RoosterShooter

Coming from a new guy .... I bought 1 package of every type of needle offered at Tandy Leather. I wasn't sure which one would fit me best, and am glad I did. In doing different projects, I have found that some needles suit the application better than having a 'one needle does all' approach to things. In doing different projects I have found that where one needle might be perfect for 'Project A' ... another type of needle might be better suited for 'Project B', and so on and so forth. Hope that helps you. Think outside the box! Oh yeah .... do yourself a favor and pick up a cheap pair of small, flat jawed jeweler's needle nose pliers at your local art supply store. I paid $4 for mine at Hobby Lobby with the printable 40% coupon from their website. Your hands will thank you for it!

If you are looking for a good scope for half the price then go with Leapers! I have seen on many online forums where 'professional' shooters smear these scopes, but they have never let me down. Granted they are US Optics or a Schmidt & Binder, but they are a good, durable scope to do what you need it to do. I have 2 Remington 700s and an Armalite AR-10 that ALL have various Leapers model scopes on them. Furthermore, I shoot tactical competitions at Rockcastle with these scopes, and always get laughed at. I really don't care! If it works for me why should anyone else judge what brand it is? If you trust the net, which I don't always do, you will get all sorts of conflicting reports on these scopes. Mainly from people who have more money than sense, and are into the whole 'tacticool' movement. I, for one, believe in buying a scope that will work, and not overpaying for it. Just my 2 cents.

I'm making a few holster rigs for my personal use, and think that the 8 oz. leather is a little too thick for straps. What thickness should I use? Also, what have you used?

I've sharpened everything under the sun at one time or another, but I'm stumped when sharpening a curved trim knife. Do I use a small Arkansas or Diamond Stone, and follow the edges in segments? Someone please inform me on how to sharpen this blade. I know how to strop it, but sharpening it at the angles it requires has me stumped. Thanks

You might try Amazon. I Don't know if they have it, but it's worth a try.

I'm looking for Fastex type snap buckles, D-Rings, and belt webbing for a certain shoulder holster project I am working on. Where can I get them in bulk? Tandy, Ohio Travel Bag, or Springfield leather doesn't have all of the hardware I need between them, and I only want to order once. Where can I go for a 'one stop ship' on Fastex / Plastic buckles, rings, and webbing? Thanks

Sorry, I didn't notice that. It was before my first morning coffee. At any rate ... you want to use some sort of honing oil. If not, the stone will 'load up' with material. Better explained, you will get all of the pores clogged with metal debris, and it will inhibit the stones ability to sharpen. However, even with oil you will need to 'clean' your stone from time to time. The easiest way to do this on carb (man made) stones is to use soap, warm water, and a good stiff kitchen scrub brush. I've found the green or dark blue scrub brushes work best. The white bristles are only good for lightly cleaning kitchenware. When you clean the stone ... work the soap and water in a circular motion while running under warm tap water. This helps dislodge most of the debris. After you are finished let the stone air dry, and reapply oil. Always keep a stone oiled or it will both deteriorate the life of the stone and lose it's sharpening ability. In using the oil you are, in essence, creating a tiny barrier so that the material being removed will wick away from the stone instead of settle into the pores. You want a good synthetic oil like 'Dan's Honing Oil'. You can find it here .... http://www.sharpenin...Oil-P289C2.aspx or at Dan's Whetstones. The only reason I preach Dan's products is because they are the best I've found. I am in no way affiliated with his company, but am a long time, and very satisfied customer. Hope that helps.

http://www.danswhetstone.com/ He makes the absolute BEST Arkansas Whetstones in the business. There are actually several large companies that remarket his products. His brand of honing oil will clean your stones while they are being used, and never 'load up'! I have used both water and oil on different types of stones for the past 20 years! To make it even more confusing ... there is a 'Best Way' to sharpen any tool, and they aren't always the same! For instance, on all of my woodworking tools, axes, and Ulu blades, for either hide prep or kitchen use, I use my Jet Wet Sharpener. If I'm sharpening a kitchen cutting utensil or my pocket knives I use an Arkansas Whetstone with oil. I start with a Hard Fine and end with a Translucent (Ultra Fine). This results in a blade that will slice a ripe tomato with very little effort. Hope that helps. Edit: I forgot to mention that he will also do custom cuts! He has several 'Stone Files' that I use for various gunsmithing projects listed in his 'Stone Files' section. Norton actually buys his 'inferior' or 'factory second' stones and remarkets them as their own! He will also do custom cuts to your specs. He owns and operates on top of one of the last Novaculite quarries in the US. Arkansas stones aren't cheap, but it's like everything else. You get what you pay for. With a carborundum or Aluminum stone you get a cheap stone that the masses use to sharpen tools, but with Arkansas stones you get an heirloom quality stone that will outlast you if it is treated properly.

Even though I'm just starting out in leatherwork I can relate to this type of client in my past fabrication experiences. The best way, I have found, is to sit down with the client. Have them either A) have a rough sketch of what they want, or B ) Have a picture of a similar project that you can at least draw on. Sit down with him for 15 minutes. Both of you brainstorm, and come up with ideas for the project. Finally, if you can't come up with something at the end of the 15 minutes, then kindly ask him to let you know when he has EXACTLY what he wants, and you would be glad to do it. That will save your 'word of mouth' reputation should he choose to talk about the experience with friends. When all is said and done, word of mouth is the best advertising tool. If you tick one guy off he might tell 50 others, in his encounters, that you 'Didn't want to deal with him' even if you feel that you went out of your way to help him. Often times clients come to us, in our various fields, to help them solve the proverbial question of "What do I want?" He may need some convincing on what type of holster to build if he is that shifty. Finally, I would do as you have done and ask for full payment, and explain to him that this is for supplies and your time. Explain that you aren't in a position to give a refund after payment due to your time and money being the chargeable goods. Hope I helped in bringing an outside opinion in on the topic.

Thanks Mike. I think I'll order one now.

I've been practicing edge beveling on oval cuts that I have made with my punch. It seems that 80% of the time I am bunching up the leather at one point or another, regardless of whether or not the leather is damp or dry. I can get a good, even bevel on outside beveling, but it's the inside loops that are throwing me off. Is it necessary to bevel belt cuts on holsters?

I contacted him this afternoon. I want to order some dremel tools to begin. Then the others in a couple of weeks. How long does it take him to get back to you guys? Not in a hurry ... just curious. Thanks.

I might try the vacuum seal method as a comparison. Thanks Dwight!

I see what you mean. The small motors are attached to a very large pulley that only turns the drums at 36 RPMs. I'm wondering what RPMs they turn at on the shaft?

I'm not saying it can't happen, but I've never had a bottle jack leak under normal use. The only time I have seen a bottle jack go bad is when someone was pushing it past it's intended weight rating, and the seals blew out! Also, a bottle jack is what is used in the construction of a shop press. Same part ... just a different configuration.

Well, in that case, I have several 1/6 HP motors as well. I just thought I might find a use for these motors. Just got finished counting, and I have 4 - 1/6 HP motors that I could use. Wait a Minute! That can't be right!!! What power is a dremel motor? I would think that a Dremel motor would be a small fraction of 1/30 HP. Am I wrong? Also, I turn 20# Rock Tumblers for 48 hrs. straight on the 1/30 HP motors, and they never overheat or bog down. Why wouldn't they work for a sander or burnisher?

I was walking around my shop this morning, and noticed that I have several 1/30hp, 1550 rpm motors that I would like to set up for various tools / uses. Does anyone make an shaft adapter for a 3/8 inch shaft that would accommodate a tool such as a sanding drum tool, etc ... ?

I also agree. You can't imagine how many $130+ holsters I've bought from certain 'Custom' holster makers only to find that the edges weren't even finished! The devil is in the details! I have two shoulder rigs and one crossdraw chest rig that both have 'raw' edges on the leather. This is one of the main reasons I got into holster making. If I can make a quality holster for half the cost for my own use ... I'm happy with that.

As it sits right now, I'm thinking of buying one of Holster Maker's tools, as well as, a few of the dremel tools. Are any of you using the dremel tools on holsters?

That's all I needed to know. Thanks guys.

I'm looking into a set of burnishers for my drill press, and just wondering if anyone has ordered from http://www.leatherburnishers.com/Burnishers-for-Dremel.html . Thanks, in advance, for the replies.

Yeah, I got all of the protective coating off of them. I use a leather strop that is attached to my Jet Slow Speed Wet Sharpener. I've been sharpening tools on it for several years, and am familiar with the process. Thanks for looking out for me at any rate! The tool still gouges leather no matter what angle I use. Also, if I want to bevel a belt cuttout in the holster I end up gouging the heck out of it trying to get it beveled. I've tried lightly damp, and completely dry ... same result.

Well, I did it again. I ordered a couple of edge bevelers from Tandy's a couple of weeks back, and now I want new tools! The #2 & #3 edge bevelers leave a lot to be desired. Where can I get better quality bevelers? These are bunching up the leather when I try and get a continuous cut. I used a neighbor's that he uses for bridles, and it works a lot better. Although, he doesn't remember what brand it is, or when he bought it. He said they sold them years ago at my local Rural King store, but I checked, and they no longer carry leather / harness repair goods. What brand should I buy? I'm a firm believer in buy them once, and never replace them. I simply got sucked into the sales pitch at Tandy's.

That's one of the things I was going to change about it. I am going to use 4" tubing in place of wood.

Over the past few days I've been looking around and talking to different folks about how to best mold leather for holsters. The most prominent method is by implementing a 'Shop Press' with rubber or foam, and molding the leather to a 'Blue Gun' through pressure. So, I looked and I read, and I looked some more only to have a lightbulb go off in my head! I thought to myself, "HEY! I have 6 various strength hydraulic bottle jacks out in the shop. Why not use one of those?"... so, this led me to a new type of search. 'How to design a shop press around an existing bottle jack'. After all, this is the main component in any shop press .... right? Here you go folks. It was free for me, so I'll share it with all of you. Tell me what you think. Of course, there will be some minor alterations to the design, but the fundamental concept is already drawn out for us. Whew! I thought I was going to have to crack out the wallet for yet ANOTHER expensive shop toy. Well ... here you go ... FREE is always best! Tell me what you think. Again, not my idea, but I scaved it from the net. It is in .pdf format, so you will need Adobe Acrobat. Enjoy.... http://www.mossworks.com/docs/BottleJackPress.pdf