JLSleather

Shims, Bob. Shims.

W/C mahogany skirting? Color looks good - in fact whole belt looks good. I don't care for 'em that heavy, so only bulk 'em like that when specifically requested. Looks like your leather is cracking when you punch the holes. Usually result of a punch getting dull, or your backing material (what you punch on) is too soft.

I never double stitch a holster. Aint needed at all, and the more holes ya put in sumthin', the weaker it is. Some a@@ will be along in a minute to swear that aint true, but ... consider a diving board. You feel safe walking out on the end, that's what it's made for. Now drill holes across the board, a couple feet from the end, and THEN walk out and stand there. Not so fun now, eh? BUT some holes (double row) running DOWN the board along the edges (like a fella might see on the edges of a belt) don't significantly damage the board in the direction of the downward force. Still fine to walk on out. I think Stohlman said it like "don't stitch across a strap" or something like that, right?

Yup - still makes the mark, but the mark is in the SCRAP piece With just a little practice, you can get where the scrap doesn't move with the work, so you can run clean down a belt without stopping. Just a footnote - when making a double row of stitchin', I use the left foot shown here for the outside row, then switch to the right foot for the inside row. Spaced about 1/8" apart, the right foot "tamps" down teh row of stitchin' made in the first pass (comes out the machine already "tapped down").

Maybe it helps to see the direction? footpad.mp4

Piece o' scrap, 4-6" long. This is about 4 oz - not critical but I wouldn't use skirting leather. Couple pieces strap leather .. much like I would be making a belt. Again, just scrap - this time about 8 oz each. Stick 'em back to back, as if making a belt. Following in a minute... I actually wet the leather to make the result a bit more obvious. Bottom shows marks left by outside presser foot without the pad. Top shows stitching with "pad" under the presser foot (but not under needle or center foot). You can clearly see the DENT left by the center foot above teh dark stitching. Ordinarily, I wouldn't let this happen, but this is to illustrate the difference between where the pad is and where it isn't. Really just a matter of psi ... spread the pressure of the foot out over larger area, less marks. If the leather isn't wet, there will be NO TRACE of a mark at all.

If you're making "plain" belts, solid color especially, you "could" line them up 'close' and then trim or sand to fit (keep in mind it should fit the buckle without excess room). If on the other hand your belt is carved, then it may be more important to keep the width accurate - not trimmed. I cut the front the size it needs to be, then cut the back (liner) about 1/4" wider SOLELY so I don't have to go nuts trying to line it up. Trim and finish edges. If you want to try to "save" that 1/4" of leather, you can glue both pieces, then separate them with wax paper, which will prevent the layers from sticking before you are ready. Works a bit like the backing on a postage stamp or address label, and is commonly available in your neighbor's kitchen

Oh, I did put a pic from teh buyer with his Glock in it ..

Every mark you don't put in the leather is one you don't have to take out. Hey- that's good stuff, I'm gonna use that sometime! Lemme say that again -- EVERY MARK YOU DON'T PUT IN THE LEATHER IS ONE YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUT. Got a piece of scrap leather, fairly thin? I found a small piece of 3/4 oz - about inch wide and 6" long, put a straight cut on one side (you could get all 'fancy', but you really just need one side straight). Stick it under the presser foot, and sew. No marks in the leather. None.

Well, I DID make that one - when I asked if I "did" this one, I just meant I didn't think I had already posted the pics This fella specifically asked for the thumb strap (I personally don't care for 'em, but his call). And he asked for "floral tooling" on the front, and showed me a picture of a holster he found in a search that had that "design" outside the stitching (which, by the way, is just a "pear shader" tool bopped along sideways- takes about 2 mins to go all the way around). And he asked for solid brown monochrome - I mixed dyes for a pretty good bit before lighting on that shade. Must have worked out, he left a pretty glowing review. Personally, I don't put much attention to reviews, though--- the more GLOWING, the more I'm calling BULL. YOu see some of those reviews about folks that go ON and ON and ON.. ' it's the most bestest wonderfullest great thingie i ever dun seen i will sure buy all my things from this person and so will my grandchildren... blahblah" And some of them show work that is basically.. you know .. poo Anyway, the floral was just "something that fits a Glock 27" and doesn't get "borrowed" from page 18 of Stohl man's "how to make holsters" book .. you've probably seen that one before, eh? This other pic shows the detail of the border stamping, including teh number of the CRAFTOOL stamps used to make it. These are fairly old tools - I don't know if they are still available on the shelves. Click pic to enlarge ..

Oh, you dyed that. I was fixin'a ask if that was W/C mahogany skirting. Looks good. Did you trap (sammich) the snap backs, or go all the way through?

That's an adjustable depth gouge, for the flesh side for making sharp bends (I use one on the inside bends of 3-ring notebooks). That looks like a "U", but they are also widely available with a "V". Rather like a 'miter' on a piece of wood...

7/8 oz strap and billets. Belt is also 7/8, then lined with 3/4 tooling leather, billets are not lined (stitching on loops and billets is decorative).

That looks like the "tab" folds under the keeper loop, which would make for a tad more bulk (changing the size slightly). I generally cut the [vertical] slot and run it through, but that might not be good for a billet so close to the strap width (weakening it too much). I'm fixin' ta do a pdf on this belt size thing, since it comes up over and over for YEARS. Have to figure out some way to advertise it and calculate how to price it .. WAIT, that sounds like far too much work -- easier to just post the thing and call it FREE. Ranger belts aren't nearly as popular as they once were, at least not round here. So I haven't made one in over a year - not counting "gun belts" and "buscadero" belts. This one a good while back - later went in and dyed the inside of the holes black. I hate that when the holes are not matching - this was done to make that point.

Looks purdy good, kid.

Depends on teh leather thickness. Above 8 oz, I don't feel the need to do anything with it - just keep moisture content right. I've DEEP tooled 44-48" belts with virtually no stretch at all. Long projects- like belts - in the 5-8 oz range the tape works well, simple to do. I don't worry about "stuff" residue on the back since a belt that light would be lined anyway. Smaller projects - small enough to fit on the tooling rock completely - I rubber cement to card stock. Peels right off when done, and rubber cement comes off cleanly.

this is from 8 months ago, must have got intentionally boxed into a corner.

where did you find the seacamp? never seen a 'dummy' seacamp.. nice to mold with one that cant go off

Yep, looks like just laminated layers of leather - much like plywood.

Funny that -- I see they removed it, but for YEARS the antique jar read "do not thin with Tan-Kote" We did it anyway with no adverse results. You seem to be failing very well

Womens bees crazy.

No dye. No edge poop. No liquid plastic. Just leather 'n' glue ... ''n' no line. Nope. I mean eliminate it, not camouflage it.