A full week of working went into this belt.

Tomorrow we are meeting up with family for a 5 day visit.  Not here at the homestead but at a rented house in KC.  Too many scorpions, snakes and other dangers for little ones here and not much to do for them.  The nearest small town is 15 miles away and the next biggest which at least does have a cinema and swimming pool is 35 miles away.

Well, a couple of years ago, (or more) we promised to make the daughter in law a leather belt.  She is a California girl and not into country stuff so our usual style wouldn't be anything she would like.  So we asked for idea and she sent us a photo of their dog's collar which someone had tooled for it and she quite liked the look of it.  She also wanted it to be as wide as possible and just able to get into belt loops.

It would involve using various colours and painting and wasn't anything I wanted to attempt.

So we conveniently, sorta, kinda accidentally on purpose forgot about it.  Conscious got the better of my husband though and he said we really have to make the belt.  So on Monday past we started on it.

He cut the leather belt from a leather belly we had bought.  Then I tooled on a pattern, bigger patterns than on the sample.

We knew that we couldn't do the painting on top of the staining as the work is way too fine for us to do so my husband came up with a different idea.  Fine point sharpie pens instead of painting but the colouring would have to be done before the staining doing it this way.  Thank goodness for Amazon overnight shipping!

So we set about colouring the stampings, he started and gave me some ideas then I did the rest.  It took me a whole day.  Then he said that he didn't think he could stain round all the patterns without 'splodging' it.  Leather stain is very runny and lethal.  It can not be removed so no room for mistakes. So he came up with the idea of putting an 'aura' around each pattern which had a smoother edge so it would be easier to stain up to it.  I did that part too.

Then it was over to my husband to do the most difficult part, to stain the belt.  I could never have done it, it would have been a disaster, I get the dye everywhere.  He did an absolutely magnificent job.

Next was the conditioning of the leather, he started on it and made it nice and soft and then I did the gumtraging of the edges and back.

After that more conditioning then shining and polishing.

We are really impressed with ourselves.  No intention of ever making another like it but really feeling quite accomplished that we did it........finally!

We did not have a buckle that size so we can go with her to Tandy in KC and she can chose a buckle. Then we can put the holes where she wants them to be.  She wears her jeans on her hips so better to wait and see where she wants them.  I have the tools packed to take with us to finish it.

I will get a photo of the finished belt and post it after our visit with them.  

Not much going on at the old homestead this past week!

It is very hot here right now, it got to 100F this past week.  I am not good in this heat, I just want to vegetate in the house.  We have stopped mowing as much for me as the grass.  It will scorch in this heat and I just can't be outside in it for long.

We did get out to buy a counter top to make the tables for our new tools and we did get the tools assembled.

The drill price was only $55 and the belt table sander was $60.  Not the best quality in the world but more than suitable for us in our golden years.  We did give them a trial run and they both seem to perform very well.

Counter top cut ready to make tables for the tools

The dogs aren't much enjoying this heat and the bugs outside either.  They are like us and prefer to be indoors.

Here is Maggie in one of her favourite spots wrapped around my chair by the computer.  She does this while I am sitting in it so she must feel pretty confident that I am not going to roll around.

JET has been trying to set up his computer with an alternate operating system to Windows and it has been thwart with problems.  He has found one which seems to be working OK now but he still has to move all his programs and files onto it.  At least it is not infringing on his shop time as it is too hot to be working in there for too long and it's too big to be able to afford to keep it air conditioned.

Getting ready this coming week for the meet up with the family.  Really looking forward to it.

Another funny couple of weeks!

It's been a funny couple of weeks.  I know I say that a lot but it is true.  We have been to Columbia twice for hospital appointments, got some results back which showed a little more deterioration in the nerve damage to JET.  Not surprising, but it would have been a lot worse if he hadn't been receiving the chemo treatment.

It has turned out really hot here so mowing has ceased for a while.  The mower threw it's belt off but JET was able to fix it.  The first day he tried he had to stop as the cramps and pains in his legs was too much but the next day he got it done.  He is such a trooper.

We treated ourselves to two new things from harbor Freight.  They were a really good price with the 20% discount.  We always purchase the replacement warranty though just in case as Harbor Freight do not have really high end tools.

I got a drill press for a project I have in mind and JET got a bench sander.  He can not use the hand held ones very well any more as the neuropathy has worsened in his hands and arms.

Now JET has to build tables for them, we checked and we have wood supplies enough to do them.

In just over two weeks we will get to spend some time with some of the family.  JET's youngest son and his wife and family.  I have been making a couple of sun dresses for the newest grand baby.  She is 13 months old now and walking and talking and always seems to be happy and smiling on the videos and photos we see. I can't wait to see them again.

The dust collection system is still underway.  JET keeps changing it to make it more efficient.  He was getting a lot of pains and cramps with trying to work everyday in the shop though.  His computer needed some work doing to it so he has spent a few days tinkering with it and getting a much needed rest.

Back to the grindstone tomorrow I suspect.  We did get a bit of a storm this afternoon and some much needed rain but that means is will be very humid tomorrow. It means the grass will start growing again too!