JLSleather

Bristol board works great. Just a tip.. you can probably get that same stuff at a print shop for less money -- just won't be paying for the packaging and a middle man.

Straight slot will do that, Boss. Assuming your slots are 5 1/2" apart (give er take a bit), that 20° is only a difference of 1 3/4" -ish, and doesn't require a longer slot (the difference in slot length is LESS than you would take out with an edger). I'm going with the reason for the curved slot is 2-fold... cosmetics (appearance only) compounded with a marketing goober telling you how important it is to have it that way. Or, other words, no value.

Toolmaker AND an RN? Cool... you can put in your own stitches when the die gets you!

I have other images of this type of thing, but since you specifically talked about belts, I tried to find pics showing belts. One day, I really must do some cleaning and organize my images better ... Top layer and billets dyed Fiebing's Oil Black and Neatsfoot (24 hours in between and 24 hours after oil), then buff to shine. Glue natural (undyed) liner, edge stitch, burnish edges, and apply finish. Same approach as above, just different thread and look Leather (H.O. 7/8 oz) is tooled and allowed to dry overnight. Apply oil and dry overnight. Apply stain over all. When dry (later same day is fine) machine stitched white. Drum-dyed leather (Wickett&Craig brown skirting) is glued and stitched with complementary thread color, buffed, and finish applied. Holster and belt are both cut out, glued and stitched with natural color thread. Holster is formed and allowed to dry overnight. Base color (saddle tan) applied over entire article - both sides of holster, only the outside of belt. All edges rounded and dyed (fiebing's chocolate) with a wool dauber before burnishing. Lightly buff after a few hours, and spray fiebing's chocolate for that sensitive look (hey, that's what he wanted). This is done SO THE THREAD WILL COLOR along with the leather.

Congratulations on your progress, and finding a gun shop you can work with -- awesome! I would suggest - though I'm guessing you're already finding --- that a guy curb how much time you spend on videos. I don't know the numbers exactly, but the majority of time in those "leathercraft" videos is spent proving that the video guy should have stuck to what he knows... making videos! Just a light humor, but you'll see what I mean soon enough. I don't think your 'process' is all that broken. Couple things to mention, but I've been at it a while and I can tell you, there's more than one way to skin a cow. We don't have to take the exact same route to get to the same place. I'm not one who subscribes to the 1/4" thick belt club. I have made them, and if that's what your customers are asking for then by all means. Mine are generally more like 3/16 -ish. 7/8 with a 3/4 liner, or occasional double-6 oz. Again, up to the customer. As for the problems you mention, those are easy fixes. → Truth is, if your dye is bleeding, then it isn't as dry as you thought -wait another day. → Your leather should be at least damp before making a sharp fold. I actually include a note with rifle slings (and other things where the strap is adjustable) NOT to put a sharp fold in dry leather (and how to avoid doing that). As for thread getting discolored, I've done that a number of ways. On projects where I want the thread unchanged, just make sure the dye is dry. Once dry, I've never had oil dyes "bleed". On other projects, I WANT the thread to take the dye, so plan accordingly. I'll dig out a couple pictures showing the different looks, but that's all it is.. just another look!

Yeah, that's two votes for W/C leather .

It's gonna be easier to help if we know ... what kind of leather you are looking for, and how much of that leather (shoulder, a back, a side, 10 sides?? .... patterns for what, exactly?

Actually, I LOVE thread exchange. For anyone not familiar, they have a good product, at a decent price, fast delivery, and have even offered to have me send them a sample of what I'm sewing so they can match thread color. Beyond that, I have also ordered at http://www.superiorthreads.com/

I'm surprised you never see anybody "swappin". Perhaps they do, just - as they say - under the table.

He didn't reply to me before, so I guess he meant TEXT ONLY. I could use some of the dummy mags, but thought I'd let you fellas pick first, since i already have the guns, and somebody might want them together.

Actually, aren't those etched right in the side of the slide? I mean, this guy should SEE 4.5 every time he has that thing out Problem was with the blue gun... for some reason the 3.8 SAYS 3.8, but the other (clearly NOT the competition model) says nothing. So I was wondering why Rings called one XDm38 but called the other XDm40 (instead of XDm45) -- though ALL of those could be taken as CALIBER.

Yeah, I admit there are some people who want holsters that I personally think... well - nevermind. Just make sure they aren't walking toward me with guns -- that makes me nervous.

Yeah, guess tha's the deal. Strange, I still get people call me about holsters, and when I ask which model they have, they don't know. Fella today has the XDm, but doesn't know what barrel length. Tha's a bit like sayin' I got a car, purdy sure its a GM....

This one here, the leather is shown as you would be looking at it going into the machine (top is fed in and leather moving away). The pic explains it I think.. Both sides set at 6 spi, both 207 thread, both same leather... ONLY difference is changing the needle from an LL point to an LR point.

Weird.. can't find a lot of those 'stitchin' pics. But general rule, I use #69 thread to sew billfold / checkbook liners, and then use #138 to sew them into the carving piece. Belts are stitched using either 207 or 277. For comparison, the zipper gussets show a double row of #69 thread on the zipper and #207 holding the gussets into the main body. Keep in mind that different color leather and / or different color thread can throw this WAY off. In fact, just changing the needle point geometry can make it look like a different project!

So, I see that rings carries an XDm 3.8" they also carry an XDm40 But the 3.8" COMES in .40, so what is it Im missing? I assume that the 40 in XDm40 is not barrel length, since the XDm comes in a 3.8", a 4.5", and 5.25"

Tuesdays. The answer to the question "WHEN to buy blue guns?" is Tuesday.

#42 thread is pretty small- I've only used it once (ever).Two layers totaling about 6 oz sounds like maybe #69 thread and an 18 needle. As a rule, I don't stitch anything closer than about 8 per inch. I'll see what pics I kin find ...

Masonite will work -- I used it 100 years ago. Changed to plexiglass about the same thickness after that, though, so I could see the leather under the pattern. Alternately, I have been known to mark the pattern, cut it out (band saw), and then keep the OUTSIDE, so that you lay it on teh leather and teh part you're cutting out is the part that's visible. Makes a bigger piece to store, otherwise it does work.

Sounds like a great deal! In fact, I'm so jealous I likely won't be speaking to you for a while Well, unless you show us pics of work you did with it, then maybe it's okay ...

That DO look like progress I remember way back, you asked how that belt was done, and when I said 'the background is matted' you replied "ALL OF IT?@#%#!$#!!???" Look atcha now .... Somebody wasta tell me those seats were laced by hand.. I gonna say "ALL OF IT?@#%#!$#!!???"

Bobbin cases are cheap, generally. I usually recommend having a few for these type machines. When you want to change sizes, just pull out the case for that size and go -- it will already be at least very close to the correct tension (all the time). I think bobbin cases for my Consew (206-rb5) were about $5 each.

Got a pic of the underside? I'm trying to look UNDER the buckle. And by "what pattern", I mean the paper pattern in the first post.

Purdy simple stuff... set it and go. That swing away thing? Pay no attention - doesn't help much far as I can tell. I MUCH prefer the swing down version mounted above the feet.. where it actually CAN swing out of the way. The roller version,.. really not much more useful that a solid stop put there. To be clear... is that 3500 just a smaller throat version of the 4500? Seems like the same accessories should work if that's true.

I din't 'git' nuna that, Josh! Did you fold that over the buckle and rivet it (like I generally think of a "chape"), or did you put a slot in the wider belt, and run the "chape" through it? Thought i had a picture of that .. maybe not. HEY.. what pattern is that?