KY23

Thanks guys.

I painted my first leather. I think it turned out pretty good but I need to get some better quality brushes. Would have been a better final product and less mistakes. I was worried about the paint running after applying oil or Resoline but no problems at all. I did give the paint a good 24 hours to dry.

Thanks guys. Just ordered one from Texas Die for $80 plus shipping.

Does anyone know a source to get an oblong punch that is extra wide? I'm looking for a 1 3/4" or 1 7/8" oblong punch that is 3/8" wide. I'm currently doing this on my holsters with a 3/8" hole punch and a wood chisel but would rather have an oblong punch to get cleaner results faster. Any ideas?

The finish is two coats of warm pure neatsfoot oil and set out in the sun for a day.

Not sure if this has been posted or not but I stumbled on this video on Youtube and it is awesome. Great tips and instruction. They use the Cobra to do the video but its all relevant to my Cowboy as well. Best video on sewing I've found so far:

Thanks guys. I really like this design. Bought the stencil from Black River Laser.

One Million Dollars

Finished a new belt design. Made from 10 oz skirting leather and 4 oz veg tanned lining. Stitched with 207 nylon on a Cowboy CB4500. 1 1/2" wide and a stainless steel buckle I bought some plastic stitch guides off of eBay that made laying out the stitch pattern super easy. Let me know what you think.

I know this is old but wanted to add a couple comments. I like the natural look too but IMO nothing brings out tooling or stamping like antique. If you want to just leave them saddle tan I'd use Neatsfoot oil or Fiebings saddle oil and then resoline or equivalent on top. In my experience Fibings Saddle oil doesn't darken leather as much as Neatsfoot oil so if you want to leave as natural as possible try it. I've also used a couple good coats of Wyo Sheen and then antique finish to try and save as much as the natural color on the high spots as possible.

Thank you very much. Going to try this tonight. I didn't think of letting the foot on top of the ring or square.

If they do its not listed on their site. I will call in the morning and ask them. Here is a list of the accessories I can get for it. I have the feet that are listed. http://www.tolindsewmach.com/cb-acc-pack.html

Everyone, Trying to make a leather triple stitched halter. I have some examples but the problem I'm having is sewing close to the hardware. In the examples I have the stitch comes pretty close to the hardware but my Cowboy 4500 will not get that close. Is there a technique to it or do I need a different foot? Here are some examples of how close the stitch is to the hardware.

Thanks everyone. I am having some issues with edging. I dye the edges and use edge paint. The problem is the edge paint is coming off. Here is my process: After gluing and stitching the belt I use a 220 grit sander to even up all edges. I then use a 1000 grit sanding sponge to further slick the edges and then use 1,200 sandpaper. Then I use a #3 western edger to round all edges After that I use a burnisher in a drill press and take a few passes over the belt with a wet edge. I then dye the edges (black usually) using a Fiebings edge dye After the dye has dried I use Fiebings yellow saddle soap and a canvas cloth to slick the edges smooth. After that dries I apply edge paint. I'm thinking about skipping the edge paint because its coming off when the buckle rubs the belt. The edge paint makes the edge look better when its new but makes it look like crap after just a few times being worn. Any ideas?

I skive the buckle end with a safety beveler and then use a 8" sanding to get it to a uniform thickness. On the backside the 10 oz vegtan ends right before the buckle. I just skive the bridle leather from the beginning of the belt slot to the end. I use the same english point strap punch on the buckle end as I do on the hole end. I don't like a square look even behind the belt. Gives it a more finished look IMO. I just made a 68" belt for a Christmas gift and it was very difficult to manage. Wouldn't fit on my working table. I think a belt maker could make some serious money focusing on big guys. They do not have many options for good belts.