Just for Fun

[Cowboy316]

thank you Panther ill have to try to pick some up and do that i love the look of it

Cowboy316

[TexasLady]

Peter taught me how to do this about a year ago and I did it to one of my scalpel handles. It helps in the grip of it tremendously.

Glad he decided to put it in print.

8/18/09

Rawhide,

The leather pieces on your handle look slightly larger than the pieces on Panther's. I'm guessing that you didn't use a blender. Did you skiver down the ones that you wanted to cover the outer area? How did you cut your small leather pieces?

TexasLady

[TTcustom]

This is really cool. Now I have to stop in at the thrift stores looking for a blender!

[Rawhide]

8/18/09

Rawhide,

The leather pieces on your handle look slightly larger than the pieces on Panther's. I'm guessing that you didn't use a blender. Did you skiver down the ones that you wanted to cover the outer area? How did you cut your small leather pieces?

TexasLady

I did not use a blender, I used a safety skiver to slice very thin slivers from the grain side of some scraps. I used different leathers to give me slightly different colors when dyed. I used Leather cement as well to glue them down.

Marlon

[TexasLady]

I did not use a blender, I used a safety skiver to slice very thin slivers from the grain side of some scraps. I used different leathers to give me slightly different colors when dyed. I used Leather cement as well to glue them down.

Marlon

8/18/09

Thanks for answering, Marlon. I've done a lot of artwork and some 'decoupage', so when I saw how conveniently 'random' the leather pieces were on the surface of your handle, I knew that there was a 'intelligent designer' behind it. And that you had skivered the pieces, too, wow, I'm just so proud of myself for figuring it out that I'll probably be smiling all day. I hadn't thought of how using different leathers would give slightly different colors when dyed. I'll go get some 'Leather cement' at Tandy when I get my next paycheck. Can't wait to get started. What color of dye did you use? I hope you don't mind that I'm trying to 'pick your brain'.

- TexasLady

Edited August 18, 2009 by TexasLady

[Rawhide]

8/18/09

Thanks for answering, Marlon. I've done a lot of artwork and some 'decoupage', so when I saw how conveniently 'random' the leather pieces were on the surface of your handle, I knew that there was a 'intelligent designer' behind it. And that you had skivered the pieces, too, wow, I'm just so proud of myself for figuring it out that I'll probably be smiling all day. I hadn't thought of how using different leathers would give slightly different colors when dyed. I'll go get some 'Leather cement' at Tandy when I get my next paycheck. Can't wait to get started. What color of dye did you use? I hope you don't mind that I'm trying to 'pick your brain'.

- TexasLady

Not at all, I'm glad to share. Here's the basic step by step.

1. cover the handle with a thin piece of leather tightly, by wrapping it onto itself and glue it to itself. This will give you a base to glue to because the glue won't stick very well to the bare metal.

2. Then skive out the pieces to glue on from however different leathers you care to have.

3. Next glue them randomly onto the already leather wrapped handle. Don't worry about the residual glue, because it will give you some contrast when dying.

4. Let it dry for a week. (Yes a week).

5. Sand it with some progressively finer sandpaper I think I used 400/600/800 or so.

6. clean off the leather dust created by sanding and then dye with a brush. (I used Saddle Tan dye)

7. Seal with Neat lac, or Saddle Lac and let dry.

Marlon

[TexasLady]

8/20/09

Thanks Marlon (Rawhide),

I've written those last 'ingredients' down on a piece of paper so that I can carry the list to Tandy with me when I go there to get my supplies. I wish I had a 'doctor friend' who throws away worn out tools (like one of the other forum members has). I do have an automechanic friend who may get rid of broken, worn out, or otherwise mangled tools from time to time, and maybe I can get him to save them for me. Actually, he probably wore them out while fixing my car, so in a sense, I've already 'paid' for them!

Thanks again.

-TexasLady

Edited August 20, 2009 by TexasLady