Poster board, pallet liners from a feed store, cold drink and beer boxes, Frozzen pizza boxes all work fine. Patterns that i make and want to use more than once or twice i glue two pieces of the boxes togeather and then cut the pattern out.
I have had the same problem getting the county lawyer or the sheriff to do anything and i have a judgement. I have garanished the people's checks but then they quit working. IMHO most elected county officals most are worthless when it comes to actally doing their job !! Good luck and i hope you get your money !!
A couple of goose neck lights with daylight blubs and lighter background will make a lot of difference and what your taking a picture show up better. Black on black is hard to see as in your picture.
I like your holster.
It's a post machine and will sew around 5/16 inch thick. They are handy to have but it won't sew a knife sheath with a welt or mine won't anyway. I have no ideal on the box.
I use liquid saddle soap that i put on with dabber. I did try the paste and on some things it worked fine other not so good. Another thing the paste went liquid almost in the summer, it gets pretty hot in shop if you AC it might not do it.
I worked with a guy that took a name stamp and piece of chrome tan and put them in a vice over night i think it was and the impression was in there the next day. I don't know if it stayed that way or not for any length of time because things were sent out as soon as they were done. You can't tool chrome tan.
Mike516 i leave the sloted plate on and lay my piece of steel on it. The steel doesn't go any place when you press. Theirs no need to make mountain out of a mole hill IMHO.
When i do a piece that has several letters i find the center of the piece set a letter on the center and measure to the edge. How ever wide it is from the top edge of the letter i measure and cut a piece of scrap 1/2 wider and glue a lip on it then hold it all togeather with a couple of binder clips and you have a fence made in a couple of minutes that you could / can use over and over if your making the same thing over and over.
I lay a piece of steel on the plate that came with the press and it works fine. No need for any tape on the steel that i can see unless your steel is rusty. I've never had any discoloring on the leather using the steel. It's not like it going to be on there a long time.
Most of my machines set out without anything over them some for 20 plus years that i have had them with no problems. I have a couple that drape a old T shirt over just because it is real dusty buy them.
I don't have a Boss but on my machine, has a motor but i can generally tell from the sound it makes going through the leather. Not sure how to explain it but it's different.
If i was going to put that welt in i would measure the stitches on the holster and sew some scrap till i got the the right length. Then i would cut my welt long and mark a few different places with a awl using the stitch holes already in the holster and punch holes in the welt and line everthing up with some needles using the holes i punched with awl, after i glued it sew the welt in i don't think it will look bad at all.
Sounds like somebody stepped on his tail that day. I'd try it again and try to find out when he worked so you could miss him. Is their more than one line to go through ? If their is i'd get in that line and try it again.