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HandyDave

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Everything posted by HandyDave

  1. Beautiful work. I love making the western rigs. And enjoy seeing rigs others have made.
  2. Have you checked frogjelly leather? I find some stuff there sometimes that i cant find elsewhere.
  3. Just wanted to update and say i dont have that blue anymore. I gave a bunch of the leather that i want ever use to one of my little sisters. I asked her about the blue and she said she has about used all of it. Sorry about that. Wish i could tell you where it came from but it was part of a huge lot i got at an estate sale. I gave about half to my sister. Colors and patterns i would never use.
  4. I second stiffer covers. I like 4/5 oz covers and have used 7/8 oz in the past. Then do a seperate binding area in a thinner more pliable leather so it folds easy. I usually just wax and buff my pieces that im leaving natural vegtan.
  5. Really nice work. And im sure it will put a big smile on the ladies face everytime she looks at it. These speacial projects are what i like to call handwashers because its good karma brother. Great job.
  6. Ill look threw my bins tomorrow. Im 85% certain i have a good section of the very leather in your pic. Same blue same pebble pattern. Its part of a huge lot i bought last year at an estate sale. Theres alot of it im never gonna use in the work i do. So if i still have that blue id be happy to work something out if interested.
  7. I use buckleguy allmost exclusively for my hardware. They very seldom are sold out of the parts i use. Except black 1 1/2" belt buckles. They do sell out of those often it seems. But when i get down to a dozen or so i order more soon as available to make sure i have them when i need them. Another site i use for bits and pieces is Steckstore.com
  8. I was just reading threw. Really like the dino pencil case. Very cool. And you say your wanting to do a backpack that he can use even when hes a little older as well. Why couldn't you rescale the pencil case pattern to make it alot bigger? And where the belly of dino meets the sides that transition could be made out for the zipper more like a backpack zipper works across the top. And you can incorporate the 4 legs into the straps. Hopefully this idea will help.
  9. If you dont need the dies i deffently wouldnt pay 800 just for that press regardless of what it once was or has been made into. Like has been said for roughly 200 bucks you can get a hydraulic style press from harbor freight or several other stores. Northern tool has there 12 ton shop press for 180 bucks with free shipping to lower 48. Now depending on what kinda dies are with that press they could be worth quite a bit. Just my 2 cents.
  10. I second this answer. The round hole for the corners keeps them straight. If you want perfect triangle then i would just use round holes for the hole thing. Which would make for a straight stitch instead of the offset diamond chisel stitch.
  11. I really like this idea as well. Would be great way to store all my thinner garment and bag leathers. Thanks for sharing.
  12. I have 2 big tables in my shop one i work off of and the other has became a place for all my heavier veg tan to lay on. I to hate workin with the thicker leather while its all curled up. Ive also seen some wall mount ideas online using wooden rods and fabric. Making kind of a cascading curtain which leather is stored in the folds.
  13. HandyDave

    My Hat

    Ive been wanting to make me a leather hat for awhile i just havent done it yet. I keep thinking it would be a very hot wearing hat. How do they feel and wear on hot days. I would add a couple grommets to the sides to help with a little air flow. But it doesnt hurt to hear some feedback from guys who have made and worn leather hats. Thank you guys.
  14. I really like the bold bright look of it. Its deffently not run of the mill. Now when you say faux snake skin. Is it real leather thats embossed with snake skin pattern? Or faux leather all together?
  15. Thank you so much for your boxer patterns. Once i get on it i will most deffently post finished product.
  16. I know where to find the bag pattern. And would be most grateful if you would share your patterns of the dog parts that you did. My girl Lucie will be jealous if i dont make one in her and Cujo's honour. Cujo was my first boxer i rescued from side of road. After nobody claimed him he turned into one of best dogs ive ever had. His hips and everything gave out beyond repair when he was around 14. And my girl Lucie is pit boxer mix and will be 4 next week. Older lady was giving them away and she looked so much like cujo did i had to have her. I dont think ill ever have anything but a boxer or boxer mix for rest of my life after having these 2. Sorry for the rambling. I just love my dogs.
  17. Beautiful work. Is it made from a pattern or your own design? I allways make all my own designs but i would love to make me a lap top bag like this for my last boxer Cujo and my new girl bull/boxer Lucie.
  18. Great job. Its nice to be able to return a little of the unconditional love that a dog gives us.
  19. Anytime you add another machine into the mix i think it takes away a little more of the handmade to the point its mass produced. But if you have certain patterns that you do alot of a clicker press and dies are a great time saver. As for pricing i never compare or try to compete witg etsy prices you will allmost allways loose. I see stuff on there that doesnt look like bad work but the prices are so low i dont see how they cover material cost. If im making something newer to me that im not sure of how to price i look around online at real leathershop websites at similar items to get a ball park. But your allways gonna get the people wanting your stuff for the extra cheap price that they seen online somewhere. I hate to loose a sell but i will not go but so low period even if i keep the piece for awhile. This is if im set up somewhere showing and selling with hodge podge of stuff. If im doin custom orders which is mainly the work i do its money up front or atleast half so materials and a little time is covered. Also one thing ive figured out with real handmade stuff is your not gonna have the same profit margin on everything. Some of the big labor intensive items are gonna take alot more time and there is a cap on how much you can expect to get for said item. But then you have your smaller regular made items that you csn knock out quick which will make up alot of the difference on the bigger items where profits are smaller.
  20. One mistake i made i hate to say several times but it was several times when i was first starting out was beveling my edges and i ran down the whole inside edge where it was to be glued to another piece. This will leave a pretty good vally that is hard to sand out speacially if you keep stitch line close to edge.
  21. I allways use the right anvil and setter sized for the snaps or rivets thats being used with no problems. Most everything has allready been said. And i 100% agree that 99% of the time a snap or rivet sets crooked is because the stem is to long sticking threw the leather. I dont buy tons of different length stems though. I buy the longest of each size then cut them down with dremel or bench grinder if needed so they stick threw only about 1/8" on the leather im working with. And like has also been said gently roll the setter while you gently tap to slowly roll the stem down then a good tap to finish. This is just my 2 cents.
  22. If your beveling your edges on front and back of straps then it doesnt really matter how to apply dyes or edge paints. Once you bevel the back side edge it becomes part of the edge instead of the back if that makes since. If you dont want that dye rollover to the backside dont bevel the back edge only do the front. When i have to tape i use the green frog tape its like the blue painters but has better paint and dye blocking then regular blue painters tape. But you also have to think on the rough side the tape isnt truly gonna be smooth flat so thats gonna allow bleed threw. Collars and belts i allways line with smooth leather never suede. I actually cant think of anything ive ever lined with suede unless a customer just had to have it. I see so many holsters with suede liners and it breaks my heart to know those poor guns are loosing there finish because somebody thought putting sandpaper suede in there holster was a good idea. This is just my opinion of course i dont want to piss off any suede users.
  23. I do this all the time with alot of materials. I have 5 younger sisters so i allways take there old bags and such as well as picking up good deals i find at thrift shops and yardsales. Ive got boxes of salvaged parts and pieces i repurpose into my crafts. I especially look out for old buckles and fastners that will give me a great one of a kind look.
  24. Id buff the hell out of the pieces and that should help even everything out a little. And sometimes on the cheaper hides youll have alot of that scarring and marks. Even if you cant see any defects or if there very faint marks before you dye and finish they will allways show up big time once dyed. Only way to not have the scars and such is to buy better hides. Depending on whats being made the cheaper scarred leather can give a great rustic finish.
  25. Beautiful work. How many times did you have to step away and let the eyes refocus. I look forward to seeing finished product.
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