Tallbald

My wife is out of town until mid week and has our digital camera. I could post a photo when she returns. In the meantime, all I can share is that the plate is the factory installed one. I wish there was a way to support the leather from underneath as it's being sewn. Don.

I've become nicely comfortable in many areas with my wonderful Cowboy 3500. One trouble I continue to have though is that when I need to sew close to an edge (say, within 3/16 of an inch) on two layers of 5-6 ounce leather, the needle bends the edge of the project leather down into the open area below the foot. This causes the stitch line to wander and mess up. Small items such as key rings, billfolds and such get ruined often. How should I correct my technique? I've considered cutting a project 3/8 inch oversize and trimming away the excess but that is costly in time and materials. But if I have to I can do that. Smaller needles maybe? Changing presser foot pressure doesn't seem to help. I've watched online videos often that show operators sewing close to an edge with similar machines that do not appear to have my trouble. Remedies and suggestions sure appreciated. Thanks. Don.

I'm not familiar with a Weaver site. I'll do a search. Thank you.Don.

Duplicate post. (I posted in wrong section first...sorry). In tools, clothing, vehicles, guns...you name it....I've always chosen stout construction and fine function over appearance. I have decided that I want to add gun belts to my leather crafting skill set, and am having difficulty identifying strongly made buckles of higher grade materials. I prefer stainless steel, solid bronze and heavy alloyed brasses. So much though of the buckle selection I see online seems to lean toward stylish finishes, fancy stamping and thinner construction. I don't want flowers and rhinestones. I want rigid build and durable finishes that hold up to heavy use. Is there a specific line of buckles folks can recommend I look into? I currently have accounts with a couple big name leather craft supply houses, but it's hard to select the buckles I hope for from only a single photograph and brief description.. Thanks. Don.

Excellent. Thank you! Don.

Again, thanks so much for the replies. Bigpaws that's downright beautiful the way you covered the clip. I may though simply accept the nature of the beast, and make sure I don't slide the clip along the belt to adjust it. The clips I use secure my holsters well in the original position, and I think I need to position my holster correctly to begin with each time I put it on. Don.

In tools, clothing, vehicles, guns...you name it....I've always chosen stout construction and fine function over appearance. I have decided that I want to add gun belts to my leather crafting skill set, and am having difficulty identifying strongly made buckles of higher grade materials. I prefer stainless steel, solid bronze and heavy alloyed brasses. So much though of the buckle selection I see online seems to lean toward stylish finishes, fancy stamping and thinner construction. I don't want flowers and rhinestones. I want rigid build and durable finishes that hold up to heavy use. Is there a specific line of buckles folks can recommend I look into? I currently have accounts with a couple big name leather craft supply houses, but it's hard to select the buckles I hope for from only a single photograph and brief description.. Thanks. Don.

Are there any different features to the manual strap cutters I should be aware of? Maybe adjustment issues or things like that? Don

First I'd like to again say thank you to everyone here who's been kind enough to share experiences and offer insight when I ask questions. It helps so very much when others offer newer folks the benefit of their own findings. I want to add belt making to my skill set. I've made dozens of holsters, cell phone cases, dip can holsters and such, but would enjoy trying my hand at gun belt making for myself and perhaps to sell at local craft shows and maybe even the shooting range. All along I've used the limited leather crafting tools I've bought or made, which means that for long straight cuts I use a 4 foot aluminum level as a straightedge and cut the materials with a razor knife on my bench. I have seen expensive hand cranked strap cutters but can't justify their cost in my case (I'm on a very fixed income too). I've tried searches here but haven't found reviews of manual old style strap cutters that may help me choose the best tool for my needs. I'd really appreciate suggestions as to a specific brand and model of a basic strap cutter, as well as perhaps a link to a video of manual strap cutters in use. I will need to cut close tolerance widths from 3/4 inch to 2 inches, in hides ranging from 5-6 ounce to 10-12 ounce I expect. As always, thank you. Don.

Hi and I appreciate both your insightful answers. The clips I use have shown very good durability on other clip applications for at least three years. They are chrome plated I believe, but do have crisp edges where stamped out. Since I don't make holsters for sale, but for my own use only right now, I have some options. One, is just to tolerate the nature of the beast, touching up my belt as needed. Too late to change finishes on it as I'd prefer to simply make another. Two would be to experiment with a small dyed-to-match section attached to my belt itself that prevents damage to the underlying belt the same way some folks put a "hood bra" on their prized vehicle. I just don't feel good about synthetic clips, referring as on my guns, metal. Thanks again so much. Don.

I'm new to making in-the-waistband concealment holsters, having designed several and had good results. I use them myself. The spring steel belt clips I use are from a large retailer and I'm happy with their strength and performance. The issue I've found is that (and I wondered if this would occur) the steel clip is hard on the nice Resolene finish of my gun belt, leaving some minor scuffs that over time I bet will turn worse. Is it just the nature of the beast? Is there an approach to using maybe contact cemented 2 ounce leather to pad the inside of the steel clip where it meets the front surface of my belt? Thanks. Don.

Ouch! Thank you. Don

At least one commercial holster maker I know of uses what I think are called "safety snaps" that have an indentation in the cap denoting the only direction in which the snap can be undone. This is a safety feature I like. I don't know if there's another name for these kind of snaps, but am having no luck searching for them here for reference or in some leather suppliers catalog websites to buy. Could someone please tell me the correct name for these and where they can be bought? Or maybe they are exclusively made for the commercial big guys (?).Thanks. Don

Thank you all. I posted both forums because members on both are so helpful and responsive. Right now I have five key ring belt loops waiting for me to cut the two rivets each have ready. Last night I ruined three pieces because I took a guess at trim length. I just closed up shop rather than losing more to inexperience. I have difficulty with most all forum search features because to me it's hard to summarize what I'm looking for, or I may come to find out a different phrase would have done the trick. For example "rivet cut length" versus "rivet trim length" gives different selections from which to choose, but in practice "rivet sizing" might have been what I was supposed to use all along. With Youtube I find it best to look only when I can watch a film entirely. Thanks again folks. Don.

I have begun using #9 solid copper rivets for some belt key ring carrier applications. Quick, attractive and rugged, I've made costly mistakes a number of times when I used wire cutters to trim the rivet shank to length in preparation for rounding over. I've done several searches here and on Youtube looking for answers without finding anything clear. 1). I'm using #9 rivets that measure 0.156 inch in diameter on the shank. How long do I leave the protruding shank when I cut the excess off, in order to get a nice mushroomed expansion? 2). I've been using just the wire cutter section of needle nose pliers to cut the rivet and of course it leaves a sharp chisel point that has to be rounded over. Should I be using a different cutting tool to cut the excess shank? Should I use a file to square the end of the rivet shank before rounding over? 3). My rivet setter is from Springfield Leather. There's a drilled blind hole in one side of the setting tool that snugly fits the diameter of the rivet shank. Is this drilled hole a gauge of some type? I appreciate help in learning these things so very much. My wife has our camera out of town with her or I would share a photo of the drilled hole. Thanks. Don.

Thank you all so much. Yes it's vertical carry. My IWB habit is appendix carry. Camano Ridge thanks. In the three years since I've been working with leather, I believe I've come far. In the most part, it's because of the help and guidance of good folks such as you. Don

I designed and made this holster myself. It took a couple tries to get it into the final configuration I had hoped for, and now is in the everyday carry testing mode. Made of 8-9 ounce Hermann Oak vegetable tanned leather, I wanted a sturdy platform to secure the full size handgun well. I can no longer hand stitch due to arthritis and the sitting time required, so I proudly used my Cowboy 3500 sewing machine for the entire piece. I fell back on my old school vinegaroon mixture to give it the deep black color through and through, and hit it with warm Lexol Leather Conditioner twice heavily. A double topcoat of Resolene and a good buffing finished it off. Sure am loving the versatility of my Cowboy 3500. Thanks for looking, and constructive criticisms are always welcomed. Don

I had been looking on Amazon. Are sales usually somewhere in particular? Don

After some helpful advise from a forum member I'm buying a copy of Al Stohlman's holster book. I'd like to have a book that would help me start making handbags, shoulder purses and such but there are several published and a series of three which is a little pricey for me. Any suggestions as to which single book may be best for a budding bag maker please? Thanks. DOn

Wizcrafts I thank you again. Yes indeed I luckily found the missing spring on the floor not far from my machine. I suppose it happened a day or so ago when I used a soft paint brush to clean out the bobbin area of hundreds of little dusty pieces of black thread that had come off the thread as I sew. I never really had a reason to look down into the bobbin holder so I didn't know what to be looking for as missing or out of shape. I'll try not to do that to myself again! Thank you once more! Don.

I will be calling the retailer tomorrow but for today, Sunday, I'm concerned something has gone awry on my new 3500. My bobbin ran out, and I went to install a new full bobbin but no longer do I have the small amount of spring pressure that pops the bobbin out of the carrier. What has happened? Goodness I hope it's not a hard fix.Help appreciated. Thanks. Don

I won't take up much time but as I do when I have been done kindnesses on other forums, I wish to thank everyone who contributes to the vast body of knowledge here benefiting a new person to the craft. This and another leather forum at the CAS site are filled with helpful, non-condemning folks who, as I told my loving wife Penny, freely share methods, tips and tricks that help those in need of knowledge. From the reading I have done, 200 years ago knowledge was jealously guarded and sharing was only done with new members to the craft IF they were agreeable to preserving the secrecy that surrounded a field. Perhaps that was how they preserved their job demand. Great stuff here, and great members. Thank you. Don.

I've been a learning leather crafter for about 3 years. Since starting, I have always used vinegaroon for black coloring, followed by a baking soda neutralizing bath and clear rinse. Then I'd warm the item (usually a holster) and work pure neatsfoot oil into it, followed by a topcoat of a 50/50 mixture of beeswax and NFO and a buff. Tonight for the very first time I used reduced black Fiebings solvent dye to dip dye an in-the-waistband holster for my son. Right now the holster is drying in the hobby room hanging under a fan on a hook. But now I'm a little unsure how to finish the holster. I certainly do not want any rub-off that would ruin clothing. * Do I wait a full day then scrub the holster with an old clean dish towel to remove any surface solids? * I need to soften the holster and planned to work neatsfoot oil into it. Will this remove the black dye? Can I use Resolene or the Super Shene as a topcoat over NFO? * For a topcoat, I have these on hand: Resolene. Eco-Flo Super Shene. My usual 50/50 soft waxy mix of beeswax and neatsfoot oil. Of these what's the best choice for a topcoat over Fiebing's black dye? I don't want the finish to crack or scratch (that's why I always used the beeswax/NFO mix on my 'rooned projects). I did a search on the forums and there's so much information I'm having trouble narrowing down a technique to use tomorrow. Like everyone else's projects I have a fair amount of time in the holster, I want my son to be proud of it and don't want to mess up this late in the game. Thanks so very much. Don.

What I'm using is indeed Hermann Oak craftsman leather. Or so it says on the Springfield Leather website where I ordered it. Don

I was using 5-6 ounce veg tanned "Craftsman" leather (Hermann Oak), two layers. I'm going to try again this evening. Don