TVvoodoo's Straplab
- Thread starter TVvoodoo
- Start date
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- Tags
- guitar straps
Nah..... it’s all good. She got a nice diamond bracelet same time..... and we’re gonna hit 43 in three weeks. I think we figured some things out.You fellas know when a wife buys you an expensive watch it might as well be like you've clamped on a slave collar, right?
But nice timepieces fo' sho' !
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
If you wish, here's a chance to play a game as a strap matcher...
Which rig do you prefer and why? Might not even be the strap match. Just pick one for your next gig.
Also, since we've established you are into role playing check out the latest No Prisoners Series strap fresh off the bench today and soon headed for Reverb.
I'm calling this heavy duty dark and scary thing "Fifty Shades of Black"
Which rig do you prefer and why? Might not even be the strap match. Just pick one for your next gig.
Also, since we've established you are into role playing check out the latest No Prisoners Series strap fresh off the bench today and soon headed for Reverb.
I'm calling this heavy duty dark and scary thing "Fifty Shades of Black"
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
TTR members... how long have you been missin' out on good vittles, love and kissin'?
it's time you saddled up and gone "Rawhide"
like the song says...
Don't try to understand 'em
Just rope 'em, throw, and brand 'em
Soon you'll be livin' high and wide
it's time you saddled up and gone "Rawhide"
like the song says...
Don't try to understand 'em
Just rope 'em, throw, and brand 'em
Soon you'll be livin' high and wide
Last edited:
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Attended a rather strange "covid" regulated church sponsored yard sale on the weekend. Crazy how the rules where, can't go here, cant go there.
Just duly file by everything, keep your distance don't touch nothing, unless you really want it... then pay on the way out.
I was stalled by a guy in front of me who spent a good five minutes looking at a bunch of crappy old pots and pans.
anyway, on my way through, managed to grab an interested Made-in-Mexico leather belt that had some rose embossing on it.
Best was like new, and had some interesting leather lacing and a really nice heavy western style buckle too, which I'll be saving for a future project.
Cost me a dollar!
Good thick leather belt, but a rather strange skin coloured thing... with some black antiquing... kind of boring and blahhhh
So I did a test on a small piece first to see if my idea would work.
took some "deglazer" to it, to cut through most of the glossy protective finish, then painted the rose petals and leaves with leather dye.
Also applied saddle coloured dye on the sides.
Then I made a strap out of it by sewing it to a nice padded leather base strap, and re-applied a nice finish to it.
I beg your pardon, but I just had to call it Rose Garden
Admins, is there any reason why I cannot link to photos anymore to my imgbox.com photo host? They always turn out not showing up here on TTR
but the photo links seem to work perfectly on other similar forums.
here's a hosted photo so you can maybe see what's going on
Just duly file by everything, keep your distance don't touch nothing, unless you really want it... then pay on the way out.
I was stalled by a guy in front of me who spent a good five minutes looking at a bunch of crappy old pots and pans.
anyway, on my way through, managed to grab an interested Made-in-Mexico leather belt that had some rose embossing on it.
Best was like new, and had some interesting leather lacing and a really nice heavy western style buckle too, which I'll be saving for a future project.
Cost me a dollar!
Good thick leather belt, but a rather strange skin coloured thing... with some black antiquing... kind of boring and blahhhh
So I did a test on a small piece first to see if my idea would work.
took some "deglazer" to it, to cut through most of the glossy protective finish, then painted the rose petals and leaves with leather dye.
Also applied saddle coloured dye on the sides.
Then I made a strap out of it by sewing it to a nice padded leather base strap, and re-applied a nice finish to it.
I beg your pardon, but I just had to call it Rose Garden
Admins, is there any reason why I cannot link to photos anymore to my imgbox.com photo host? They always turn out not showing up here on TTR
but the photo links seem to work perfectly on other similar forums.
here's a hosted photo so you can maybe see what's going on
Last edited:
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Another trip to the big city hospital and back for my pop. a trip to the city and home for me is 8 hours of solid driving.
He's doing well... new doctor not so quick to say Cancer. He tried something... and we shall see if his idea was right or wrong in
a few weeks... but if he's right, a major bonus for my dad! If he's wrong, well, it's not really any kind of gamble, when you got not much to lose.
Ok, straplab is back in operation. Finished a few straps in that coppery/bronze python leather... sexy, soft, badass and a little bit showy.
Rose Garden is completed and up for sale...
and a new one I completed this morning... "The Fornicator"
I had a TTR Member in mind when I made this one... can you guess who?
He's doing well... new doctor not so quick to say Cancer. He tried something... and we shall see if his idea was right or wrong in
a few weeks... but if he's right, a major bonus for my dad! If he's wrong, well, it's not really any kind of gamble, when you got not much to lose.
Ok, straplab is back in operation. Finished a few straps in that coppery/bronze python leather... sexy, soft, badass and a little bit showy.
Rose Garden is completed and up for sale...
and a new one I completed this morning... "The Fornicator"
I had a TTR Member in mind when I made this one... can you guess who?
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
If you are into the larger projects... this might be an interesting one to follow... why not hit the "watch" button on the upper right? Just started in on this today.
Project Dragonfly... another 3" wide carve/tooling custom, on heavy 9/10 oz quality vegtan moo-moo, and it's a long strap... fixed length tooled the WHOLE way.
To be honest? The customer is kind of an arty fellow, and likes to throw out all kinds of ideas that stump me, then I have to find a way to do it
this one? not real sure exactly how I am going to finish it quite yet.
Just spent the afternoon transferring the pattern I made, and then carving it into the leather with the swivel knife...
Not going to lie, quite a lot of detail, a little bit stressful, but no major mistakes.
But, my hand is real achey right now, and I was glad to shut it down for the day with this step mostly done.
Tomorrow we begin the bevelling work, and there will be LOT of it!
Project Dragonfly... another 3" wide carve/tooling custom, on heavy 9/10 oz quality vegtan moo-moo, and it's a long strap... fixed length tooled the WHOLE way.
To be honest? The customer is kind of an arty fellow, and likes to throw out all kinds of ideas that stump me, then I have to find a way to do it
this one? not real sure exactly how I am going to finish it quite yet.
Just spent the afternoon transferring the pattern I made, and then carving it into the leather with the swivel knife...
Not going to lie, quite a lot of detail, a little bit stressful, but no major mistakes.
But, my hand is real achey right now, and I was glad to shut it down for the day with this step mostly done.
Tomorrow we begin the bevelling work, and there will be LOT of it!
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
a few more progress shots on this dragonfly thing...
Over a dozen Anisoptera occur over the body of the strap at a fixed length 56", which made for hours of beveling fun.
I constantly do this to myself. I keep thinking in ways of way too much detail, and it makes my job a lot harder.
these bugs are only three inches across.
How about some fly Dragonfly facts?
Truth is, there are only three variations of the bugs here, I just angled them in a randomized flight directions/orientation , etc.
I have half a mind to add a whole bunch of about-to-be-destroyed mosquitos on here, just for the pure pleasure of it... trying to hold back that urge.
There does have to be some sort of subtle element added to this strap in the back ground, still trying to figure that out a bit, sort of a "watery" habitat thing.
Because the eventual owner sometimes has an abrupt change of mind mid-project, I will be asking again about finish preferences before I go to far on this.
Over a dozen Anisoptera occur over the body of the strap at a fixed length 56", which made for hours of beveling fun.
I constantly do this to myself. I keep thinking in ways of way too much detail, and it makes my job a lot harder.
these bugs are only three inches across.
How about some fly Dragonfly facts?
- There are approximately 7,000 species of true dragonflies
- They can fly as fast as 35 mph
- They feature up to 28,000 eyes
- In the life cycle of this insect, its larvae stay in the water for up to 3 years
- Adult flying dragonflies have a life expectancy of only about 6 months
- These insects can see almost 360 degrees around them
- The only continent they are not found on is Antarctica
- Typical dragonfly can eat up to 100 mosquitos a day
- Average number of offspring in adult stage 60
Truth is, there are only three variations of the bugs here, I just angled them in a randomized flight directions/orientation , etc.
I have half a mind to add a whole bunch of about-to-be-destroyed mosquitos on here, just for the pure pleasure of it... trying to hold back that urge.
There does have to be some sort of subtle element added to this strap in the back ground, still trying to figure that out a bit, sort of a "watery" habitat thing.
Because the eventual owner sometimes has an abrupt change of mind mid-project, I will be asking again about finish preferences before I go to far on this.
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Anisoptera continues with more wild and crazy excitement.
First, I just went for it with the swivel knife and added a whole bunch of spaced squiggly lines at about 45 degree angle across the strap.
This is to signify a wavy water habitat type environs, that these dudes are all hunting over.
Here I have stained first and second coat with a light saddle/amber due I mixed up by eyeball
you can see my tester leather off to the side, with just one coat on it. I'm actually trying to get close to a match
of heavily ambered very old nitro -but if you've watched these before, it's a bit of a guessing game...
Once the oil stage hits (coming soon), the colour changes. Then, once the antiquing goes down, it changes again...
And, after all that, the final finish coat also changes even again one more time.
Feels a little like shooting hoops blindfolded. But at least I can try to point it in the right direction!
I also darkened the edges of the strap with some of the same dye, but with extra black and brown dye added in to darkify it.
I also painted on the same more darker dye on the bodies of the bugs. a few times over.
Not really a bug person, but dragonflies are pretty cool. I used to collect the nymphs in the ponds as a kid and put 'em in a jar, I called them water tigers.
They were real voracious, and it was fun to watch them prey on mosquito larvae. These guys really have it in for skeeters from cradle to grave! What's not
to love about that?
Close up?
I had a cool texture stamp that really added some a nice lacy look to the wings and with the dark body, the bugs are kind of coming to life.
OK. maybe that wasn't all that exciting.
Sorry fellas, I really did try! Hey! I know!!
How 'bout a photo of the instrument this particular strap is destined for?
If that don't get your heart racing even just a little bit, I don't know what to say. Maybe you should see a doctor. I'll see if I can find out more from the owner.
First, I just went for it with the swivel knife and added a whole bunch of spaced squiggly lines at about 45 degree angle across the strap.
This is to signify a wavy water habitat type environs, that these dudes are all hunting over.
Here I have stained first and second coat with a light saddle/amber due I mixed up by eyeball
you can see my tester leather off to the side, with just one coat on it. I'm actually trying to get close to a match
of heavily ambered very old nitro -but if you've watched these before, it's a bit of a guessing game...
Once the oil stage hits (coming soon), the colour changes. Then, once the antiquing goes down, it changes again...
And, after all that, the final finish coat also changes even again one more time.
Feels a little like shooting hoops blindfolded. But at least I can try to point it in the right direction!
I also darkened the edges of the strap with some of the same dye, but with extra black and brown dye added in to darkify it.
I also painted on the same more darker dye on the bodies of the bugs. a few times over.
Not really a bug person, but dragonflies are pretty cool. I used to collect the nymphs in the ponds as a kid and put 'em in a jar, I called them water tigers.
They were real voracious, and it was fun to watch them prey on mosquito larvae. These guys really have it in for skeeters from cradle to grave! What's not
to love about that?
Close up?
I had a cool texture stamp that really added some a nice lacy look to the wings and with the dark body, the bugs are kind of coming to life.
OK. maybe that wasn't all that exciting.
Sorry fellas, I really did try! Hey! I know!!
How 'bout a photo of the instrument this particular strap is destined for?
If that don't get your heart racing even just a little bit, I don't know what to say. Maybe you should see a doctor. I'll see if I can find out more from the owner.
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Stalled on dragonfly, waiting for art materials. In the meantime I had a custom tribute job waiting in the wings on subject matter that admittedly has been 98% off my personal musical radar. Been listening to them quite a lot while crafting this... only seems right I learn more about them via an internet radio station dedicated to them.
Quite a lot of stoned noodling, some brutal vocals sometimes, but when they do manage to hit a groove, they do bring a special kind musical magic. But I can see them generally as one of those "you kinda had to be there" sort of bands. I think rather than live bootlegs, I'm going to check out some studio recordings for the rest of the time on this, might be a bit less "meandering"
Band has been around a long time, massive dedicated following, boasting a rich catalog of representative iconography which is kind of fun for me.
Though somewhat familiar to my eyes, a week ago, I had no idea at all what this graphic represented.
Now, I've learned about the Steal Your Face logo, and the "He's Gone" song dedicated to a former manager.
Also, no strap in this flavour would be complete without several dancing bears featuring odd colours.
Anyway, that's what's going on around here!
Quite a lot of stoned noodling, some brutal vocals sometimes, but when they do manage to hit a groove, they do bring a special kind musical magic. But I can see them generally as one of those "you kinda had to be there" sort of bands. I think rather than live bootlegs, I'm going to check out some studio recordings for the rest of the time on this, might be a bit less "meandering"
Band has been around a long time, massive dedicated following, boasting a rich catalog of representative iconography which is kind of fun for me.
Though somewhat familiar to my eyes, a week ago, I had no idea at all what this graphic represented.
Now, I've learned about the Steal Your Face logo, and the "He's Gone" song dedicated to a former manager.
Also, no strap in this flavour would be complete without several dancing bears featuring odd colours.
Anyway, that's what's going on around here!
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
The Steal Your face strap continues... this morning i very carefully bursted the edges trying to hit a match for the Sienna burst strat it's going to carry.
And, in celebration of a successful burst (it's way harder than you might think, and gut-wrenching too!) why not a grateful dead classic? Huge jam up of Scarlet Begonias / Fire on the Mountain, two popular songs often heard together, from their Cornell University gig. I'm told this was an extremely popular show with fans back in the days tape trading was a thing.
And while you're diggin' on that extended groovy jam, check out this pretty, sent to me by Karen Not-a-Karen. She is absolutely loving her "Rich Man's Illegitimate Son" Well-Hung guitar strap on this rare and super-gorgeous custom D'angelico Deluxe Bedford LTD thinline offset in matte walnut.
And, in celebration of a successful burst (it's way harder than you might think, and gut-wrenching too!) why not a grateful dead classic? Huge jam up of Scarlet Begonias / Fire on the Mountain, two popular songs often heard together, from their Cornell University gig. I'm told this was an extremely popular show with fans back in the days tape trading was a thing.
And while you're diggin' on that extended groovy jam, check out this pretty, sent to me by Karen Not-a-Karen. She is absolutely loving her "Rich Man's Illegitimate Son" Well-Hung guitar strap on this rare and super-gorgeous custom D'angelico Deluxe Bedford LTD thinline offset in matte walnut.
ninjaking67
Ambassador of Good Will
More stunning examples of your excellent work, Brad!
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
thank you @ninjaking67 very nice of you to notice and say!
One thing I don't like to do but I do it honestly, is show close-ups of the leatherwork. Bear in mind these elements are only about 2-3" across so taking macro photos reveals some rather rough details, that you'd never see with your human eye in a darkened mancave or stage, and often I wish I had back once I see them close. On the other hand it often shows me places that need some touch up too, that I didn't see with my tired old eyeballs!
That said... more macros coming right here! The golden paste wax for the dragonfly strap was in my mailbox yesterday afternoon, so after supper
I applied it to the wings of the all those swarmin' bugs with the highly complex and expensive "piece of sponge wrapped around a stylus" tool.
Masked off the sides where I needed it, 'cause I'm shakier than an epileptic junkie in an earthquake
Interesting stuff to work with, you apply it, rub it on, and if you wait a bit, it sets in nice. After it dries up, you can even buff it up to true golden metallic shine.
my sponge tool worked great but it was a little klutzy for such fine work. Next time I need to figure out another way I think.
About half the footprint would be better. Fortunately, if you get some of this paste wax stuff in the
wrong place, you can wipe it up not too bad if you get at it real quick, which I did with a smaller stylus wrapped with a
piece of an old cotton T-shirt rag to get into the tight spots.
The only thing to my eye, was that it was looking a it TOO gold. I'm trying to get this to compliment a 50's goldtop, so glittery shine didn't seem 100% right to me.
That's ok, if the plan in my head was going to work out, if figured the next step would knock it down a bit.
I let that gold stuff dry overnight, them buffed it out. Then I clearcoated the face of the strap to protect it somewhat real early this morning and put
it in the sun to dry for an hour or so. I tried to keep the clearcoat off the edges, because I want them to go still darker.
Sitting in the in the sun on my front deck, the gold was a glaring, vegas-meets-midas, seeming rather out of place on a rustic coloured leather strap.
Then, I took a deep breath and smeared some real ugly dark brown leather antiquing goop all over, using a toothbrush to really grind it into all the cuts, nooks and crannies.
The hope was this would somewhat match the antiquing of the checking on the goldtop, I showed earlier in this thread.
In fact this antiquing stuff would probably be great stuff to use for guitar relicing if a fellow was into that, darkening pickguards etc.
Wipe it on, grind it in, let it set for about ten to fifteen seconds, and do that all along the strap about eight inches at a time.
Just as I figured, the antique past darkened EVERYTHING down just a bit, even where things are cleared a little bit, which by now I expect and plan for.
It also took the sharp edges off the metallic. Now just enough remains to my eye. Definitely there, but not there.
Shimmers beautifully when you move, but it's not an "in your face" sort of gleam.
Now letting the antique paste dry in the sun for another few hours, then we can clearcoat one more time before moving on to completing the strap.
One thing I don't like to do but I do it honestly, is show close-ups of the leatherwork. Bear in mind these elements are only about 2-3" across so taking macro photos reveals some rather rough details, that you'd never see with your human eye in a darkened mancave or stage, and often I wish I had back once I see them close. On the other hand it often shows me places that need some touch up too, that I didn't see with my tired old eyeballs!
That said... more macros coming right here! The golden paste wax for the dragonfly strap was in my mailbox yesterday afternoon, so after supper
I applied it to the wings of the all those swarmin' bugs with the highly complex and expensive "piece of sponge wrapped around a stylus" tool.
Masked off the sides where I needed it, 'cause I'm shakier than an epileptic junkie in an earthquake
Interesting stuff to work with, you apply it, rub it on, and if you wait a bit, it sets in nice. After it dries up, you can even buff it up to true golden metallic shine.
my sponge tool worked great but it was a little klutzy for such fine work. Next time I need to figure out another way I think.
About half the footprint would be better. Fortunately, if you get some of this paste wax stuff in the
wrong place, you can wipe it up not too bad if you get at it real quick, which I did with a smaller stylus wrapped with a
piece of an old cotton T-shirt rag to get into the tight spots.
The only thing to my eye, was that it was looking a it TOO gold. I'm trying to get this to compliment a 50's goldtop, so glittery shine didn't seem 100% right to me.
That's ok, if the plan in my head was going to work out, if figured the next step would knock it down a bit.
I let that gold stuff dry overnight, them buffed it out. Then I clearcoated the face of the strap to protect it somewhat real early this morning and put
it in the sun to dry for an hour or so. I tried to keep the clearcoat off the edges, because I want them to go still darker.
Sitting in the in the sun on my front deck, the gold was a glaring, vegas-meets-midas, seeming rather out of place on a rustic coloured leather strap.
Then, I took a deep breath and smeared some real ugly dark brown leather antiquing goop all over, using a toothbrush to really grind it into all the cuts, nooks and crannies.
The hope was this would somewhat match the antiquing of the checking on the goldtop, I showed earlier in this thread.
In fact this antiquing stuff would probably be great stuff to use for guitar relicing if a fellow was into that, darkening pickguards etc.
Wipe it on, grind it in, let it set for about ten to fifteen seconds, and do that all along the strap about eight inches at a time.
Just as I figured, the antique past darkened EVERYTHING down just a bit, even where things are cleared a little bit, which by now I expect and plan for.
It also took the sharp edges off the metallic. Now just enough remains to my eye. Definitely there, but not there.
Shimmers beautifully when you move, but it's not an "in your face" sort of gleam.
Now letting the antique paste dry in the sun for another few hours, then we can clearcoat one more time before moving on to completing the strap.