Another Pad Folio

[hidepounder]

Just finished this pad folio. It's a roping award for the Rope Horse Futurity of America being held in conjunction with the Battle in the Saddle event going on now in OKC. The leather is 6/7 oz HO and the interior is 2/3 oz HO. Sewing is all 69 @ 11 stitches per inch. I also used a magnetic snap on the tab closure and recessed the magnet into the leaf so that it didn't protrude so high. I drew some new flowers and did some other experimenting with my vine work. The back is basket stamped and the interior has a couple of pockets and is otherwise pretty plain. All comments welcomed as always!

Edited July 2, 2011 by hidepounder

[dirtclod]

Nice !! Really nice !! Somebody is going to very happy to have it !

[Phatdaddy]

I just drooled on myself, very nice!

[cowdog128]

As always Bob an outstanding job your work is an inspiration and keeps me striving to learn more and do better work. Happy trails and keep it up.

[Ladykahu]

beautiful as always Bob!

Could I please ask, the 'waved' side piece where it joins the front to the back.. do you have a template or use a formulae or ?? to get such well balanced and divided curves?

I have tried on paper to get mine to look right and they never seem to be 'balanced' the way yours are.

Natalie

[hidepounder]

  On 7/3/2011 at 12:29 AM, Ladykahu said:

beautiful as always Bob!

Could I please ask, the 'waved' side piece where it joins the front to the back.. do you have a template or use a formulae or ?? to get such well balanced and divided curves?

I have tried on paper to get mine to look right and they never seem to be 'balanced' the way yours are.

Natalie

Hi Natalie and thanks! Whenever I create a new piece I make a template. Most of my bindings have the same basic shape which I freehanded and then fine tuned until I was satisfied. Then I made a template of that binding to use for layouts and for cutting pieces out of the side of leather. I'm staring to get tired of the current one I'm using and will probably make another soon, LOL!

Take care.....

Bobby

[roo4u]

that is amazing....its so beautiful that if i won it id be afraid to use it....probably put it in a glass case....

[gringobill]

Yep, that oughta work!!! Like clod said somebody is gonna really be proud to have that!!

Bill

[Warpe]

Very nicely done! One question, do you use a stiffener/backer sandwiched with the leather or is it 100% leather?

Warpe

[hidepounder]

  On 7/3/2011 at 12:50 PM, Warpe said:

Very nicely done! One question, do you use a stiffener/backer sandwiched with the leather or is it 100% leather?

Warpe

Thanks Warpe! Yes I do use stiffeners. I like high impact styrene and use 3, 4 & 6 mil thicknesses.

[Crystal]

I really like all the different details for the flower centers, Bobby! Extra cool touch!

Crystal

[Deno]

Just wonderful work as allays Bobby. My best to you.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

I know I've said this before, but; it still holds true. Everytime I look at your work I see things that I want to add into my work. Since we don't really have someone up in this neck of the woods that does work of your level, I kinda use your work as my teaching pad for tooling. Keep up the great work. I love the way you use finger carving to accentuate the lesser components of a project! Great work!

Bob

[msbarrelchaser]

That is absolutely gorgeous! Every thing you make, I admire. I wish one day to have half of your talent

  On 7/2/2011 at 9:19 PM, hidepounder said:

Just finished this pad folio. It's a roping award for the Rope Horse Futurity of America being held in conjunction with the Battle in the Saddle event going on now in OKC. The leather is 6/7 oz HO and the interior is 2/3 oz HO. Sewing is all 69 @ 11 stitches per inch. I also used a magnetic snap on the tab closure and recessed the magnet into the leaf so that it didn't protrude so high. I drew some new flowers and did some other experimenting with my vine work. The back is basket stamped and the interior has a couple of pockets and is otherwise pretty plain. All comments welcomed as always!

[Eddie Collins]

Have you used the Micro-Green Rouge on a business card, for stropping your swivel knife blade. I never have to sharpen my blade quite as often. Some Woodcrafter website carries this green brick for around 20+ dollars.There might be a store in Phoenix, there is one in Albuquerque. It sure is good stuff. Especially if you use HO, it should work great. Not like me using the import stuff. Really works good if you use a Dremal buffer. Even old Tandy blades from the pawn shop, it makes it carve great. I cleaned up some old rusty swivel knife blades from a box, I purchased at a pawn shop. Use W40 and sandpaper to remove the rust, resharpen the blade with a Tandy swivel knife jig, then use the Micro-Green Rouge, with a small Dremal tool buffer wheel, go slow, to control the Dremal tool. Then have a business card with Micro Green Rouge on it for a tune up between cuts. I taped my business card to a hard wood surface, the size of the card. Sure is pretty fine stuff. I really like the JOY dishwashing soap you mention in the casing article. I tried it, I notice my sponge is cleaner. The Olive Garden and Red Lobster business cards are better. Also works great on Edgers, fold the card in half with this Micro Green Rouge on it and use it on your Edger. I use it on my Utility Knife for cutting lining leather. Works good on the Head Knife.

[hidepounder]

  On 8/16/2011 at 5:31 PM, Eddie Collins said:

Have you used the Micro-Green Rouge on a business card, for stropping your swivel knife blade. I never have to sharpen my blade quite as often. Some Woodcrafter website carries this green brick for around 20+ dollars.There might be a store in Phoenix, there is one in Albuquerque. It sure is good stuff. Especially if you use HO, it should work great. Not like me using the import stuff. Really works good if you use a Dremal buffer. Even old Tandy blades from the pawn shop, it makes it carve great. I cleaned up some old rusty swivel knife blades from a box, I purchased at a pawn shop. Use W40 and sandpaper to remove the rust, resharpen the blade with a Tandy swivel knife jig, then use the Micro-Green Rouge, with a small Dremal tool buffer wheel, go slow, to control the Dremal tool. Then have a business card with Micro Green Rouge on it for a tune up between cuts. I taped my business card to a hard wood surface, the size of the card. Sure is pretty fine stuff. I really like the JOY dishwashing soap you mention in the casing article. I tried it, I notice my sponge is cleaner. The Olive Garden and Red Lobster business cards are better. Also works great on Edgers, fold the card in half with this Micro Green Rouge on it and use it on your Edger. I use it on my Utility Knife for cutting lining leather. Works good on the Head Knife.

Hi Eddie!

A busness makes a great strop. That's what Don Butler uses for his swivel knives. I am using a green rough fro stropping and for final polishing. I'm not sure exactly what it is....I bought a large bar and it was expensive, but I really like it. And I always use a jig to sharpen with. I didn't for years, but after spending a lot of money on custom made blades I started using the guide again and I don't have to resharpen very often.....just strop. The harder the steel the longer the edge lasts....especially if you sharpen with a jig.

If you get a piece of leather that is acidic and your swivel knife get sticky quickly, try wetting a piece of woolskin and working up a little lather on a bar of ivory soap....then work it into your cased leather.....sometimes it really helps smooth out the cutting process......

[Eddie Collins]

I also use the Ivory Soap, it is good stuff. I also use the wide Masking Tape and Duct Tape. Put the wide Masking Tape on, then the Duct Tape, for wallets and some belts. Used for stretching leather when it's being tooled. I used to use Rubber cement and cardboard. But my saddlemaker friend "Steve Harper" here in Farmington did'nt like the sticky flesh side. Masking tape is easier to peel off. Duct Tape by it self is harder to peel off. Also, Robert Beard use lemon juice from a fresh lemon, to clean the blue steel marks on the tooled leather. He told me this, when he used to live a few blocks from me back in the 80's. Also, Ellis told me to use Vodka with a small brush in the background area before using the Bargounder. He said it prevents from the leather sticking inside those small holes. I used it before. But it took more time. Distilled Alcohol is what Ellis said. I guess Vodka has this type of alcohol. Steve Harper use Freezing Paper for his tracing paper. Draws the design on it with a No. 4 or No. 3 pencil, so the lead won't smudge that bad. Oh yeah, have been to Globe which is east of you. There is a cowboy clothing store with a saddleshop in the back. I believe a man name Eddie which was in his 80's and his son ran that shop. He had a crockpot with Neatsfoot oil on low setting for oiling is leather. I visited him when I was working in that Hot Copper Smelter at Miami. They both had some old stamping tools. Geometric stamps with no name on the shaft. Happy Carving.

[hidepounder]

  On 8/23/2011 at 3:46 PM, Eddie Collins said:

I also use the Ivory Soap, it is good stuff. I also use the wide Masking Tape and Duct Tape. Put the wide Masking Tape on, then the Duct Tape, for wallets and some belts. Used for stretching leather when it's being tooled. I used to use Rubber cement and cardboard. But my saddlemaker friend "Steve Harper" here in Farmington did'nt like the sticky flesh side. Masking tape is easier to peel off. Duct Tape by it self is harder to peel off. Also, Robert Beard use lemon juice from a fresh lemon, to clean the blue steel marks on the tooled leather. He told me this, when he used to live a few blocks from me back in the 80's. Also, Ellis told me to use Vodka with a small brush in the background area before using the Bargounder. He said it prevents from the leather sticking inside those small holes. I used it before. But it took more time. Distilled Alcohol is what Ellis said. I guess Vodka has this type of alcohol. Steve Harper use Freezing Paper for his tracing paper. Draws the design on it with a No. 4 or No. 3 pencil, so the lead won't smudge that bad. Oh yeah, have been to Globe which is east of you. There is a cowboy clothing store with a saddleshop in the back. I believe a man name Eddie which was in his 80's and his son ran that shop. He had a crockpot with Neatsfoot oil on low setting for oiling is leather. I visited him when I was working in that Hot Copper Smelter at Miami. They both had some old stamping tools. Geometric stamps with no name on the shaft. Happy Carving.

The saddle shop in Globe is Bacon Saddlery...Ed and Earl. They've been there for many many years!

[Eddie Collins]

  On 8/23/2011 at 6:53 PM, hidepounder said:

The saddle shop in Globe is Bacon Saddlery...Ed and Earl. They've been there for many many years!

Yeah, I still think of them. I've been carving and just made a knive case. Some 9-10oz shoulder from the LTF, that was on sale 2 Christmas ago. After putting the welts around the blade, the thickness was 3/4 inch, so I got the Dremal Tool with a small Craftsman bit and drilled the stitching holes. On some thick leathers, I use a cordless orange Black n Decker Drill for the Rivet Holes, I cannot believe it works better that a leather punch on layered leathers that become so thick. Are you heading to Albuquerque for the leather show in October, if you are make sure you get some Mexican food at Sadie's on 4th.st. and Solar. Some good stuff.

[hidepounder]

  On 9/11/2011 at 3:39 PM, Eddie Collins said:

Are you heading to Albuquerque for the leather show in October, if you are make sure you get some Mexican food at Sadie's on 4th.st. and Solar. Some good stuff.

No I'm sorry to say I'm not going to make that show. Wish I could!!!

[LNLeather]

  On 7/3/2011 at 5:34 AM, hidepounder said:

...I made a template of that binding.... I'm starting to get tired of the current one....

Believe me when I say

We Are Not getting Tired

of your binding design OR

Of Anything you choose to do.

Your work is of the Highest Quality

(truly wish I was good at ropin' &

was in that competition)

I love the design, your tooling, and

especially the finger cuts! Wow...

Truly Awesome!

[hidepounder]

Cheryl I missed your post. Thank you for the compliments! And thanks to all of you out there who take the time to say a few kind words......I truly appreciate it!

Bobby