Latest leashes

[alpha2]

Just finished two more bleedknot dog leashes. As simple as the bleedknot is, I still have to watch UKSaddlery's video every time to get it right. If I'd hang on to one these leashes, I could just use that I guess. One is for sale the other is a donation for auction at Black Dog Animal Rescue in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Edited March 3, 2018 by alpha2

[bikermutt07]

14 minutes ago, alpha2 said:

Just finished two more bleedknot dog leashes. As simple as the bleedknot is, I still have to watch UKSaddlery's video every time to get it right. If I'd hang on to one these leashes, I could just use that I guess. One is for sale the other is a donation for auction at Black Dog Animal Rescue in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Awesome. That braid thing confuses me.

I worked on the wind turbine site just west of Cheyenne. Left that gig from that location in early 2010.

[alpha2]

Well, they're still turning. Except when the grid doesn't need the power, so, they're not turning in much of any wind most of the time. Sad. They put those turbines in one of the windiest areas I've ever seen, and they're standing still a lot of the time. Fixed costs continue to accrue, though!

Every time my trophy wife sees them sitting still when the winds is blowing, she says "boondoggle", "swindle". 

Sorry! WAY off topic.

Watch UKSaddlery video on the bleedknot leash. Only way I could have done them. 

[bikermutt07]

45 minutes ago, alpha2 said:

Well, they're still turning. Except when the grid doesn't need the power, so, they're not turning in much of any wind most of the time. Sad. They put those turbines in one of the windiest areas I've ever seen, and they're standing still a lot of the time. Fixed costs continue to accrue, though!

Every time my trophy wife sees them sitting still when the winds is blowing, she says "boondoggle", "swindle". 

Sorry! WAY off topic.

Watch UKSaddlery video on the bleedknot leash. Only way I could have done them. 

It was a total boondoggle. Your wife is right, as always. I was on that site to help rebuild them.

So, let's go off topic for a minute.....

Those turbines we're manufactured by a company out of India. Originally, they were producing 1.6mw turbines. Then they decided to up the ante and produce 2.1mw turbines. The problem was it was the same turbine with a faster turning gearbox. They didn't beef up anything else. They just slinked it on in there. They also added 4 crappy little space heaters and called the turbine a cold weather rated turbine.

When I first started working on them the communication between the parts and the controller were too fast. So any little hiccup or ghost signal as we called it, would cause a fail and shut the thing down. It was terrible. We couldn't make them run steady to save our lives.

Then they fixed the communications. It was great. For about 6 months. Then their undersized turbines started having real problems. The 1.6mw generator started to burn up. The gear boxes started to have problems too.

It was just one giant hot mess. They cost more money to run than a natural gas plant. Which is required to shut down units when the wind is blowing. Then spend 10s of thousands of dollars to fire those same gas turbine units back up when the wind turbines break down or the wind stops blowing 3 hours later.

The whole dang thing was just one scam after another.

And for what it's worth, I saw one of those new evil coal burning plants in New Mexico. The only thing coming out of those stacks was steam. 

Sorry, just wanted to share.

[alpha2]

Jenny says, "thank you! I knew I was right!" She feels so vindicated. She used to say, "look, they've turned them off!" I told her they didn't turn them off. Then, I found out she was right!!! When the wind blows...they have to turn them off!

I'll never hear the end of this from her, but I'm fine with that. Wind boondoggle is huge around here, with the blade manufacturers all over this place. But, you have to "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" to keep from being labelled a non-believer. For us, it's not about belief, it's about facts. Follow the money. Local craft-beer brewers here are all about using "wind power" for their operations. Everyone knows that they get their power from the same grid as the rest of us, but you can't say that out loud. God forbid reality would raise it's ugly head. They just pay more for it, so they can put a sticker in their window saying they are getting theirs from wind. I get as much from wind as they do, but I don't need to blow smoke up anyone's arse about it.

[bikermutt07]

Hahahaha.

[Jetdoctorbox]

Those are nice looking leashes. I'm going to have to learn how to do that bleedknot myself. Good stuff!

[alpha2]

Thanks, Jetdoc, They're not difficult. I just watch the video while I'm doing them. UKSaddlery gives you the proper dimensions for the slots. The rivet is not absolutely necessary. You can put a stitch there, or just leave the little tab hang. It's not going anywhere! 

[Rockoboy]

I like the Bleed knots, but I am wondering ... would it improve the look of the piece if the flesh-side of the leather was burnished before cutting the slots, or maybe before making the knot?

Would it help to cover the flesh-side roughness where the bleed knot has turned over the leather? I am guessing gum tragacanth might help, but I am not experienced in this.

[alpha2]

the rough side was actually burnished to some extent, but the leather gets worked a LOT when making the knots. It tends to raise the nap some. I kind of liked the contrast in the knot, so I left it. I just burnish with water and a glass slicker, never tried the gum trag.

[baroness]

for the flesh side I've been applying Carnauba Creme with a slightly damp sponge then burnishing with a flat burnisher.  Helps the flesh side lay down and feel smoother.