Beader use question

[keplerts]

I just bought a beader from Weaver Leather (on sale for $26).  It is the PULL beader.  The instructions on not that great that came with it.

Should I wet the leather to use it?

What kind of line should I be getting with it?  Should it be like a swivel knife cut or just light scratch type line?  Do I cut a line with a swivel knife and then use that as a guide line to cut line next to it?  If I try and use it with not guide line it is impossible to keep the line straight. The thing wants to run to the left when I pull it.  I just don't know what to expect from it.  Seems to me I could just use a swivel knife to do what this does.  Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

This is somewhat like what a bead should look like. As you can see, I had a hard time keeping it perfectly straight. The leather should be cased up, just like you would for any other kind of tooling or stamping. I usually make a fairly deep guide line with a tickler first, and run one side of the beader in that groove. One pass is normally not enough for me, I work it back and forth to deepen the lines. I have an older push style beader so your's may work differently, but I'd still bet one pass won't give you the look you're wanting. The advantage with a beader over a swivel knife is that there is no actual cut in the leather, and also the shape of the beader gives a nice rounded shape between your two lines, whereas two swivel knife cuts are just that, two cuts with no shape to the narrow bit of leather between the lines. I acutally made a couple tools out of big nails to shape that strip when I use a swivel knife instead of my beader. They're nothing fancy and I don't want to go into the tool making business, but they do the job I made them to do. If the beader you bought is anything like the new Osborne edge creasers, you never will get it to work right. I bought a couple a few years ago and they were completely worthless. I finally threw them in a box of other worthless stuff and took them to an auction and some other poor sucker bought them. I would try making a good, deep guide line with a tickler to run one edge of your beader in before giving up on it. Good luck!

[keplerts]

Big Sioux,

Thanks for the guidance. I can't see any picture if you posted one but I understand what you are saying.  The beader I bought is the one Weaver Leather has for $29 ($26 if you use their Summer2016 code when checking out). I guess I will just have

to play around with it before I decide to throw it in my box of "unusable" stuff!  I have attached a pic of the one I bought.

Tom

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Keplerts  my computer and this new forum do not like each other. I can't upload pics. I'll PM you one to show you what I was talking about.

 

[Boriqua]

I would love to see the pic as well. After asking around a bit about beaders and such I went with just using my swivel knife to create two grooves then I take my beveler and I drag it in the groove one one edge and then turn it around and drag it in the other. Sort of a double bevel but no tapping. It worked but I am still thinking a beader would work better. If you can figure out how to put up the image feel free to send it to me via email and I will post it.

Hey Tom I have an account with weaver but I dont recall getting any summer coupon code? Bummer.... or I just missed it. Have to check my email

[JLSleather]

Aint that upside down?  Looks like a fella mite wanna flip it...and then drag it... so you get a profile sorta like that?

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2016 by JLSleather

[keplerts]

Thanks for the pic Big Sioux.  I will try to post it here.  Now I see what you mean.  

Boriqua,  I got a flyer in the mail with summer specials.  The code "Summer2016" is good until the end of June.  Just type it in at check out on their web site.

Jeff,  you are right it does need to be flipped.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Thanks Keplerts!

[keplerts]

yep.  But really, thank you for the picture.  

[Boriqua]

Yes the pic was very helpful. I think before I lay out any money I am going to try and grind something simple out of some brass rod I have. It looks like just a double bevel. I am kind of leather burned out at the moment so that will be a project for this week and I will report back whether it worked for anyone else that may be playing along.

[keplerts]

Sounds good, Boriqua.  Interested in seeing/hearing how it goes.