gtwister09

Duey also does sharpening and dabbles in other tools as well. I have not used any of his other tools. The many comments that I have heard about his sharpening has been good. Regards, Ben

Congratulations on your latest blessing! Regards, Ben

The early Leather Craftsmen had several articles from Cliff as well as history of the San Fernando Valley Saddlery. They also had articles about his acting in cowboy pictures as well in various issues. Regards, Ben

Here are some examples of samples that I have put into a tickler file over time. Regards, Ben

Ditto what Alan said... I agree that sharing quality vendors certainly helps the quality of the product and ultimately helps you command a higher price for your product. Regards, Ben

Julia, Here's an idea of the amount of wobble. I set up the magnetic dial indicator and registered the following run-out numbers on 4 burnshiers at the furthest point from the drill press quill. Wood stem eaten up (1st time - 0.323, 2nd time cleaned up wooden shaft - 0.210) Small burnisher (0.0623) Large burnisher (0.0956) Medium burnisher (0.101) My drill press baseline is 0.013) I have a small 9" that I also baselined (0.178) My neighbor's drill press baselines are as follows. Jet 16" (0.095) Delta 16 (0.102) Bosch 12" (0.164) Ryobi 12" (0.232) Rockwell 20" (0.345) ---> OUCH! It's old and needs some serious work. As you can see your drill press can have a lot to do with the amount of wobble. I spent quite a bit of time cleaning up the Jacobs chuch, quill and such to get my numbers down. I made one similar to oldtimer's but used an insert that was threaded on the outside and had a smooth shaft on the inside to fit over the motor shaft. It likewise had a screw that went through the wood, the threaded insert and into the motor shaft. It was made out of some Argentinian lignum vitae. His was a little longer (6" total). He has since converted it into a felt burnisher. Regards, Ben

FYI, Back in 2002 or 2003 a library sold a complete set from 1956 to 2001 for $14,500. I have seen single issues on eBay for anywhere between a $2 to a little over $24. Good luck. Regards, Ben

I was lucky in that I picked up a huge batch of Gomph tools. I got the #5-12, 14,16 & 18 overstitch wheels, #1-5 single beaders and #1-5 double bevelers as well as some other odds and ends of various Osbornes. A couple of the wheels are loose but nothing bad. Regards, Ben

Brent, Good start....even though your work is hampered by Uncle Samboski. Here's a couple of others. One is Steve's and the other is Jeremiah's. They haven't been keeping them updated. That is probably the biggest complaint that I have heard from bloggers is a lack of updates. However you still have to get work done. Steve Mason's Blog Another Blog Saddle - Engraving - Trips Regards, Ben

Denise, Billy also did carving as well. In fact I sent him lots of examples of Sheridan style carvings. He did some of the carvings and then also incorporated some into the Sheridan Woman as a background. In a nutshell, laser toner ink from a color copier (photo or any artwork) is transferred to the leather with the aid of contact adhesive. After a short period of time the paper is rubbed off of the leather. Embossing plugs are added to the back in the normal manner. One major note to remember is that Billy doesn't use water. He bevels and tools dry on the transferred design with this technique. He does use colored pens and such for the edges. He also cuts around portions and lifts up portion as appropriate to the design. There is a lot more detail on the DVD including brand of contact adhesive, etc but that's it in a nutshell. Regards, Ben

Andy, It appears as though the latigo carrier, breast collar dee and rope strap are one piece. Is this correct? If so I like that idea. Regards, Ben

Billy's work is certainly great and as many have said this procedure was different than what we normally think of when doing leather work. I can certainly attest to the generosity of Billy as well. I helped him with various discussions/negotiations with Hidecrafters and discussions about format (PAL vs NTSC) and he was kind enough to send me a signed copy of his DVD. I was saddened to hear of his issues with royalties and his illness. However on the positive side Johanna stepped up and has graciously made this available again. Billy and Mary are most likely greatly appreciative as well. Regards, Ben

Here's a quick and dirty comparison of the two. Hope it helps Web Sites Includes Company information with tabs such as products, About Us, Contact Us, and an overview of all facets of the business Has links to other pages Describes your business which is written in more formal language Describes your products & services. It changes when your products or services change. Designed to build credibility and impress clients If Sales Related Can be one long sales page website. It will focus on getting an immediate direct response Includes testimonials scattered throughout the page Can buy directly from link on the page Is designed to sell one product or service only. It is focused on a single outcome Blogs Blogs are dynamic - blogs are usually updated regularly. Blogs can be interactive - people can leave their comments and participate with your blog. Blogs rank very highly with search engines. Google loves blogs because it can easily scan your blog due to clean code. Regards, Ben

Not PeterK but I can assure you after making several variations of these both chucked and arbored that when you place the lag bolt in the chucked type, cut the head off and then turn it on the lathe with a chuck and live center that it is fairly true. I only have one that wobbles and it is a larger diameter one that DOES NOT have a metal shaft. Over time the chuck will "eat" these hardwoods and make it wobble. The chucked ones with lag bolts in them does not have this issue. Regards, Ben

Grizzly also carries quite a bit of gear for mandrel based tools as well as ones that attach directly to a motor like a drill chuck. Regards, Ben

Denise, Bree is correct that many business fail. Some organizations like Gartner place the number even higher than the numbers she stated. Many get caught up in the operational side of the business and are driven by the winds of business. Unfortunately the operation information is only one such aspect of a business plan. Other items that are included could include as stated the operational information, organizational model, marketing aim and objectives, financial information, even an exit strategy plan if you are so inclined and other such items. Most of them use some form of SMART targets in their business plans. SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Identification of key performance indicators need to be performed according to a SMART principle. These could include sales/profit figures over time, new product development, market share numbers and other benchmarks. Another trite saying associated with this is "You are what you measure." As Kate and Bree have already stated there are lots of business plan sites, process guides and templates that can assist. Business planning cycles are used to monitor your progresses in achieving your objectives. It is essentially an analysis of where you are to date and then charting the most promising roadmap to develop your business. This planning cycle could also be used to compare your company to other competitors and create a new road map to reshape your business. Differentiation from the rest of the marketplace coupled with business planning can be a vital resource. As always make conservative estimations in order to give your business some cushion if unforeseen problems arise. Time periods for this process are different because each business is different. It depends upon your products and sales model. Heavy sales related business may review them quite regularly in order to meet objectives. It is also important to be aware that major events such as changes in your marketplace (competitor consolidations, acquisitions, new products/breakthroughs) or other things like economic factors should trigger a review of your objectives. Regular assessment of performance against the plan/roadmap and a revised forecast is necessary. It could even include things like benchmarking against competitors, cash flow forecasting, equipment purchases, market targeting and other items like work-life balance. Regards. Ben

When visiting a home sewing machine shop, I watched the following tip. I thought how clever it would be for people having issues with the wrong needle thread sizing. I know that many of us have charts but this is a quick and dirty method. This lady carted in with a machine, a cigar box FULL of needles, about 10-12 spools of thread, some light fabric, some heavy denim and some suede (4-5 oz). Turned out that this machine was given to her by her Mom and that she had seen her sew all these materials on it with no issue. She was constantly breaking threads and thought that the machine was the issue so this guy had already cleaned, oiled and tuned it up for her. However she still had issues so he was going to help her set up needles and thread to match materials. First thing they did was look at about 20 needles from the cigar box and throw some of them away due to burrs. He told her that she would have to go through the rest of the box but showed her how to do that. Next they selected one of the threads for the leather and started to select a leather needle. He picked out a diamond shaped one and told her to cut 3 foot of thread. He then "tested" it and said that this one will create issues. He picked another one and said this combination of thread and needle will work. He did it for 3 other pieces of thread and finally came up with some combinations that would work. Then he tried it on her machine andn it worked perfectly with her sewing without any issues. Correct Thread - Needle Sizing Tip (1) Cut about 3 feet of thread that you are going to use (2) Select the needle that you are going to use (3) Thread the needle on one end and leave about 8 inches past the end of the needle (If the needle sticks at this point it is too small) (4) Hold the needle in one hand (thumb and forefinger) and wrap the excess thread around the forefinger (5) Take the opposite end of the thread in your other hand and drop it down so that it makes approximately a 45 degree angle (6) Make sure that the thread is tight between your two hands (7) Release the needle from your thumb and forefinger and watch the motion that occurs If the needle sticks at the top, it is too small - try the next largest needle. If the needle is jerky as it slides, it is too small - try the next largest needle. If the needles slides rapidly, it is too large - try the next smallest needle If the needle slides steadily & evenly, it is the correct size. Here's a chart from Excel. Regards, Ben

John, Very nice. Great triweave execution and case construction. It has an interesting mix of floral styles. Usenet groups <chuckle> have certainly been around a while and like everything that changes they are dropping by the way side for forums like this (except maybe for file sharing). Regards, Ben

Not Tom but I have made several stones for people out of concrete. In fact my Dad's is 4" thick. He made his on steel legs. It has fiber mesh and high slump concrete in it. You can polish it to a high luster with the diamond blades and you can also acid stain it as well. We have done one with black and rose that looks very close to a Baltic Brown. The black stain was put down in a speckled pattern first and then it was followed up with the rose stain. Another one looks like the Galaxy granite and was just black stain added to the mix with a lot of silver flecks in it from some heavy glitter. One of the stones that we made looks just like a ledged surface plate so that you could get your hands under the edge of it to more easily move it around. It was 18X24 and still weighed 75 pounds. Cheng was one of the first to do this and add soft metal and stones to his concrete. You can also attend deminars across the country on concrete staining and countertops. They have ones that you pour into a form and some that you can pour in place. We have created our forms from melamine and created special coves for the edges with molding. The sky is the limit on this. I was creating a how to document for some others on making these for stamping stones. When I get it done I will forward it ion. Regards, Ben

After reading the topic "eBay=feeBay", it got me to wondering how many businesses use a business plan. So here's my questions.... Do you use a business plan? Have a Business Plan If so how often do you change it? Does it include marketing and advertising? What items do you consider important in your business plan? Don't Have a Business Plan If you don't have one, is it because you don't have a model for a business plan or other reasons? Just curious after reading some comments in various posts. Regards, Ben

I don't sell on eBay. However like Bree I never think that it's good to put all your eggs into one basket or to only rely on them. Unfortunately they have changed over time. This could be any number of reasons...corporate greed, governmental policies due to banking or any other number of reasons. Many have tried to get them to change direction over the past few years and return to the "good old days" but to no avail. I sent several sites to either help you tame the eBay animal or if you were not inclined to do that to seek an alternative. Some of you may be able to use the information in the taming portion to try to contain costs. It may mean that you don't use them for some things and maybe use them for other things. It most likely depends upon your business models and products. Some of you feel extremely strong about it so I would suggest that you develop a plan and migrate away so that it stops. It's your business and you are responsible for it's growth and care. If eBay no longer fits your needs and requirements then vote with your feet if you are so inclined. The best defense against them is education and a plan. Regards, Ben

Brent.... I was wrongly thinking of something along the lines of the folding tables with the particle board tops. I have had to use them at other places when helping kids learn. "I'm surprised you don't get some bounce off those casters and rubber mat, but apparently not." ... No bounce! The casters are hard rubber with a 2500 pound capacity each. Not much give in them. When the bench was in the garage the rubber mat was on one side of the bench and not under the bench/casters. " That cabinet is so pretty I bet Mamma lets you leave it in the living room, eh?" Don't laugh!!!! Stranger things have happened. One of the concessions to wait in getting a place with a real shop was the moving of the bench. See Below for location. Yes. That's the front living room. Regards, Ben P.S. Tom...The granite was given to me when they were removing it from a building. If you look closely there is a small 1/2" square cutout in one corner. No one would buy the piece. So the whole bench revolved around the size of the granite top. The cabinet doors, 2X4's and casters were some wreckouts. The oak molding and peg board were some cutoffs. The only thing purchased was the 3/4" Oak plywood, hinges and knobs.

Workbenches have been discussed in some other threads. Workbench Link. I have several design ideas and such in my PDFs in that thread. From an ergonomic standpoint you shouldn't make a bench wider than your arm's length unless it is a specialty table for two users or some other special use like a layout table that you walk around but that should not be much wider than twice your arms length. Height is determined by the individual. A good starting point for a sitting workstation is to set your chairs height (if adjustable) and then measure to the bottom of your elbow. This is the starting point for the top of the workstation. Likewise if you have a sit/stand workstation you would use your standing position for this elbow measurement. Then you would use an adjustable chair with a ring like a draftsman's chair so that your feet do not dangle and cut off your blood flow to your feet. Remember to add a foot rail to rest your foot for standing and account for the height of a rubber mat if you are using one. They help when you stand on concrete for an extended period of time. Grab the tools that you are going to be using and perform a mockup to verify your height before you start. If tables are made from particle board they will bounce due to the structure of particle board. A lack of bracing will make it bouce even more. Just ask any roofing contractor what happens when they start shingling (driving nails by hand) on either OSB or particle board. For a tooling bench I used a sandwich of the following. (You can see them in the PDF) The bottom was 3/4" oak plywood (more for aesthetic appearance) 2X4's turned on edge and glued together. 1/4" standoffs with bedding material (silicone) 3/4" Granite top This makes for a VERY solid tooling surface that also allows you to place a cutting board on and punch large holes or cut strap end. I created a rolled edge around the sandwich so that tools could not roll off of the tooling surface. Use the height measurement for your layout table and cutting tables also. Regards, Ben

Try hardware stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Ace or a local store. Regards, Ben

Thats too funny fir a toilet lid! Regards, Ben