UberSquid

I've used a fine blade in a scroll saw as well but for really fast accurate cutting nothing beats a router table with a bearing trim bit! It rips right through the leather up to the MDF pattern as fast as you can go and you can knock out a stack of pieces if you are trying to make several of the same pattern.

What about just Neatsfoot oil and Beeswax? it's easy to make and apply and is water resistant as long as you reapply once a year or so. It's 100% natural, doesn't change the color of the leather much if at all and it's got a long history behind it. It won't ruin your stitching, doesn't leave a chemical odor and did I mention that it's easy? Personally it's my favorite if I'm looking for a mat finish. I made up 8 ounces of the stuff a while back and it lasts forever.

I stain the inside of my holsters and then seal them when I seal the outside. I've never had any issues with stain coming off on the gun. The flesh side of the leather really soaks up the stain so I doubt that you will have that issue even if you don't seal it but I may be wrong on that one...

I guess that puts wet forming out of the question then...

Isn't this chrome tanned? Should you be using it to line holsters? Conventional wisdom is that chrome tanned leather will destroy the finish on most guns. Have you had any issues or have you been using it long enough to know if it's causing problems?

It's listed now! http://springfieldleather.com/33452/Lining%2CMilitary-Boot-Scuff/ I emailed Kevin to ask where it was since I couldn't find it and he echoed your statement about not having put it on the web site. He also said that he would have it up in a short time and by the time I finished reading the email, sure enough, there it was. This is why I like Springfield and continue to use them as my supplier. Great service, and fast response time. (I have no affiliation with Springfield other than being a paying client.) I'm thinking that Boot Scuff would be nice for some rough side out IWB holsters and a line of camera cases for Large Format Cameras that I've been working on...

Where is this "Boot Scuff" listed on their web site? I've done several searches and can't fine it. From the sound of it though this is something that I want! Is it listed under a different name? Thanks!

That is interesting, I've never gotten horse hide to turn color that much with just neatsfoot oil. I'll have to experiment more with it. When I mist on dye I've been using oil based dye cut heavy with alcohol and put on wet to get better penetration. I'm happy with the dye it's just the stain that doesn't seem to go very deep so it's only been used on holsters for my personal guns up to this point. (I don't mind a bit of wear on my gear, it gives me an excuse to make a new one for myself.) Again, beautiful work. Shoulder holsters have such a classic look and you really nailed it!

I wanted to avoid pitch since most of my holsters are stitched with natural colored linen thread. That and the mess. Molten pots of wax already tend to cause moments of marital strife as is so I'd like to avoid creating more. I did make up a new batch of the 2:1 last night. Getting the water temperature right is the real trick it seems. Too hot and it sticks to my hands and makes a mess but produces a perfect wax. Too cold and the rosin falls out of solution creating tiny crystals in the beeswax. It looks like a candy thermometer and some note taking are in my future. If I can get repeatable results at specific volumes and temperatures it would make this whole process easier.

Lobo, that is exactly the look I've been trying to get out of my horse hide! I could get that nice variegated look with the Eco-Flow all in one but I wasn't happy with having to stain after stitching and forming. Right now I'm using Fiebings Pro Oil dye misted on with an air brush and once it's dried going back over with a darker coat of Fiebings Antique paste to bring out the differences in the grain. It gives me that look but the Antique paste doesn't penetrate very far into the leather and I'd like to find something a bit more durable. Would you be willing to share your dying process? Beautiful work all around! Thank you for sharing! Jeremiah

I've really enjoyed working the horse hide. It sure looks good when you get a nice piece. I'm concidering buying a Hermann Oak shoulder for my next run though. Horse butts are fun but it's frustrating at times trying to cut pieces of consistent thickness and I hate to see that much scrap go into the box.

I think you will be happy with your purchase but make sure and let us know what you think. That great big spool sure is motivating!

Of course Turpentine is the one thing I don't have in my shop... I'll have to hit the hardware store tonight. I've also tried several other types of thread and I just haven't found anything that looks or feels as good as linen. Natural colored linen on a brown or mahogany colored piece of leather has that classy old world look to it that is eternal. Personally I really like the glue type effect of the 2:1 rosin:beeswax that I'm using but it does stick to the fingers when you are waxing the string. Fortunately it is a thin layer that wears off quickly and actually leaves my hands well conditioned without softening the callouses to the point where they peel. I've always had problems with my hands drying and cracking but they are looking pretty good since I've been using the code. (Or Coad if you prefer.) I'll have to try making up a batch of the 1:1 stuff tonight. I suspect that I might not be as happy with it but since I can always melt it down and change the ratio, nothing is lost on an experiment. It might be better for working in this heat anyway. What I'm using does get really sticky really quick as soon as I put it in my hand and start running thread across it.

I recently ordered some horse butts from Springfield and loved the first two that I got. The grain patter was awesome when dyed brown or mahogany, it burnished really well and molded nicely. I really liked the stuff but it seemed like there was a lot of waste at the ends. Not that I could complain too much since it was only $12! Once that was used up I ordered some more but I'm not too happy with the first one I'm working with. It doesn't have the same grain texture, it's thinner, it's not as stiff and it just doesn't work as well as the last batch did. I haven't tried the others in the order yet though. Anyone else tried the horse butts from Springfield? Any issues? Did I just get one bad butt or is it usually hit and miss? I've been using this for prototypes so it's not really a loss since they are going to go in the bin or become my personal carry holsters anyway. Just to make clear though, this in no way is a complaint about Springfield, I think they have wonderful customer service and have been happy with them at every transaction. I'm just wondering what other people's experience has been with this particular product. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep using the horse butts to make these holsters or if I should just order a double shoulder on my next purchase. Thanks Jeremiah

I use an Osborne awl that I reshaped, polished and sharpened. It took a couple of hours with files and Emery cloth to get it to the shape and size I wanted but I've matched my awl to the thread. I have no problems passing the first needle, the second one is getting tight and when I'm doubling stitches it requires pliers to push a needle through the holes. So for me its perfect but like I said, I'v e adapted my tools to the thread. My first run at making code was a mess! I used a mini crock pot that the sell for potpourri to melt bees wax and rosin. Once it was completely melted I dumped it into a bucket of the hottest water I could stand and gathered it up into a wad and started kneading it. I didn't know how sticky it was going to be! I managed to get a usable lump about the size of a racket ball but I wound up with a thick coating of sticky wax bonded to my fingers! It was really hard to get it off my skin. I tried scraping it, running cold water over it, rolling the ball of cooled code across it, I even tried freezing it with butane but I couldn't get it to come off! Finally I got out the mineral spirits and that dissolved it into this this thick liquid slim that started to come off with Dawn dish soap. I went through a lot of dish soap getting it all off my hands. I posted my problem on the leather sewing section of this forum and was advised to use cool water. That and invisible gloves has helped quite a bit. An ounce of rosin and half an ounce of bees wax tossed into my $2 goodwill potpourri crock pot and left for an hour and dumped into cool water then removed after its had a chance to cool a bit. Easy as pie. It stays hard at room temp but you start handling it and running thread across it and it gets really tacky really quick. Its perfect.

I personally really like the seven cord and kinda wish I could get eight. I'd read once that if you buy heavy thread you can always remove extra plys to reduce the diameter later for lighter stitching if you need to but so far it's worked really well for the work I do. I mostly do holsters and the occasional piece of hunting or outdoors gear at 5 stitches per inch so I need a pretty heavy thread. If you are doing something lighter or more stitches the seven might be a bit heavy. I use a 00 harness Needle from Springfield Leather. I taper the ends of my thread per the instructions in The Art of Hand Sewing Leather by Al Stohlman. I've made my own batch of code the other day. It works really well. I like it a lot better than plain bees wax. I've made up a full pound so far and I think that will probably be enough to last me about the rest of my life.

I made my first batch of code today using 2:1 rosin to bees wax. I melted it in one of those potpourri crockpots and poured it into a large bowl of the hottest water I could stand. When I put my hands in to scoop up the still liquid mess it stuck to my hands like glue! I did manage to produce a 60gram ball of usable code but then spent two hours trying to remove the remnants from my hands! I tried hot water, I tried cold water. I rolled the ball of code against my skin. I scrubbed with soap. Finally I grabbed the mineral spirits and that dissolved everything into a slick mess that came off with Dawn dish soap, lots and lots of Dawn dish soap! Has anyone else had this problem and how do you deal with it? I'm thinking that the next batch will go into cool water and hopefully I'll keep some more skin! Thanks Jeremiah

I have done a lot of vacuum bagging with composite layups, never for leather though. While my experience is in laying up fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber I'm sure that a few of the basic rules and tricks will apply here. In composite layups the choice of bag material is critical to the layup. The bag must be thick and firm enough to support the material over the form but thin and flexible enough to conform to the contours of the form as well. If the bag is too thin you get a poor finish and possibly voids in the layup. If it's too thick you can get voids where the bag was unable to follow the contours of the form or mold. This would make your inner tube bag unusable for most composite layups since I doubt that it would conform well to anything but the most simple of shapes. The other big issue is, as you said, you can't see through it. As you apply vacuum the bag and your material tends to distort in unpredictable ways. With composites you must constantly adjust and work out the wrinkles as the vacuum comes up (or down as the case may be) to avoid creases in your finished product. You may also wind up with your material slipping on the mold or form. Obviously leather isn't going to be as touchy but you may still run into problems. One thing that we do with composites that I don't think that people do with leather is to provide a breather layer in the bag. Usually the composite is placed over the form, a material that will not stick to the cured epoxy is placed over the layup and then a breather layer is placed over that. Often times I use waxed Mylar against the layup and then felt over the Mylar. This allows air to be removed evenly around the object that you are bagging ensuring good even vacuum across the entire surface. With no breather it's easy to suck the bag against what ever you are bagging and leave small pockets of air that don't receive any pressure at all. Your idea for using PVC for bag clamps is a sound one. Several people have made the same thing and you can actually purchase a commercially produced version if you don't feel like ripping PVC pipe to make your own. If you are looking for bagging supplies this is a great web site: http://www.fiberglasssupply.com There is a ton more than what you will ever need for bagging leather but it's also a good source of information. If you really want a good cheap easy to use bag though, I've used the heaviest clear painters drop cloth that I can find at Menards. Plumbers mastic run around the edges then smashed between the layers acts as the seal. Quick, easy, cheap. Almost every vacuum system either homemade or professional uses a schrader valve like you described with standard air hose. Well done. That's probably way more info than anyone wanted about vacuum bagging and really isn't much more than a dirty over view. You can get as complex or as simple as you like. My vacuum system can produce near laboratory grade vacuum and has a 30 gallon vacuum reserve so that I don't have to worry about ever loosing vacuum if I accidentally puncture a bag, I can get it sealed before too much air invades the system. On a side note, I have been wondering lately now to include carbon fiber into a holster. This gives me an idea...

It's no big deal, get the bees wax out and start waxing. Pitch the other stuff or donate it to kids programs, what ever. Trust me, you will be glad you did.

I've seen a lot of posts in the Gun Holsters, Rifle Slings and Knife Sheathes section asking about what threads people use. I thought I would share my recent religious experience with Barbours Linen Thread. This weekend I ran up to Landwerlen Leather in Indianapolis and picked up a pound of seven ply Barbours linen thread. I've resisted buying Barbours simply because I didn't want to pay fifty dollars for a pound of thread I wasn't sure I was going to like. I wish I had taken the plunge a long time ago! (No affiliation with Landwerlen, just excited about a really neat store that isn't Tandy!) Anyone who is on the fence about picking up some Barbours , spend the money. I've not been fully happy with the appearance of my stitching until I picked up a spool this weekend. I've used other Linen threads from Tandy, Sprinfield, Ebay, you name it but I never was fully happy with they way my stitching came out. The Barbours is just easier to get the effects I want. I can wax it to the consistency I want, it lays in the grooves better, frays less, it's just all around better than anything I've tried to this point, synthetic or natural. My stitching looks so much better that I'll be using more natural colored stitching to highlight it much more often. I picked up the seven ply so I could remove threads if I needed something thinner and so far it's worked perfectly. At my rate of production a pound spool will last a very long time. Given the increase in appearance, ease of use and how much happier I am with my finished product, I would happily pay twice as much for a pound spool. I'm a Barbours convert now for life! Even though the initial buy in is higher my per item cost is lower than buying smaller spools so it's a win financially too! Now if only my powdered rosin would get here so I could make a batch of code to go with it!

I've read a lot of people saying that they get dye transfer but I've never once had an issue... Not with the water soluble dyes or the oil based Fiebings products. I make sure to buff the hell out of the leather after the dye has dried for at least 24 hours and then seal it with an acrylic of some kind and I also use a light top coat of neutral shoe polish. I carry a gun with me every day every waking hour and only in the holsters I've made. I sweat on them, I've gotten them wet, I've spilled hot coffee on them, soda, food, you name it, I've probably managed to drop it, spill it or otherwise expose my holsters to it. Short of gas or some other such solvent I've never had an issue. So are people just not sealing their leather and having issues with rub off? Edit: I mean absolutely no offense! There are gentlemen on this forum who have carried firearms and been doing leather work far longer than myself and I have nothing but the utmost respect for them and their work! I am just honestly confused and dumfounded by the seeming constant issues others have had. I'll admit though that I've never tried using black dye!

The process I wound up using was to glue the holster together. Then I sanded the edges, burnished them, grooved the stitch lines and then hit it with a coat of light brown Fiebings professional oil dye with the air brush. Once that was dry I cam back with a heavy layer of Fiebings Mahogany Antique Finish dabbed on with a sponge, let it sit for one minute then buffed it until no more came off on the paper towel. I used q-tips with a bit of alcohol to get the stitch groove cleaned out and then let it sit for 48 hours in a warm room. I stitched it with natural linen and there was zero dye transfer. The grain really pops out, my stitching is nice and clean, the molding didn't change the coloring at all. I'm very happy with this process. I'll post pics when I get a chance. I still need to seal it and do the final buffing but I think this is going to be my process from now on. It's a bit time and labor intensive but it gets the look I want and should be very durable.

I picked up the Pro Stitching Groover set that has the blade in the middle instead of out to the side. It seemed to make sense, with the blade over the center of force it would seem that this setup would be the easiest to use but now that I've tried to use it I'm thinking maybe it's not such a great piece... Have any of you tried the traditional groover and the Pro stitching Groover? Which did you like better? Why? Thanks for your input! Jeremiah

I mix all my finishes using cheap disposable pipettes that I get from Ebay. The last round I bought I got 50 for $4 with shipping. They are graduated in half Ml markings and have 3Ml capacity. I mostly make holsters, cell phone cases and knife sheaths. Usually six to ten Milli Liters will do just about any project that I'm working on. I keep one pipette for each color of dye, one for each finish and one for Neatsfoot oil. Each one is labeled and I rinse them with alcohol after I'm done. They usually last a week before cracking and being tossed. I'll order a hundred at a time once a year and don't have to worry about possibly contaminating any of my dyes or finishes and I know that I'm getting consistent repeatable amounts of each substance mixed together. That with a small log book and labeled scraps saves me a lot of time wasted trying to remember how I got a certain color or finish the last time. But then again that's just me...