Keeping Busy During Lockdown

[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.