First Binder Built- Pros N Cons Welcomed

[cbulld]

first attempt at building a binder, all good and bad comments are accepted helps me inprove thanks

[PANTHER]

First off, you did a nice job overall for a first build. The thing I noticed first was the stitching. You seem to go along just fine then you start to waver....could this be that you are trying to do it all at once and not giving your hands and eyes a rest? I take it this is hand stitched? Next on the front, I would have set the concho back a bit so that the stitching encloses it and is not covered at the edge by the overlap of the concho. Your edges in places could be a bit sharper, a bit of a waver in places also. Now these are all things that you will get better at the more you work at your craft. So overall a good job. Keep pounding that leather and let us see what you do.

Panther

[cbulld]

First off, you did a nice job overall for a first build. The thing I noticed first was the stitching. You seem to go along just fine then you start to waver....could this be that you are trying to do it all at once and not giving your hands and eyes a rest? I take it this is hand stitched? Next on the front, I would have set the concho back a bit so that the stitching encloses it and is not covered at the edge by the overlap of the concho. Your edges in places could be a bit sharper, a bit of a waver in places also. Now these are all things that you will get better at the more you work at your craft. So overall a good job. Keep pounding that leather and let us see what you do.

Panther

yes im not to pleased with the stitching, on a machine were it weaves i was trying to over correct staying in the stitching line. i realized where i placed the conch after iv e sewn it together......for future reference on my edges sharp in what way?

thank you panther all help is good help!!

[Chief31794]

Overall I agree with Panther, nice job and an excellent job for the first build. I'm not sure if it's what Panther is talking about on sharp edges, but the thing I noticed on your tooling is that it appears you had too much moisture still in the leather, that makes the impressions not as sharp, particularly the basketweave but also on the floral carving. The leather should have started returning to it's natural color in places, then maintain that moisture content by slightly dampening the entire peice as needed, but don't get the leather "soggy". Tooling impressions will sharpen signifiantly when the leather is cased properly.

Great Job,

Ken

[PANTHER]

If you look at the second picture, at the top right corner from about where the glue can sits above, then down to the closure you will notice that the edge appears to waver. It could be that your edge dye just spilled over a bit and it just appears that the edges are not stright or it could just be the lighting. Sorry for not being clear.

Panther

[cbulld]

If you look at the second picture, at the top right corner from about where the glue can sits above, then down to the closure you will notice that the edge appears to waver. It could be that your edge dye just spilled over a bit and it just appears that the edges are not stright or it could just be the lighting. Sorry for not being clear.

Panther

Ken yes i got impatient n started to soon, come with practice n time to learn proper timing and casing the leather, but thank you sir any help and info is granted!

panther the edges are strait cut and rounded, first time using a dobber on edges adn trying to be to careful and got shaky so you are correct with the edging over ran and tips on how to prevent that? maybe not use so much on the dobber? another question for any one who would like to answer my swivel knife i can strop and strop and strop has a mirror like edge on it but dry, wet, cased leather the cuts are not clean and it bunches up or leave a ridge on one side that looks hideous.... any suggestions?

Thanks to you both for the good praises and pointers i can work on.

[Jazznow]

If you don't like the daubers, you could use a strip of felt, folded one and put between a clothes pin. Read about that but never tried.

[Chief31794]

Ken yes i got impatient n started to soon, come with practice n time to learn proper timing and casing the leather, but thank you sir any help and info is granted!

panther the edges are strait cut and rounded, first time using a dobber on edges adn trying to be to careful and got shaky so you are correct with the edging over ran and tips on how to prevent that? maybe not use so much on the dobber? another question for any one who would like to answer my swivel knife i can strop and strop and strop has a mirror like edge on it but dry, wet, cased leather the cuts are not clean and it bunches up or leave a ridge on one side that looks hideous.... any suggestions?

Thanks to you both for the good praises and pointers i can work on.

Not sure about the swivel knife problem without seeing you carve. If the knife is sharp, you shouldn't have any of these problems with cased leather. You might want to watch some videos on Youtube and Tandy and watch how other folks use their swivel knives, I suspect you may not be tilting it forward so that you're cutting with the tip and as far as one side having a ridge or being differenet than the other, I suspect you may not be keeping the swivel knife perpendicular to the cutting surface. Like I said, hard to tell without seeing it happen, check out some videos and watch how they tilt the knife forward and pull it effortlessly through the leather while keeping it straight from side to side, hard to explain better to watch it.

Hope that helps,

Ken

Edited July 1, 2012 by Chief31794

[jmkjmk2]

Great looking binder.