First post

[churchjw]

Thanks for the add to the group.  Very new to doing tooling.  Did some years ago but just really picked it back up.  Very interested in making my own tools.  Here is my first tooling project.  Did some sample pieces to try and get the feel of it but this is the first finished piece.  Would love feedback and helpful advice.  I did not make the bag it is attached to just replaced the original front.  

 

Jeff

[Stetson912]

That's different. I haven't seen much like it with the straps as struts n such. It's pretty cool.

I'm not very good at tooling but I think  I would have done the entire background with a backgrounder or bar grounder and dyed it to help the cogs stick out more. I also would have lined the inside of the flap to hide the rivets. But It's just a personal preference. I think it's a unique concept especially with the straps again. Keep at it and welcome to the forum. 

There are some tool makers on here too, I hope one chimes in to help you with that. 

[AZNightwolf]

very cool, very original steampunk stuff.

I agree that the background could be more in the background. Would give the gears a more 3D feel. Not sure what the transition from the black to the brown background is supposed to represent.

great piece though, like it lots

[churchjw]

Thanks guys.  I didn't think about lining the flap.  I was worried about it getting to thick/stiff.  Not sure I know how to do a lining like that yet so will look around at ideas.  Most of the brown area behind the gears is another level of gears.  Or was suppose to be I might have failed with that part of the design.  The black areas are the areas where both sets of gears are not over the background.  I wonder if I died the second level of gears a little darker if that would bring it out more.  Can you die leather after you have oiled it?  

[DJole]

That's a very clever design, working the straps in like that!
I think that if you did another one of these, you might consider changing the design a bit. In the gears which have cut-outs, you beveled the edges of the cut-out spaces.
I took your original graphic and marked the areas I mean with gray circles (since a picture's worth 1000 words, in this case) in the graphic below. 
I think you should flatten the whole space, rather than merely bevel the edges. That would "sell" the 3-D gears a bit more. 

 

[Stetson912]

Ahhh i see it now. It's a big gear with little gears over it ok. That's cool! Idk how I missed that. You don't have to worry about lining it. It's not necessary just an added touch for a cleaner finish, but steampunk gears n such aren't always clean now are they? So no it works as a total package.

[churchjw]

13 hours ago, DJole said:

That's a very clever design, working the straps in like that!
I think that if you did another one of these, you might consider changing the design a bit. In the gears which have cut-outs, you beveled the edges of the cut-out spaces.
I took your original graphic and marked the areas I mean with gray circles (since a picture's worth 1000 words, in this case) in the graphic below. 
I think you should flatten the whole space, rather than merely bevel the edges. That would "sell" the 3-D gears a bit more. 

 

I wonder if I used a smooth backgrounder to push those areas down but not texture them like the background if that would work better.  I think you are right is it a flaw with the design.   I think next one will have more smaller gears in the background.  I think the big back ground ones are not working.  

This all really helps guys thank you. 

Jeff