Fred's ramblings

[fredk]

I thought I'd just a thread to write down some of my rambling ideas, thoughts and findings

Just one thread, instead of starting new ones or tagging on to old ones

I'll start with this observation. I'm starting to make a dice cup. I've cut the leather to go around my former. I'm making this one flesh side out-grain side in. I wrapped the leather around my former grain side in and cut it to size. Just by chance I lifted the cut piece to check it and wrapped it flesh side in.

This is what I noticed;

grain side in = perfect fit

 

But the same piece of leather wrapped grain side out = a gap, of about 6mm / 1/4 inch !

 

I'll be back with more ramblings

[tsunkasapa]

Gremlins.

[Handstitched]

Weird !!  Wet it, stretch it .  Nice colour . 

[Matt S]

@fredk I wonder if this is because the flesh side has more stretch to it, the fibres being coarser/looser than those of the grain layer? While it's something that I'd often "known" I had never considered quantifying the difference or what practical effects it causes. Thanks for providing an example where this slightly abstract material property makes a real-world difference!

[fredk]

Matt, I think you must be correct. 

Handstitched, that is Fiebings Purple, same on both sides. As it fits perfectly the way I want it to there is no need to stretch it

tsunkasapa, Gremilns only cause problems with RAF machinery. 

As an aside; at least into the early - mid 1970s putting down 'Gremilns' on an RAF aircraft service card was a legit reason for when a ground crew could not locate and fix an intermittent fault as reported by the air crew. Gremilns were first discovered by the RFC during WW1. They are not what the 1984 film portrayed

 

[tsunkasapa]

In Norway my people had trolls. I'm glad they didn't bring any over with them.

[chuck123wapati]

so then you trace your pattern on the grain side ?

[fredk]

When I cut the piece to go around the former, its about 4 inches high by about 9 1/2 inches long. I hold it in place and mark where the overlap is as the former is about 9 1/4 round. Then I trim off that overlap.

I'm doing this one flesh side out as I'm going to glue onto the outside a thin leather with a snake skin pattern on it

[fredk]

I started to make another dice cup today. I'm making it the same way. I cut my piece from a different hide but of the same thickness. I cut it to size with the flesh side out. Then I turned it around. A very slight gap, maybe, its under 1mm, maybe as little as under 0.5mm. Close enough to be the same size

[fredk]

On Wednesday just past I happened to be in my local Community Hall and I found out by accident that there was to be a show for local home crafts this Saturday (today)

Entry fee of 50p per item. As many items as you want to exhibit. To be in place on Friday between 5 and 8 pm on Friday

I sorted out 12 items, finding that some items I would have liked to show are with my 2 agents. I also made a couple of things, such as the dice cup

There were different classes for different crafts but not one for leather so the organisers put my things into a very general section covering many crafts

What I displayed; from left to right and from back to front; (the wood fairy door is not mine) Leather chess board (with a few pieces), Knitting belt, Hnefatafl game set, a decorated belt, a small valet tray, a key-ring coin purse, a small draw-string bag, a 1/2 moon coin purse, a wrist purse, a hat, a golf ball caddy and a notebook cover

Judging was on Saturday morning. The judges decided to divide the main Class into sub-classes

I got 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in the sub-class and 1st overall in the main Class 

The Hnefatafl game set took 1st

The decorated belt, which is actually not that great and was just put in to bulk up numbers, got 2nd place

And a Golf Ball Caddy, from a Tandy pattern, got 3rd place. Apparently there was a lot of interest in this, no-one having seen one before

I know the judges had lifted and studied most of the items as I had left them in a certain way and most of them had been put back differently. At some events the judges just have a basic look at items.  My prize is a £20 voucher card for a local craft shop.

 

 

 

[tsunkasapa]

Congrats! 

[fredk]

Thank you

[toxo]

Well done Fred.

[HaloJones]

Way to go, congratulations 

[fredk]

Thank you,  

Turning a mistake to an advantage

I have a small brass maker's stamp, about 30mm across and 18mm high

    

When pressing this mark into very thin leather, say 1.2mm and less, (under 3oz) I have to be very careful on setting the height on my press otherwise the stamp cuts through the leather, like a clicker cutter.

I've turned  this problem to an advantage. By adjusting the height on my press I can just cut through the leather. But not 100% cleanly, I leave it so I have to pull the leather way from the oval. Why? Because those last few fibres hold the centres of the A and D in place. I'll sort this out by using my mini-drill and a grinder to lessen the height of all the letters so they don't cut through.  By cutting out the oval I can get tags out of scrap pieces, which I can glue inside drawstring bags made of chrome-tan and that sort of thing

eg

Yesterday evening I started sorting out some boxes of small scraps and ended up punching out over 50 tags. Once started it was quite addictive, to see if I could yet another one out of a small waste piece

 

 

 

[fredk]

btw, that belt that took 3rd place.

I made that for a guy in my medieval group. He insisted he was a 38 inch waist, his mum agreed, so I made it for 40 inches. Turned out he was a 46/47 inch waist. His old shop bought belt and trousers had the vanity marking of 38 on them. I measured his old belt to his well used buckle hole and it was 45 inches. I made him a larger belt, and made him pay more. So that belt has been in my 'stock' since about  '14

[Handstitched]

On 8/1/2022 at 7:31 AM, fredk said:

btw, that belt that took 3rd place.

Well done on the win  

I am Judging  the leather section again  this year at a show  in the southern 'burbs' of Perth ( Western Australia) Last year, I was called in to Judge, same place. Went into the exhibition hall..........there was just one belt...and that was it!!   I couldn't place it, it had no holes to do it up . One of the criteria is that it must have function.  Not the first time either. At a prestigious Royal Show one year, ,my first item to Judge was a belt...lovely carved belt...but no holes. I couldn't place it.  Love to see the look on the exhibitors face when they see the Judges notes ( mine)   

We have our own country show this year, I have leather stuff to exhibit. See how that goes...I'll also be Judging the Judges. I made a few boo boo's. See if they pick them up eh? 

HS

[fredk]

Here is a true story;

Once there was a horse race, one of many at one of the many horse racing events. There were about 10 starters listed, but one by one they dropped out until there was only one horse left to run. Of course it came in 1st. But the judges gave it 4th place. Just outside the money. The judges gave it 4th place because, they said, the jockey did not try hard enough, just because it was on its own there was no excuse for not trying hard and the timing the horse took over the course would have put it about 5th or 6th in a proper field.

[fredk]

Last year I made about 15 of these 'Christmas Stockings' 

All made from off-cut out of the scrap box. About 5 inches tall. Just took an evening after I took the notion to make them. Just glued together

Showing front & rear;

A few were a bit more elaborate;

These were a bit bigger, about 7 inches tall. The other side had a personal initial on it

I'm thinking of doing just a Christmas Tree hanger this year. With plastic jewel 'rhinestones' as decorations. Maybe about 4 to 5 inches tall

[Handstitched]

@fredk Not sure why, but those images didn't appear. Could be my 'ye olde' pooter . One of the valves may have burnt out. I've got some spares in the shed.....true. 

HS 

[fredk]

I'll try again.

All made from off-cuts out of the scrap box. About 5 inches tall. Just took an evening after I took the notion to make them. Just glued together. The 'star' is a chromed pressed steel ornament thingy. I was given loads of these things in various shapes. A chance to use some of them

Showing front & rear;

A few were a bit more elaborate;

These were a bit bigger, about 7 inches tall. The other side had a personal initial on it

I'm thinking of doing just a Christmas Tree hanger this year. With plastic jewel 'rhinestones' as decorations. Maybe about 4 to 5 inches tall

 

[chuck123wapati]

you ever think of making little leprechaun hats and filling them with candy coins for St. Patricks day? 

[Doc Reaper]

The Hawaiians have a mythological creature that goes inline with the Gremlins and Trolls, they are called Menehune‘s. I was talking with a guy about it and asked if he has ever seen one, of course he said “no!” Then I asked him how he knew they existed? He said “did you lift up the bark on a fallen tree and see the etchings?” I replied “we all have!” He came quickly with “who do you think put them there?”

I was thinking of making a loin cloth/tool belt and sending it fo him. But I have no idea big a Menehune is!

[fredk]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

you ever think of making little leprechaun hats and filling them with candy coins for St. Patricks day? 

nice idea. I'll think upon that. Maybe not candy/sweets tho. Anti-fun police won't allow that

 

1 hour ago, Doc Reaper said:

The Hawaiians have a mythological creature that goes inline with the Gremlins and Trolls, they are called Menehune‘s. I was talking with a guy about it and asked if he has ever seen one, of course he said “no!” Then I asked him how he knew they existed? He said “did you lift up the bark on a fallen tree and see the etchings?” I replied “we all have!” He came quickly with “who do you think put them there?”

I was thinking of making a loin cloth/tool belt and sending it for him. But I have no idea big a Menehune is!

ach, shure every one knows how big he is. He's the same size as a leprechaun, or Big Foot, or the Yeti, or the fairy on that rose leaf

Here those etchings are made by the leprechauns. Its their written directions to where they have secreted a crock of gold. Its written in an ancient language. Any human who could decipher it would be very rich indeed

[Gezzer]

3 hours ago, fredk said:

nice idea. I'll think upon that. Maybe not candy/sweets tho. Anti-fun police won't allow that

 

ach, shure every one knows how big he is. He's the same size as a leprechaun, or Big Foot, or the Yeti, or the fairy on that rose leaf

Here those etchings are made by the leprechauns. Its their written directions to where they have secreted a crock of gold. Its written in an ancient language. Any human who could decipher it would be very rich indeed

Speaking of Big Foot  , I' m  getting a little concerned ........ I haven't seen a new picture of him in quite some time   

I have finally found this thread  fredk and  CONGRATULATIONS  on the showing at the show !!!!!