will also be sufficient. Now I know that such a thing is available, I will find it here in the U.S. I'm emailing Bostik right now to see if the very same thing is available here. Thanks, Ed

What brand PVA are you using? HEre is a data sheet for Wickes Building PVA adhesive. It doesn't and it contain a lot of useful information, but it makes the Bostik connection. ed wickesbpva04413683.pdf wickesbpva04413683.pdf

Thanks, Regis. I'll do the 2507. With all the PVA adhesives out there, tanners bond cannot be the only one for leather that dries fast and clear. Attached is the data sheet for TB ed Leathercraft_20Adhesive_20_28former_20Tanners_20Bond_29.pdf Leathercraft_20Adhesive_20_28former_20Tanners_20Bond_29.pdf