Tree Reaper

Maybe something like an exacto knife with a tapered blade would be a little more surgical.

Stohlman has it step by step on page 28 of volume one "making leather cases".

It's a dated process and worked during that time without the molding foam and shop presses that are now available.

If you get foam rubber about an inch thick,( two is better)specially made for forming wet leather you can put your wooden form on a piece of plywood,wet leather on top of that , the foam on top of that and another piece of plywood on top of that then clamp the entire works together using C-clamps or a vise. I use a 10 ton shop press. 40 durometer foam is too stiff but there is some foam here that I have yet to try ... http://www.knifekits...roducts_id=4293 I'm forming some cell foam cases today, just took the mold out of the shop press. This will make two cases. A few scraps of wood will work after forming but the molding process is easier when more than one item is being made and the finished product will look better coming out of a mold.

I agree with Dwight that you should mold the leather from one piece and avoid seams. If you don't have the tools to make the matching forms then foam rubber can be used to mold the case over a simple block of wood.

You might have to heat one up and bend it.

Go to Springfield Leather John. The prices are reasonable and you can get a membership there and won't pay the sales tax. The only problem with Springfield is that they don't have an 800 international number but that won't affect you.

Have not used crayon, I sand, dye and then burnish.

Sand it out and re-burnish.

More of a bolster than a holster.

Shoot for 1/32. Rotate the punch off center once you initially set it. You can buy a forstner bit and drill the leather also. http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/forsbit.htm?zoom_highlight=forstner+bit

Get a good quality fastener like DOT. They have different length posts for different thickness in leather.

I went with 3/4 because that's the same size that came with my 10 ton, I like to stick with what the manufacturer uses. http://www.amazon.com/OTC-9652-Pressure-Tonnage-4-Scales/dp/B000HI9CJK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_2

3/4 plate will be plenty. Pressure will be 3 ton and under in most if not all forming.

If the stamp itself didn't work you can brand it if you use a metal stamp. A one ton would be enough for that.

If it's worth $20 plus shipping, you can send it to me. Kevin

Used primarily on finished products to clean, restore and hydrate.

What you really need is a threaded end to screw a nut on to hold the burnisher in place. You can use a piece of dowel or broom handle and bore a 7/32 hole through the middle and hold it in place with the nut. You can put grooves in it with a file or sand paper.

I have a cowboy 4500 and it isn't really meant to sew watch straps but it will easily sew anything else. The biggest problem with sewing small leather goods like a watch strap is the hole in the plate is too large and the leather will get pushed down inside the hole. You can buy a plate with a narrow slot but you lose the feed dog.

Very well done, I hope that rattler stays connected, they're pretty flimsy.

Flip the wallet over and sew from the finished side towards the inside. Back up interior down.

That first belt looks like it might be synthetic, the harness looks leather and it's advertised as leather. The harness belts could be made with veg or chrome tan but you will want two finished sides so 5oz. will be heavy unless you can split it. I would look for a predyed hide in the colour of your choice. Kevin

I have used a similar idea incorporating a drill press and a pin vise. The biggest problem is having the leather come back up with the awl because there's nothing to hold it down like a foot on a sewing machine.

I'm afraid it's terminal. Where ever you made a repair if it was even possible, it would still deteriorate outside the repair. The material is done and will only get worse with time regardless if it's leather or vinyl.

Very good, thanks for taking the time and posting the pictures to explain that. Kevin