My First Real Rolled Edge Wallet...

[dentat2]

if your just looking for something for fiinishes and on a budget you can get a paasche VL for around $100 it was the first airbrush i got 30 yrs ago and i still use the same. Here it is on amazon for $72 http://www.amazon.com/Paasche-VL-SET-Double-Action-Airbrush/dp/B00397TTTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375646945&sr=8-1&keywords=paasche+airbrush+vl any air compressor will do. i havent gotten around to airbrushing finishes yet. i got a pretty good handle on tooling, but stitching and patterns stuff like that is giving me fits lol.

[Leather by LOU]

I hear ya! but when you do get pattern making and stitching down it is quite rewarding. I much prefer to make everything my own. inspired by others but still my own. Thanks man! I'll check those out.

[HCM]

Lou,

You're wallet looks really good for a first attempt! Heck, it looks better than some final attempts I've seen! I see two issues you are having with your bridge bit. First, it looks like the leather is too thick. I know this brings us to your issue of skiving and you can't easily solve that until you get a skiver, but it's important to know that you will have an instantly better result when you get a proper skive. Once that leather is thinner, it won't buckle like that.

Second, I see a patterning issue. If your interior met flush on the bottom with your exterior, you would have had a bend that covers the exterior fold. I'm attaching a couple poor images of my own wallet so you can see. With this style billfold, that part is not stitched, you did fine with that. But it is always going to look a little ugly and having the bend section cover it makes the wallet look much nicer.

[Leather by LOU]

thanks for the pics and helpful insight! I am attempting a new wallet and really appreciate it!

[stanly]

know I'm late to this, but there's quy on here who made a skiver using utility knife blades (admittedly only 2 1/4" wide)

ran couple searches and I can't come up with link, but it was basicly a wooden block angled on one side with a blade screwed to it using washers with shims. (he said 30 deg angle, but also said not critical).

[Santo]

Amazing looking wallet! Very inspiring. You say you do screen printing in the portland area.........seizure palace?

[Leather by LOU]

I help out at Rebel Cricket Screen Prints

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Tony, just a little tip that works for me. The instructions I got when I bought my CB4500 was to hold the top thread when starting the stitch. I found that got me going ok, but: I did not like the first couple of stitches cause the bottom thread pulled up some and didn't give me the look I wanted so, what I do now is I hold both the top and bottom at the same time and start backwards for a couple of stitches then go forward and it gives me a nice clean start and like wise for the end, I go to the end and then back a couple of stitches. Hope that helps you get the results you want. By the way, sooner or later Wiz will chime in and the advice he gives on sewing machines and their use is as good as it gets.

Merry Christmas!

Bob

[ramrod]

another late post to this thread, but i gotta say this is a vry nice job. i haven't gotten up the courage to make my own yet (and partly because all of my stuff is in storage) but these pics sure help to gt an idea as to how to do it. excellent pictures. that's how they should look!

[Leather by LOU]

I have since attempted that wallet pattern several times without near the success. I think HCM hit the nail on the head. My pattern design is off. Pretty sure he's right because I have had different results each time i've attempted this wallet. Back to the drawing board and I'm bringing his notes.

Thank you for the kind compliments on this wallet and the photography. I love how just creating a clean white background can create the focus on your work instead of busying the field. It really draws the eye to construction and detail. I have been working to include more models in my photography to show scale and application. that adds a lot to product shots too.