KurseD Report post Posted February 16, 2017 Everything with this one was new. Huge learning experience, cant wait to finish the others. Simple design, but I love how it came out and the customer is very happy as well. My biggest complaint was my stitching. First time hand stitching, so I think it came out decent for such a rookie, but I think it needs to be way better. Used Tandy waxed linen thread, can't stand the stuff. Snaps too easily while stitching. Using their blunt end needles also, not a big fan there either. I ordered some 1mm Tiger thread and some John James 002 needles on recommendation from a friend. Anxious for those to arrive. Another problem I had was with the dye. So I cut Fiebings Russet color 50/50 with denatured alcohol and sprayed it through an auto detail gun. Then I used a bit of the same uncut to airbrush the edges, going for an aged look. When all was done and dried for at least 24 hours, I tried coating with Resolene, which started to eat my dye off as you can see in one of the pictures with the streaks on the backside luckily. Ended up using some Eco-Flo Super Sheen instead and it worked great. My edging needs work, stitching needs work, he'll all my skills could use a lot more practice, but isn't that always true? I'm happy with the direction I'm headed. Anyone else spot anything I haven't mentioned, feel free to critique. Hope you enjoy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikermutt07 Report post Posted February 16, 2017 Looks like you have everything covered. Don't beat yourself up, it all looks pretty good. You may want to sand your edges flat before you burnish them. You picked a great project to start with. Now make 10 or 20 more before you move to something else. This will help you hone the basics without a large amount of materials. I'm doing the same with bracelets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KurseD Report post Posted February 16, 2017 Thanks man. I cut the welt before fitting everything together, I did sand the edges light on my belt sander, but the welt was still too shallow. I think a solution to that will be cutting the welt oversize in the future and trimming it to fit after stitching. I plan on making many many more of these guys. I have two more in this batch, then I will make one for a double bit cruiser axe I am gifting to a close friend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chiefjason Report post Posted February 16, 2017 The last knife sheath I made I oversized the back and welt. Then cut the front the size I wanted. Trimmed the other 2 layers back to match the front and barely did any sanding on it. You get a little extra waste. But you don't get a sink in welt, unless you get a soft spot. Then it can still happen. I've found Mop & Glo mixed 50/50 with water to work better than the commercial stuff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JustinPierce Report post Posted February 16, 2017 Looks great to me, way better than the masks that Gransfors Bruk supplies with their expensive tools. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KurseD Report post Posted February 18, 2017 Thank you guys for the compliments. I will definitely try the Mop and glow thing. Sounds neat. I picked up a small bottle of Fiebings sheen to try as well. I have had horrible luck with Resolene so far. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strathmoredesigns Report post Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) On 2/16/2017 at 8:42 AM, KurseD said: I tried coating with Resolene, which started to eat my dye off as you can see in one of the pictures with the streaks on the backside luckily. Is this a thing? Does Resolene really eat your dye off? I was all set to spray it on an oil tanned bag, but now I'm worried. Edited June 21, 2017 by strathmoredesigns Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halitech Report post Posted June 21, 2017 28 minutes ago, strathmoredesigns said: Is this a thing? Does Resolene really eat your dye off? I was all set to spray it on an oil tanned bag, but now I'm worried. it doesn't "eat" the dye but if you don't let it dry really well and buff it till your arm falls off, it will move the pigment around that is sitting on top of the leather Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strathmoredesigns Report post Posted June 21, 2017 4 minutes ago, Halitech said: it doesn't "eat" the dye but if you don't let it dry really well and buff it till your arm falls off, it will move the pigment around that is sitting on top of the leather Ok, so as long as I let it dry and give it a good buff I should be ok. That's a relief. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halitech Report post Posted June 21, 2017 if you have any doubts, pick up or use a small air brush and spray on thin layers and then you shouldn't have to worry about it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strathmoredesigns Report post Posted June 21, 2017 3 minutes ago, Halitech said: if you have any doubts, pick up or use a small air brush and spray on thin layers and then you shouldn't have to worry about it Perfect, I've got a small brush anyway, so I'll give it a go. Thanks for the tips. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredk Report post Posted June 21, 2017 Make sure your dye is really dry. Buff off any excess. Apply a thinned coat of Resolene [1 Res to 1 water]; let that dry completely. It'll lock the dye in. Subsequent coats of Res [also thinned] should not lift the dye colouring then Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strathmoredesigns Report post Posted June 22, 2017 22 hours ago, fredk said: Make sure your dye is really dry. Buff off any excess. Apply a thinned coat of Resolene [1 Res to 1 water]; let that dry completely. It'll lock the dye in. Subsequent coats of Res [also thinned] should not lift the dye colouring then This is really helpful, thanks. How many coats of thinned Resolene would you add to get a decent layer of water resistance? (I'm making a tote bag and I just want to be able to get caught in the rain and not instantly ruin the thing, if possible). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredk Report post Posted June 22, 2017 A; first off we can't really make any leather water-proof but only shower-proof b, you said above that you were going to spray the Resolene on. It will take several coats by spraying. Spraying puts on very thin coats. You may need two just to seal the dye. Then maybe four or five more. I dip if I can, or apply with a brush or sponge usually - first coat to seal and then two more is usually suffcient Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strathmoredesigns Report post Posted June 22, 2017 I ran a test that I posted about it another feed and I found that the resolene kept the water on top of the leather for a bit, but did ultimately allow it to be absorbed (I did it on my lunch break, so my comparison windows were about 10 minutes and 3 hours), so my goal isn't water proofing, it's just adding some water resistance to it. I'll give the multiple coats a try and see where we get! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KurseD Report post Posted June 22, 2017 Yes, sorry guys for the late response and any confusion I may have caused with the wording. I said "ate", but simply meany my dye has not set quite enough or been buffed really well. I tend to over speed that step somewhat frequently. Glad you had some folks to help clarify. Thank you guys for stepping in and correcting my wording. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
