Oh Boy

[jdw03n]

Just starting out, figured I'd share my Christmas experience with ya. Senior folks may get a chuckle.

Researched for a while here before I decided to start working, then promptly ignored all the advice I read lol. Tandy was having a New Years' sale, and I'm nearly broke, so I decided to jump on the sale. Bought the four piece awl set, overstitich wheel package, needles, thread, beeswax, edge beveler, groover, Spent about a hundred bucks total.

Since I didn't have a ton of spare cash and my girlfriend was buying supplies at Hobby Lobby, I figured I'd grab their $5 pack of leather scraps and learn how to use my tools and do the stitching on the throwaway stuff.

So I get my tools, and I'm watching Ian Atkinson and Nigel Armitage videos, and I'm ready to make some stuff! I watch Nigel's awl sharpening video. I COLOSALLY screwed this up. Managed to completely destroy a diamond point awl blade without ever actually getting it sharp. Wouldn't punch through the 1mm throwaway leather I had.

So I decide I'm going to make the iPhone case I see Ian do. This looks like ezmode, no way I can screw this up.

The leather I got apparently was the wrong type to do this. Tried to mold it around the phone, it stayed floppy, so I went ahead as if it did what it was supposed to. Contact cemented the pieces together, then went to use my new groover. From watching the videos it appears a monkey who has been fed a lead banana could figure out how to use it, but the leather I'm using is very stretchy and my groove looks like I had a seizure while trying to make it. Oh well, soldier through and finish the piece, right? Grab the overstitich wheel, getting ready to mark my holes. I run a different line on the way forward than the way back, and now it looks like my leather has bad pores. Contact cement, dremel the holes, I'm ready to sew.

The sewing is the only part I felt confident on. Watched Ian/Nigel videos a bunch, so I felt comfortable giving it my first go, and if you allow for my connect the dots holes I don't think that part was bad.

So I break out my new edge beveler. It does nothing. I look at it more closely. I figure out you've gotta remove the red plastic coating to expose the edge. With the edge exposed, I try this again. The leather is so stretchy the beveler just seems to bunch it up and doesn't actually do anything. I look at Nigel's video, and he's like *schlick* and the edge comes off. I try mine, and it mocks me. I use enough profanity my girlfriend expresses concern about the long term mental health of my children, all of whom are standing there looking at daddy screaming at a 3"x5" piece of leather. I break out my x-acto and try to bevel the edges as best I can.

So two hours later, I have my iPhone case. It looks like hell. But I made it

[humperdingle]

Lol, good read

But invest in some veg tan

[cgleathercraft]

Sounds like some of my first experiences with leather! I'm sure everyone can say they have been there at some point. I wore the first cell phone case I stamped (very poorly) for 3 years to remind myself where I started at. My skills are still nowhere near where I hoped I would be at this point. I see improvements with each project!

Keep Practicing!!

[benlilly1]

That was so funny!! I think most of us have started out this way. (maybe not to that extent) You can only get better from here. Yes, you need veg tan leather. Good Luck!

[Sylvia]

Muahahahaha!! Well, you do have a knack for writing... if this leather thing doesn't work for you. I know the feeling. I made an pair of "earth boots" that although the sizing charts said would fit... they didn't.. they were so big I could put my entire Birkenstock sandal in them. lol hmmmm "Over shoes?"

It's fun, it's frustrating, it's an exercise in patience..... It's leather working. :D

[WScott]

Great story, been there done all that!

Yep, get a side of veg tan on sale and give it another try..maybe try Springfield leather, they have a tooling scrap bag that is a good deal

http://springfieldleather.com/30018/Pieces%2CTooling%2C2-lbs-Bag/

I did same thing with chrome tan scrap bin stuff, made an i pod holder that looks like hell

Everyone has to start somewhere, the right leather for the job and the right tools will get you going the right direction

[stelmackr]

I have similar Christmas story. About 35-years ago, I thought a Leather Bowling Bag, for the wife, with those fancy scrolls and lettering would be just the right ticket. I went to all the bowling establishments and all the sporting goods stores around and all they had vinyl or canvas bags and none looked like what I had seen at some bowling tournaments. How was I to know that all those Leather Bowling Bags were all handmade

So, I I went a Tandy store near Mountlake Terrace, WA, just north of Seattle to see if they could direct somewhere to find them. Low and behold, as I walked in I saw a bowling bag kit on sale for $25 (or $50, I forget) that I figured I could put together. How hard could this be for a Software Programmer?

Anyway, after purchasing the basic beginners kit (basic 7 stamping tools, including a Stohlman basic leather book, wooden mallet and a swivel knife. Some odds and ends, rounder and key fob and some antique dye). I walked out with a lot more money out of my pocket.

Read the book, experimented on the rounders and key fob. Made lots of mistakes, but Christmas was rushing towards me. Re-read the book and directions and say maybe the leather was too wet or dry. Casing it was called.

I cased (in my case drowned the front of the bag) and it took so long to trace the pattern that the leather must have dried to the right wetness because the swivel knife worked a little bit better.

Long story, short: I finished, tooling dyeing and assembling the bag and she loved it. I’ll try to post some pictures—this is my first project. My wife let me take pictures of it a few years ago. (Sadly the Leather Bowling Bag lasted longer then that marriage).  Over the many years I needed to replace the plastic ball internal holder with a wooden frame.

[Fraulein]

That sounds EXACTLY like my first go at leather. I made a wallet and I literally put cardboard in between two layers of a thin chrome tan because I thought that was the only way I could get something stiff enough . Had all the same issues with edge beveling, etc. Definitely normal issues to have when you start, so don't feel discouraged. Keep at it!

Definitely start using vegetable tan leather as everybody else has said. Also check out the Weaver Leathercraft YouTube videos with Chuck Dorsett. He is a SUPERB resource when starting out and it's really helpful because he links to exactly the products he's using so you have a better understanding of what he's using, even if you don't buy off those links it's helpful to see.

And for buying leather on the cheaper side definitely check out Springfield Leather Company, they'll let you buy by the square foot so you can get smaller pieces and they're always running deals on stuff.

Good luck in your leather journeys and please post stuff as you go! Look forward to seeing your work!