$$hobby

im not sure if you want a color picture but. you can try using a inkjet printer. i would make sure the ink was the indelible type. i remember seeing a marketing/sales person with some inkjet printers using some waterbased/food coloring type inks and printing on some tortilla. at the time i thought it was nifty. a neet way of advertising. iac, you would have to try the available inks and see how you can get things to line up and print correctly.

Hi all, I have a small repair project that requires/needs some #299 Antique brass bridle buckes. i have the plain jane SS ones, but ive never seen Antiqued Brass style until now. just a note, these odd buckles are a real PIA. any help/hints would be of help. Thanks alot and in advance. R

why would you need a long slide gun? depending on type of holster youre going to make having a long slide isnt necessary. if its going to be flapped, then it could be an issue, but i dont see it that way. just do a partial takedown. remove the slide release, poistion the slide where you want it and tape the slide in place. chances are the back end of the gun from the mag release is going to be exposed anyway, correct?

well, if you live on the edge of town, how about ebay? depending on the holsters, there maybe a market for them beyond your boarders. the horse show crowd uses antique/used holsters for their costumes. i made a holster/belt combo for a friend thats showing Arabs. shes using it with a capgun and plastic toy knife. if they are in decent shape, theres no reason they cant go back to being a holster. if you have any gun/antique shows in your area, try seliing/trading them there.

how about a hook & worm?

im not sure how much air/train fair is from your local to Queensland, but it could be worth it to make the trip. You can also do some research to find other shops/machines in the Queensland area to see/try what they have. also, look for any leather/tack trade shows in your area. even if you have to wait for a year for the next one, you could be saving $$$ for the machine.

Do youself a really huge favor. take some material you use and go try some machines. take the spool of thread you want to use too. same for those handbags you plan on making in the someday. find/get some of the leather you plan on using including the threads. if you cant afford one now, save you pennies until you can get what you need. if you dont, you will always kick youself for buying the lesser machine. alot of people dont have the $$$ to do it right the first time, but they will come up with the $$$ to do it twice.

Ive been using some closed cell foam. its from a "camping/sleeping pad". ive seen it at a camping store and such, but i usually look for less expensive places. we have REI stores around here and they keep them in stock as sleepingbag pads. ive also used some stuff from work. it covered our spool cores used to ship/store fiber optic fibers. It was about 1/8" thick and approx 6" wide by 18" long. Since it was free i grabbed some, but i only use it if im trying to match an existing part in the bridle since its thinner. btw, the camping/sleeping pads were 1/4 or 3/8 and ive seen them thicker. i also got a whole roll of ~1/8" closed cell foam from a surplus store. They are no longer in business, but i got enough to last me for a while. you may want to look in your local yellow pages under "foam". Ask for "closed cell foam" in the thickness you want. btw, i dont bevel the edges. when you wrap the leather around it, the edges will be rounded. i imagine, there is someone out there that sells what you have by the roll, but ive never seen it. i just cut what i need off the sheets. Using a straight edge and a new xacto knife blade, you can get a good clean straight line/cut. you can usually ask for a "sample" and play with it using the leather you want to cover the foam with and see how it behaves/feels to you. if you cant find anything let me know. i have some scrap pieces that may work for you if you know the size/thickness you want or if you want some to test/play with and see how it fits your needs.

im not sure about you, but ive spent alot of $$ on various smaller machines only to find out the next project, the machine was too small. i would get some material you plan on sewing and find a dealer that handles industial machines and go from there. you can try contacting some of the saddlers/chaps makers in your area and ask if they are willing to entertain your questions and to see if you can try their machine on your material. whatever you do, make sure you get a machine large enough to handle what you want to do and maybe then some. i dont know how many times i got a machine with a 3/8 in lift and needed 1/2 or more the next time. you may not need it, but i always found myself need just a tad more on the next project. Throat depth is a factor too. also, think about what size thread youre going to use on your projects since that can be a limiting factor. if youre not familiar with sewing machine, you may want to find one with local support too. jic, you have any problems you cant handle. good luck too.

ive got my colored thread from weaver the last time my friend oredered for me. i know Rice makes but dont know if they sell retail.

price will vary with what people are willing to spend. have you looked one the web for sale prices? or maybe ebay? one thing nice it has a reverse. i tried to find some extra/different pressor foots, but everyone i ordered didnt fit and wasnt made for the machine. im thinking there isnt any to be had, or you have to make/modify existing units. the lift height is limited to approx 1/4~5/16 or so. i have one and am pondering selling it since i received a older Consew 225. i cant remember what i paid for my Rex since it was several years ago. to me the price isnt that bad, but it would depend on the condition of the machine. if you have an idea on what you want to sew with the machine, i would take some material and thread and do a test drive. that way you will know if the machine works or not or if there are any problems.

welcome and greetings. you can try making some items and selling them at "saturday markets". we have them here where local vendors will rent a booth and show/sell their wares. its a good way to start and see what people want and are willing to buy. the web is another place if you choose to go that route. Ive found the best is by "word of mouth" approach especially if you cant spend alot on advertising . it still limits you, but its a first step. you can also do the door knocking approach. just go to your local shops and introduce yourself and start asking questions. i would make sure i had some samples of my work on hand so they can inspect and verify the quality of your work. good luck,

+1 on the book its the one i used to learn how to make holsers. here my version/inspiration of the "duke" rig. i use to make all black holsters since its easier to dye, but ive tried using some lighter colors on this rig. this pic is the back side of the holster. i just used a leather loop and hand sewed it. i like to sew more then rivets since the rivet will eventually corrode. here is the complete rig with the belt. i did the belt in the same color and lined. i havent added the hammer thong yet since im not sure where im going to put it. i do know from previous holsters, i want to keep it out of the way of the gun when drawen/holstered.

i got one of these. its not bad for the size. the only thing is the belt is not as long as i would like, but it works for most of my leather projects. the one thing nice is that i can swap from oscillating drum to belt in a couple minutes. http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Oscillating-Ed...er/EN/index.htm

thank you all for your repliles. i had to take it slow(er) and tighten up the thread tensions.

if youre into making your own, then making one in leather wouldnt be hard if youve done it before. there are also people making their own holsters out of Kydex (sp?). i guess you can heat the matierial in the oven and shape it to your needs.

those kits are fun for starting and learning alot too. if you did the carving, it looks real nice. if youre going to make holster from scratch, there are some DVDs and books out there that will give you some good pointers.

Hi, long time no here. ive been asked to repair some harness equipment and unfortunately its biothane. does anyone here know the tricks to sew biothane on a machine? i have to replace some 1" wide straps, like english billets, on this peice. i have some scrap that i tried to sew on and for the most part it appears okay, but it will miss/skip some stitches. hope everyone is doing good and all is well. thanks in advance.

thanks for the offer. currently my mac is having issues w/posting pics. i just told the owner to have it repaired by someone else.

Since you dont say which model you have or you dont have a pic i will have to wing it. For adjustment, if you look behind the handle where it pivots, there maybe a bolt that the handle stops agains when you press down on the handle. That is the adjustment. as far as the dies and which goes where, i believe it doesnt matter. it would depend on how you want to apply the snaps. there should be a die to fit the top and a die to fit the bottom. i dont see any problem with setting the snap upside down if needed.

welcome and hope you have some fun.

i have one of those and they arent the best. the roller on mine was eccentric and the straps would have a "wow" in it. Luckly i had a friend make one at work. it works better now, but i bought a better version and now im just waiting to sell it. i would say that your roller isnt set properly. once you get it set, the difference will be like night/day. btw, you will also want to use ALL of the blade too when splitting.

Hi all. my tack shop where i get my work from has a circle Y "team penner" with a loose leather cover over the horn cap. they would like me to try and tighen/fix it, but im thinking it probably needs to be replaced. the stitching on the far side is loose/worn thru (a couple stitches ony) and the leather horn cap is a sloppy fit. the horn looks like an aluminum casting and horn shaft cover looks okay. is there something i can do or is this something that needs to redone? Im thinking i could glue the leather to the horn, but its still going to be loose and in the end will more then likely work loose again. my thinking is that it worked loose from using it as a handle to PULL the rider into the seat. btw, i mostly do strap goods repair and make belts/holsters. TIA

I guess its better then giving it to the bankers/CEOs/Political friends. it would be interesting to see how it works out for you all.

they are a "retail" outlet. So good luck on getting "wholesale" prices. Maybe if you let them know youre a "leathercraft shop" they may give you a break. also, once you get them, try finding the mfg/importer/source and look for a "wholesaler".