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Nice job! I like the blue zipper!

I've taken a shot at dopp bags a couple of times but they never come out worth a damn especially if I try to do the lining. Wish mine came out half that good...I should also mention that mine are hand sewn so maybe that's a reason too, idk...

Ok. So I got it home and I was able to find one of the pieces. (You never know what you'll find at the flea market) I still need the stitch length set screw assembly. If someone has one of these machines and they wouldn't mind showing me how it goes together. I might be able to make one for it.

I realize that you already have the DC servo drive, but for future projects, you should consider an AC system with a variable frequency drive (VFD) and a 3 phase inverter rated gearmotor. As an example of the control you would have, a 3 ph, 3/8 HP, 5:1 gearmotor can be operated from 10-90 Hz giving an output shaft speed of 35-459 rpm. Any speed running with less than 60 Hz is in constant torque mode, and greater than 60 hz is in constant horsepower mode. The speed is controlled by a variable pot, not a link to an optical control and is easily top-speed adjustable, giving full range of the pot for control to the selected top speed. The VFDs are relatively inexpensive, but the motors are a little pricey depending on your source, but for control, I think they are better than DC systems. JMO, YMMV. P.S. Beautiful job on that machine!!

Too funny, Chuck! I've never played RP games, though being a fan of fantasy literature, I know a bit about them. You are definitely the first person to ask a question like this on these boards though I do remember threads about people making leather dice cups for playing these games!

If you have a hand plane, sharpen up the blade and try to skim it off. I've planed HDPE slides for tablesaw sleds before ... planes cut it like butter. Oh (edit): If you havent had experience flattening things with a plane, work from left to right or something, you can dish your project pretty easily if you aren't careful. I use a big straightedge to make sure that I'm not dishing things.

After finishing a Singer post bed restoration I wanted to make a Dopp kit bag. I bumbled around on-line and took ideas from a few places but took the time to make my own pattern. First attempt never saw the light of day, second attempt suggested a partially glued in lining instead of floating fabric. So this one has a marine vinyl interior to make cleaning up my exploded toothpaste/shampoo/ shaving cream mishaps easier. Naturally I sewed the loop in upside down with the raw edge up...4.0 required!

I'm not sure what you mean by motor pulley, are you referring to the pulley on the servo motor? If so its stock, 45 or 50 mm I think.

Those are called "levelling casters" and I bought them from an outfit in Chicago many years ago. They come in several sizes, always go as big as you can is my advice. I just checked and Amazon carries them so they are a day away if your use Amazon!

Thank you for the help! If I were to use the binding around the edge, would waxed canvas make a good lining? I am concerned about adding too much weight, since I’d like to keep it pretty malleable. I don’t have a lot of leather to work with (as far as different weights/colors), so trying to find a thinner leather to line inside out is difficult, but not impossible.

Thanks for the nice comment. Glad to be able to inspire a bit. The only thing I would like to have done a bit differently is that I would have liked the leather to be a bit thinner. It really is a hefty belt. But it was the thickness of leather that I just had brought with me, so I guess I'll just have to wear it till it softens. Brgds Jonas

@TonyV Thanks, I really missed my stitching horse, so I had to go about it by stabbing all the holes first, which is also doable, but I prefer to do it the other way :-) I have started wearing it, and so far I have avoided it getting too dirty Brgds Jonas

@JDFred Thanks for the nice comment :-) Brgds Jonas

Looks great! I always wanted to make my leather belt. Thank you for the inspiration!

The bull, of course belongs to a miserly evil dwarf king and is guarded by six fully armored dwarves, three whom are archers of highest rank, two berserker dwarves and a maji dwarf.

Agree on the planer for thickness reduction as the best option. but those places with the capacity for 2 feet wide seem to be getting fewer all the time in some areas. I have successfully resurfaced mine by hand. I did light pressure with a fairly coarse paper on a palm sander to take down the high spots. I think I started in the low 100s for grit. You want to almost float it over the surface. The paper cleans easy enough with a crepe belt cleaner every so often, no different than wood as long as it doesn't melt.. Then follow up with a couple progression of finer grits until you are satisfied. The key is keep moving with light pressure. Excess pressure or staying in one spot can melt the plastic and that gums up the paper and makes a divot. You don't have to take out the cut lines as much as just take down the high ridges next to those cut lines. A belt sander is probably going to run too fast and "hot".

Most of those are pretty valid and on the money points. I got into leatherworking mainly as you said I felt like it was an easy money maker and I wanted a few things. There was a learning curve, but a holster isn't the RD-180. I'd say the learning curve for myself was about a week of full time experimenting and some fine tune skill honing over a year or so. I think the big mistake that newcomers make is that they want to make "Custom" holsters, one customer at a time. There's no money in that. Maybe pocket money, but it's allot of frustration and annoyance and it's almost impossible to read someone else's mind 100%. The customer ends up never being fully happy. There are some pretty successful custom makers out there, but they're a rarity and a good few of them live on some kind of backup income like SS, Army Pension/VA Disability, Oil Royalties, etc. My approach was to make a few lines of holsters that were inspired by big name makers or of my own design and look for retailers who would sell them under their name. If they sold they sold, if not, not. Cheap models always sold the best, about 10x better.

The ring from a bull's nose.

Good advice; sanding it is not a good option as it will just ball up and clog the paper; it needs to be shaved, not sanded. Is the back side in good shape? Can you just flip it over and use that until it needs refinishing, and then have both sides redone at one time?

If you can, take it to a timberyard and get them to put it through their planer-thicknesser to take off a few millimeters

I do make some leather goods for D&D players Lets confine it to that?

Hi. I have a piece of material that is made from HDPE or a material there abouts, similar to food type cutting boards. It's about an arm spread long and a couple of feet wide and a good inch thick. I keep it on top of one of my work benches and upon it, I cut most of my leather, patterns, punch holes etc. It doesn't seem to have any ill effect on the sharpness of my razor cutters although I strop them numerous times during a cut out etc. Over time, it has picked up accumulated scoring marks from the razor knife. So far I've not noticed it imprinting onto my projects but I know it could especially if the leather is wet. I'm sure someone on here uses a similar board (I think this is some sort of building material that might come in a 4x8 sheet) ever sanded it smooth? It's handy enough, I don't mind spending some time or is it worthwhile and maybe I should replace it? If I were to sand it, what grit sandpaper would be recommended? I have several types of sanders but would probably start just a bit with my belt sander then switch to a smaller Makita handheld. I'm thinking the material is going to be fairly obdurate. Thoughts?

Absolutely! 🐔 Cluck cluck cluck! 😄

Someone pointed it out to me so I had to give it a go at making it

I saw the 45 rpm adapter at 1st, as well. The 2nd one looks like a Japanese kamon or crest.