Echo4V Report post Posted September 22, 2008 Hello, I'm really not a leatherworker (per se) I have made a few items for myself and friends, mostly horse tack. So I don't do this for a living more like a necessary hobby. I am very interested in getting more involved and learning the craft and my ultimate goal is to build myself a saddle. So if anyone would like to offer me tips on the best way to get started in the craft, please feel free. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted September 22, 2008 Congratulations, you've found the No1 place to learn about the craft. We got from novice to very advanced members and best of all, we are happy to share and learn from each other! I wonder how your tack look like in detail because I wanna suggest to go from where you are instead of going in another direction and then connect the ends. One thing you may need to learn is doing edges or perhaps you allready know this. Using an edge beveler to nicely round off edges and then wetting them and slick with a bonefolder or just a piece of cloth to a high gloss (with or without the substance at Tandys known as gum-tragacanth) and then one can apply edge coatings to make a nice black edge to a regular tanned leather. Makes it look really professional. Some threads that came up when I searched for: gum-trag http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...amp;hl=gum-trag http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...amp;hl=gum-trag Mikeymoto gives some good examples here http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...amp;hl=gum-trag Other than that I recommend to study threads with what you'd like to do, suck in all info in following replies and just ask questions to the maker in the forum thread, just pump 'em for info! We are all here to learn in one way or another and remember, coffe=good donuts=bad Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ArtS Report post Posted September 22, 2008 Welcome David! Where in GA are you from? ArtS (Canton, GA) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Craw Report post Posted September 22, 2008 Exactly the question I was going to ask! Mike Craw St. Simons Island, GA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ArtS Report post Posted September 22, 2008 We're starting to build up a number of Georgians here! ArtS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ArtS Report post Posted September 23, 2008 David, There will be a good clinic in March for you in Asheville, NC that you may want to attend. It will have a class on saddle pattern making. here is the link ; http://www.hidestoart.com/sept_18_006.htm ArtS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echo4V Report post Posted September 23, 2008 David,There will be a good clinic in March for you in Asheville, NC that you may want to attend. It will have a class on saddle pattern making. here is the link ; http://www.hidestoart.com/sept_18_006.htm ArtS Everyone-Thanks for the welcome and the good advice. Swede-I have been reading every thread I run across on here and I figured I'd go ahead and introduce myself so I'm not unexpected when I start asking questions. I knew about the edge beveler but I didn't know about wetting and slicking the edges so, thanks for the first usefull tip I've gotten from this forum. Hopefully, just the first of many. Art- Thanks for the info on the clinic. I'd like to go to something like that. I'm actually your neighbor as I live in Cartersville. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
