dirtclod

I think you did a fine job for your first holster. You will see progress on ever one you make from now on i bet. You can use vegtable oil, corn oil or olive oil to give it some color if you want. Your stiching will look better to when you have a awl to punch the holes.

Simon cut the scribed line with round knife or a sheet rock knife then use your strap cutter. The side needs to be on the table when your strighten it up. Get a cutting board and put that under the leather when it's on your table and slide the cutting board as you go along. Are you using the wooden strap cutter ? If you are you probley need to open it up some more by the blade untighten the 2 screws and adjust then untighten the screw on the other end so it can open up to if it's making a mark on the hide. What weight leather you cutting ? I've used the wooden strap cutter to cut everthing from 2/3 ounce to 13/15 ounce leather and never had a problem.

I use a 4 foot square just like the others said. But i take a yard stick and lay it beside the square towards the end of the square so i get the full length of the side. Some sides are cut so crooked it will look like their straight and you will run off before you get to the end that's where the yard stick comes in. Simon i wouldn't cut any straps out of the belly . It's to streachie but like Roo said it can used for small things.

Search for Bruce Johnson he showed in a post a cheap stamp impression and good higher priced stamp. The difference was like daylight and dark.

I use to make several dog collars. Leather collars i punched a slot for the tounge and had the fold over go back on top of the collar. That way it could be close to the same thickness as it was when i started. If you turn it inside next to the dogs skin it needs to be skived down and may lose some strength. For the nylon collars i used the double bar buckle because the nylon is so hard to get a smooth edge when you punch a hole in it and then seal it with heat. Plus it will unravel if it isn't sealed really good.

I use the little Coke bottles and drill a hole in the top. Use a piece of sheep skin to spread the glue and seal the top when your done. Don't use just any plastic bottle some of them will melt right before your eyes when you pour the glue in.

Is that one where the knives have their own pocket and it rolls or folds up and fastens like the ones they use on Top Chef ? If it is you would need to measure each knife to get the sizes right. Are they called anything else i just did a search and all i came up with was jack knife ?

David you do some mighty fine work ! I think the lace color that you have on the seat next to your name would look real nice on a natural seat.

Here's a thread that was posted http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=6391&st=0&p=162242&hl=+makers%20+mark&fromsearch=1entry162242 . If you type in makers mark in the search box i'm sure you find even more.

I just now went and looked at some of his work. Mighty nice ! I would buy a book.

If your wanting to make farriers chaps / apron i always used apron splits / mule hide and sew a big patch on them where you think the rasp will hit. They will last a pretty good while depending on many times the rasp goes across the patch. When you get a hole in the patch you can patch it or put a new one on.

Banger is one well dressed puppy dog for sure.

I think if they write on the leather with just a piece of paper and nothing under it at all it will have indents sooner or later. They will need to use something between the paper and the leather. But i could be a 100% wrong to. You might want to try writing with just the paper on a scrap piece and see what happens. Plus it will depend on hard they press down when their writing.

I just looked and i don't have a manual. My machine is a 51 w 56 and i did find a place to get a manual for it http://www.proleptic...show=100&page=3 . On mine i just put some oil in all of the holes. The bobbin should have a slit and a little clip on it that the thread goes behind if that makes any sense. You may be able to run it with either pulley. But i think you will need a different length belt longer or shorter depending on which one it's on now. Maybe somebody that knows alot more than me will stop by and help.

I have to agree with rdb on that some things are given freely while other are not. Bottom line is it's a business for alot of folks. They don't have a job that pays the bills except for what their able to make and sell. It's their way of making a living. If you have a question and i think i can help i will or try to anyway. I have learned lots of new ways of doing things on here and i'm gratefull for that to. Found some places to get things that i have looked for, for years but didn't know the right name for when i did a search. Personally for me i have a couple of things i have been working on off and on for a couple of years trying to get them just right. I have sent alot of time making patterns trying to get them right. Lots money on leather for things that didn't work and had to be trashed. I have a box full of them right now. This is my living not a very good one right now but it's all i have. When i get it right it will be for sale and hopefully i can make some good money. But i'm not going to just give the working patterns away as soon as i get them done. It's just like if you invented some super dupper product after months or years and thousands of dollars spent, your not going to give it away for ever body to make. You want to at least get your money back before you tell ever body how to do it. Just like a secret sauce their not going to tell you ever thing that's in it.

I may have a manual i'm not but i will look tomorrow. If i have one it's not for the same machine but it is a post Singer post machine.

Good job. It's a nice looking saddle.

I gave a guy some leather had mold on it and he said he cleaned with bleach water. Personally i never have tried it but he said worked.

Go to you tube and put in knife sharping and you will find kinds of different ways to sharpen your knives with all types of stones and wet dry sand paper.

Nice knife and sheath.

It's been at least 10 years ago that i tried the wood and i can't really remember why it didn't work as well as the steel one. But i do know the steel one works the best. You can make one out of wood and try it for yourself. Maybe you will have better luck than i did.

I don't know what the difference is in the Adler machine. Their are some movies on you tube. Here's one of them . I would take samples of what you want to sew with you and try out the machine before you buy if you can. If that's not something you can do i would ask if you can send some samples and have them sew it for you. I'm not real sure what a used machine would sell for. The Adlers are pretty pricey machines new and i'm guessing they will hold their value. Oh be sure and check on extra feet and bobbins that you might need or want. I have a couple of the patch machines and they are nice for what they are made for but that's about it.

If i was you i would look for a cylinder arm machine. But a flat bed machine might work all right till you can what you really want. The K29 i would leave alone unless you want to patch shoes. That's about the only thing their really good for. Nice looking bags.

http://springfieldleather.com/store/ will cut a piece for you.Not sure if it's Herman Oak or not though.

Their are all kinds of things on you tube if you type in knife sharping.