Shop Update

There is a lot happening behind the scenes, I promise.  I have a few things on the bench in various states of completion.  I should have some pictures of things up soon.  I'm still waiting on the new sewing machine so there are a few things on hold for that.  But to please the masses that check this thing (which probably is just my Mom), here is a quick sketch.

I am very intrigued by the life of the old trappers and fur traders.  And more than that, the lives of their wives or loved ones.  These guys were gone for months at a time doing their job, maybe they returned, maybe they didn't.  No cell phones to check in five times a day.  They were way up in the mountains so there was probably not even a telegram station, yet the wives kept the home and waited.  How would you know when to give up?  Dave Stamey's "Crazy Mary" is probably one of the best songs I've ever heard and it is about this exact situation.  So here's my Ode to the Trapper sketch.

Antique Tutorial

I always say that I antique all of the items I make.  Some people have asked exactly what that means so I figured I'd show how I do it.  There are different ways to achieve this, but this is the method I was shown and it works for the look I'm shooting for. 

We'll start with some spur straps that are already tooled (these are two tone, so they have been dyed also), oiled and a light layer of Neat-lac has been applied and dried.  This is an important step because the Neat-lac acts as a resist to the antique paste we will apply.  There are other resists on the market, but once again, this is what I like.  It is also important to let the leather dry between all of these steps to get good even looks.

You hopefully can see the difference between the one already antiqued (left) and the one without.

Take some antique paste and cut up squares of wool skin.  The wool skin is trimmed down to make a good buffing rag.  Make sure to have enough wool, you do not want to get in the middle of doing this and have to cut and trim more.  You want to get the excess paste off before it starts to setup.

 

Here's a picture of the project before beginning.

Now with the paste applied, it looks ruined but really it's just a mess right now.

I then take a paper towel and wipe of the major amount.  Use a clean section each swipe over to get the stuff from the top while leaving paste in the indentions.

Then I take the wool skin pieces and start using a little elbow grease to get the paste off.  If the wool skin gets dirty, get a clean one.  You are trying to remove the extra paste, not just smear it around.  Continue wiping until you get the desired look.  The wool skins should get progressively cleaner.  The only reason I went to using a paper towel for the first wiping was to save wool skins.  I use them for the final cleans and buffing of the paste.

After letting it sit a little, I will rub over it again to kind of buff the high spots.  Now it should match pretty close to the other one.

I come back and put a layer of Neat-lac or Tan Kote over it and call it finished.  Now I have to glue and sew the liner on and rub and dye the edges.  I have antiqued after sewing before, but it will discolor your thread and pack paste down in the holes.  Sometimes this may be the look you are going for but not always.  There are also times when you try to distress the leather.  This can be anything from rubbing it in the dirt to taking sand paper to it.  I know some guys that do movie stuff and they want the leather to look already worn in.  I've seen a guy drag a pair of brand new chaps behind his truck in the dirt for a rough look.  Trial and error is how you learn a lot of this.  Take care, RW

Sketch of the Week

This week while in the confines of morning meetings, I couldn't help but think of a morning on the range.  Coffee brewing over the coals, biscuits in the dutch oven.  Of course a couple of hands riding to get the horses and all lined up for the day.  The large red sun rising over the plateaus, beginning to bake the dry land.  Yet, here we city boys are sitting behind a desk being talked to like a bunch of mindless lemmings.  The smell of Starbuck's permeates the still office air, fluorescent lighting giving the world a faint bluish orange tint.  Oh the life that we lead, I bet the boys out there on the range are very envious. 

Pray for the old traditions, teach them to your kids.  Let them know that real cowboys aren't playing football on Sunday.

That's enough of my soapbox, here's the weekly/monthly sketch.  Hope you enjoy.  Vaya con Dios, RW