My First Few Projects

[FISTfullaLEATHER]

So these are my first few projects. I have so much to learn but I'm pretty stoked on how my work is coming along.

Thanks for looking. Any tips for me?

[Renoir]

I haven't got the experience to comment, but nice work.

I don't know if something like tan-kote would help smooth/protect the flesh side of the belt?

[FISTfullaLEATHER]

Thanks for the tip. I guess I haven't really put much thought into that flesh sides of my projects. I also read that gum trag works well.

[Renoir]

I've read that too - for edges and the flesh side. I also want to get one of the glass squares for burnishing/smoothing

[camano ridge]

They look good. My only coments would be toward the holster. I find it easieat to burnish the edges of the lip of the holster and the muzzle end before assembling the holster then burnish the rest of the edges. Also over time you will find that your stitch line is probably to far out and the retention will loosen over time. You have enough space you could put another stitch line up tight against where the mold line is. It would still look good and you would retain the retention and mold.

[raysouth]

You are destined to be GREAT !!! Nice work.

God Bless.

Ray

[Lavendara]

Nice projects! LOVE the belt. It's such a beautiful color, too. What did you use on it?

[FISTfullaLEATHER]

I've read that too - for edges and the flesh side. I also want to get one of the glass squares for burnishing/smoothing

I'll have to look into the glass square. Thanks again.

They look good. My only coments would be toward the holster. I find it easieat to burnish the edges of the lip of the holster and the muzzle end before assembling the holster then burnish the rest of the edges. Also over time you will find that your stitch line is probably to far out and the retention will loosen over time. You have enough space you could put another stitch line up tight against where the mold line is. It would still look good and you would retain the retention and mold.

Yeah I see what you mean about the stitching. Totally makes sense. I didn't burnish the edges yet because I didn't have anything to do it with. I literally had the leather, a razor, some needles and thread. I molded it with an actual spoon haha.

You are destined to be GREAT !!! Nice work.

God Bless.

Ray

Thanks so much. I really appreciate it.

Nice projects! LOVE the belt. It's such a beautiful color, too. What did you use on it?

Ah the belt. Well, it was a lot of different things and really just trying things out that I thought would work. I rolled it between my hands flesh side out to give it some wrinkles, folded it long ways to give it horizontal wrinkles, dyed it with fiebings oil pro light brown when it was drying so spots were more wet than others. After it dried just a little more I took some really fine grit sand paper and rubbed off just a little bit of the dye. If the sand paper has leather in it, I found that is too far. You really only want to sand off the powder that dye will leave. Then I took a wet sponge rubbed everything down to blend the colors and finally took a rolling pin to it to get the wrinkles out. Really just wanted to try new things that I never heard of because I want to make things people have never seen eventually. To me the dyeing and finishing is the most rewarding so that's usually where I try to push the limits. Don't know if it's right or wrong but it's me.

[Lavendara]

Wow. Well, I think it came out beautiful! Way to go!

[camano ridge]

Fistfulla, you don't need anything fancy for burnishing just a piece of hardwood dowel with a groove in it will work. If you want a little more speed for burnishing chuck the dowel in a drill press or even a hand held drill. There is nothing wrong with using a spoon for molding and or modeling. I use all kinds of things to get the leather pressed in to where I want it when molding.

[FISTfullaLEATHER]

Wow. Well, I think it came out beautiful! Way to go!

Thanks!

Fistfulla, you don't need anything fancy for burnishing just a piece of hardwood dowel with a groove in it will work. If you want a little more speed for burnishing chuck the dowel in a drill press or even a hand held drill. There is nothing wrong with using a spoon for molding and or modeling. I use all kinds of things to get the leather pressed in to where I want it when molding.

That's what I learned later. I went to tandy and bought the burnisher and after I bought it, the guy working told me the same thing. Well great to know after I bought it, haha. But it fits well in my cheap ryobi hand drill. Works well on curves and such. Doing it by hand results in a smoother finish on the long edges though.

[humperdingle]

I tend to find the inside flesh side of an unlined belt almost burnish themselves through natural wear. Some Aussie Conditioner rubbed-in to the flesh seems to help, though.

[charles canillas]

Hi I'm a newbie here. Only been working with leather for 3 or 4 months, but love it. Here are some of the things I have made. Most of them for family, but I'm starting to sell some.

[Renoir]

+1 like for the R2 unit

Nice start!