Kaos bracer

[TomSwede]

So I finished up the Kaos bracer that had some splotching problem. Feel free to point it out if you can see it. Honestly, I did not even think about the splotch prob until I was editing the pics so I have done nothing with the pics to hide it. This is as you could see it in person and I won't be ashamed to let them go. I've discussed it with customer and let him know if he's not happy..I buy them back and pay for posting fees. I also experienced some probs with getting the red dye evenly on. Don't know if the colour did set in after a few hours or if I just blew it up all up in the heat of the moment but I think it looks ok now and I am very happy with the piece as a whole.

Any critiques welcome, still learning!

Tom

[MADMAX22]

I think it looks great. I didnt even notice anything. In your other thread where you pointed it out it was there but this looks really good.

Also its naturel hand made item so its going to have some kind of imperfections. I think it looks really good.

[wildrose]

To me, the staining/dyeing is the toughest part of a project because you can really wreck it...but I don't notice any problems here. The bracers look great. I find that I often obsess about the dye wayyyyy more than the customer does. And sometimes, I just need to tell myself to step away for a while, then come back - so it's actually dry.

[TomSwede]

I think it looks great. I didnt even notice anything. In your other thread where you pointed it out it was there but this looks really good.

Also its naturel hand made item so its going to have some kind of imperfections. I think it looks really good.

Thank you MM22!

Just like I completely forgot it when I took the pics, a good sign. If it was that ovious Id see it in camera viewfinder.

I slashed off edge pieces since it was made oversize and part of the probs went away there and the rest is in the eyelets are and some small spots in the design area.

I polished the heck out of it two days ago.

To me, the staining/dyeing is the toughest part of a project because you can really wreck it...but I don't notice any problems here. The bracers look great. I find that I often obsess about the dye wayyyyy more than the customer does. And sometimes, I just need to tell myself to step away for a while, then come back - so it's actually dry.

Thanks Wildrose!

I totally agree, I get nervous with it and especially with this one, first time block dyeing except a small testpiece one minute before.

The black can't be applied over the red, it blends and make a cool black-reddish mess wich looks cool but not for this one.

So had to use brushing to stay clear off edges.

It's a good thing to back off for a while. I sometimes need to be reminded of that.

Tom

[Roger]

looks great tom!!

i don't see any problems

[Crystal]

Tom- it looks great! I like the design you came up with. And just love your red and black combos.

I looked hard and couldn't see anything that didn't seem right. I think that we try so hard to do our best work we are really critical of ourselves. Wildrose pretty much hit that on the head. I am going to make a practice of taking pictures and looking at everything in the photo program because I have seen stuff I have completely missed tooling and could not see it while I was working on it. (Another version of the put it down and walk away for a bit...)

Keep up the good work!

Crystal

[sodapop]

Tom- it looks great! I like the design you came up with. And just love your red and black combos.

Crystal

toms definately the guru of the black & red =0)...another kick @ss looking bracer bro!!

darryl

[ArtS]

Tom, the splotches are just awful. You need to just send this to me right away so you won't have to look at them any longer. I'm glad to help out where I can.

Really, I give up - where are they? It looks great.

ArtS

[TomSwede]

Thank you Beeza!

Thank you Crystal, I get alot of interest in the black/red combos by people who wanna order. I kinda set my website up that way too wich may suggest the good looks of it however I'm a bit concerned about overexposing it.

I looked over the pics I have taken and can't get a good visible on any spots anf the camera usually reveals just a bit too much so like Wildrose said. I probably overreacted a bit and I have been polisihing it up alot wich have helped. I post an enlarged area from one of the pics with a hint of visible.

Thanks Darryl! I sure hope the vinegaroon test falls out well cuz it'll make things a whole lot easier.

Thank you ArtS, that's a great offering but you'll regret it when you look at the enlarged pic

Tom

Oh BTW! got one more black n red combo undergoing tooling right now, if I just can take my eyes off of this board for more than 10 mins!!

Edited August 31, 2008 by TomSwede

[TroyS]

Tom,

Man those are killer! I LOVE the Red/Black look! I'm going to be recovering my own stock seat cover very soon and it just so happens the MY BIKE is Candyapple Red and Black Raven!

My friend, you have inspired me! Thank You!

[TomSwede]

Thank you!

So happens raven is my favourite animal and my animal token!

That bike is good looking tricked out with those colours. You're talking 'bout the seat I commented the other day I guess. It'll be a killer.

Now you got me thinking that a raven would be nice in there. Gotta set me up with something nice formyself in this combo with a raven or two I think. Coloruing a raven should be easy. That is one thing that actually would be perfect to just dye black.

Hey, now you have inspired me, lol!

Tom

[Gremlin]

Very nice. And that stuff you are pointing ort are not mistakes. They are experiments or chacter that is added to the work.

[ArtS]

Man that bike looks cool! I love it.

ArtS

[ClayB]

Hi Tom,

Those bracers turned out really nice, just what we have all come to expect from you Just yesterday my wife and I were checking out the in progress photos of these on your blog. Cool blog and webiste, by the way! I need to figure out how to do that someday. Anyway, on the close up of the coloring, it looks to me like that is a scar on the leather, probably a healed up wound of some kind on the cow. Those things just wont take color like the rest of the leather sometimes. It's a natural thing to leather, and I dont consider them flaws, just the way it is. You did a good job of hiding it, what's left is just a reminder that it's REAL leather. Your experimentation with coloring is fun to watch and I have been learning a lot from what you are doing and sharing. Thanks!!

Clay

[TomSwede]

Thanks Gremlin! I do have my bar raised high when I'm into the making of something and still learning is the same as still making mistakes so naturally figured this ones a mistake from. Might have been might not. Came out one experience richer for sure and that's allways good and hopefully someone can learn from the answers to my splotch post.

Thank you ArtS...it's got two pedals...........................

Thanks ClayB! I'm very glad you visit and like the blog!! When/if you're shopping for a new webhotel you should investigate if they offer a finished blog solution with the Wordpress EMU blog tool. I only filled in a online form after I got my topdomain and account activated and it was ready for posting in 5 mins. It's allmost as easy as posting here. No proggies to install or html coding or anything. I think Darryl (Sodapop) mentioned having seen US hotels carry the function aswell. My host is Swedish/European only so far.

The blog is partially aimed to you guys at LW since I've been asked alot (especially with the rod tubes) to post pics undergoing working process but also for customers to view progress and provide input at certain stages. Problem for you guys is that I have to keep it more simple than I would if posting here. The blog is also good to attract those webcrawlers from the search engines. My main site is just a pic gallery made with photoshop and lowlevel html coding and carry very little amount of good search terms. So the blog is a way of swatting many flies in one stroke.

Splotches, the ones I hade to the sides I dont think were scars but the smaller ones might be something like that. Nowadays the hides with scars seem to have vanished. I used to like the old ones with very sharp scars going through an area to be tooled or dyed. Those really gave character, just like the pattern on an exotic hardwood.

I'll keep posting problems here and ask for help, everyone can learn from it. I often use the search engine here and look through conversations to gather info on this or that and I'm very happy that my small experiments is noticed and appreciated. I have alot of input in my jobs so it's often me who instigate the designs that sometimes require an unknown solution but seldom draw up the the tooling pattern myself so I'm very happy to come up with that Kaos design on my own with a little inspiration from Schnos logo.

Tom

[rootbear]

HI TOM NICE WORK .ARE THESE WHAT U ARE CALLING BRACERS?I REMEMBER SEEING THESE ON COWHANDS,COWBOY CUFFS ,I WANT TO TRY AND BUILD A SET .

[TomSwede]

Ha ha yeah those that I do really hug the arm so maybe embracers, lol. I never know what to call, switching between armbands, bracers, cuffs.

I just learnt what cowbouy cuffs are. Never noticed them before. They are really nice.

So lay out a piece of white paper and draw a baseline that is 20 millimeters ( about 1/5 under one inch. I have so much trouble with inches;-) shorter than the circumference of your wrist. The circumference should be measured at the narrowest point towards your hand and over that protruding bone (the joint).

Draw a 90degree line up from the center to the desired height of your bracer (5" or so for this one portrayed here).

Now from the baseline draw up the sides but tilt them outward a bit and make them from 2/4 to 2/3 in the length of the height to the front top. The tilt is to accommodate the arm getting thicker. So now that you got those lines all you need is to close the sides to the center line and your setup with a rooftop bracer like this one.

Save that paper and experiment with the tilted sides to see what you like and more importantly, what your friends like;-)

When you have a shape you like you can make out different armsizes on it and draw on alternative tops in different colours and you have a pettern htat will be very helpful to you.

I used my pattern for about 7-8 years now and love it. Just lay it on top of the leather and use a needle to mak out the connecting dots to the leather and then just cut after those with a utility knife and ruler. Piece of cake.

Thanks for the appreciation and good luck!!

Tom