TVvoodoo's Straplab

Jethro Rocker said:
So I finally got it together enough to review my strap ! It's the House Stark strap. Very comfy I used it so far for a practice and 1 track in studio. I am hetting a few more too!
Long enough for a half assed lower slung LP! I will likely keep using this one with the burst.

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That was one that I had my eye on! Looks great! Congratulations!
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Couldn't call it a western strap if it didn't have initials in it...

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much less likely some ass is going to steal it at the ol' blooz jam

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I don't have a whole lot of experience with the sheridan style carving, but there's only one way I know of to get it...


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Skull here is looking kinda cute... hopefully when I'm done it will be a little more badass - funny how I see spots I missed with the beveller, which is largely the only tool I'm using right now

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Overall, the design is beginning to take form as expected. this took about four hours, including the carving in -still got quite a bit to go... taking a break until later tonight... back in the coffee can it goes!
 
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got another few hours in today. Finished all the main bevelling and got some work in with the pear shader to help separate the "art" from the background


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Here you can see some other shading on the rose petals.

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next we are going to start in with some more shading on the leaves, then decorative cuts. TONS of decorative cuts.
I'm feeling a bit behind on this, so didn't stop to take too many photos
 
couple more pics of work on the gunfighter... this morning another hour and a half on cuts and lifts.

Here is where we raise up parts of the rose petal to give them more 3Dness, and put little edge cuts on the edges of the rose leaves,
some simple vein cuts in side the leaves and some little pokes to give a thorny effect on the branches.

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Now I am messaging Johnny about dye options as we let it dry out form all the tooling.

While it was drying, finally had some time to finish a set of three "Praise the Paisley" which will be going up on Reverb probably tomorrow.
Basic cotton fabric, but with a browns, dark mustard, black and teeny gold metallic highlights to make 'er extra Godly.


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What's new in the straplab today? The main Gunfighter strap was dried out enough to take the edge beveller to it, as well as the tail strap. Taking a little bit off the edges This makes it easier to put a nice rounded and burnished edge on it later.

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Then I mixed up an extremely subtle yellow with about ten drops of yellow, a few drops of saddle tan into about 5 oz of isoP alkyhol - it tested out fine on a test piece, and I committed to it. Tasted terrible though.
Here it is shown with some wetter spots still drying....

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Holy Jeez! sorry about that huge pic, kinda scary! Anyway... she's now a soft, muted yellowy tan colour instead of the old man skin pink it once was. tonight I plan to do some resist coats on the stuff I want to keep this
colour, before dying the whole damn rest of it black. I'll do two coats of resist, because, well I don't want to screw this one up LOL!!!!

Finished up another half-completed work, working title: The Devil's Leash Alternate, which is basically an alternate version of the famous red/white/black Saugerties pattern ribbon I found on the deep interwebs,
and figured I'd give it a try. Quite becoming.

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I got my next 2 Well-Hung straps today! Magnificent! Came quickly, got a package of Hawkins Cheezies which I understand oir US friends can't get. Order a strap and try a bag!

Got the Jabberwock for the 76 wine amd the Tyrion (as in Lannisterz) for the Godin, maybe the 335 too.

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that reminds me..................................................I need a GODIN before S5 gets back .........................................
 
TVvoodoo said:
Thank you @Jethro Rocker you take a fine picture. I have your permission to throw it elsewhere online?
You know how to pick 'em. Resident TTR stylist. Jabberwock looks more at home than I thought it would.

Gorgeous instruments, I am proud to help you allow more hours underneath them.
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Oh would be my pleasure. Post away! I will try Tyrion on Fridays practice with the 335. Should work n look great! I'll try n get some action shots with it.

I should really set up the big softbox or umbrella and shoot them properly..but....
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Ok, reporting in on the Gunfighter. Been chatting with Johnny in the background. Last night i put two coats of resist on the flowers and vines/skull art on the strap.
This morning I laide on the black dye, thinking no problem, just a few swipes and we'll be good to go to the next step.

Well, I'm not going to show pictures here of that debacle, but F i my heart didn't stop near complete. :run:The black dye ate right through the resist coat all over the place, worse in some
not bad in others but really it looked blotchy and jobber, completely not what I was going for... I just wanted to go hide in a hole LOL! But... no time for that bull, time to work like the devil to see if I could salvage it.
Took some acetone rags to it and rubbed until my arms near fell off. Then went at it some more. After a time, it kind of started to look kind like something cool happening, like, western grunge or something.

Anyway, I messaged John that the sky had fallen but I was determined to see if I could save it, because I felt it still had hope.... and I was determined to try to bring out the cool I could see hidden in it.
So, after rubbing it like crazy, then letting the dye dry, I went over it again with more black, but just in the bits that were supposed to be black, with a small brush. going to do some touch ups
on that still too. But here it is as it stands now... again... the cowboy grunge thing comes out

Still have a few tricks up my sleeve to wrassle this thing down and tie 'er up, and bring it home.... I'll keep showing it. I plan to make a video of this, I'll put a shot or two of the horror in the video.
I was actually videotaping at the time, I'm sure the audio of all my cussing will be interesting in playback I just can't take looking at that right now because it makes my gut feel like it's got a big hole in 'er :rolf:

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They say the sign of a good craftsman is not about the mistakes he makes, but how he recovers. I aim to make this a strap Johnny'll wear and love, and if he don't well, we'll figure it out!
 
Early morning at the Well-Hung Corral...

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Sorry you can't see a pic chris... I see it, not sure what to do! But here's more, maybe these will show up. Thank you for sticking with this.

The dramatic standoff between me and "The Gunfighter" continues, lots of cowpokes are watching very carefully.
Who will make the first move? Who's legit, who's :poo: ...who's just shootin' blanks?

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Here she is after I commenced to drop some neatsfoot oil on and let 'er soak in overnight. All that acetone rubbing was not ideal treatment for the leather,
so it's prudent to replenish all the natural oils so she's gonna last a long time and stay supple. Darkened it just a bit and added some shine.

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Also helping with the shine... buffed it out just a bitthis morning, then added some antiquing, to fill in the cracks, then coat one of something called resolene, made by Lurlene, out in Abilene.
The cowboy grunge factor is strong here. Reminds me of some wester pookickers I've seen, which is a pretty good thing!

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next up... your first exposure to Mathebradics, a strangely sciency art I have developed in an endeavor to make wholly inaccurate calculations with sureness and ease.
Sure I'll do your taxes!

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Cowboy Grunge love it. Wait till the cartrige loops and buckle on there.See i told ya Brad you was either nuts or a genious hahahahaha. Im thinkin pure genious.Will it go with these hahahaha.15991528613704881231179853869750.jpg
 
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