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I am doing a few saddles, tack, tack and saddle repair and building purses and some smaller items. I try to keep them all moving forward with all the various steps and what next. I have a pretty roomy shop with a large work/cutting table. A granite top table, a rolling whatever table and an oil/dye table. I have a tool bench. All my tables are always full of something or several somethings until I clean up which is usually not daily. I want to keep all the things together so I don’t double book hardware for instance. The saddles are out in the open and have stands to sit on so they are not really the problem. Do any of you have any tricks you use to keep your projects together and organized?

I was going to wait until I cleaned my garage before I took these photos, but based on past history it is going to be a while. I'm not a collector in the sense that I want all the really old stuff. I just want to collect all the 2D/3D stamps, 2d/3d stamp sets, alphabet sets, handle stamp sets and a bunch of zodiac stamp sets. It all started by my desire to have a huge selection of stamp option available for the Scout and other Youth Groups I was doing classes for. After a while I decided that the kids were too "careless" with the stamps so I started to separate my tools from the tools I used for the kid classes. But I got tired of going through the stacks of boxes to find the stamp I was looking for. This is my current solution. They call this kind of cabinet a lot of different names. Blueprint Cabinet, Map Cabinet, Art Drawers, flat file cabinet, etc. I picked up these three 5-drawer cabinets from craigslist for $200. They came with a custom made, very heavy duty and UGLY wheeled cart. I actually like mismatched colors of the cabinets. All the 2d/3d stamps are in numerical order by manufacturer. I even left spaces for stamps that were not made or I do not have yet. So ideally, each box contains 25 stamps each. The stamps that are in the space usually used for the stamp handle, are stamps that have duplicate numbers. I am in the process of creating a database of stamps that I can sort by category like Western, Sports, Native American, etc... That way I can print photos of the category and select a stamp from it, instead of looking through all the boxes to decide on a stamp image. Yes, I am anal retentive. I was an accountant. The alphabet sets are sorted by font with the larger sets in the rear and smaller sets up front. I think I have all of the alphabets sets, except a Russian set I saw online but can't seem to find anywhere to buy. I also think there is a 3/8" and 1/2" Old English Alphabet and Number sets but am not sure. I have a lot of mallets with more on the bench. I have to sort through them but they do get used when my kid's friends come over and want to do some stamping. There is a drawer that contains the Handle Stamp sets and Zodiac sets. I think I have all the Handle Stamp Sets and there is 10 different zodiac sets. Both traditional and Chinese sets. I am missing one stamp from one of the sets (the black ones in the bottom right of the photo) and will have to get it made. The drawer that contains the 2d/3d stamp sets is complete (I believe) and also includes the smaller, individual stamps that Tandy currently sells. There is another drawer that has most of the other tools in it, i.e. setters, cutting tools, edgers, etc... But I chose not to show it until it is organized. I'd show my workbench, but I can't get to it at the moment. The rest of my tools will eventually make their way to the cabinet to the right of this one. Most of the tools I have are the rather inexpensive varieties by Tandy, Midas, Barontool, Basic tools, etc.. and most were purchased on ebay, craigslist and other sites that sell used tools. With few exceptions, any of the high-end tools and stamps I ended up with, I have re-sold to help pay for the 2 sets of tools that I use for the classes. I already know what you are thinking. I have way more than I need. And to tell you the truth, way more tools than my skill level. But I still have less than I want.

I have a small work shop and I am trying to find a way to store my leather sides and smaller pieces. The small ones, I think, will be in short PVC tubes under a 4'x4' table. I have a wall that I will have room to make a cabinet around 6' wide 12" deep. My question is, would it be ok to drape the larger wider hides on horizontal bars and hang down without damage? Will they stretch too much? Will that bar leave a permanent mark? I was thinking of using black iron threaded pipe or wooden dowels either swinging out like on a swing arm or just hangers and pull them down as needed. I like the swing arm idea to be able to get to the ones in the back easier. Any ideas for that spot for be appreciated. Thanks

I have a problem i need to solve asap. I am helping the local BSA with their leather program. Raising money and getting tool donations is going to be a big part of that. But the problem at hand is this. Storage of the 2d/3d leather stamps and alphabet sets. The boxes they have are severely worn and need to be replaced. Tandy discontinued the boxes they sold and currently have some plastic racks that will not work for our needs. Springfield Leather has a box that will work but it has an attached lid that makes it awkward when it is opened on the table, as it takes up twice the space. Since I am looking at a custom solution I have come up with one I think is pretty good. Our Council has multiple sets of tools that have to be kept separate. These are the programs they have: Cub Scout Day Camp - There are supposed to be 4 identical sets of tools that are loaned to the districts whenever they are doing a day camp. They handle up to 20 scouts at a time with multiple sessions throughout the day.These sets are also used for the Leatherwork Merit Badge events sponsored by the council with 20 scouts per class. Usually 2 classes in a day. BSA Scout Reach - There are supposed to be 4 identical sets of tools for use in this program for about 40 kids to use the tools at a time with 3 or 4 groups that use them that day. BSA Summer Camp - Last year our council had 2 summer camps running, one outside Las Vegas and one in Utah. So there are 2 sets of tools that are kept at their respective camps. So there are 10 sets of tools that need to be managed with 8 that are supposed to be mobile. I am thinking of building a front-opening box with trays, of 3/4" plywood,that can be removed and set on a table. The trays would be close enough that the tray above would act as a stop so the stamps wouldn't shift during transport. One of the designs I am considering is having a row of stamps and just below it a leather strip with the stamp impression and stamp number on it. This way I can easily see if anything is missing when the set gets turned in. The problem is that this takes up a little more than twice the space as the regular stamp box. But it will keep the stamps in order. This will apply to the alphabet sets as well. For my own stamps, I used to keep them in the boxes, stacked in a cabinet but every time I wanted a specific stamp or alphabet set it always seemed to be the bottom box I needed. Now I keep them in one of those flat file cabinets commonly known as blueprint, map or art cabinets. Actually I have 3 of them with a total of 15 drawers. Now all the alphabet and 3d stamps are spread out in a single layer. My alphabet sets take up 3 drawers. The 2d/3d stamps including the stamp sets (sports, native american, emojis, etc...) take up 4 and the rest are filled with leather tools and stuff. After I create the same custom trays like I describer above, my 3d stamps will probably use at least 6 drawers. I've seen them on offerup for as little as 90.00 each, so they are a bargain. But not great for mobility. Any other ideas out there? Dale

Hello, i am just starting out and i figured out real fast that this is a VERY expensive hobby starting up, but I've found and made some things to cut cost that i wanted to share with yal to help out, ill label whats free, and what i payed for and how much. 1. FREE... wine box from any liquor store.just ask them if they have one to give to you, they just throw them out. Makes a tool holder, storage box.. anything you want, just be creative. 2. CHEAP...Bar soap containers. 1$ at walmart... for holding all your small stuff you want to keep separate. Like the swivel knife and stamps. 3. CHEAP/FREE.Trash bags/walmart bags. Used to lay down under leather when dying. Be careful with walmart bags though, alot of times they'll have holes and not as flat. CHEAP... tool storage boxes.. bought a pack of 4 of them at walmart for 9 bucks. Good for keeping things organized. FREE/CHEAP... old white t-shirts.. instead of throwing away the old white work shirts. Keep them cut them up. Good for tons of stuff.. buffing towels, speading glue and dye, what ever you can think of. CHEAP... stanley box knife. Couple bucks at wal mart and you can get 50 blades for 5 bucks i believe. FREE/CHEAP... BOOKS! Scribd.com 8 bucks a month and you get a ton of books(including al stohlman)..you can also download them onto your phone, using your free 30 day trial(wink, wink).. and if you cancel membership before the month is over you dont pay a dime. Again (wink wink) its not letting me put up the pics so if you want to see them, or have any questions, send me a message and ill send them to you somehow! Addition! Ill add stuff as i think of them and do them... The internet/youtube!! I have already learned a ton of stuff off youtube, and when you have a better understanding of what your doing and how to do it you'll waste less products and save money... Tandy leathers offers a free beginner's class go take it!!

I feel stupid asking this because I'm probably being OCD... but I'm wondering how humidity can affect leather things you've made. I'm putting my stuff in bins in baggies, but wondered, could mold and mildew grow on the leather inside the bag? Even though the bags aren't sealed it seems like they aren't getting a lot of air and with leather having moisture in it....

This is my first post, so here's a little organizer I just made out of a knife block I purchased at the thrift store for 75 cents. I think this is a pretty neat way to sort out your space for an incredibly small amount of money. I had a little bit of chip-out at the bottom due to the low speed of my brace and bit, but now I have an opportunity to add some tooled leather to cover that little mishap! I was also pleased that I was able to utilize a bit of the leather I recently inherited from my grandfather to attach to the sides. I'm just starting out and don't have much room currently, so it is very necessary to maximize the space I do have. Hopefully this was the right thread to share this, thanks for taking a look! -Red

I am looking for a way to clean, store, and preserve my tools (especially knives). My first thought is something like Rem Oil, and I am curious if anyone has any thoughts on this. I store my round knife in a leather sheath, but I am worried about rust spots developing over time. Immediately something like Rem Oil comes to mind, being that a person would use that to clean and store firearms. My only hang up with this is that the residue may harm the leather when using the tool, something like causing it to not accept dye or finish. Obviously I wouldn't soak the blade in the oil, but give it a good wipe down like a person would with their guns. If there are no unwanted effects on the leather, I can see this being a great way to care for all metal tools. Any input on this would be greatly appreciated. Mark

I like to make little pouches for my small tools that come in sets. They come in little boxes, but I just don't like them, and making tool pouches gives me a chance to practice designing, and working on the skills I need to make things that need to be a little more polished.

So, I'm looking for some ideas. I'm wanting to build a shelf / storage system for leather. Does anyone have any pictures of what they use? I'm wanting to build a shelf to store the leather flat. I was thinking of adding some side "stations" to it. I was thinking a place to set up a small sewing machine, or the like. I'm thinking of just building it from 2x4 and plywood. I'm just having touble visualizing it.

I got a ton of these little tubes from a distributor of medical supplies. The are great for rivets, crystal bling, spots, small snaps and other small fasteners. They are 4 5/8" tall and have an 1 1/4" opening. It is marked to hold 2 oz of liquid but you can see in the pic the one with the rivets in it, that is a bunch of Tandy's small rivet package in the container. These are very convenient as the top is not removable, it flips open. It accepts sharpie for identification very well. ____________________________________________________________ In the spirit of full disclosure, these are UNUSED breast milk sample bottles. They are seal packaged in groups of 10 and because the packaging is sterile, they have an expiration date. The date has expired and therefore not suitable for medical use. That means they get thrown away or re-purposed. These are not chessey cheapo containers. Well built and very suitable for small part storage. I am looking to sell these for $10.00 for 10 pieces. That is a shipped price. I'll do $18.00 for 20 but that is the best discount I can do. Shipping will be via USPS. Shoot me a pm with your interest, along with a quick post here to let me know to look into the pm's. Thanks! J.

Just thought I would share a few pictures of an organizer / toolbox that I just picked up. I'm still trying to organize my work area and I think this will hold all my rivets, snaps, eyelets and anything else that doesn't have a spot yet. My local Tandy store has a fishing tackle box that they have to support with a block of wood when they open it or it tips over and spills the contents I like that I can remove the separate bins as I need them and the best feature is the "built in support" for the top shelf when you open it (2nd picture). I think it is a reasonable price at $29.99 ( in Canada) I'll post some pictures once I get some stuff in it. Have a great day.