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Leathercrafting Creations: PYC


OptimaDies

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Been a while, nice to see everyone's doing great stuff. Welcome to the new folks!

Been super busy lately, one of the big things was that I had some dies produced so that I can save my hands from cutting the same thing hundreds of times and hopefully be able to do custom work again. Did my three small pieces first, and will do my other pieces in the next few months. I have the lacing holes included in the dies, because while the die itself is a bitch to design it really saves time and produces a perfect product over and over.

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Next up, I did my Bottlehook in camo. It's a 3d dye sublimation process, the hooks are powder coated with a two layer job then the top layer is dyed with the pattern so it's super durable.

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and last, did some more custom hardware. sweet-orr style split key rings, I designed everything here including the ring itself. Nice and heavy duty, a bit more so than the old rings of the early 1900's. Cast iron ring is made from the mold, then the graphic is stamped just like the old style.

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corter, does the dye punch the holes for you or simply mark them for your awl?

it punches the holes! pretty cool, but super $$ to have made so you've gotta be super careful and design/redesign/test/redesign to make sure everything's in the right place.

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Thanks dudes. Ray- really not too bad on the expense related to the value/time saving aspect. For simple card holders it's totally justifiable!

Simon- just ordered a press from Weaver, I've got a shop that lets me rent industrial presses for like $20/hr if I need something bigger. I went with the small hand press because I'm mounting it in the van I'm building out for my business. That way I can travel and work, camp and work, work on the beach, whatever. 2013 is the year the business stops running me and I start running the business, no more 16 hour days alone cutting and sewing (well...a month more of that until the rest of the dies come in!). I've started doing some events and selling in person, and being around people for the first time in 5 years has been a game changer. gonna be rad to roll up with materials, do demos and let people punch out their own leather, pick their thread and sew along with me :)

Edited by corter
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I've been loosely following the chronicle of the Corter van on twitter, but I didn't realize that the plan was to take the whole show on the road, that's awesome. Really excited to see some photos of the finished workshop-in-a-van situation.

Here I'm considering letting leather stuff take over the other half of the living room, but I'm really attached to this gold velvet chesterfield that lives against the opposite wall. Not sure if I can make that sacrifice.

Sounds like you had a blast at NorthernGRADE, those events are really something special.

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Need some help. I recently made a dog leash for our 25 lb snarling mass of viciousness:

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Brutus is a pug/beagle mix with terrible teeth. Love that underbite:

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I picked up a belt blank & hardware from Tandy. At the time, they didn't have a 1" so I bought a 1.25" and cut it down. It came out Ok for a first attempt but it has some soft spots (for lack of a better term). Most of the leather is stiff and solid feeling but there are 3 areas that of several inches in length where the leather is soft and wrinkly.

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Soft spot:

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Close crop of soft spot:

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Is that normal? If not, is there anything I can do to prevent it in the future?

Edited by patrick_b
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This could be a case of something going wrong in the tanning process or maybe you got a cut near the belly, where the fibres are less dense. Or it could be other things, but the aforementioned would be my guess, although I'm no expert..

Another thing - I would not use Chicago screws to secure the snap. Use something more solid like solid copper rivets.

Edited by simontuntelder
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This could be a case of something going wrong in the tanning process or maybe you got a cut near the belly, where the fibres are less dense. Or it could be other things, but the aforementioned would be my guess, although I'm no expert..

Another thing - I would not use Chicago screws to secure the snap. Use something more solid like solid copper rivets.

Thanks for the feedback Simon, much appreciated. Glad you mentioned the chicago screws as well. I went in there thinking rivets but the SA at Tandy (store mgr, IIRC) suggested chicago screws as they'd be stronger. He recommended loctite on the threads as well. They were out of brass hardware as well so I had to go with the nickel. I like the look of the brass stuff especially after it ages.

I don't plan on making more than a few more for friends & family but I'm open to suggestions on the topic of rivets vs. chicago screws as well.

Thanks again for your input.

Edited by patrick_b
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That leather wrinkling is indeed because you got a strap cut close to the belly, just make sure to inspect the straps next time and you should be fine! I'm sure we go to the same Tandy so you probably dealt with Rob- chicago screws work ok, but I'd also go with copper rivets like Simon said. That or a few rows of stitching.

If you're ever in the city feel free to swing by my shop, I've got plenty of extra strapping leather to cut a thin piece for you.

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Sounds like you had a blast at NorthernGRADE, those events are really something special.

Definitely agree with this.

Gave me shuddered just by seeing the review from well-spent, plus in fact that I'm so far away from Chicago.

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i just made a latigo belt for two of my friends, and just realized that the buckle end was from the shoulders, and the end were bellies, explaining why it got soft. Is there a recommended part that belts are made of? I'm assuming the bends?

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i just made a latigo belt for two of my friends, and just realized that the buckle end was from the shoulders, and the end were bellies, explaining why it got soft. Is there a recommended part that belts are made of? I'm assuming the bends?

Ive only ever made belts out of backs.

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i'm closing this thread

it is tedious cleaning it up

feel free to start a NON-COMMERCIAL leathercrafting thread in superculture

reminder: it is not permitted for anyone but paying sponsors to post links in their sigs to off-site sales

EDIT: THE NEW NON-SHILLING POST-CAPITALIST LEATHER FETISH THRAK IS HERE

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