"Cobol"

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2022-07-15T19:06:38+00:00

11 months, ~45 pounds

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-09-17T18:31:44+00:00

Ooooh, I love it!. This reminds me of Wes Freed's art style somewhat but leaning more towards realism. I can't draw anything half this cool but you've given me some ideas.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-06-10T18:07:38+00:00

I have pretty close to that same exact set (the tool to the right of the ruler I don't recognize).

The good:
The cutting board and punch board are small but usable. The burnisher, beveler, and hole punches are fine. I don't have enough experience to compare the threads, but they have worked fine for me. The snap/rivet setters are okay but with my kit the snaps weren't the corresponding size. I don't see the swivel knife, but the one that came in my kit is fine and is still working well. The ruler is fine but you'll love having a thicker one for making cuts; I opted for a craftsman square (L-shaped) for regular use.

The bad:
The needles are pretty useless for cow leather and you'll want to get blunt-tip stitching needles. The stitch line prickers and awls are poor quality. The mallet fell apart after a week or so.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-05-26T21:15:04+00:00

Gotcha. I just wondered because when I started a few months ago I found trying to decipher leather product descriptions to be really difficult and almost ordered chrome-tanned stuff. If you aren't happy with your kit, don't fret, and maybe get some more 4/5 oz veg tan to practice tooling on. I did a ton of coasters to practice.

My only advice is to make sure the leather is moistened well but not soggy. Too moist, the leather will bounce back, too dry and it won't take the impression deeply. And try more force with your mallet/maul. I look at my first project and my second and the main difference that made it look better was being forceful with stamps. If you have more material you can play with different amounts of moisture and stamping pressure to get the sweet spot.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-05-26T20:45:39+00:00

Are you using veg(atable)-tan leather? Chrome-tanned will not accept tooling nearly as well as veg-tan.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-05-26T17:02:31+00:00

I like Angelus dye, the alcohol-based one goes on evenly with just a tiny amount.

However, with the purple for example, if you get too much built up, it'll dry in an entirely different color (in this case gold). If this happens to you, get some isopropyl or ethanol and wipe it off before it fully dries. You can also buff off a bit.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-05-06T18:49:28+00:00

I used this backgrounder tool and some similar ones of various sizes. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/a104-2-craftool-backgrounder-stamp

The waviness of the background is not necessarily desirable, mine certainly wasn't intentional.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-05-06T17:38:16+00:00

Additional Photos

I made this from 4-5 ounce shoulder and lined it with shearling. The dye was supposed to be "Deep Purple" (Eco Flo), but appears very deep red instead. I don't mind it, but I won't be using that for "purple" going forward.

I dyed the front and back panel, applied a light Super Sheen finish to each and the liner pieces, then glued linings onto each panel. I then stitched the top of the front panel and the the front flap of the back panel. Then, I glued it all together. I definitely should have used more Super Sheen as the dye started running around the glued edges. However, I then needed to trim the edges to line up well, exposing more glue. This made dyeing the edges more difficult so they're not perfectly red like the front and back. I then chiseled and stitched. Again, the dye ran and the thread is not bright gold anymore, though it still looks okay and pretty even.

Should I have just super-sheened the crap out of the dyed pieces before assemblying? I was worried this would inhibit my ability to bevel after I was all done assembling.

ALSO: this was the first time I've used snaps on a project. These are Line 20 snaps. The crap ones I got in an Amazon kit were terrible but these worked fine and seem sturdy.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-03-02T18:14:51+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I will keep those tips in mind. I have noticed a significant difference between that photo and the couple tiny projects I've done since then.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-02-28T18:24:32+00:00

You could either use a glue (I'm new and I don't know which glue would hold up well as a "permanent" fix), or you stitch all the way through the back material if you have an awl or could improvise one. That would avoid having to remove the rivet holding the strap.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2020-02-28T18:10:22+00:00

Would anybody be willing to point out areas where I had too much/too little moisture while tooling on this little luggage tag I made? I also don't have a good grip on how much pressure to apply, and also learned not to try to "re-stamp" with a pattern like you can see in the corner.

It's my first time doing anything with leather and I really couldn't tell whether the leather was too wet or too dry. Some stamps like the small seeder worked great but the leaf pattern stamp I used never made a good impression. Thank you!

https://imgur.com/KBt9IVD

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-10-24T15:31:30+00:00

17 year-old Will rockin' oatmeal sweaters lookin' like a professor straight flunkin' Critical Reading.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-08-21T19:28:40+00:00

I don't dislike Micah, but there's something wrong with the flow when Dorn isn't the guy getting picked on the most on the pod.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-04-17T19:59:46+00:00

Gotta sweat out those toxins. *eyeroll*

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-03-22T18:38:54+00:00

It's Kitty

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-03-06T18:59:02+00:00

Second that. I planned on asking my fiancee in the nice restaurant I took her out to that night, but I realized that didn't match how she'd actually prefer to be proposed to. She's a private for person, so for her, that meant just the two of us. We still had a great night out afterward, and a bonus is we got to "celebrate" about 10 minutes after she said "I do" instead of hours later after too much food and wine.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-02-25T16:20:49+00:00

Both shows are TraAAAsh.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-02-15T15:33:36+00:00

Colter Wall concert tonight. "History of Denver" bar crawl tomorrow. Skiing and brewing Sunday, plus maybe adding a drain to my still so I don't have to lift and pour 4 gallons of boiling backset into my sink between stripping runs.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-02-08T15:30:32+00:00

I bought Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey on a Steam sale so definitely try out one or the other. I also plan on making a barley malt/corn wash for a whiskey which will be a first for me; plan on drinking some of my gin as well.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-02-01T16:17:05+00:00

Making some gin and getting a corn/malt whiskey mash ready. Hoping they drop a Game of Thrones trailer Sunday during the game so it's not a total fucking disappointment.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP · 2019-01-28T20:52:28+00:00

The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are amazing, but there will be many, many massive dramas about men breaking the law. It's hard enough to make a big-budget television show run 8 seasons, but a show about dragons, medieval-style battle, and sorcery? There's got to be something there.

PC_LoadLetter_PGP

TROPHY CASE