LEATHEROO

Magazine Cover

2011-12-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

I just found out that one of my seats is on the cover of Heavy Duty magazine. Issue 114 Jan/Feb 2011!!

Bike Set

2011-11-15T01:52:00.000-08:00

This set includes a seat with top and bottom carvings, with matching fork wraps, key tag and his and hers braided bracelets.

Another seat

2011-11-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

Heres another take on the Ace of Spades theme

Leather Cover for Macbook Air..

2011-10-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a cover i made for the new Macbook Air. Croc embossed leather, leather lined, roo lacing and a leather covered snap.

How I Cover a Wooden bangle in Leather

2011-09-17T02:45:00.000-07:00

This technique must be credited to Peter Main who taught this technique at the 2009 Dimensions in Leather conference in Australia. I hope I am doing it justice!!!
The wooden blank I am using has been covered in the past, but my darling dog Rupert decided he needed to taste it. I have removed the old leather and sanded it back as best i could.

Next i cut a piece of soft sheep skin. It is going to be stuck to the inside of the bangle then wrapped around the edges of the bangle to meet in the middle.. When measuring, make sure the leather in long enough to over lap about 1cm. If there is not enough over lap, it will pull apart in the next step. Very carefully skive the short ends that are going to over lap. The finer the skiving, the better it will look and the join won't be seen.

Next I glue the sheep skin to the inside of the bangle. I put the glue on the inside of the bangle and not all over the leather, but I do put the glue on the ends of the leather that are going to be over laped. Carefully centre the leather and stick to the inside of the bangle. Allow the glue to completely dry otherwise the over lap will pull apart in the next step. It should now look like this.

Now comes the hardest bit. The leather has to be pulled back over the wooden edge. I start at the join as this is the weakest point. It is quite tricky to do, but it can be done. Work your way around, doing a bit at a time. It has to be pulled really tight otherwise there will be wrinkles. After i get it all rolled over, I go around and pull it even tighter!!!! I then use my fingers to press the leather down under the ridge. In a perfect world the edges would line up nice and evenly but I just trim at this stage. I then go back and put some glue under the leather. As you can see mine is a bit messy, but it is going to be covered by three more layers of leather. It now looks like this.

Next I cut two strips of leather that are going to give the bangle a nice domed shape. One is smaller than the other. The larger one should not go right to the inside edge of the ridge . I skive all the edges.

Next I glue the thinnest one first. Remember to stagger the joins around the bangle.

Now i glue the second strip. Notice it doesn't go right up to the edge.

Now its time to decide what the top layer will be. I am using a piece of croc embossed leather. Remember to skive all the edges.

Now its time to stick the final layer on. Make sure that the glue is spread right to the edges. I have used contact cement for this top layer as the leather is quite firm. You can see in the picture below that the edges have not been pressed down yet. This is the final step. Using either your fingers, modelling tool or bone folder, go around the edges and press very firmly under the ridge.

Here it is all finished with all the edges pressed down.

And now I can wear it!!!

HD logo solo seat

2011-08-27T20:58:00.001-07:00

My first holster... for a Glock

2011-07-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

New seat just finished

2011-07-05T22:23:00.003-07:00

Made myself a backpack

2011-06-27T16:30:00.001-07:00

New solo seat

2011-04-30T04:06:00.001-07:00

A couple of tank straps

2011-01-11T00:40:00.000-08:00

Ace of Spades solo seat

2010-12-20T23:39:00.000-08:00

Leather Covered Headlight

2010-12-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here's the headlight to match the Rock'n Rolla seat and leather grips.

Leather covered grips to match Rock'n Rolla Seat

2010-12-07T23:24:00.001-08:00

Rockn Rolla seat finished

2010-12-03T14:29:00.001-08:00

Rockn Rolla Seat a work in progress

2010-12-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest seat for my new friend Joe...thanks for a great carving design!

Skeletons Work

2010-10-13T01:12:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest seat and I have called it the Skeletons Work.

Thanks for looking.

Tank Strap

2010-09-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

New tank strap for a harley with the silver feather as the main feature.

HOG Seat

2010-08-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest seat with a HOG design. For sale now.

Bracer/Cuff

2010-08-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

New leather cuff with eagle design. Roo lacing to tie.
For sale now...$30 for one or $50 for a pair.

Made myself a display seat

2010-08-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

I made myself a seat for "show and tell"

Slideshow problem

2010-08-10T20:39:00.001-07:00

Slideshow wont load properly...hope to have it fixed soon
cheers
caroline

Leather covered bangle

2010-08-10T00:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a torque bangle that i have covered in kangaroo leather. For sale now..$30

HD seat

2010-08-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

Just finished the HD seat...lettering takes such a long time!!!

Biomechanical Solo Seat

2010-07-30T03:11:00.000-07:00

New solo seat for sale $300 with free postage in Australia. Made on a 3mm steel pan with mounting bolts welded in place. One inch of neoprene foam, carved biomech design and kangaroo lacing.

Back Rests for trike

2010-07-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

Here are couple of backrests that i made for my new friend Mark's trike

Lace cutter and beveller from BWR whips

2010-07-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with my new favourite toy that i received from Beven at http://www.bwrwhips.com/
It works like a dream. I would never have thought that bevelling lace could be so easy. Soon as i finish up my precut roo i will be giving the cutting part a go. Thanks Beven.

Barebones seat on polished pan

2010-07-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

This seat has been made for a show trike. No padding with the leather riveted to a polished pan.

Latest Solo Seat

2010-07-16T21:13:00.001-07:00

All black solo seat with inverted carved initials and roo lacing.

loopless dog lead

2010-06-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

Here is todays effort. A loopless dog lead. I have never been happy with the way a regular dog lead feels in the hand so i have made this loopless lead. It will be used for obedience and agility. Easy on, easy off. Three different colors of kangaroo 3mm lacing, black, green and brown. Six strand braid with decorative knots.

How I make a leather mask

2010-06-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

This is a hairdressing head used for teaching, the hair has been cut offand the head sliced in half and mounted on a board.

Using 2mm leather, i cut a rough shape of leather, this depends on the shape of the mask...big..small....wide...tall..

With this mask i had a general idea of what i wanted, so i cut the basic shape and then cut some long skinny bits and the section for the nose and the split that i knew i wanted at the top of the head. Time to wet the leather..i give it about 30 secs in warm water until no more bubbles appear.

Now comes the fun part..time to pinch and bend the leather into the shape you want. Sometimes the leather dictates where the folds and flaps and stickie out bits will be...i find this also depends on the begining shape you have cut.The photo below shows the half way mark of the shaping, note the little claps and pins, these help keep the folds where you want them until they dry a bit. Remember to use a strip of leather under the clamps so you dont get marks on the leather.

Here is the mask with both sides done. It was quite hard to get both sides the same and have made a note to self when doing a mask like this to work each side as i go and not to complete one side and then have to work to get the other the same

Here is the finished mask ready for drying. Note that i have removed the clamps. The leather will stay in place now and if the clamps are left on you will get marks as the leather dries.

Note that i have cut off two of the danglely things at the bottom, they werent working so off the went. I often cut and trim as the mask forms. Sometimes you have these great ideas but they dont always look right.
As the mask dries i tend to fiddle a bit, fixing edges, improving curls. I find the half way point of drying is a good time to get the modeling tool out and smoothe the leather where needed.
Below you can see the finished mask all dry, just waiting to be painted.

And here she is after airbrushing.