Bad ### pictures!!!

Discuss technique for prolonging the life of your gear or giving it that aged look

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whipwarrior

Bad ### pictures!!!

Post by whipwarrior »

I'm in a really good mood today, and the weather is nice, so I decided to go outside and shoot a few pictures of my general gear in broad daylight. I organized them on a simple web page for everyone to see. Please check out my pictures at:

http://www.geocities.com/pangaeascape/gallery.html


Thanks!

-Dale
Indiana Philip
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Post by Indiana Philip »

Hey!! Those really are some great pictures!
That does it. I'm going to order the pants from Noel. Nothing looks as good as the real thing.
Indiana Philip
P.S. Thanks for posting the pictures.
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Ryusui
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Post by Ryusui »

Great pictures!

My favorites would be the action shot with (which looks a bit too clean to me! :lol:) the whip and the hidden-face gun pose.
Great pics!
whipwarrior

Post by whipwarrior »

Thanks. My favorite picture is the double-handed gun shot, which I lifted from the pages of Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone. My inspiration was the scene where Indy and Alecia were fending off the bad guys in the junkyard, more specifically the part where Indy pops up from behind the bulldozer blade and sends two shots into the last fuel drum in a last ditch effort to detonate it. My pose is the exact mental image that I had when I first read that part; Indy shooting the gun, using his left hand to steady the shot.

ALECIA: "I'm calling you dumb. Get it? Dumb!"
INDY: "Drums! Think anything is left in 'em?"
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Post by JohnNdy »

Man, I gotta say...I can't get over your HJ! What a hat! To me that is THE hat...great photos!

-John
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Post by Indiana Joe »

Outstanding photos!

I love the HJ fed. That is a very nice lid.
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Post by MK »

Geocities *****. :evil:

Why do you guys use their terrible service? :?
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Post by Doctor_Jones »

Great pics you got there! Great expression on your face when you're whipcracking!

Regards

the Doc
Captain D
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Post by Captain D »

Excellent pictures!

I definitely agree...the Herbert Johnson Fedora is AWESOME!!

I also like the jacket!!...Is that a lambskin that has been aged around the edges?
Regards!
Captain D
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Post by Pyroxene »

Great Pics!
whipwarrior

Post by whipwarrior »

Yes, that is a Wested lambskin jacket. It has been completely distressed over a period of six months; not just the edges, mind you, but also all of the major surfaces, including the back panels, arms, and pockets. I only wish that our camera was capable of taking clearer pictures, because these simply don't do justice to how nice it looks.


-Dale
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Post by Captain D »

Yeah the jacket definitely looks pretty good...so how did you distress it? Did you use acetone...
Regards!
Captain D
whipwarrior

Post by whipwarrior »

Actually, I used a variety of different methods, beginning with MK's acetone treatment, supplemented with water aging. Of these, I had two particular applications: (1) drape the jacket over a wrought iron bench and completely soak the outer leather shell with a high-pressure blast from a hose; and (2) meticulous hand buffing using ice water applied with a soft sponge. After the first, I hung the jacket in a cool, shady room to air dry (usually overnight), and following the latter, I would hand dry the leather with a towel, followed by hanging it up to dry.
The water application method was my own idea, although I cannot take credit for it, as I seem to remember reading somewhere that water can be used as a natural way to age things. Personally, I am of the opinion that water applications are healthy, as they cleanse the acetone residue from the leather, and allow it to breathe again (no more harmful than having your jacket soaked in a rainstorm). Water is the purest, most natural element on earth, provided that it comes from the sky or a Brita water filter. Also, the water helps fill out the leather, for when you initially receive your jacket from the factory, it seems incredibly flimsy and thin, much like a plastic garbage bag. Once you soak it and let dry a few times, the leather exhibits the lustre and fullness of the screen jackets.
Finally, several months after these treatments, I went over my acetone work with a very fine grade of tan sandpaper, using the previously highlighted areas as a template. Of course, I was also able to expand on that work and distress the seams to give the jacket a look that acetone is simply unable to produce. I used a thick wooden cutting board as a work surface because you can insert it inside of the jacket where needed, and stand it on end to draw the leather seams over the edges in order to sand a narrow area. This works very well when working on the back seam and the side vent seams.
Please keep in mind that I went over the surfaces very meticulously, and with minimal pressure, as I only wanted to chafe the surface of the leather, not grind it raw. The result is a very soft feel, almost like unfinished hide. It looks great and shows up nicely on camera. I highly recommend sandpaper for the best results, but please be careful and work at your own risk. If done properly, you will have a very handsome jacket that looks like you've owned it for years.


-Dale

P.S.- This post might actually belong in the Gear Care & Distressing forum.
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Michaelson
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Good idea

Post by Michaelson »

I'll forward this over to gear and distressing, but leave a 'ghost' post of it here as well. I think it works in both areas. Regards. Michaelson
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Post by junior »

Geez MK, howzabout a "nice looking pics there"?

But I agree, I've heard many negs about the cites.

junior
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Post by IndyFrench »

Some of us use geocities due to the fact that they are free and we cannot afford dedicated webspace.

Hence, IndyFrench's Gear/Travel page is on geocities.

Regards,
IF
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Post by MaryonRavenwood »

Indiana Philip wrote:That does it. I'm going to order the pants from Noel. Nothing looks as good as the real thing.
Yeah, that's what HJS just said about the shirt...I'm sure it won't be long for the pants...

Yeah, nice pictures! ...once I get my Marion dress, I gotta do some with HJS...including reproducing the one in my avatar.

--Mary(on)
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Ken
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Post by Ken »

Oh the woe... why did I get into this hobby? The expense... why didnt I find a cheap club to join like train spotting or something?

Noel Howard Pants = 3 university textbooks.

Now which would you choose?

Ken
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Indiana
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Post by Indiana »

WOW!!! Those are some nice looking pics! =) :D
Regards,
Indiana
whipwarrior

Post by whipwarrior »

Thank you! Thank you! *Dale takes a bow for all of his fans* LOL


-Dale
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MaryonRavenwood
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Post by MaryonRavenwood »

Indiana Ken wrote:Noel Howard Pants = 3 university textbooks.

Now which would you choose?
That's what loans are for!!!
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