How to make leather goods videos

[Lfrog]

I would have subscribed to your "production" tutorials. I am not getting into leather work for therapeutic reasons or to pass some time, we are here to make money  (is that allowed?). 

I have purchased machinery with the sole intention of being able to produce volume of a good quality in the shortest possible time frame. 

If you could post some snippets RockyAussie from time to time, I for one would most appreciate it.

 

 

[Sangrati]

5 hours ago, toxo said:

The one thing that's not been mentioned is "what market is there for what I'm making". Most people could find a small market for a niche product say for example an archery arm brace but it's no good spending big money on the right tools to make 1000 arm braces a week if you're only selling 3/4.

Now if your contacts were big enough to be able to say "invest in the equipment and I will guarantee to take what you don't sell at minimal markup", that's win win.

Now, I have  a thought. Why not have some sort of co operative association, where design, process standardisation and production can be optimised and then a market place where all this work can be sold in quantities. I am talking about an echo system where different people contribute and create value and reap the benefits.

Don't know how much relevant what I speak is.

Regards

Sangrati

[Scoutmom103]

I love your video's and all the information that you share.   Not sure that I'll ever be doing more  production type of work.  I do love all the ways that you create what you need or ways to improve the process and the production process.  Then I do love hardware stores and go on many bunny trails when I am in them.  My Dad looks at ways to make what he needs from common products, etc.

 

[RockyAussie]

I'm thinking that I will do a post along the line of what machinery would be advisable to have as a leather goods manufacturer regardless of whatever type of goodies one may want to produce. Most like myself start off small with very little and make a lot of mistakes $$$$$ in what machinery they can get to do a job. Then the jobs evolve and the product range broadens and undergoes design changes and that machinery needs to be able to handle these changes as well. Because I do more crocodile skin products than any one else in Australia I have to provide a very broad range of products compared to most manufacturers and do it at a higher standard and at a price that can be done within Australia which as far as I know is about the dearest labour market in the world. This means that for myself the machinery costs may seem expensive at times but the labour costs would be impossible with out it. Many Asian countries that I have to compete with often have trouble in the opposite ways. A glue gun I use here costs say $50 and wears out every 2 years or so and labour costs over $1000 per week. In Bali when last I looked the labour was about $25 per week so that glue gun might be 2 weeks wages. In my world that glue gun would be $2000 and therefore I would be gluing 5 times slower without it and still be in front in $ terms. Gets complicated staying in front. My wife and I and a couple of part time staff = 1, pump out normally a few hundred to a thousand products a week here, where often in these countries a person would often have less than 1/10 of that capacity. They in dollar terms are still in front EXCEPT they can NOT be branded MADE IN AUSTRALIA or USA etc. (marketing is a factor) The machinery and techniques I use thankfully often mean that the quality is higher and more consistent and that is something that my customers require. That rightly does not stop them trying the lesser cost alternatives at times but it is funny and pleasing somewhat  when they embarrassingly show back up wanting me to try and fix the messed up products and get me back on board with them. 

2 hours ago, Sangrati said:

Now, I have  a thought. Why not have some sort of co operative association, where design, process standardisation and production can be optimised and then a market place where all this work can be sold in quantities. I am talking about an echo system where different people contribute and create value and reap the benefits.

Don't know how much relevant what I speak is.

Regards

Sangrati

In a world wide forum like this I think that would present a large challenge but within individual countries perhaps it could work.

7 hours ago, Lfrog said:

I would have subscribed to your "production" tutorials. I am not getting into leather work for therapeutic reasons or to pass some time, we are here to make money  (is that allowed?). 

I have purchased machinery with the sole intention of being able to produce volume of a good quality in the shortest possible time frame. 

If you could post some snippets RockyAussie from time to time, I for one would most appreciate it.

 

 

I look forward to your input as well and would like to know what machinery you have at present and what type of products you are thinking of producing. If you do not already follow me here do so as I tend to focus my posts in this direction.

7 hours ago, chrisash said:

Out of interest did you scarf the joint or just edge to edge, I imagine scarfing would give more strength, but hey if it works

No it is a but join.The rubber part is cut as neat and square as possible the a drop of super glue does that part. Scarfing would make the join less flexable to the tight bends in the pulley. It can be stretched out to pull the cover back over and glued and trimmed. This helps to minimise the swell of the overlap. I will do a video and post sometime soon.

 

8 hours ago, toxo said:

The one thing that's not been mentioned is "what market is there for what I'm making". Most people could find a small market for a niche product say for example an archery arm brace but it's no good spending big money on the right tools to make 1000 arm braces a week if you're only selling 3/4.

Now if your contacts were big enough to be able to say "invest in the equipment and I will guarantee to take what you don't sell at minimal markup", that's win win.

Finding the market I found very early on is fairly simple really. "what market is there for what I'm making" I think is the wrong way in business to think as what I found works is take some product to the potential buyers and ask them what they would buy. I started off making some purses I (I) thought were great in design and eventually had to accept that the direction my credit card slots would sell better in the upright direction rather than the other direction. Also found that they wanted thinner material lining in the pockets. Many of these designs are still selling better many years later than most of the customers own designs they pay me to put into production. Do your homework well and do not listen to only 1 or 2 customers ideas before committing... make up prototypes and get orders for them first. After that investing in equipment is really a no brainer

 

12 hours ago, Chain said:

Sounds something similar to what dieselpunk.ro is doing
He designs and sells the patterns, along with a video tutorial for the pattern and has a Facebook support group.
 

I will have a look into that idea @Chain Thanks.

 

12 hours ago, JLSleather said:

Truth be told,  you're probably accomplishing more each week than many "leather workers" really care to do at all.  Many of them, I suspect, retired from or are still currently at jobs where they got a check simply because they were there, "clocked in".  Actual operation, maintenance, work flow, material acquisition, inventory, cash flow.... all somebody else's problem.  Which is why they are there.  And if the place caught fire, their biggest "worry" was who will be supplying them with money next week   

As such, I'd dare say many just don't "get" the idea of having machinery, much less "figgerin" how to replace a broken belt that isn't available over the counter.  Necessity the mother of invention, I guess -- and many Americans don't see the point of actual work if somebody is already giving you money anyway. [The midwest American farmer an EXCEPTION, I stand on my feet when I meet that guy and shake his hand].  Lemme guess... you machined those pulleys in the pic yourself?

But, your topic was not without value (did me some good).  You are to be commended for making the offer.  Not to mention that's a NICE lookin' wallet back a bit.

All too true .... Thanks for the compliments. They can make it worth doing.  

[RockyAussie]

1 hour ago, Scoutmom103 said:

My Dad looks at ways to make what he needs from common products, etc.

Makes getting spare parts when you need them a whole lot easier and cheaper as well.

[maxdaddy]

On 8/17/2019 at 5:59 AM, RockyAussie said:

How many people here want to make money making leather goods?

How many people here would like to see a range of video’s on How to make leather goods .......Profitably?

Regardless of the topic, I typically get some value from reading your posts here. So, thanks.

So, if you were to document some of the paths that you had to travel in order to become profitable (that's what this conversation is about, right?) I would be very interested.

 

[Rockoboy]

I am not likely to become a business, but I am interested in different processes, machinery and tools.

There is always a possibility that I could make a basic machine or use a portion of a process as described or demo'd in your videos. So I am definitely interested in your videos. 

[robs456]

Actually, I thought this was about how to make videos about leather goods.
While the practical stuff like shooting and editing can be found elsewhere, I'd like to know how to actually make an interesting vid about the leather goods itself for marketing.

'Cos I'm so tired of the typical 'hipster porn' classical music slow motion ASMR crap, not to mention the usual 'How-to' vids where someone takes 90 minutes to show how to make a 'card wallet' by slapping two pieces of leather together while getting glue all over the grain side.

Or is that what moves product?
 

[RockyAussie]

2 hours ago, robs456 said:

Actually, I thought this was about how to make videos about leather goods.

No ....I am talking about doing videos on "how to make leather goods and profitably"

2 hours ago, robs456 said:

While the practical stuff like shooting and editing can be found elsewhere, I'd like to know how to actually make an interesting vid about the leather goods itself for marketing. 

That's toooo easy. You make up a nice Birkin style handbag and get a nicely dressed elegant model to walk up the street.....hesitate momentarily with her head held high and walk across the road. Have a bus run her over and the beautiful bag rock just a little as it comes to a clean and untouched position proudly standing among the pretty red surroundings. Slowly zoom to the bag

2 hours ago, robs456 said:

Or is that what moves product?

Works for some it seems.... but I taint buying

4 hours ago, Rockoboy said:

I am not likely to become a business, but I am interested in different processes, machinery and tools.

There is always a possibility that I could make a basic machine or use a portion of a process as described or demo'd in your videos. So I am definitely interested in your videos. 

Thanks Brian I will leave out the Birkin bus one though I think.....only cos my video skills are not quite at that level yet damn it.

5 hours ago, maxdaddy said:

Regardless of the topic, I typically get some value from reading your posts here. So, thanks.

So, if you were to document some of the paths that you had to travel in order to become profitable (that's what this conversation is about, right?) I would be very interested.

 

OOH man..... that would be a long winded story that might take some better articulation skills than me,myself and I got to sound interesting. I could tell you about some of the visits I've had with the crocodile people but then I'd probable get to be a part of their next feeding. I actually woke up in a motel one morning to find out that the 2 crocs that I was told could not climb out of the bathtub actually could. One I found with his snout hanging out under the rail on the balcony....we were 14 floors up.  I will keep it in mind and perhaps try and come up with something not overly boring before I kick off. Thanks for your comment @maxdaddy.

[billybopp]

1 hour ago, RockyAussie said:

That's toooo easy. You make up a nice Birkin style handbag and get a nicely dressed elegant model to walk up the street.....hesitate momentarily with her head held high and walk across the road. Have a bus run her over and the beautiful bag rock just a little as it comes to a clean and untouched position proudly standing among the pretty red surroundings. Slowly zoom to the bag

ROFL!   Even if the information that you provide weren't so amazingly good as it is, your sense of humor would make your posts worthwhile.   Thanks!!!

- Bill