My First Something

[chrometsuba]

A business card holder, my own pattern, not that its that complex...

Please be gentle, it's my first "actual" project, been practicing on scraps so far.

The outside edge is way to close to the stitching, and its not very even. I tried to trim the edge with a rotary exacto knife, but it didn't end up too well. How do you guys normally finish the sides for something like this?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[EquusCustomLeathers]

It looks pretty good for your first try..much better than my first project:) Oh, and welcome from a fellow Innisfil resident!

[chrometsuba]

Thanks, actually I am in Pefferlaw, but I am in Innisfil for work pretty frequently.

[bluesman1951]

Nothing at all wrong with this . The key to the edge is sequence ,cut your stitching grove while the leather still has a shoulder on it . The tool used to finish the edge is called a "EDGER" they come in different sizes according to the thickness of the leather . Some cut a round edge others a flat edge ,that will be your choice . The edge can be sanded and shaped before its burnished . When you consider the line between being too close to the edge and too far away is maybe a 1/8 of a inch how can you find fault with your self for that ? Its a good looking project ,a good design ,should give you good service for a very long time . Bill

[Chief31794]

Really nice job.

Chief

[chrometsuba]

Bluesman: I was hoping to have a more flat edge with this, i had the three layers of leather closely cut, but things went a bit downhill when it came time to trim them. Do you need to do anything special before sanding edges? I may have to pick up a drum sanding kit for my dremel next week.

[IngleGunLeather]

I like it. I like the idea of a business card holder too. Bill's on the money here. I'd mark my stitch line after the edges are trimmed and sanded flush with each other. I'd mark the stitch line at about 3/16 inch. Then I'd stitch. After I stitched it up I'd take the sharp edges off with an edger (my personal reccommendation is the bissonette) as Bill stated. I tried a sanding drum for my dremel tool when I first started. Many will recommend this but I do not. It can easily burnish the leather if the rpm's get high enough. It can also leave your edge looking bumpy if you "dig" in a spot for too long. I often use something like this 3M Sand Blaster. It's cheap and it's easy to use. Thanks for sharing!

Edited December 3, 2012 by CountryTrash

[ryankim3612]

Newb here: This is so great! I am gonna make tree of these for my co-workers....! the color is great, and the stitching is great! Thank you for sharing.....cause the other card holder looks like a beast!

[immiketoo]

Great first anything! Wonderful idea as well!