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TomE

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  1. TomE
    Stall mats in the US are typically 3/4 in. thick rubber with no fiber. They often have grooves or some texture on the bottom that could serve as tread for a sandal. They can be cut fairly easily in warm weather using a regular utility knife, although it takes me several passes with the knife. Helps to bend the rubber slightly away from from blade to relieve friction.
  2. TomE
    Always been happy with HO bridle sides. Consistent temper and minimal waste. These colors are British Brown, Black, and Havana. Truman has retinal degeneration and gradually lost his sight. He navigates surprisingly well by hearing and touch, helps with horse chores every day and follows me to my basement leather shop. He will howl if I leave him behind in the house.
  3. TomE
    Clever idea. This guy would be awesome help for replacing stall mats.
  4. TomE
    Picked out some HO bridle sides at Springfield Leather Company. Truman has selected his favorite color despite the fact that he's blind. Big thanks to @TonySFLDLTHR for his help with checking inventory yesterday and showing me a stack of beautiful sides when I visited the store today. Time to get busy and make sumpin'.
  5. TomE
    I was surprised to learn that the freezing point of pure acetic acid is 16 deg. Centigrade. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016776750080041X#:~:text=properties of acetic acid.,point is %2B16.6 °C. Since vinegar is typically 4-8% acetic acid in water, the water actually lowers the freezing point.
  6. TomE
    Pretty cool bag! My scraps aren't that colorful - brown and brown.
  7. TomE
    Thanks. I am interested in different methods for this. I buy mostly bridle leather with a moss-back but if I split it then I will seal the backside.
  8. TomE
    Very handsome! How did you seal/burnish the flesh side of the flap?
  9. TomE
    @TonySFLDLTHR, planning to call SLC tomorrow to check stock on HO bridle sides. 9-10 oz sides in black, London brown, and havana. Wanted to select 3 sides in person and I'm 3 hrs away from the store. Do you know about current stock?
  10. TomE
    Can sew between layers of leather using a holster plate if needed. See 58:30 min in this video from Chris Andre.
  11. TomE
    Yes, I like the weight of leather reins covered with the Equus grips. The rubber coated nylon web grips on these reins are lightweight and flexible (floppy), but they are a favorite of the owner. The cuff with a double row of stitches is the original. The cuffs I removed during the repair were falling apart so I replaced them with a thicker cuff. I could have incorporated the cuffs into the 2 stitch lines holding the leather straps on the grip webbing, but I decided to makes certain the straps were firmly attached to the grips before covering the ends with the cuffs.
  12. TomE
    Pergamena tannery specializes in lighter weight veg tan leathers. https://www.pergamena.net/ They've been around a long time. See p. 10 of this newsletter. https://livestockconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Summer-2022-Newsletter.pdf
  13. TomE
    Thanks, @jcuk. Foal slips seem likely since we’re in the business of producing foals. Still adding the side stitch to buckle turns and placing the fixed loop tight against the turn. I am trainable.
  14. TomE
    Batz Corp. Download their catalog for easy searching then search on part number for price.
  15. TomE
    "I only want to see you riding in the purple reins." Couldn't resist. Yesterday's project was replacing the buckle ends of a friend's reins. Torn in two. Got a pretty good color match with existing - that's dark brown Fenice Colorfast dye. These rubber grips are nylon webbing coated with rubber. A piece of web inserts into a split in the leather strap and is sewn in place. I prefer grips that slide over a continuous leather strap. The cuffs covering the junction of leather strap and rubber grips are a little different than existing but I think they'll pass inspection.
  16. TomE
    Thanks! I appreciate it. Thank you. Staying focused on halters, bridles, and reins until I master these items. Thinking about future projects to use leftover shoulders and bellies of 9-11 oz bridle leather sides.
  17. TomE
    A little bit of Hermann Oak bridle leather, and a lot of thread.
  18. TomE
    Interesting article and business. Best of luck to you. I think @Mulesaw would relate to doing leathercraft at sea.
  19. TomE
    Beautiful work on the knives and sheaths. Thanks for sharing.
  20. TomE
    I burnish thin leather (~3 oz) by laying it flat on a slick surface like a cutting mat and rubbing with a folded piece of canvas. Turn the leather over and work the top and bottom of the edge until it looks right. I also use a power burnisher covered with a canvas sleeve. Use light pressure and support the thin leather with your finger tips. I rub the edge on a piece of canvas wetted with water/saddle soap to moisten the edge then power burnish. I typically don't use gum trag because I burnish before dyeing the edge then do another round of burnishing after dyeing.
  21. TomE
    Pergamena Tannery specializes in veg tanned, lightweight leathers including goat. https://www.pergamena.net/
  22. TomE
    I'm thinking I can make a leash and collar out of cow hide that won't break with the amount of force a person can exert on the end of a leash. If you're tying the animal then I would want it to break at some point or risk injury to the animal's back or neck. At least that's how we think about leather horse tack.
  23. TomE
    The Cobra Class 4 (or Cowboy CB4500) really shines when sewing 12-30 oz of material, but it's not practical for 6 oz or less. I have a Class 4 and hand sew about half of my projects. Sometimes it's easier to sew by hand than to configure a project for machine sewing. I have the Cobra burnisher and use the sanding drum more than the wooden slicker. The sander is handy for leveling up edges made from multiple layers. I covered the burnisher with a canvas sleeve and it's handy for the initial burnishing of long straps like reins, but I still finish the edges by hand to get a smoother finish. My advice, as someone who recently returned to leathercraft after a ~50 yr hiatus, is at first to focus on a few types of projects using hand tools. Learn how to use and maintain the tools while figuring out how a machine would enhance your productivity or enjoyment. As we saw in the Terminator movies, machines have their limits and don't always carry the day.
  24. TomE
    Better yet, could train an AI algorithm to value leather goods based on pictures/prices of items posted online. We could use the app could to set the price of our goods. I'll match any advertised price, etc. ...Am I on the right track?
  25. TomE
    Better days ahead in MO. Stayed above 0 deg F last night and the wind has moderated. Power stayed on. Horses are doing fine in the cold, eating lots of hay and some are blanketed. Predicting 60 deg. F and rain later next week. Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!
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