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Im looking to create a domed belt but don't know the full construction in order to achieve said belt.
From what im assuming its a domed filler of some sort ie plastic domed strips or cardboard of some sort unless im completely wrong.
Could someone shed some light on this.
Much appreciated.
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Please recommend a perfect course/detailed training for this or recommendations.
Thank You.
Unfortunately it is difficult to match panel/gussets to your pattern in real life unless you stick to a specific type of leather and thickness that works with that particular pattern. You may have it mathematically correct, however, if you change the thickness of the leather, use leather that is softer or more firm, or you stretch/compress the leather more around the corners, your dimensions can be wildly off, even on a small bag.
Trial and error using similar materials to make prototypes works well, then you can transfer these measurements onto a pattern.
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About a year ago I made a strop following the How to Make a Leather Strop tutorial. I recharge it with green compound occasionally but It seems to have less grit than in the past; more of a slick surface. Im wondering if I can revive it by sanding down the surface and reapplying green compound.
A similar question arises as I consider making a new strop and since I have a few knives made with D 2 steal I’m wondering if a diamond compound because of its hardness would be good alternative to green compund.
When you use a strop charged with compound, it removes particles of steel. Eventually there is more steel particles on the surface than abrasive, and the strop loses effectiveness. Either recharge with more compound, or use a well worn sanding sponge to break up the surface. I do both interchangeably. Fresh sanding blocks tend to lose grit particles, so avoid them.
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Hi, my Name ist Nicole and I started crafting as a Hobby a few years ago with a course to make a leather dog collar. I started then with smaller goods like wallets, purses, key chains, bracelets.. and then started working on projects like belts, bridles, dog collars with Inlays like stingray etc,...and ended up being fascinated of crafting handbags and special Projects. I made several online courses and also some courses with wonderful special crafter-teachers like Christina Roth in small groups. But as I have very little time and are not as flexible as I would wish, I searched for a possibility to advance my skills whenever I have time and "stalked" Philip for some time now on insta, Youtube etc.. :-) ...And also I look very much forward to share ideas in a group of Fellow crafters and meet nice people which share the same interest in leatherwork❤️�…
Hi Nicole, welcome! It’s great to have you here. Sounds like you’ve explored a brilliant range of projects already, and stingray inlays and handbags are a deep rabbit hole, in the best way. I’m glad you finally stopped stalking and joined us properly 😉 Looking forward to seeing your work and sharing ideas together!
Philip
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I am in leathercraft since 2018 (except my childhood crafting experiences repairing some horse and dogstuff). Happy to learn and refine some skills and tricks.
Also love the Podcast on Spotify - great entertainment while working in the atelier
Welcome! It's great to have you join us, and thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself here :D
Philip
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I have always admired these classic trunks and was keen to have a go. I decided to make a slightly larger version than the example in the class; going for a small case rather than the shoulder bag.
The covering is goatskin with veg tanned leather reinforcement.
The handle is the same size as that taught in the Mini Doctors Bag course and that then sits nicely between the two brass locks.
It's my first attempt at anything like this and it has taken a while. There are lots of small errors but I'm very pleased with the overall look.
I have built a pocket into the lid using the design in the Mini Doctors Bag and plan to make a removable divider tray for the base (but thats for another day).
It was a complicated build but I found that the course videos provided excellent step by step guidance.
Wow, that case in incredible! I love that you've modified the design to suit your needs. The colour combination here is also on point. Good job with the locks too.
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I finally finished my first bag, from the Turenne course... Came out okay, maybe better than I expected, and I learned a lot during the build...
First thing I learned was not to use contrasting stitching on your first bag build... 😂 Both the first gusset and the first flap that I sewed in were kinda rough in spots... a somewhat matching thread would have been so much more forgiving... and the interior pocket stitching was, let's just say it's good it is on the inside... 🤫 And I have to work more on taking my time on certain parts... I tend to try to get too much done in one sitting, and really need to learn how to slow down... 🙃
But it was really fun, and I'm looking forward to doing another one in ostrich at some point... I really want to try the edges like in th…
Regardless of this being your first, the finishing is very good. Factoring in this being your first foray into bag making, it's incredible. You should be very proud.
Being able to stitch neatly is one skill that takes a while to develop. However, doing so on a bag with hard to reach areas, tight turns, curves, changing thicknesses and odd angles, it's a different level entirely.
The contrast does go nicely with pink. In my mind, it's a fun colour, so a more casual contrast stitch works well.
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I have some 1.5mm veg tan that I'm hoping to dye and use for the Zip Wallet. I have a couple questions about the process: - I was planning on cutting the rough pieces, then dyeing, then cutting exactly to the templates. I worry that the dye could shrink/warp the leather, I just want to confirm that this the best order of operations.
- I'm using Fiebings Leather Dye in Yellow, which is an alcohol based dye. The manufacturer recommends using their Resolene product as a finish, but I think the acrylic might have a poorer hand feel than a wax/oil. I tried using Fiebings Atom Wax, but it significantly darkened the colour to more of a brown. I'm thinking of either trying a Carnauba wax, the Resolene acrylic, or just ordering a different pre-coloured leather (like the Alran Sully I'm using for the interior). What would you recommend?
I think the Sully would look great for that, and would definitely be way easier to deal with than having to dye and finish everything else. Buttero comes in a nice yellow though if you decide to go with a pre-colored veg tan and some suppliers also have Buttero Hatch in yellow as well which is kind of like a saffiano print, it's very nice. Plus with the pre-finished leathers you don't have to worry about having to finish them afterwards and potentially still having dye rub off at some point. Although with the yellow you would still have to test different conditioners to see which one darkens it the least amount.
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I'm fairly new to leatherworking, I've done a few starter projects but I found it hard to find patterns/tutorials for the kind of things I want to work on. I've watched most of the beginner videos already, done a bunch of stitching practice, and I'm waiting on materials to make the Zip Wallet.
Hi Alan, welcome to the forum! Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself to us all.
Hi Gavin. For handmade belts, the most popular filler for a raised centre section is going to be a strip of vegetable tanned leather, and some kind of synthetic non-stretch fabric backing. On very cheap belts you may see cardboard or rubber, but I wouldn't recommend it for durability reasons. Some also use bonded leatherboard, which can cut costs if bought in bulk.