Just for fun

[Blake]

Just for fun!

[HARVEY]

Just for fun!

Blake, not sure that I'm using this correctly. be that as it may, your work looks terrific. Any chance you might be willing to share the floral pattern for the middle box?? Again, a pleasure to look at.

Harvey (Los Angeles)

[Blake]

Blake, not sure that I'm using this correctly. be that as it may, your work looks terrific. Any chance you might be willing to share the floral pattern for the middle box?? Again, a pleasure to look at.

Harvey (Los Angeles)

Hello Harvey

Thank you for the kind words.

I will be happy to share my patterns. I actually use the old "Tap Off" system and then free hand the dogs and vine. Sometimes if I am doing a lot of repitition I will make a master Tap Off of the whole pattern. This works better for me over tracing. I will post the flower cut only along with a view of the flower finished. It should show up under the floral tooling section this evening.

Best Regards

Blake

[Leather Bum]

I think they look fabulous, Blake, though it would be easier to view them if you posted smaller pictures (those are enormous).

Now, I'm interested in the color/finish technique: how did you do it?

Edited June 28, 2006 by Leather Bum

[Blake]

Now, I'm interested in the color/finish technique: how did you do it?

Hi, Sorry about the size. I'm not sure why, maybe our moderator can help and give me a few tips. I use FireFox browser and it sizes everything for me. I did open them with Internet Explorer and you are right, They are HUGE.

I take a simple approach to finish, The first box & the spur straps is PURE Neatsfoot then background is dyed using dark brown oil dye ( Fiebings) then an acrylic finish, let dry and then Fiebings Antique paste. I like it better then the liquid antique stains and I also like the way the leather feels after treatment. The middle box is going to sound strange but it is one of my favorites taught to me by the late Bob Dellis. It is Pure neatsfoot again then given a liberal coat of Fiebings Heel & Sole Dressing wipe it off and apply again if you want it darker.

It is water based and can be almost completely washed off if done within a reasonable time before it sets. Then I finish it with Tan-Kote. This stuff is pretty useful as a highliter too. Bad news, it only comes in the one color as the black just leaves everything a dingey gray. I have never played around with the black but given time I'm sure someone could find an application for it.

If you would like , I could E-mail the pictures to you properly sized.

Kind Regards

Blake

[Admin]

Hmmm the forum software seems to be converting the pictures okay, but it is only supposed to let you upload a pic as big as 500K, which would be reduced on the page that opens from the thumbnail. I set it high because we like to see the detail, which isn't always possible on small pics. I will see what I can do to automate the process some more.

Easiest way in the world to resize pictures:

MS Powertoys "Image Resizer". Click on an image or images to highlight, then right click and choose to resize. Image Resizer will give you a choice of sizes and rename your new pic for you.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/dow...s/powertoys.asp

Johanna

[Leather Bum]

Thank you very much Blake for sharing those neat finishing methods. I have a few more questions. . . Do you ever have problems with the Antique Paste cracking or coming off when the leather is bent? The star box and spurs look like they have a nice shine to them: is that just due to buffing or. . . what?

I've never heard of Fiebing's Heel & Sole Dressing; where do you get yours? I wonder, have you (or anyone else) ever tried using Fiebing's Edge Kote as a stain? I've been experimenting with it for a while (you need a good resist first), and I would like to know how it compares with the Heel and Sole Dressing. . . Any comments on similarities and such would be great. . .

Thanks again for sharing; I enjoy it!

[Blake]

Hello

If the antique paste is cracking and flaking then you are leaving too much on. You should apply it well and then wipe off all the excess. I even remove most of it from the cuts using a shoe brush. It should only high light the tooling and it should only be used over a top coat or sealer. Its carrier is mineral spirits and that can be used to clean up some of the caked on antique paste or even as a thinner.

The heal and sole dressing is water based and can usually be bought from any shoe supply company where they sell soles, heals and other findings.It can also be bought direct from fiebings or they will give you their closest pusher. It allows the grain of the leather to show so it doesn't look as artificial as some other products do.

The edge kote is an entirely different animal and I will use it on some smaller items but I actually prefer the old method of hand rubbing the edges of most of my work using canning wax or something similiar.

I have a friend that does use edge Kote as a dye in small areas when doing pictorial carving.

The sheen on the Lone Star box is Tan-Kote applied after everything has dried a second coat would add more gloss. I hope that I have answered your questions.

Kind Regards

Blake

[shirleyz]

Beautiful work Blake! I especially like the one with the star and brass nail heads. I did a cross picture with nail heads for a friend, not nearly as nice as yours though. Makes me want to do it over.

Shirley

[Blake]

Thank you for the compliment Shirley. I have a ton of those brass nails from a project that I did last year for an interior decorator. We did a complete office, Desk, chair, credenza ?(spelling?) computer desk, gun cabinet and picture frames. All antiqued oakleaf and acorn tooling. I don't care if I never do another oakleaf! The nice part is that The decorator will buy just about any decor items that I produce with those brass nails. Go Figure? A brass tack fetish maybe?

I've been going to an unfinished furniture store and buying small items like night stands and end tables and covering and tooling the tops along with the nails and they are moving pretty good right now and I'm sure its the brass nails because anything that I've done without them was moving slow.

Blake