New Project

[Gun Butcher]

  Hey Pards, This is a cell phone case(part of) that I am working on and I wanted you guys to look at it and tell me what you think. Please be honest and don't spare my feelings. If I ain't grown up enough to take it by now then I do need to Quit.

[cowboywc]

Howdy GB
Very nice job on the carving. The only thing I have to offer is try to stay away from having so much
background. It is hard to keep even and can stretch your project out of shape.
WC

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That looks very nice, BG. WC is right about lessening the background. I find backgrounding gets old if there't too much of it. When I do one with a large amount to do, I use a background tool that does less texturing. There are some interesting ones available. That also seems to have less tendency to stretch the leather. Your tooling is good work. Post a pic of the finished item when you're done.

[Gun Butcher]

   Hey, thank you guys very much. This is 6-7oz leather and I have not worked with this weight very much so I didn't know what I had done to cause it to stretch so much. As you can pobably tell I used part of a tooling pattern and I guess I took out to much.
Will the same thing happen to heavier weight material or is it more forgiving?

As far as posting Pics after it is done  This is a special order and the lady wants hot pink and silver on a black background.  Ought to be a real shocker, but if you would like I will. Maybe we can start a thread on what not to do or at least what to talk someone out of???   If I get paid for it , it will be the first in 25 years.

Thanks again for you honesty and helpfulness.  GB

[Ace Lungger]

Howdy GB,
I think it looks awesome! I wish I was 1/8th that good. I think you are doing a great job, but I can't carve yet. Maybe we can get WC to help both of us at the same time, I can see his point on to much back ground, so what does a person do, just let it fade back to normal?

WC, I would bet you, that if you had a cam corder one of the New ones that burn to DVD, put it on a tri pod, and have it zoomed in on the working area,where a person can see what you are doing.  Have a floral design on a knife sheath or a half of a holster and explain the tool and maybe even the  tool number that you used to do each step, and the concecpt of why that tool does what,do a complete simple knife sheath, I think you  could sell a boat load!! The only thing you would need to do is find a encrption program that will burn each DVD and then people couldn't copy it. Or you could have MW put a sticky up and see how many people would buy it, before you made it, and if you got enough pre orders to make you some good money, you would not have to worry about the encrption part!
If I lived close to you, I would do the camera work, and the Encrepction part. So you sell them for $25.95 plus $4.00 ship, if you sell 100 of them, you made $2400.00, I know that isn't much money, but i wouldn't be pinching so many pennies if I had a couple 1000.00 around. I have had several people one here that don't live to far, that have offered to let me come over and learn!
But I never know when I am going to have a good day. And if you did set upa day, sure as the world, I would have a bad one, and then you have messed the other persons day up. Just like today, I realy got something done! First day I felt have way decent for a long time!!

Sorry, for getting so long winded!
ACE

[knucklehead]

looks great.

but have 1 question and 1 suggestion.
question:  its my understanding that the backgrounding is done last. is this a basic rule that can be broken and not hurt final outcome of project?

suggestion: i usually do not tool completly to the edge of leather. i like to leave a border on all sides of the design. this may help your next project

[Gun Butcher]

Knucklehead, as far as your question goes I am not sure what the correct protocol would be.  And I thank you for your suggestion but, I left a sewing area. I did not want a border like on a holster. Of course it would have reduced my background area so there you go, I should have used one. 
  I would like to know the answer to Aces question. What do you do when you don't want much pattern, just do a minimal background area or what?

[Wiley Desperado]

There are at least three things in regards to the stretch factor of the leather.  The weight of the leather, the size of the piece and where the piece was cut from.  Belly leather has a lot of strecth to it.  back and shoulder much less stretch.  If you have leather that is light weight, small or is cut from the belly place it on sticky shelveing paper before carving and it will hold its shape better while you work it.  A border stamp will also reduce some of that back grounding area.  Hey what do I know just my experience, you do good work  GB.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

                                                                        Nice work GB 




                                                                          tEN wOLVES   



                                       

[cowboywc]

Howdy
You don't have to have a border and you don't have to background out to your stitch line either.
Just bevel the outer lines a little flatter or use a matting tool.
Here is a pix of the back of the Walker holster. It has a piece of the same pattern as the front but no
boarder to background up to. I just  beveled a little flatter.
WC

[cowboywc]

Howdy knucklehead
Most all the books say to background last when you leather is almost dry. This helps to keep it from sponging
back up.
I am not one for sticking to rules. I normally background right after I carve. This cuts out half of my beveling.
You have to control your backgrounder very well to not put chips in you cut line. The bad side is you have to
be very careful when you re-wet your leather (if it's a big job).
WC

[cowboy316]

amen WC cut out as much beveling all possible when every you dont need it nice and smooth like in the middle you ro f flowers or scroll work lol 
               Cowboy316

[Gun Butcher]

  Thanks again everyone.
Wiley, thats the kind of info I need to remember that I use to know. Its been a long time and it is coming back but it sure helps to have you guys to remind me. I think that piece was right on the edge of the belly.
CWC, the picture is "worth a thousand words", I see that your backgrounding on the walker holster is only inside the pattern. Would it look right on a pattern that doesn't have a closed area to just fade the background out a little way from the pattern.

       Oh, I am glad that wasn't a big piece. I'm gonna call that one practice and make a new one.  GB

[JD Alan]

Gun Butcher, thanks for sharing your project. It sure did a great job of bringning out the pro's advice. I think the project looks good. I would have punched a hole in it with that much background

WC Great tooling on that Walker Holster. Cordell will really like it................. Sorry. "Humor, a difficult thing"

Seriusly, I love that design. I will have to black & whie that picture and practice carving that one.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Regardeing re-wetting leather, I keep a fine spray bottle of water on hand. One that mists rather than lobs a lot of water. I can keep the leather exactly the right wetness all the time.

Good-looking holster, WC. I like that pattern.

Here's an example of using the background tool along the beveled edge for another way to accomplish the job.

[Ace Lungger]

WC, & MW, AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME
I love it when you guys posts your carving!! It does this old cow poke good to put a gleam in my eyes every now and then!! I havn't gave up, I just havn't realy got started! A real nice gentleman had contactd me before I went to my Sons back in OCT., because a friend of his had me make him a cross draw holster for his lemon squezzer, this other gentleman wanted me to make him a shoulder holster, and i and his friend had explain to him, that I don't do rush jobs, because I cannot !! The old back won't let me! So this gentleman told me, lets wait untill the hoildays were over, and I said that would be great! Our weather has been like everyone else real crappy, but I needed to get on this shoulder holster! So I got  hold f this Gentleman and got my meaurements, and started on my pattern, I sent him 4 dfferent rigs out of Packing Iron and I let him choose with one he wanted. After he pick it out, I sent him differnt rosettes and flowers that I could stamp out and got all that figure out and then I did a computer drawing of it and sent it to him for approval! got that all done, and then I started making patterns! After I got my patterns down, I slipped out to the shop and boxed up some tools and and a side of leather, and takig my time, in and out of bed, I got the leather cut out! Well I figured I had pushed my luck as far as I should with my wifey!!
And I didn't want to drag all my stamps and this and that, so I headed to the shop Tues Morining and just stop here a little bit ago. Now I am waiting on coats to dry. I have never done a finish like this. But I am down to the easy stuff now! But I do have my swivel knife in the house and some scrap leather, and when the old back lets me, I get up and practice!! I figure the more I learn to control that knife, that will just put me one more step down the road!

thanks guys for someing me and everyone else such great carving!!!!
ACE

[cowboywc]

 I see that your backgrounding on the walker holster is only inside the pattern. Would it look right on a pattern that doesn't have a closed area to just fade the background out a little way from the pattern.

      Howdy
Yes you can fade the background away.
WC

[Gun Butcher]

 Thanks Cowboy and  Marshall, I am now on round two I will post some pics when I get it done.

[JD Alan]

Will, your versatility never ceases to amaze me. That (I think) holster is way outside the box on what is normally seen. I would sure like to see a picture of the whole thing. JD

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I'm looking forward to the next pics, GB.

I don't want to hijack this thread but here it is, JD. It isn't cowboy, for sure.