Workin on some orders...

[YinTx]

Finally seem to have hit on something folks like, so I have a couple of orders!  Hooray..... now to get them made...

 

YinTx

[YinTx]

BTW, nothing to show off, just happy to have orders!

YinTx

[Wedgetail]

It's a good feeling, right! 

Looking good, will be nice to see the finished products.

[OneCrow]

Not to mention the best part of working on orders... Working on Batches.... Working on one piece at a time can feel so slow in comparison. It is amazing how fast the work goes when you already have the tool in your hand. :-) 

[RockyAussie]

Are they finished yet? ha ha keep havin fun.

[YinTx]

Yes, haha.  took me two weeks to get to that point in the photo.  Didn't even get to touch them today.

Maybe tomorrow....

I was assuming making more than one thing at a time would speed things up.. the last one I made took me a little over a week to complete, so to get this many to this stage in 2 weeks seems to be a faster way to go.  It is also a faster way to screw up more leather.... I had made two layer W&C bodies (for lack of a better term... the large back piece of leather that becomes the outside cover...) only to discover I didn't like the way they folded in half.  So a lot of leather to waste.  Ended up using 2oz W&C on the outside of the cover, and 1 oz Hermann Oak with black dye on the interior side, bonded with contact cement.  looks much nicer, but sadly I have 2 square feet of W&C leather wasted.. not sure what I will use it for.  Right now it's in the "Awwww dangit!!!! not again!! " pile.

 

I have finished these, tho, Aussie... including the dark one on the left with the double layer of W&C for the outside of the wallet.  You can see the wrinkles in the center.

I want to make "T" pocket style card holders, but everyone wants this style.. drives me nuts.   These are hard to make in comparison!

 

YinTx

[RockyAussie]

Glad to see the progress YinTx and I quite like the pocket and angle on the right (rounded preferred). In your bridge section that is showing the wrinkles I would try before putting in, folding over in middle and rolling back and forth on itself to get an even crinkle effect or use a leather that does not wrinkle when folded in on itself. Lastly if you want to use a stiff bridge put several slicker lines top to bottom evenly spaced and that looks good if done right.

Speed I found in numbers is mostly because it is worth spending more money on Knives for clicker presses and edging machines and so on. If you time me on one and then again on 50 it will often show I bored and going slower so keep in mind you may get faster and faster but if you have to train staff to be fast it aint easy. I doubt if you went with the T pockets it would affect any sales. A shape like this \____/ on card pockets other way up works well and is way easier.Do what you do better than others and it will show in the end.

[bikermutt07]

4 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Glad to see the progress YinTx and I quite like the pocket and angle on the right (rounded preferred). In your bridge section that is showing the wrinkles I would try before putting in, folding over in middle and rolling back and forth on itself to get an even crinkle effect or use a leather that does not wrinkle when folded in on itself. Lastly if you want to use a stiff bridge put several slicker lines top to bottom evenly spaced and that looks good if done right.

Speed I found in numbers is mostly because it is worth spending more money on Knives for clicker presses and edging machines and so on. If you time me on one and then again on 50 it will often show I bored and going slower so keep in mind you may get faster and faster but if you have to train staff to be fast it aint easy. I doubt if you went with the T pockets it would affect any sales. A shape like this \____/ on card pockets other way up works well and is way easier.Do what you do better than others and it will show in the end.

Those are some great tips, Rocky.

Yintx, they look great. Congratulations.

[YinTx]

Some more progress today:  got them glued up, started to get the edges burnished..and managed to get one to the completed stage.  

Using Horween Leather (light brown) and Wickett and Craig leather (dark brown).

Comments/critiques welcome, and thanks for the tips.  I don't have any clicking presses or edging machines, or staff for that matter, so all handwork.  A bit slow going due to that.  Maybe if I get orders for hundreds of these things, I'd go that route, but not just yet.   have to walk before I can sprint in the Olympics.

The Wickett and Craig didn't wrinkle when I folded it backwards, until I contact cemented two pieces together, then the results that you see occured.  I think you are on to something that could help me out, but I'm not quite sure I'm clear on your description.  What do you mean by putting several slicker lines top to bottom?

 

And finally, just some shots of today's work....  Played around with some orange thread, I think its an ok color combo...

 

 

YinTx

[RockyAussie]

They look great and very saleable I think. The slicker lines I don't have anything handy that I have done that way at present but there are many methods to achieve it the slowest is with a bone slicker and ruler and rubbing in with even spacings. The prototype watch band in this poor picture shows what I mean as it was done this way. This was improved dramatically when I had the embossing plate for the name made up to include these lines. I hate sweaty watch bands and this gives airflow. The best width of line onto veg I found to be .25mm. These lines are done before gluing and attaching. I have done them on larger products one line at a time in an embossing press but multiple knives meaning clicking knives attached together and sanded down would be a lot faster again. I do this method on some things when I want the line around in a hurry. Get a clicker press you wont be sorry.