WinterBear

'Fraid not. Can't go look at the moment either. The kids have got it at the Scout Lodge with a hand-cranked sewing machine clamped to it so they can repair some old army tents. I'll take a look when I get it back though. Don't let me forget. (pretty sure it is the 450-lb)

Yeah, even with. Beats me why. I was hoping it would work, and disappointed when it didn't. I don't know if it is because the legs are relatively "spindly" or if it is because the tops are some sort of compressed board. I get better results if I put the slab on the corner of a desk (but not the center) or put the slab flat on the floor.

Have one of those workmate-types and tried it. Can't tool on it--too much bounce! It's just not sturdy enough. All I use my workmate for is to clamp on lace cutters/splitters. and use as an extra surface when painting or doing some layout. For tooling, I've been thinking of making a something similar to the base of this drill press (sans casters) as I also have no room. http://www.planethart.com/projects/?PN=15

Wow! Simply...wow. What's your metallic--silver (may be a light blue--can't tell with this monitor)? And is the metallic cow or goat?

You also might state what the owner will be doing with this armor so the people who frequent the forum can give you the best advice. For instance, I know that SCA has very specific requirements for the weights of leather used depending on the weapons that will be used (e.g., blunted blades vs. staves), and if it is not the correct weight, it will not be permitted. SCA armor may also be required to be hardened, and may require very robust hardware, attachments, and straps. Some LARP and reenactment groups also have specific requirements, while others have less stringent requirements. Then there is just pure costuming--some convention gear, most cosplay, and almost all masquerade costumes do not have restrictions.

Very cute dog boma. It resembles the Westie my neighbor has. Now that is a clever idea. I could use one of those, or a few of those. Maybe one for each type of needle I use--one for the leather needles, one for the quilting needles, one for the sewing machine needles, and one for beading needles.

If you need a leather that's a bit drapey/soft/pliable, but still something you can dye, why not milled veg tan? It has a pronounced pebbled grain, but it conforms to curves and forms soft gussets.

I can add Roje Leather to that list as well. I've done a little business with them for some odds and ends. They usually have python in a variety of colors and finishes. They offer karung in crust, red karung, and natural cobra as well in their "Varied" category. http://www.allexoticleather.com/default.asp I've also been told about these companies from others here on LW, but have not done business with them, so I couldn't tell you anything about quality of their leather or their service. http://www.exoticleather.us/hides.asp http://www.stleather.com/ There's the Leather Guy of Minnesota too, but I'm not able to access his website. He sells on ebay however, and occasionally has snake. A friend got some veg-tanned beaver tail from the ebay store, and said it was excellent though. If you decide on rattlesnake, Chichester, Moscow Hide and Fur, Springfield Leather have rattler or other snakes. I've done business with Springfield, and heard that Chichester and Moscow Hide and Fur (1st and 2nd links) are good, but know nothing about the others. http://www.chichesterinc.com/RattlesnakeSkins.htm http://hideandfur.com/inventory/5540.html http://www.clawantlerhide.com/no-frames/fursskins.htm http://www.genuineostrichhides.com/snake-skins/

Oh, if the focus is the Middle Ages in Europe, my necklace won't be any good at all.

There's one in Larkspur if you want to scope it out, Double U. http://coloradorenaissance.com/ I will forewarn you on something they don't mention on their website--Although it is usually very hot, they have no potable water on site for the public: no water stations, no water fountains. Instead, they'll want to sell you overpriced bottled water and discourage you from bringing in outside water.

I suppose I could finish the necklace I've got going. I'll have to do some supplier-finding before I can give more details--what I'd like to do as first choice will depend greatly on whether I can find the bits I need, same for second and third choice.

He's cost you a lot already, in time, frustration, and worry, not to mention your skills in making that first saddle. And that time that could have been spent working for a legitimate customer or making items to sell--after all, you could have built a saddle and sold it to someone else or made a pile of other less complicated things for the time you spent undoing his mistakes and starting the saddle over. So let your lawyer get this jerk to hit the road and leave you alone before the jerk costs you any more.

..Well, holster may still work. The lady in the picture is packing a pair--they just aren't a pair of pistols. Wonder how I'd look in something like that....eh, nevermind. I'd probably look like a leather-wrapped sausage, actually. I don't think I have the right figure for that. Is that you Renee? You going to take that to the Faire and beat guys off with that sword?

..wait, whut? He first wanted you to do a lot of labor for $400 less, and when you refused and sent the work back, he now wants you to pay $999 + 8%? Do I have this right--1) He broke the contract by refusing to pay less than what was agreed on in the correspondence; 2) He's asking for monetary recompense on a product he can't or won't prove that he shipped (the hardware); 3) He's asking for monetary damages of one-third more of what he was willing to pay you, AND he has the idiotic saddle back too?... Honestly, I think he's crooked. He broke the agreement by refusing to pay the agreed upon amount, and you fulfilled your part by returning the goods to him. He tried to rip you off, and he's still trying. Keep an eye on him so he doesn't attempt to defame your business though. If he starts going around flapping his lips or posting online that you ripped him off for $999 dollars +8%, you might have to deal with the fallout of the slander and libel. Might be time to look around for a lawyer, just in case you need one to protect you and your business from this clown.

That is supremely clever. May I steal your idea to make something similar for myself? My joints don't allow me to punch a bunch of holes very well, so the stuff I am repairing and making for a Scout Troop and a Lions Club goes very very slowly.

Anytime. I consider it a case of quid pro quo--you've helped me before. Your helmets sparked an idea on how to tackle a rather sticky repair problem of mine.

I'm afraid my camera suffered a tragedy at the last campout earlier this month, and cannot be repaired. The replacement hasn't arrived yet, so I can't photograph what I have. I'll see if I can't take it with me and borrow a camera for a few minutes this weekend. However, you can get the basic idea from these links: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2890&hl Bob Beard's Scale stamps: http://www.pslac.org/stamp3000-3154.html and http://www.robertbeardtools.com/Basketweaves,Borders.html Barry King's crescent and shell stamps and fillers: https://www.montanaleather.com/product-details.php?id=404 Hackbarth "seashell" stamp pairs: http://hackbarthtools.com/hackbarth-stainless-leather-stamping-tools-small-seashell-set-2-tools.html A more molded scale: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=14305&hl The camo tool was shaped to fit the scale by grinding the points off the sides and narrowing the shape to something like a fan shape. It's ground so that the lines radiate from the narrowest of the fan to the towards the curved edge.

The pouch that is being drug around was painted about two weeks after oiling, but that was due to not having time to work on it before that more than anything else. The pieces that get the lightest oiling I paint the next day (24 hours-buckles, barrettes, etc.) with no issues, where a for a bracelet or small pouch, I find 4 or 5 days is usually sufficient. Thicker, heavily tooled, and/or very dry pieces that take up more oil, or pieces that will see a lot of abuse, I will wait 1 or two weeks, just to be safe.

I don't think you'll have any problems, especially if the first coat of acrylic after he oiling is thinned enough that the first layer of paint is just this side of being see-through. The grain will show through the first layer, certainly, but if it is dried well before completing the rest of the painting, it's primarily there to give the other layers a little something to bite-like a "primer". A little neatsfoot well soaked in followed by a thinned first coat of acrylic has worked very well for me, and the veg-tan portions of the pouches with painted designs haven't had any cracking or peeling. One pouch has been hauled around by a pair of kids for over 6 months now. It's battered from being squashed, slung around, sat on, left outside, drug on the ground/sidewalk/gravel/parking lot asphalt, but the paint still holds.

Ok, maybe try one of these? 1x1" unmounted felt cylinders: http://thepolishingshop.co.uk/acatalog/Unmounted_Felts.html Bobs and wheels: http://www.hollisonsupply.co.uk/felt-wheels-hard.html and http://www.hollisonsupply.co.uk/felt-wheels-soft-1.html Wheels: http://www.equipmidlands.co.uk/products/polishing-materials-felt-wheels-bobs.html A half-meter roll and a gasket punch would make for plenty of your own wheels: http://www.britishfelt.co.uk/acatalog/3mm_Grey_firm_Industrial_Felt.html and http://www.britishfelt.co.uk/acatalog/Grey_Firm_Industrial_Felt.html

Try some of these? http://www.sutherlandfelt.com/ http://www.mcmaster.com/#felt/=mustff http://www.thefeltstore.com/ http://www.feltbobs.com/catalog/index.php/ (not sure if these are wool felt or not, but they do have unmounted felt cylinders for fairly cheap) A couple of people I know buy wool fabric, strips, and wheels from this ebay seller: http://www.ebay.com/sch/durof1/m.html?item=370656446851&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

Hey, don't be knocking my boys, shtoink. lol. They do better than that if they wanna get me to sign off on their merit badge cards. They all burnish their edges.

I'm really surprised that the patent was granted, to be honest. I don't see how it is a appreciably new design idea worthy or a patent? Especially since there were people who used shot shotgun shells on there belts long before there were the commercially made conchos. Saw a lot of them in the 80s and 90s--belts, mostly, but the odd gun sling or whatnot. The "conchos" usually had rivets or screws soldered onto the base of real, fired shells to make the elements. Anyway, there are a lot of people out there who were using shell ends or shotgun shell conchos on dog collars before the date on the patent. I did a quick rummage around the web and found you some links. Shotgun shell collars 2011 (predating patent) http://doberman-chat.com/community/index.php?threads/just-a-couple-new-collar-pics.8996/ 2010 http://www.etsy.com/listing/33696422/custom-dog-collar-shotgun-shells-large 2009 http://doberman-chat.com/community/index.php?threads/sorry-gotta-brag-true-collars.3721/ http://www.etsy.com/listing/32134392/shotgun-shell-studded-dog-collar-for 2007 http://www.supercoolpets.com/archives/2007/12/shotshell_dog_collar_and_lead.php Other shot-gun like elements on straps --2009 http://www.etsy.com/transaction/16251896 http://www.etsy.com/transaction/22383967

Don't be discouraged yet. Not everyone that came to look at the thread is going to be able to offer you help (maybe they sell wallets or guitar straps, and have no idea about holsters). Or they may be a hobbyist like me, and not be able to offer you advice. Also, the holster makers that you may want to talk to may only pop in once every week or two--seems to be a busy time of year for them.

It is good stuff according to the jewelers I know. I'll be ordering myself a pound next month--I want to try it on the shaft of some skinny stamps I have that are hard for me to hold. And best of all, it's not permanent, so I can peel it off if I want to sell the tool.