JLSleather

Did you mean the 3200, or the 4500? The FIRST thing I would check is that your bobbin is in the right way. Anybody got a picture showing the end of this machine? I think with the 4500, pulling on the bobbin thread should cause the bobbin to turn counterclockwise. It may be you simply need to take out the bobbin, flip it over, and put it back in. Other words, with the bobbin case extended out (to put in or take out), the bobbin goes in with the thread coming off of the BOTTOM of the bobbin. Somebody with a 4500 correct this to be certain ... Oh, correction .. I see from your info under the picture that you have the 4500

I've done both.

As a rule, the dark background on my dyed belts is done with a brush. Red sable hair, actually -- just personal preference. Reason is, there's quite a bit of relief in the belt carvings -- pretty good depth. It would be very time consuming to dye those background areas with an airbrush, while keeping the dye off of the raised carving areas. You can AIM the airbrush, but there will always be some "blow back" that really isn't well suited to depressions. It CAN be done, but considerations need to be made. By way of example, turn on the kitchen sink, just a little. When the liquid hits something solid, there WILL be some splash back ... Another example? Put a little sand on the table. Blow it off. No problem, since the concern is not where it's ending up. Now, put that same sand in a bowl, and blow in the bowl ... and there you have the problem And in the case of a tooled belt, this "overspray" would be on the sides of the carved surfaces.

Not that impressive. Ever tape off the window trim to paint the walls? Same deal ...

There's definitely something to be said for easy access. That Hobby Lobby store is why I stuck with the Paasche as long as I have (plus, Im cheap enough I dont like to replace what isn't broken). I put a new security light on the front of the house, which it turns out needs a simple box adapter. That little box thing is available over the counter in many stores. But not the one here - special order only. So now I have an entire project waiting on a $2 box. But this goes for many things. Wherever possible, PICK your own. Go see the leather you're getting. Test the tool they're selling. Any time you get the chance. The compressor I use came from Menard's with a stanley finish nailer. I've used those "airbrush" compressors, but fact is they'll cost twice as much and perform less. They were always kicking on trying to keep up. Just be sure you have a regulator to set the pressure (usually, I spray alchohol dyes between 15 and 30 pounds, depending). Double action definitely the way to go. You'll see people talking about it's harder to learn - pay no attention to this. I've used both single action and double action (and I've seen some STUNNING work done with both) and the double is easier to use. Oldtoolsniper mentioned aerosol spray cans. This, basically, is a single action -- one button you can push to spray paint and air. Push down half way, you get less air, but the same amount of paint (causing a different look). The double-action allows you to also control the amount of paint with that same button. Simple. In fact, that's ALL good information. Only thing I wouldn't agree with, is that you CAN paint a picture This is part of the stuff I had hoped to have up on the site by now... getting closer, though! http://www.jlsleather.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/rose_paint.gif

Oh, I meant maybe you had a design you did in AC and morphed (or translated, or copied, or exported, or used the force) into .ai like they were talking about. Don't worry about it. Purdy much what I expected.

Agreed. I see people all the time, talking about "B" or even "C" grade leather. Even if the price difference was $1/ft, you're only talking about $25 per side. My wife does the same thing. Somebody advertise gas at 10¢ off a gallon, and she'll run out $5 worth driving across town to get it. Course, that .10/gal in a 20 gallon tank saved her $2.00, so I guess it was worth it? Sometimes, when making these, I wet it a bit at the fold -- just to MAKE the bend. Won't hurt anything to do it, assuming you'll wet the entire thing later to form.

I used to know a little AutoCad. Maybe you could show us some of what you mean?

That's why I put that little note on the first page... "It’s recommended the user view all photos before beginning." I've done that myself! Glued a panel on the front piece of a Glock 41 holster and set it aside with some others to set up a bit. came back later, glued the parts and had it half way around the stitchin' machine when I realized the front panel was glued, but not stitched.

If you are looking for one or two sides of leather, then I would recommend Wickett $ Craig. They will split the leather to the thickness you want, in natural or drum dyed. I buy backs instead of sides, so I don't pay for the bellies. Most recent purchase was $9.96 per foot (split, holstered, drum dyed). If you have demand enough that leather won't sit for long periods where you have to control sunlight and humidity, then Hermann Oak leather is quite good also. I mention the conditons because the tannery has a minimum order requirement of 20 sides. This works out well, though, if you have a couple people in the area and one of you would be responsible for splitting an order between a couple guys. HO runs a little different pricing depending on thickness. I use a lot of 7/8 oz -- "A" grade currently $7.22 for sides ($8.52 for backs).

Welcome. Thanks for taking a minute to say thanks (many don't). That pattern WILL fit the Colt 5". And I don't mind seeing pics of projects made from those patterns

When he was 5, one of my boys used a Paasche VL, a piece of 12 x18 vellum, and some grey dye (reduced Fiebings black) to paint a sky-scape. Clouds and sky and such. Never touched an airbrush before, but he had watched, so he put his paper on the easel, and swapped out different masks n stencils for different effects. Looked good - in like half an hour. Airbrushing - from the voodoo side -- is much like leather work. There are some who will spend their day telling you how terribly difficult it is. Probably not the case EVERY time, but i suspect that story is told so you won't try it, and become their competition! And, there will always be small men who think (or would like to think) that they can sucker ^talk customers into paying more if it's "hard".

Yeah, I think I'm going to look for a new airbrush, or two. They're almost indestructable, but not entirely. These have been around a good while, and I see that Paasche has changed the design of the VL series, and not for the better. So, I'll be thinking about other models. These still work for that "fade" thing I think people do for their boyfriends ... no precision or talent or time investment required there... Some of us did HUNDREDS of ladies' handbags like that years ago. I think the big advantage of the airbrush in leather is speed. Fill the cup, and off you go. You get to skip a lot of trips back to the jar because the brush is empty. There are of course many more advantages, but until I see someone actually using one of them, maybe that's a topic for a different forum. I haven't had the time to commit to it I would like to have, but there are a couple of 'starter' images over here. That animation is a pattern from a gal on this site (sketch) done with a Paasche VL-1 (no tooling, just FIebing's dyes). And the holster is one of those things that any dummy can do in under a minute.

Does anybody make those avenger things for 1911's any more? http://www.jlsleather.com/diy/holster-diy/

Did you use the 1911 pattern from here?

Alrightey then... guess no interest there. Not surprising, I suppose, with so many of those machines for sale "hardly used". People apparently getting rid of them ...

Well, until now I hadn't said it, but I wondered how it was "efficient" to draw in one program and then transfer to another?

Another vote for the 227 for this type of work. If you find you prefer a table to a cylinder, then Bob has the Consew 206RB-5, which is basically the same capacity (material, needles, thread) only in a flatbed type machine.

YIKES! That's 2 sq feet, or other words $18.50 / ft. For that money, that hide otta come with some beef still attached!

Oh, yeah - right you are. Corners will have a radius unless you request a sharp corner.

Maybe shoulda put the position of a thumb break strap ana snap BEFORE this? Oh, well, it'll still make a holster ... maybe one day I'll git another one. I thought about havin' this feller up the road weld it - build it up - but that's probably more money than a new dummy! You might be right A' -- maybe SUMthin kin stick it back on there ...

What does this mean? What curved edges?

Dropped the aluminum 'dummy' for the Charter Bulldog off'n the table. Landed just right, no longer has a hammer on it. Concrete floor meets aluminum casting .... yeah.

Yes, I know not all the mags are identical, but - seriously - they're so close I'm sure you can figure it out from there. "Officially", the link is to a "holster" for the Glock 19 9mm mag, but easy enough to adapt it to a 23, or a 32, or .... http://www.jlsleather.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Mag_Gk19_P01.pdf

Should be simple enough to carve 3/4 oz.