Keeping Busy During Lockdown

[Handstitched]

G'Day,

Like all countries , we're restricted to  travel in certain areas . I'm in the Central Wheatbelt Western Australia, and we can't leave it , to go to the city for example , but  "exceptions apply" , for eg.' essential services'  .  Our little  country town is virtually a ghost town . Just need some tumble weed Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef and  Clint Eastwood to complete the picture    

All markets have now stopped, and totally working from home , have no choice,  and thank God for the locals,   still repairing horse rugs and a few other bits and bobs , and doing various ' non- leather related jobs'( see pic)  , as well as a few outstanding leather orders, (that I got before things really went  pear shaped)  . I did a  6 x 3m tarp alteration/repair ,  join 2 halves w/fell seam , 2" hem fit eyelets,  its not leather  I know, but a job is a job. 

My leather supplier can ship my leather out, but I can't pick & choose hides....cos they're 2+hrs away  in the city, that sucks. But I know I can trust them . 

My thoughts are  now turning to the bags...and bags  of accumulated leather scraps . Tip the whole lot out on a  giant tarp one arvo  , see  what can be used, and turned into something creative , after concentrating my mind , or sold as is...or just thrown out  . I have plenty of time on my hands....now   That was the one thing I couldn't  make before ....time.  I also have an old suit case that I intended restoring some years ago, might dust that off. 

Love to hear what others are  doing or creating during these challenging times? 

Take care,

HS

 

[AwlShucks]

Good idea to start a thread on. I like your collection of “ tarp anchors”. Definitely unique times we all find ourselves in. Praying for health and safety for all our members.

[Handstitched]

I'd like to think I'll be making a few new creations/ products ready to sell on the other side of this hopefully out of the bags of scraps I mentioned,  and a heap of regular extra stock ready, I need to replace a few things that I didn't have time for.       Might even visit  my early ' roots'  of my leatherworking and dust off a few old patterns that I haven't made for a while, which reminds me, I need to sort out my filing cabinet, its  choccas full of patterns , its a mess.   . 

We have to remain positive  

I do have a small collection of  those ' tarp anchors', some more in the workshop, one of which I use frequently  as an anvil . Theres  still  some more I'd like to get. 

Lets hope & pray that this doesn't last too much longer, and  that all on here and their families stay safe & healthy.

Take care 

HS

 

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by Handstitched

[fredk]

I have a couple of those 'tarp anchors' as well. Would you believe I've actually used one for its intended purpose!

Not much change to my situation really. Just as I'm made to stay in I don't have those sudden impulses to go out elsewhere and waste time. I'm actually getting on with things

1. A board game in the designing for 15 years or so is at last coming together, literally. I've made rubber moulds and I've been casting the playing pieces. I've been asked for at least 5 copies of the game. I've got the wood for the boards and I got some leather for them just before the 'lockdown' started. I just need to start covering the boards with the leather and carving/stamping and dyeing the leather

2. allied to #1, I have to make about 10 other covered game boards.  Game pieces for 5 of these are sitting almost ready. The other 5 are standard chess boards so I don't make the game pieces.

3. I can get on making the other items I'm supposed to be making. A range of small goods for a client. But brass stamps I ordered from China for these haven't arrived yet. They are three weeks overdue. I guess they'll arrive when they arrive.

N.I. gov is looking at us being in isolation for about 12 weeks - thats now thru to end of June! Then another 12 to 14 weeks of limited contact, that takes us to mid October. I have plenty of leather and moulding supplies to keep me going. I got an order in for moulding supplies just before the N.I. gov said they were places that had to close up.

and I have over 6 (Imperial) gallons (about 29 L, or about 38 standard wine bottles) of meade to keep me going.*

 

*Please drink responsibly. Do not drink and drive.

Pull over to finish the bottle!

[zuludog]

Britain has the same sort of restrictions that have now, sadly, become familiar all over the world - stay indoors; only essential trips to the shops or doctors; no long journeys; social distancing of 2metres; non - essential shops and services closed, pubs, clubs, theatres and churches closed, and so on

For my part I will be 70 in April, and have diabetes and asthma; I don't need telling twice to stay within those restrictions. I am a qualified, though retired, microbiologist. If I were younger and healthier I would volunteer, but I think that in the present circumstances I will be better off staying indoors, both for my own health and that of others, and not risking my putting our health services under any more strain

My indoor hobbies are knife making; leatherwork; and making model planes, and I have all the glue, paints, materials and tools that I need; plus I borrowed a few books from the library before they were closed down, and I've stocked up with plenty of food. I have a stash of about 25 unmade kits; plenty of leather to make sheaths, belts, and wallets, and 8 or 9 blades and the wood to make them up with handles

So you would think that I would be glad of the chance to catch up with my hobbies........and yet.........somehow for a few days I couldn't seem to work up any enthusiasm, perhaps because these restrictions have been forced upon me, and I have not naturally chosen to do them. Then a day or two ago I got up, had several cups of coffee, and gave myself a good talking to - you're an intelligent (!?) and capable grown man, still reasonably fit and able, so stop being so pathetic!

On the principle that you've got to start somewhere, I'm in the middle of making a couple  of Airfix Hawker Hurricanes. When they're finished I'll get on to some wallets. Also a friend has just asked me to make a belt, so it looks like I just needed a bit of motivation

Interestingly I got an email from a friend yesterday. Her hobbies are sculpture and painting  (as in Yer Art, and not - the back bedroom, two coats, one afternoon). She said the same sort of thing. Here was a golden opportunity, admittedly  not in a way she would have wished, to do her hobbies without any interruptions, yet she dithered and hesitated. Then she realised that she should treat the current position as a job, and  to have something to show for it, otherwise when this thing is over we'll all look back and wish we had the time again. So she's unearthed, and started a couple of projects (I'm sure we all have them) that she always meant to do, one day.

The phrase 'making the best of a bad job' comes to mind

I am an atheist, so I won't be praying for anyone, but I am concerned and thinking of you. Let's hope we can all get through this

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by zuludog

[mikesc]

Heh zuludog..from someone who was educated ( mostly ) towards be a microbiologist ( with leanings towards the veterinary research side )..and who switched "midstream" ( after doing the chemistry and the biology parts ) to professional artist, designer, sculptor..and who is also in an "at risk" group..especially as I have mentioned in an other thread my wife is a health care worker in the front line of contact daily with covid 19 infected people ( and who today did her 15kms of "rounds" on foot ( she normally does them on her mountain bike, but it was and still is blowing a bitterly cold storm, and she, being tiny and only 45kgs walks when it gets windy so as not to be blown all over the road even with the little traffic that is still moving as it is all going like a bat out of hell on the empty country and coastal roads here )..I'm staying "confined" except for food and diesel shopping..and making covid 19 protective masks until I run out of materials ( textile and elastics etc )..We have a "decontamination procedure" in place whenever she comes back to the house..She and her colleagues are frightened , but still working..health workers here have already been contaminated and died.

We are atheists like yourself..added to which the outbreak in France is centered ( France's Covid outbreak ground zero ) on an evangelical church in the east of France whose "star" pastor held a service in February after the Italians and China etc had already been all over the international news..for thousands of his "followers" in a conference centre which lasted 48 hours , despite health service advice at the time to avoid close contact and especially large groups of people in close proximity..

 

The followers then all spread out and went home..to "all over the country" and "all over the world"..one of them was a nurse at a hospital in the east of France, where the deaths have been the highest, they now have traced her to having contaminated over 250 people..and Covid 19 is now ravaging France and all the countries that his followers went to when his service finished..he has since said "he knew about it, but thought it was not important" and that "he is now sorry, but that he feels that god has chosen him to lead prayers in this time"..That is so far ( and the numbers are rising ) 2000 dead in France alone, that can be traced back directly to this one "evangelical pastor's" meeting..he "passed the hat" ..got personally richer..( as they so often do ) and the "followers" went out, unaware, to spread the virus..to France and onwards to the world..

 

ps..for microbiologist reading..

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep39956

.I posted it in another thread re "making N95 masks " already..

2017 research ..highly relevant , and an arm ( if used , and applied ) against the Covid 19 outbreak.

To return to "keeping busy"..we in France are scheduled to have another 15 days of "lockdown" beginning/ continuing starting next Tuesday ( April 1st ..ironic ) ..and..if the PTB have any brains at all, they'll add on another 15 days at the end of that, and another 15 days at the end of that and so on until we are 6 to 8 weeks locked down in total so as the effects can begin to be judged ..and to give the health workers and supply lines chance to catch up..of course all bets are off if there is another outbreak or a second wave in China..Or if "someone" on the other side of the pond decides to get belligerent with China so as to distract from their own ineptitude re Covid 19..A war is the best "look squirrel" that there is..

Anyway..when I run out of mask materials..I'm going to be painting , drawing, and sculpting, and showing my son all the techniques and skills that I may very well  not / never get the time or chance to do if I get infected..

Edited March 29, 2020 by mikesc

[Brooks125]

My biggest frustration is having to mail order everything. Weaver is 45 mins away and like the earlier post, I would like to go pick out my H/O hides.  When my Barge began to get thick, I had to order more cement and thinner. And all the other little things that I would normally get off the shelf either at Tandy, Weaver or a local muzzle loading shop, I have to order, pay shipping and wait 3-4 days.  I know ... 1st world problems.  Stay healthy and stay safe.

[Bert51]

Bunnings (Hardware chain here) put an advert on TV, that they will home deliver, so I jumped on line and every item I choose was marked not for online sales.

Now I have to up there, so I don't know what they meant with their home deliveries?

Bert

[chrisash]

My wife seems to have taken a large interest in what I am doing, she has helped a lot, in defining my work load

[Handstitched]

@Bert51 I'm not even permitted to got to Perth from the wheatbelt ( unless for essential...stuff ) I don't think Dan Murphys is essential  Ha  They wouldn't know where I'm from anyway , I have private plates on my car, not  country town plates, unless someone checks my licence . 

@Brooks125 I hear ya, I have a job to do for  local on a pair of boots, but the materials I need I can't get online, as much I have looked. Yeh, I like to pick and choose my hides, if theres a fault or a blemish, sometimes I can work around it or sometimes they'll give me  'mates rates' depending on the hide. 

@chrisash Like the saying goes, " two heads are better than one"   eh?   

The one thing I am finding a bit annoying, is the constant bombardment  in the media, print or TV about the virus.  Be informed and stay safe & healthy, absolutely, that is important,  but the media do like to go a bit overboard  or a bit ' apocalyptic'  making bad situation so much worse .  

Stay cool & calm....and get drunk  

15 hours ago, fredk said:

*Please drink responsibly. Do not drink and drive.

Pull over to finish the bottle!

I love that   Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw once,  " Don't drive naked" . Why not? Its my car? 

Take care,

HS

[Bert51]

If you don't have normal plates for W.A. on your car, they would just think your another local in the big smoke and ignore you and by the time you get home the boys in blue would just think your doing your deliveries and leave you alone.

Don't forget that alcohol kills germs, I only use it internally in-case I swallow some thing.

Bert.

[tsunkasapa]

Many years ago a friend from my town moved to the Seattle area and lived a couple miles from a Tandy store. When I went to visit John, I would go hang out at the store for a couple of hours and got to know all the people quite well. But my home town is about 2 1/2 hours from there, so I couldn't always buy in person. So I would have Sharon or Kevin pick out one that THEY would buy and send it to me. Also had the same relationship with Leather Factory in Spokane...before Tandy drug them down to their level. I miss the old days.

[Grindaur]

Just retired in January and no sooner got back from my retirement cruise than to find that there was nowhere to go because of the social distancing that is needed to combat the virus. So I decided to revisit an older hobby, strap making. Did some simple straps as I waited for the new tools and supplies to arrive, then got started on tooling some leather straps. As can be seen from the photos I have a way to go in learning this hobby, I am looking for this site to provide some of the needed information while I await the reopening of the leather worker club here at Sun City.

[Handstitched]

G'Day,

You went on a cruise? ....and lived?? What a legend  

When was the last time you did any leather work? Those straps look quite nice. Well done. 

I did think about ' re-visiting' an old past time myself.. ....exercise ...mmnah !! ...I'll stick to leather work . 

I've just been doing a heap of tidying up, re-arranging etc. to turn my meagre  workshop space into a "shop" ..of sorts , but at the same time leaving enough room for me to work. It was never meant to be a " shop shop" ,  as most of my business is done at various markets etc. but I have to make do and get creative   these days . 

Things are looking a 'little bit brighter' as far as the virus goes here in Oz , but restrictions are still in place for the foreseeable future , here, they're talking 6 months .  

Stay safe

HS

Edited April 7, 2020 by Handstitched

[Grindaur]

Yes we survived (no I am lying I am a Zombie that likes to leatherwork)!  I did quite a bit of stitching on leather straps in 2016 and 2017.  All on oil cured leather, did not start working on tooling any leather until a about mid Jan of this year.  Then we took off for south america for 21 days so I have not been tooling for a lot of time.  Keep in mind I show examples of my better work.  Some of the basket weaves curve and wander very realistically (if you ever saw my childhood baskets I tried to make.  The frustrating thing is there always seems to be some point on a project where my senior moment happens and there goes the masterpiece.  Lately it has been in the gluing, there are straps where it looks like I was trying to glue the edges not the faces together.  Well the good news is the Herman Oak belly I purchased was quite large so I should have plenty of leather to practice on.

[chuck123wapati]

On 3/29/2020 at 2:36 PM, mikesc said:

Heh zuludog..from someone who was educated ( mostly ) towards be a microbiologist ( with leanings towards the veterinary research side )..and who switched "midstream" ( after doing the chemistry and the biology parts ) to professional artist, designer, sculptor.

We are atheists like yourself.

 

The followers then all spread out and went home..to "all over the country" and "all over the world"..                 Or if "someone" on the other side of the pond decides to get belligerent with China so as to distract from their own ineptitude re Covid 19..A war 

Couldn't hang  with an education?

Atheist ? no wonder your scared.

You must mean Chinese new year right that's who really spread it and when it spread globally. There is only one person zero!

We don't start many wars but we sure finish them and its why you aren't speaking German right now.

You should keep this type of rant to fakebook this isn't the place. I like the LEATHER WORK forum and go here to get away from this crap and don't really need anti anything right now friend why don't we all choose to keep it about leather work. Keep safe, quit blaming start reading, after all you're about to be part of the 5g population control network and one great global community of people under constant surveillance. Isn't technology great? I know you are worried we all are the future doesn't exist anymore.

[Frodo]

 

Love the sculpting on the watch band. Do you mind if I give that a go on  a Holster? 

Edited April 7, 2020 by Frodo

[Handstitched]

@Grindaur You've done quite well considering you haven't done it for a while.

I'll be pulling out a few unfinished projects,  some that have been staring at me on my bench  for the last 6 months, but mainly the ones I threw in the ' too hard' basket ,and um...threw across the workshop( one is 16 years old) .... and a few that I simply didn't have time for . 

I normally do markets ( that have been canned) so I've been advertising locally a fair bit , and also sending texts to my ( horse rug)  regulars letting them know that their repairs can still be done as the cooler months approach . 

I don't do FB, but a friend of mine has kindly offered to put my  leather business on FB for me. 

While restrictions are still in place, a lot of the panic & hysteria  seems to have calmed down  here in Oz. Theres a few 'pin heads' that ignore restrictions but apart from that, everyone is doing the right thing, with 'tentative'  positive results .

Stay safe all  

HS

[Grindaur]

Will be interested in seeing what the unfinished projects look like.  I took some time yesterday and today (after having an oppsie on a work in progress) and made yet another strap.  So far I have no issues with it (knock on wood). Being an old man I have issues with attention and/or start to take short cuts as my mind starts to wander.  I am now trying to recognize the onset and find alternative activities rather than make another sad end for  a cow hide.

I downloaded some designs from ElkTracks.com and ordered a set of stamps, going to try something other than basket weave, and I cannot get to the tools that I was using at the club as it is closed.  I do think I need to up my leather weight from 2/3 to probably 5/6 before I attempt this as on a stupid sample of my own design I cut right through the leater.

[TonyV]

I work in an essential industry and I must go to work 5 days per week.  No work from home for me.  I'm also 62, COPD and a heart condition.  I take safety measures as well as I'm able, nevertheless I still come into close proximity with people that have no clue what 6 ft, 2 yards, or 2 meters/metres looks like.   

A busy spring with plenty to do in the house and the yard, and as I was layed up over winter recovering from a surgery, I have had my fill of isolating at home and I am itching to get my camper out to the deserts of Utah with some PTO.  They haven't closed down the desert yet.  Plenty of isolation there.  I will take my unfinished belt and finish it, and I will make a knife sheath to match.  Or at least start it.  

[Handstitched]

I hope all is getting better in your part of the universe.  Here in West  Oz, the amount of  confirmed virus cases  are now in the single digits, we had just one new case recently , after going down to zero a few days ago  , and some restrictions are sort of slowly being lifted , albeit cautiously.  

So far , I've managed to get through quite a few unfinished projects, and when I've finally finished these unfinished  projects, I'll take a pic of them all. 

I've had some business coming through the gate, thanks to a regular customer , God bless  her   She gave us a free  2kg leg of lamb a few weeks back,   I marinated &  BBQ'ed it , sooooo delish!!  I cooked it thats why ,lol,  

Peace

HS

[zuludog]

I saw this comment on another forum -

Next time you go for a job interview you are likely to be asked 'How did you spend your time during the Lockdown?' or 'What new skills did you learn during the Lockdown?'

I don't think that 'rolling my navel fluff into little balls and flicking it into an old coffee cup at the end of the table' would be the sort of answer they would appreciate

[Handstitched]

@zuludog So I guess your new ' skill'  with the fluff would have to be,  ' belly button ping pong'  or ' tummy tennis' , you may have created a 'new' online sensation  , you'll be famous I'm sure    

HS

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Handstitched

[topazann]

I set out to make a personalized journal for each member of my tabletop roleplaying group. I finished last night and started mailing them out today before our next remote session (my friends don't know yet!)

[Draconias]

Howdy all,

First post, I have been lurking, reading lots of post, watching videos, and coming back up to speed. I did leather work back in high school in the mid to late 70's. Mostly just various kits and belts from Tandy, doing the tooling and then double stitch lacing wallets and purses.  Picked it up again when my oldest was in scouts about 30 years ago. 

I got laid off a month ago, and decided a few weeks ago to pull out my leather tools and get back into leather working. My wife is also excited about doing the leather work.  She ordered a half hide of chrome tanned leather.  I have modified a dental pick into a scratching awl (read about that in one of the post, and it works great).  I have cut out 5 different wallets and purses from pdf files I have found on the interwebs.  That is something new for me, cutting out the projects from a piece of leather.  We also ordered a bunch of stuff from Tandy, replacing the old finishes, and getting sewing supplies, and some other stuff.  Looking forward to punching my own holes and trying the sewing instead of lacing.  It does seem strange to not tool the leather and sew instead of lacing, kind of like cheating and not doing all of the work I remember doing in the past, lol.  I am also working on a couple of modular stitching pony for my wife and me.  I'll post pictures once they are done.

Thanks for listening to me ramble,

Ron