Cig box for a lady

[TomSwede]

This is basically two tubes whereas one slides over the other. I did make an error with the outer tube and cut it too short. That's why there is a double braid at the back.

I'd very much like to hear criticism on this point. Rather than go back and start over with tooling I just felt it'd be a good learning experience to try and salvage the current won't in some way and I'm happy with the result. I put two hardware hangers to pull focus off of the small leather strip that holdes the double braid together. Ths strip is eviden at top and bottom but was more noticeable at the bottom so the hanger covers that one. I figured a non leatherworker eye will probably not think of this a "salvaged" at all, hope I'm not fooling myself by reasoning like that??

I made it like two tubes beacuse I wanted better tooling area for her initials ( I K )This was the first time I had a go at closing a roundbraid (this is the simplified mexican basketweave/roundbraid as ShirleyZ originally posted it). It came out allright on the top one braid and so so on the others.

It's a tad to much orange I think. Anyone got a tip tip on a better sealer/antiquing solution than Fiebings leather sheen/Tandys saddle tan stain that CAN BE DONE INDOORS WITHOUT HARMFUL VAPOURS I'd be a happy chap to know about it. Just better hope we have it on the Swedish shelfs! I'd liked to have kept this leathers very pale look and just have had the antiquing blotches wich reminds me of an birch tree and they are white.

I used another leather at tops and bottoms wich was harder and keep the shape better to explain the colour difference. IT doesn't bother me particularily.

The fingercuts used at the top is in the same style as from Clayb's (or was it ClayM..hm?) example for the August flex your fingers challange but not nearly as good.

Any critics is welcome and useful, thanks for watching!

Tom

[Spider]

TOM THIS IS AWESOME!!! I love the look of it. Great Job on the colors and construction. The leters came out great also. Thanks for sharing this.

[HandyAndy]

I'd say that that was a happy mistake because that stitching looks awesome!

[tashabear]

I love the "grunge" look of the black on the yellow leather -- how'd you do that?

[MADMAX22]

That looks great man, I love those red lettering with the designs in them, looks great.

[leatheroo]

another great piece ....cough cough cough...Tom, those ciggies sure look happy

[Hilly]

Tom, you are an amazing artist! You make me wish I still smoked (kidding)!

Hilly

[rdb]

Okay, I'm impressed.

The braiding looks perfect. The colors unique, and the tiny knifework in the letters works beautiful.

Nothing I make is perfect. It's a good craftsman who can fix his own "mistakes".

I don't use sheen. I switch between Leather Balm, snow proof or pecards, sometimes harness dressing.

[TomSwede]

Thank you Spiderbro! I'm gonna post not a tut but some pics explaining the work behind in How do I do it!

Thanks Andy, yeah that mistake made way for a fat braid;-) One concern I had before fixing this braid was that I'd get an eggshape to the cylinder but it's not.

Instead there is a little "bump" to the shape there so when the the outertube has been slid on you turn it until you feel a "click". That's when the outer/inner tube seams overlap and it's actually quite locked in this position but the fit of the tubes is very tight (with a tendency to overtight) anyways so this was just a side effect I didn't really plan for.

To do this braid one simply have to use a strip like this to achieve if not applied as applique on an allready fixed surface.

Thanks Tashabear! I think you're talking about the black spottyness right? This leather is a very smooth allmost glassy surface as it comes from the tannery so I just applied a coat of Fiebings Leather sheen acrylic sealer (after I've done the colouring of black and red to tooling) and let it dry over night. Then I put on a good layer of saddle tan antiquing stain from Tandys and let it dry completely. For the letters I wrapped a dry not too soft square sponge with a damp cloth and very gently removed antiquing from the letters so that I would not rub it out of the letter decorations. The decorations were made with the stylus applied to the transferfilm, no swivelknife.

Then I used the damp cloth just curled up in my hand and gently remove more and more of the antiquing from the untooled surface until I got this effect but I've only managed to get this effect with really smooth high gloss leather. The normal leather I use has to much texture to it so the antique sticks to much to get this effect.

Thanks MadMax! Well I also have bikesites planned but just never get to it, lol.

Cough cough, thanks Roo! They do sit nicely there. These are longer than the ones she smoke so her ciggies will sit better in the tube. I just used the longer ones to illustrate that you could even put longer ones in there and you still have a fully functional cig box with this tube system but of course i tlooks best when the lid/outer tube is fully slid down.

Thanks Hilly!! What a wonderful comment but I would not endorse any action of that kind. The box off course can be used for other stuff. For example if you were a hole collector it could hold your whole hole collection and as many more holes as you wish to collect;-)

Thanks rdb! The braiding is ok. I did actually use some cheaper slightly thinner lace to the bottom lid and the back double braid and used black background on the leather to hide the shine trough and make it look more even. I'm giving a good price with small profit to this customer (as usual, lol) so figured I rid some cheaper lace where it would not be noticeable.

No tiny knifework in the letters. Just the stylus through the transferfilm and antiquing.

Snow proof and Pecards is not available. I have recently found a Fiebings product that might be leather balm. It has only Swedish text to it so I gotta check out just what it is but it contains beeswax.

Thanks all! Wish I could do more stuff like this but bracers seem to be in high demand right now.

Tom

[Crystal]

Wow- awesome, Tom! Everything looks great! I'd have never known the double braid wasn't intentional. I think the colors are spot on. I'm ready to see the "how to" pics! Either that or, since I need a vacation, how about I come to Sweden for a lesson or 2? (Yeah - I wish!) I love the inside piece's birch effect - that is just too cool!

I used the saddle tan on the doggie photo album. Since I don't follow instructions, I didn't put the sheen on before the saddle tan. I just put it right onto the bare leather and gently wipe off and keep reapplying until it gets darker. (Fine line between getting it darker and it wiping completely off.) I think I ended up with more of a red than an orange. Not sure if this helps answer your question. I think the colors that you do have ended up perfect.

Crystal