mlapaglia

Ray, You are correct. They should have responded. I totally agree with you Michael

1195-00 is the camel gate needle and a good part of your problem. Make sure the #1 you got was a harness needle. Not all #1 needles are the same. There are people that use a drill bit all the time and are happy with it. The issue is that drilled holes will not close up. It all depends on the look you want. The angle of the awl is critical as you go around curves. Its something you have to work on. Once the awl gets half way through the leather the hole is as big as its going to get. There is no reason to go all the way to the hilt. However most people do because of the pressure as it goes through. Remember the stull in Al Stohlmans book is shown as a teaching aid and my not always be exactly how it happens. Most of the time it is and Im sure that Al could stop before it went all the way through. Part of the issue is your awl was sharpened to far down and you cut the hole the whole way. A proper awl will make a small cut then push the rest of the leather out of the way. once you over stitch it and hammer it down it will close up somewhat and look better. hang in there. It takes practice. I made many many practice pieces just to learn it. You can do it.

. BINGO. Once the show caught on it was no longer about picking, it was about the show. I worked in TV 10 years ago, granted it was sports TV but it was TV, Its all about the show. If you didn't want to be on camera than its a waste of time for them to come out. They don't pick anymore except for the show. With the money they make on the show they don't need to.

Blasphemy!!!!!! But a darn good idea. Are you using the eazy thread needles from Tandy? They have the Eye you could drive a camel through? Get a #0 harness needle to start. You over sharpened the awl. Get the small one only. Then only sharpen the front 1/4 to 1/2 inch. You want it to spread the wider part of the hole so it closes. If you cut the entire hole it doesn't close as well. Also if you haven't tried it yet put a cork behind the leather and push through into the cork with the awl. It saves fingers and makes it easier.

tell him to contact me, Ill quote him $550 and your $400 will look good to him

As for the planks attach them the the back of the van with some long ropes. When you drive off them the ropes will pull them along till you stop. Saves you from having to walk so far back to get them. Same trick is used with floor mats. FYI, you can place the edge of the floor mat under the tire without assistance. But the planks are better put on before.

In case you are not familiar with the term Come Along

If you know someone who reloads see if they can make you some. All you need is the case and the bullet. Of course they need to reload 45s to start with. Might be the easiest way to get them. A lot cheaper than the costume ones.

LIke losing a family pet, its sad.

One of our members, I believe it was Lobo, but I could be wrong, posted recommended maintenance on the Boss and one of the steps was to change that bolt once a month. He used it constantly. One of his months is probably a years worth or work. Be careful making changes. Sometimes the piece is made to break so something more important does not. This is true of the rack gear that is just below the main gear on the handle. Dont change that to something stronger. In case of a really bad jam its designed to break to save the rest of the machine. I found the post. The main post is below. You can read the whole thead here.

Price please and is it iron case or Aluminum?

The glocks, there are 4 of them and 4 S&W's, are kept seperate in the safe. I do not allow my Son's Glocks to contaminate my S&W's. It is a matter of principle and I bought the safe I agree they have issues when it comes to looks. Its hard to beat classic elegance of a 1952 Pre-27 357 with a 5" barrel.

Thanks, I like it too. Tooling has its place but sometimes clean lines look really professional to me.

Next time do not enlarge your holes. Just pull out about 7 stitches start another thread 2 back from the last hole with thread in it and stitch to the end like normal then stitch back 2-3 holes. it will be fine.

It has done it on tandy and Herman Oak leather. I have some test strips drying so I can see if its the dip vs daubed issue.

I had a request to make this one shiny. Im not fun of shiny but I wasn't making it for me 8/9 HO Vinegroon, Stitched with my Tippman Boss. 1 coat neatsfoot oil, 1 coat Leather balm and atom wax and 2 coats 50/50 water and resolene for that desired shine. This one went together with no problems for once. It's a variation of the tuckable version I did last week. I was happy with it and so was the customer.

I may have solved the Grey issue. At least for me. I take notes on every project. Another holster started the grey stuff today. I went into my notes and all the holsters that I have had produce the grey cast under the finish were not dipped in vinegroon. They all had it applied with a dauber. Everyone I fully dipped in Vinegroon did not produce a grey or white color at the bend points. I tried it today with some scraps that I knew were either dipped or daubed and after a finish or resoline had dried the ones that were dipped were fine and the ones that were dabbed with the vinegroon produced the grey "cracks". Im going to try not applying the vinegroon with a dauber and see if that fixes it. I will also try using a paint brush with a large amount of vinegroon to see if that works. I think the daubber puts just enough to color the surface and when the leather is bent it shows the normal color below. A dip or maybe a really wet paint brush might get enough to make the color changes deeper in the leather. Soaking the back of the newest holster seems to have fixed the problem The grey went away and as soon as its totally dry Ill double check it. Anyway that's what I think is the issue and solution.

Rub and rub and rub the finish till it doesnt come off any more than use what ever you want. You have to rub all the extra off first.

I understand. Part of the business is making what will sell. So you have the money to make what you like

Ive had the same "grey" issue with holsters and vinegaroon, but with resolene. I put down a layer of leather balm and atom wax first and it does not happen. Maybe the leather balm/atom wax acts as a surface to make the resolene hold better. The is after a olive oil rubdown. You might want to try that on a test piece when using the mop and glow. It looks like the finish is lifting up a little from the leather but not enough to crack or flake. Just enough to show some white or grey. Michael

No problem. We all have bad days. I have a Tippmann Boss. Let me know if you have any questions. Michael

Id round out the corners on the bottom. Sharp points tend to fray. I am not a fan of attaching the straps to the retention piece. If you ever need to replace a strap it will be harder. I make my straps as 2 separate straps so I can change them if needed. Otherwise it looks like you are on the right track. Did you intend that to have a zero cant? Michael

WOW!

First it wasnt a rant and second I never said you were a jerk. It was just my opinion. The first paragraph of your op was a valid request. I was commenting on the second paragraph. I did say, "Not meant as an insult at all. Its just cute." I'm sorry you took it the wrong way. But you did prove my point. If you had several posts under your belt here then I would have been able to tell from your style if you would have taken what I said the wrong way. There is nothing wrong with being zealous. I was trying to help with my post not rant. Again, I made the point a few times that I was not trying to offend or insult. I apologize that you took it the wrong way. Michael

No offense but at least once a year we get someone with less than 5 posts suggesting we build a list or database of some sort. Patterns, Leather suppliers, Sewing machines etc. Get several posts under your belt and get known by the community before you start volunteering to assist. I appreciate your enthusiasm but learn your way around first. The list you suggest is given in just about every request for info on which sewing machine to purchase. The info is already out there. To paraphrase my favorite quote,"Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a new member who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own." Not meant as an insult at all. Its just cute. The above is my opinion and may not be that of other members or management. Michael