Leatherimages
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Posts posted by Leatherimages
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Well, I suppose if you know someone with a soft touch and a sand/bead blaster cabinet.
Or maybe the steel wool pad alone would have some of the effect you might want, I don't know.
Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.
Have fun.
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It's an amazing testament to skin what Lava soap and a nylon knuckle scrub brush will do.
On ethe other hand (pun intended) what doesn't come off will give you a chance to market your leather work.
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Mkitzis, (interesting group of sylables you have for a handle, pardner)
My experience tells me you should be ok with these.
You're on the right track, a solution would be prefereble to fingernails. Speaking of fingernails, Acetone (the old kind of fingerenail polish remeover) might work for starters. There's other solutions that might cut it also, as it's probably an acrylic color coat of some kind. But really, the best thing would be to use a leather specific solution with steel wool.
When I read your post first, I thought I was reading snake boots, and when I saw it is either textured cowhide, maybe water buffalo, I was convinced you'll pull these out just fine.
The product you want is Deglazer. There are several different makers of the stuff, of which Feibings is but one. Degalzer should be available from a "shoe finder" maybe a local shoe repair shop can help you get some, or ever pour you a bottle. *Dye Remover by Magix is not the same thing.* I'm told Deglazer has an oil of some kind in it to keep it from drying the leather. So here's what I do to get a good dye job on footwear leathers.
With a 000 steel wool pad, scrub the color off with the deglazer. You'll work up a slurry, so wipe it off with a rag as you work your way around the boot. There's no need to spread it around as you go. After you've worked it off in the first pass, repeat for a thorough deglazing. Next is to apply your spirit dye. Since it looks to be blue leather that was used, you'll get a good final black using Feibings Oil Dye. But if you want to use regular Feibings Leather Dye, I don't think it'll matter, just be certain to wipe all of the "dye stuffs" off immediatly after application.
I don't think it matters if the leather is dry or not from the deglazer. I've done it both ways.
Put the boot up to dry with trees in them, and leave it alone for a day or two. Your job will look way better if you keep the trees in them, cedar or plastic won't matter.
After they are completely dry, now one could use "a color coating". Easiest and smoothest is a leather color spray, again found through shoe finders. My advise is to use as little as possible to get an even coat. Even if you choose a flexible brush-on acrylic, less is more with leather.
Again, let it dry completely, and follow with a cream polish (let it dry before buffing), followed by a wax polish. You should be ready to skate your legs off with beautiful black custom boots.
Good luck,
Paul
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<I'd like to get a pattern for the fur decorated style of mukluk, with a synthetic sole preferably. I'd appreciate it if anyone had any suggestions about where to locate one? I don't care if I have to pay for it, I just want a nice pattern so that I end up with a nice final product.>
It occurs to me to offer this perspective about patterning footwear.
It's a bigger deal than a wallet.
I have been in your shoes (pun intended) and I know that it seems like it shouldn't be such a big deal. Especially when we have all grown up with moccasin patterns hanging on the rack at our local leather shops. But it is.
I've learned in my years of making and repairing footwear, that there are many differnt types of feet, and the pattern seems to fail in types that are outside of the statistical norm. I seem to observe that there are many feet with long great toes, and very narrow heels. This is a completely different foot than the chubby ones the manufacturers think we all have. But that's really more a problem with shoes, and pull on boots too really.
But to address pattern making from a moccassin perspective is it's own kind of issue. An outline of the foot and basic measurements are all that is needed along with a good understanding of the parts and how they go together. And that's the rub.
I am thinking many leather workers are really just interested in making a pair of whatever style, as opposed to wanting to make an inventory for sale, as in a product line. But that's a viable thing too, of course.
I would be willing to look at the mukluk page in the book or two that I have with it in, and see if I might be able to make a pattern for you. I would need info from the feet involved, but we can talk about that later if you're interested in my help.
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I think lemon wood is all that is available.
Any finder you may be buying your other boot making supplies should have them.
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I recently scored a short arm patcher treadle stand that is in great condidtion. It doesn't fit my long arm Adler 30-1.
Would anyone be interested in a trade?
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I finished my new boots a couple of weeks ago
, and I finally got around to posting them on here! They are 18" kidskin tops with 6 rows of stitching, buffalo vamps, and some REALLY underslung heels!Pretty darned good looking job, I'd say. Obviously not just your second time around boots. Looks like a good job on the outsole stitcher too.
Regarding the underslung heel, while there is no official ratio, the higher the heel, the more underslung the heels needs to be just to walk without flapping every step. I've changed out lots of heels with this shortcoming. Frye Boots in the 70's were the worst.
The brain knows where your heel ends, and the taper makes it possible to contact the ground with each step in this line, with the heel tapered at the back.
Stability comes form the heel base coming straight down on the sides.
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Good lookin' project!
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RightOn Spinner.
Thanks for the leads.
Good luck with your own next diversion. ;-)
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Well that's some pretty beautiful cheating, if there is any.
I enjoyed the look at your work.
Cool man!
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You know, you might be right.
I've observe that Mark Twian doesn't always follow what I was taught to keep adjectives and adverbs as close the subject as possible, so you could be right.
On first glance it looks like the "sole-leather coverings" would be referring to the 'tapideros', but then I am (only vaguely) familiar with the saddle look you're referring to with the Mochilla. Like huge skists, right? That's certainly a covering. I'm probably being mis-led by the "sole-leather" part.
And considering the way it's pronounced, with the "...illa", it would be an unfamiliar word in his vocabulary.
You're probably right, think I'll go with it.
Thank you TT!
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May I jump in here without an answer to the querry, but rather with another question instead?
I'm reading a short story by Mark Twain from his book Roughing It, called The Mexican Plug.
In the story, he makes reference to a "Spanish saddle with ponderous tapidaros, and furnished with the ungainly sole-leather covering with the unspellable name".
What do you think the "unspellable name" was? Did his Missouri English have trouble with the word tapidaros, or is there something else here?
He spell it differently, but it wasn't "unspellable".
I just think he might be refering to something different than our more familiar way of spelling tapaderos.
Any ideas? What do you think?
Paul
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Good suggestions all around.
I'd just add to work and many light coats, allowing lots of time to dry between each.
An appliquation of conditioner will help to get a good job to last a whole season for her.
Have fun.
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Looking good Kenny!
I like the composition. And the buckles are cool.
Keep up the good work.
From Prescott,
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A couple of other approaches might be:
Do it inverted and never mind the backgrounding, or
Use a large piece of sand paper with a course grit, and press it ontot he leather.
Do tests to see what you like.
I'd go with the inverted beveling.
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If the first bag shown is your work, you're off to a good start.
It's hard to answer your question about dye or paint for the other bag without seeing it closer or handling it. I was probably done in the tanning process and purchased that color.
Contact some of our leather suppliers and ask for samples, or go to a show and pick the leather you'd like to see on your bag. You might try Wickett and Craig's skirting leather, it has a slight tan color to it.
As for the sewing, the second bag shown appears to have bound edges. This technique is professionally done on a machine that is set up for binding. It can be done by hand, but it's an advanced technique and quite a challenge to make it look good. If this is your hand stitching on the first bag, try shortening the stitch length to about 6 spi (stitches per inch), placed a stitch length away from the edge, and then just do an extra good job on the edges, per Bob Parks tutorial on this site.
Good luck and keep at it.
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Hey, do any of you retailers inventory the Paul's Buckle #400 SB 1 1/2" with #410 SB Belt Loop?
It's on page 16 of their catalog, bottom left corner.
I need to get a set or two in the next couple of days.
I appreciate your help.
Thank you,
Paul
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<is it dyed or painted, how do I tell>
I haven't been reading the posts recently that seem to discuss this same question, so I don't know what other people are saying.
But with my 40+ years I can say there is no such thing as White dye. It could only be a top coat of color so opaque that none of the natural (probably) russet color of the leather will show through.
Paul
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Thank you very much Ladies. It is kinda striking, isn't it? I guess turquoise and black isn't too dated. That was my worry, and that it would get dissed because of it. But it's classic I guess.
Your comments are appreciated. And DoubleC, show your work (when you get a hat that is).
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My customer asked me to make a hatband, whatever I wanted. Well that may work for some, but I needed some kind of direction.
She said she liked my leather feathers, and scrolls, so I asked for a color, and she said turquoise.
This is what she got. She loved it!
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Upholstery leather is usually very stretchy. Shouldn't be a problem.
Just pull the inside corner in first, and then distribute the wrinkles underneath.
If the leather is too firm, you could spray it with alcohol/water solution and gently stretch it into place.
Relief cuts may help, and may not even matter if it's hidden by the leg.
If you're unsure, cut a section and practice.
You can do it!
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I have these instructions:
http://www.ehow.com/...ns-leather.html
One difference is this is a telephone table and one of the corners of the seat is notched for the outside support on the back rest.
I'm wondering about how to go about dealing with the notched corner.
Well you don't make it easy to help.
If what you're going to cover is like the attachment shown on the back of the chair, I'd say cover it in blue painters tape, draw your cut lines, taking note of (we call them lasting) margins, peel it off, lay it on manilla folder material, and cut it out. Then just tune it up for accuracy.
Or, at least that would work if that's what you wanted to do.
Good luck,
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Thanks guys.
The layers were glued with contact cement, tapped with a nylon mallet.
Stitching was 1/8 from the edge.
This is because the stitch is too close the edge, IMO.
I didn't see if you mentioned how thick you're working with, but you probably need to be at least 3/16" from the edge.
Actually, I will often make my piece wider, stitch further from the edge and trim and sand as close as I desire.
Table machines are notorius for this. With a cylinder arm machine, you can lay your work over the edge of the arm, and send your awl/needle angled slightly inward of the edge.
This is also why Al Stohlman recommended leaving the lining larger than the fron piece, and trimming it afterward, even on hand stitching.
Keep working it, you'll get the hang of it.
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I don't really know, but Lexol is such a good, light conditioner that I'd start with that.
You don't say whether it's hair on, probably not if you say you think it's Zebra, stripes and all.
But the thing is about unknown leathers from unknown sources, is that one also doesn't know how it was tanned.
Try lexol and not too much, is my word.
Another idea I just had was to call a drum shop. Maybe there's something common about drum leather.
Good luck..
How Can I Remove This Coating From My Leather Boots?
in Dyes, Antiques, Stains, Glues, Waxes, Finishes and Conditioners.
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I would suggest a conditioner like Obenauf's LP(they're in Boise. Look them up online), at least some Lexol to keep what nourishment may still be in the leather.
Acetone can be very drying.
Paul