Beginner Foibles

[WVTriker]

Upon completing my first few projects. I have the following observations/lessons learned:

- Ah, I see that tooling does indeed stretch leather! Now adhering it to something makes sense.

- The swivel knife truly does have a life of its own. And an ornery personality!

- Pre-punching stitching holes with your awl is a waste of time (wish I'd had Al's book before I tried that).

- So, that's what under-cutting is?

- Dye over rides highlighting stain.

- I need the right tools.

- Back stitches do come out if not glued or something.

- Scribe lines for finding center much lighter than you think you need to.

That is a good start. I'm sure that there'll be more to come!

[Hilly]

Upon completing my first few projects. I have the following observations/lessons learned:

- Ah, I see that tooling does indeed stretch leather! Now adhering it to something makes sense.

- The swivel knife truly does have a life of its own. And an ornery personality!

- Pre-punching stitching holes with your awl is a waste of time (wish I'd had Al's book before I tried that).

- So, that's what under-cutting is?

- Dye over rides highlighting stain.

- I need the right tools.

- Back stitches do come out if not glued or something.

- Scribe lines for finding center much lighter than you think you need to.

That is a good start. I'm sure that there'll be more to come!

A couple more for ya...

- Never sneeze while cutting leather with a head knife.

- Blood does NOT come out of leather.

- Good leather = BAD puppy.

[CitizenKate]

- Pre-punching stitching holes with your awl is a waste of time (wish I'd had Al's book before I tried that).

As long as you can punch them evenly, and at the right angle, while you're juggling two needles.

- Back stitches do come out if not glued or something.

Or if your holes are too big for the weight of thread you're using.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

- Don't drop your dye brush.

- Don't run out of paper towels when you're applying/removing excess stain or antique.

Kate

[WVTriker]

I don't own a head knife yet so I'll try to remember that onw. Unfortunatly I think I've already done all the others!

[strapt]

here's my latest favorite:

-leather dye makes great wood stain - don't knock it over onto the bench when dyeing.

or

- contact cement makes a great dye resist - don't apply too much when joining 2 pieces together.

(actually I've solved that last one by using 2 sided tape instead of cement. Much easier to control...and no mess)

[WVTriker]

- Blood does NOT come out of leather.

Nope, but it does make for a pretty cool effect.

[WVTriker]

Oh, I forgot this one:

- the awl pierces the thumb much easier than it does the leather (thus giving one that cool-blood-effect on the leather )

[strapt]

hey speaking of blood on leather- when I first started I toyed with the idea of calling my little enterprise "pound of flesh leatherworking" b/c I left bloody thumbprints on EVERYTHING I touched. (stupid awl)

It became a bit of a joke after awhile. And of course turned me off stitching completely. Thankfully, I've gotten a little better at it after some practice - but I have certainly spread my dna around plenty with those first dozen projects or so.

bleh -

But in an effort to close on a positive note, here's a cool tip I recently learned about:

Aquarellable pencils - my lovely wife works in an art supply store and brought me a couple of these not too long ago. They are like a colored pencil but the marks are water soluble. So I can mark construction lines, if needed, right onto my project. Then wipe the lines off after with a wet sponge. These things have saved my skin (oh, pun fully intended) - a couple times. Stabilo makes the ones I have, a white and a chocolate brown, the can't be more than a dollar or two and have really helped. Just recently I did a belt order and the customer informed me after I emailed him pics of the finished product that he wanted holes for the buckle punched around the entire length of the belts. I grabbed my hole template and my trusty white aquarellabel pencil. Marked my belts, punched the holes, and wiped those lines right off... yay! No ruined belts, none to start over - and a happy customer in the end.

Okay, back to work with me.

[Pip]

heres some more

- don't answer the phone when dying or antiquing your project, one will dye your ears the other will grease your phone.

- Glue will go everywhere except where you want it!

- put the lid on the dye/stain pot before you start rubbing the finish!!

- just one more decorative cut is probably one too many

- use a sharp blade, always!! No i mean always!!

- Don't write price tickets, on top of your project, D'oh.

- Remember your furniture/hardware before you sew up that final really tricky bit that takes ages and has to be cut and sown again........ grrrrr

- Never try on a project, when the dye is still wet, especially helmets/hats.

- If there is a fly in workshop it wil end up stuck to your project, or you!

- Pets leave paw prints, especially after they walk through your dye tray!

- Don't put your fresh cuppa something next to your white spirit/cleaner container.

- If someone wants to buy something in a hurry its always the item the price fell off.

[WVTriker]

- Pets leave paw prints, especially after they walk through your dye tray!

But he sure was easy to find hiding under the bed!

- Don't put your fresh cuppa something next to your white spirit/cleaner container.

Oh, I can actually see me doing that one!

Greg

[Dags3777]

I learn't not to wear good clothes, whilst dying in a windy surround. Darryl

[AnnieO]

I've learned that even 2 bandaids will not stop the blood flow or stop the awl going through again

[Hennessy]

in th depth of yer attention dont take a sip outta th wrong container adios peter john

[UKRay]

When you are dyeing leather, do try not to scratch, rub or pick your nose... or anywhere else for that matter! The stains can hang around for several embarrasing days.

Trying to remove contact adhesive from plastic lenses can be amusing - especially if you can't see a thing without glasses.

Forgetting to dry your hands on the 'special' towel reserved for drying dogs and using after dyeing leather will cause all kinds of misery in your houshold.

Having floorboards with a gap between them means everything you drop will be lost to you for ever. Get a rug.

Never grab for a dropping tool - it will be a knife every time.

Edited October 18, 2008 by UKRay

[TwinOaks]

There's a pretty good reason why lots of people have suggested wearing gloves when applying stains/dyes.

The same reason is why lots of folks have work aprons.

[Timd]

OK, here's mine...Always read ALL of the instructions! I got a Preval sprayer, loaded it with green spirit dye, sprayed a Rolling Rock Beer guitar strap, and then tried to treat the Preval like an aerosol can. Yup, turned it upside-down to clear the nozzle. Didn't know there was a vent on the sprayer, and ended up with a bright green hand for a few days. Goes along with always wear gloves too, huh?

[calanneh]

OK, here's mine...Always read ALL of the instructions! I got a Preval sprayer, loaded it with green spirit dye, sprayed a Rolling Rock Beer guitar strap, and then tried to treat the Preval like an aerosol can. Yup, turned it upside-down to clear the nozzle. Didn't know there was a vent on the sprayer, and ended up with a bright green hand for a few days. Goes along with always wear gloves too, huh?

hehehe, BEEN THERE DONE THAT!!!! But I was using brown.....so I looked like I had #^%# on my hand for days.........

cal

[calanneh]

OH! One I learned the hard way just this morning....

-Never try stitching two pieces of leather together while sitting in your recliner with your cat in your lap.... It turns into a game of chasing the thread.

My knife sheath now has nice lil 'kittie inprints' on the leather from her claws.

Edited October 19, 2008 by calanneh