specialcases

SORRY IT IS OFF THE MARKET FOR NOW. Thanks for looking so far.

For Sale from Toronto Canada 2 years old, very lightly used but well maintained. Aluminum frame model. Has some markings from original shipping and from clamping to work surface. Complete with - Master Crafter Accessory pack including: Centre foot Fleece foot Right foot Left foot Stirrup attachment Material guide attachment 8 bobbins and drill adaptor, 20 assorted leather chisel and round tip needles for 207 and 277 and original maintenance tools (Allen wrenches) and LED work light. 6 full spools of thread as sold by Tippmann: black, white, and brown, in 207 and 277 each. I love it but hardly ever use it based on the projects I seem to be doing. It needs a loving home that will use it to its full potential. Asking $1100 CAD (plus shipping at est 25 pounds in original box plus box for thread) for a 1700 USD value (plus, shipping, duty tax etc.). Or pick up in Toronto Ontario Canada. Sad to see it go but it just isn’t getting used.

I had Tandy's 2 version first then quickly found the need for something more stable so I made my own Pony - Tandy units were challenge to me on the hardware side even when I upgrade/replaced some - just my experience an based on the work I and way I need to position it, Mine has a little deeper/wider throat, wider jaws, wide base and uses a ratchet strap fro tension (one hand operation while he other positions the work), and rotates for various work positions. I used old hardwood floor boards I laminated. It also slots into an old chair to make a semi horse (donkeee?) when needed. Also for fun I researched the traditional bench style clamps from photos, historic plans and Al Stohlman's book and had one made by my brother in law as a gift - I was going to but he wanted to so who am I to say no..... I added padding for my bones.

Thanks all. Once I let go of feeling sorry for myself... the solution was quite simple... and thus not from my own head...Einstein once said if the solution is simple it is God's.

Last week I was told by my doctor I had begun to develop a cist on my right wrist on the thumb tendons ...key part of my anatomy fro hand stitching,,, and I should get a new hobby AND were a brace when using my hand AND/OR modify how I work.....bad news.... Then while sitting at my bench, brace on and awl awkwardly in hand and un-usable....feeling very deflated it struck me .... so I modified my awl and slipped it under the brace and voila!!!.....it is fact even easier not work as the brace supports my wrist, holds the awl better than I used to and it is now good news!!! So I was again shown that what I think is bad or wrong may not be.

Boriqua, yours project both turned out amazing and yes it would be a heavy unit with all that tactical on it! figure look amazing as does the finish. What was your finish process, products? my skull actaully turned out like that by accident as I was rushing to get it out and skimped on the blocker layers and dry time..black bled into white and then I used my wheel buffer too hard and ended up with three layers, grain, white and black and soem shade sin betwen...liked it and kept it..A happy accidident. That is why i never loose heart along the way through as project when things seem to be going "wrong". Mine is only 8 oz singel layer as it is an airgun for recreational occassional use. No need to beef it up anymore like you had to.

I was waiting to see the results and at the risk of a hijack here is one I just finished for a pal on the Canadain Airgun Forum. Is your done?

heh Jess thanks for the encouragement. I havent gotten to the bible cover yet.....had some paying customers to do first..so I may see yorus before you see mine! Look froward to it.

Thanks Cyber. I checked and tandy doesnt seem to carry anything like it. I may order from springfield. they seem to be the only source. Thanks for the tip (no pun intended).

Great tip to go over it again with a light touch of the swivel knife or swivel beveler. I think I will look into a swivel beveler blade and give that a run too. I just did some loop last night with the adjustable creaser and was pleased with the "countour" even more so than the wing divider. More will be revealed but this has all been very helpful..obviously no set answer and many approaches...should fall down to my own preference in result and patience/practice in process. I look forward to more feedback.

I have a friend who say he has OCd adn ADD..so everything has to perfect - but just for a little while! Thansk for the tips. Another question then: what is you go to creaser: wing divider, adjustable creaser (like tandy sells) purpose made/sized push creaser (like osborne's)? Others? Home made? Or do you different tools for different conditions?

Thank you all. I think I am better armed now to let patience and practice do its work. Still open to any more help of course. And jsut a more specific question...do you all crease around the ends of straps or do anuy of you run the side creases straight out and have that look? This would help where you needed to make loats fo shorted straps as you could crease and finish a longer legth, cut the shorted pieces then just touch up the tip edges.....production versus detail perhaps?

Thanks guys. I have stumbled on the moving the work and trying to keep the angle the same. As for edges do you guys crease before rounding or other way round? I think I usual round first (but not burnish yet) but operhaps that decreases the support at the edge for the creasing tool....well yes it would wouldnt iit! What order do you follow. crease- round, or round- crease. if using wing dividers do you work on the stampign stone surface or your cuttign surface. It mioght be wrogn fro soem reason but I recall more success on the stone. Finally when working with harness leather or latigo strap work (any of the oilier non carving leathers) would you still "case"? if yes how? same as usual? And do any of you crease with hot tools as I have seen? hows that work?

Hi gang. I do a bit of strap work for various projects and am consistantly frustrated when it comes to running the crease around the round or english point end of the strap or belt. Same issue on tight curves and recurves on other pieces This is whether I use a purpose made creaser or the wing dividers. the dividers actaully work a little better. I am a slow and patient worker but the crease often ends up looking "jumpy" and/or unequal distance from the edge. I have resorted on occassion to just running the crease straight out the end and not coming around the tip in narrower straps but......not thrilled with that as a detail either. So any tips other than just keep practicign since that one I am alerady onto. Thansk in advance.

Thanks for the post. Can you post any pictures or a sketch so I am sure I am visualising this acurately?

For the first working templates I use old cereal boxes. Since most of what I have done so far has been custom each piece I havent yet had to make a permanent repeatable template..When I do I think I will first try the plastic sign blanks or the bag stiffeners. And ya thanks for all the shared experience.

Wow fantastic and you are encouraging me to jump right into trying the style on bigger projects. Nothing ventured nothing gained I guess. I have done some small test on with a hybrid of sheridan style flowers in a Stohlman holster floral pattern using the new tandy Sheridan tools and an epipen/med case with sheridan style flowers and leaves and was pleased with the results. I took it real slow and I found the Chan Greer books and DVD on making a note book cover very informative and useful. With your example of intestinal fortitude my next real Sheridan style work (pattern and tools) will be a bible cover in the next few weeks or so. I will be using a pre-existing pattern as well...not ready to take on layout.....that still looks like weird science/art/geometry I am not quite ready for yet. Can't wait to see what you do next!

Camano Ridge, Great tip on imprinting the holster bottom. I will add that trick to my attempt.

Tree Reaper thanks. I have the Stohlan book (since I was a daydreaming kid actually but never got right into it unltil the last year or so) and up to now ok with the stitching approach but realy curious how to litrerally get the right shaped tear drop so it fit properly. All Al says is "cut end plug to fit snuggly"...easier said than done I think without lots of experience. Fold the pouch and trace the end then subtract the leather thickness was all I can think of. When you say laminate to the same thickness you mean it is better to use 2x4 oz lamentated rather than the same 8 oz used for the pouch? i assume this is to make the plug stiffer. That makes sense to me since I dont have have any sole leather. Would you laminate flesh to grain or visa or how would you orient the leather layers for most stifness...I am thinking flesh to flesh would be stronger? Thanks for pointing me back to the book as they say...it seems his process is the sew down the main seam then insert the plug (with glue - and I assume rubber cement would be a little more forgiving when trying to position it in place) then continue with the stitching. I am giong to try it all this way this weekend and will post the results for suggestions. Am on track?

As strange as it may seem...I can't figure out and haven't seen in any books the best way to pattern and cut a holster toe plug so it fits properly. And do those who do them always glues them before stitching in? And if gluing I assume you need to glue them in as you fold the pouch over to glue the main seam....or do you glue the main seam then "pop" the plug in? Finally would you use the saem weight leather as the pouch or thicker or double it up? I want to try them on a few holsters comiing up and would liketo avoid too many errors along the way...though I am sure I will come up with new errors which is how iI learn most lessons! Thanks in advance for any experience you can share with me. Plinker http://plinkercases.ca/

Success! I found this on a UK site posted by Skeeter Lewis and is as he says adapted from the Meanea holster to a "short skirt with the loops close together." I am sure I can work out the cheyenne recurve along the main seam from here. he did a left hand and I flipped the pattern. I am excited to try building and carvign it now!

I have been more of a watcher and learner here for sometime more than a contributor and I am blown away by the experience you all share so I dont have to make all those mistakes myself. While I am not adverse to trying to work it out myself...I know someone else with far more experience has already sweated it out....SO ....does anyone have the pattern for the carving on the rig on the cover of Packing Iron. I get lost when it passes under the loops and around the back side of the pouch and am not experienced enough in the designing of the floral style to project what might all be under there to connect properly. Love to see what others think is under there making up the whole pattern then I can try to repro it for my Crosman Hahn 45. Thanks in advance for any help you can throw my way. Here is hybrid-Sheridan carving /Stohlman pattern holster for my Dan Wesson 357 6 inch. What do you think? Plinker

Thanks Dwight, Not all bad news and not completely unexpected. I guess for cases and magpuches etc. which are shaped and tooled I should proceed as I have which is to shape then tool with a metal bank or anvil underneath. up until know I shape by hand and as taught by Al Stohlman in his books on case making. I think as for new ways of forming I will try a variety of methods depending on the piece and quantities...and without a huge capital outlay. I am a super small producer and can McGiver up most gagdets I need for small production. experiment = experience Great pieces on your site by the way and great experience to be shared on the forum. I will post some pictures later of my experiments and results. Thanks again. Blessings, Murray

Thank you all for this thread. i have read in in line with others on press forming. I have a question related to both methods but thought I would ask it here. In your experiences which method is best for forming when there is already stamping/tooling/carving on the piece? Such as mag pouches or cell phoen cases as well as holsters. I think i read mention of it in one of the the many threasd but woudl like a one stop source of feedback. Thank all again and in advance and Dwight thanks for blessing and may He bless you.

I know this is old but...did you ever get one. I have one.