gunfighter48

That brought a lump to my throat. My father, grandfather, and a great uncle were all firefighters. My grandfather was the first paid fire chief in our city and the second firefighter to die on duty. All of my wifes family except her dad were involved in the fire service. That friend will wear those suspenders with pride until they wear out. Great Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! John

Thanks for the tip Ed. I called Sailrite today and the Moster II will fit the cp206. Ordered one today. John

I just bought a Consew CP206R portable flat bed machine and Dave had posted in another thread about using 135X16 needles instead of 135X17 needles for leather work. I called Artisan today and talked further with Dave about using the 135X16 Tri point needles. Even though I hadn't purchased one of their machines, Dave was willing go out of his way to help me with my needle selection!!!!!!! Customer service lives big time at Artisan. I did order some needles and thread from Artisan, and it won't be my last order, that's for sure!! I also let him know that we appreciate his help here at Leatherworker.net . John

Pigeon pot pie, mmmmmmmmmmmmm!! John

Not leather caused but here goes: Worst thing I ever did was cut my knee open with a chain saw. Cut down to the knee cap but not into it. Was tree farming, got hit in the head/shoulder with a big tree limb which caused my hand holding the front bar to open. The saw was at idle and dropped onto my left knee. Grabbed the bar and jerked the saw up but not in time to prevent cutting my leg open. Poured some gas/oil mix in it to clean out the wood chips, taped it shut and waited for my dad to come pick me up a couple hours later. There was no pain what so ever, the nerves were dead before they could send a pain impulse to the brain. Kept it taped shut and it healed just fine in about 6 weeks. If you spot someone in shorts with a scar across the left knee they are right handed chain saw users!!!! If the scar is across the right knee they are left handed users. Many of the boys, and a few girls, I went to high school with had scars on their knees. John

I should have ask in my first post and didn't. I would like to buy some tickets also. When is the raffle over? I have a tax refund coming in a couple of weeks and will have some money to spare and there's no better cause than for firefighters!!!!!!!!!!! John

I think Jordan has hit it on the head. Sounds like you have a nice tight fitting holster. That's what all holster makers shoot for and most of the time they get that type of fit. As long as you are not getting any residue from the holster I'd say you did a good job of molding and fitting, be happy. The holster will loosen up some with use and it will be easier to draw at that point. When I break in a new holster I just sit in front of the TV and watch my favorite movies; then I just slide the gun in and out of the holster for a couple of hours to break it in. John

Don't use mink oil, snow seal, or neatsfoot oil on holsters. The oils will soften the leather and the holster won't hold it's shape and become useless. I use Satin Shene on the holsters when I want a subdued shine. I'm sure the other holster makers here have their favorite finishes also. John

I love it!! My father, grandfather, and great uncle were all fire fighters. All of my wifes uncles were involved in the fire service. That should sell really well! I'm not a saddle maker or horsey person but it looks really good for your second saddle. John

The manager at my local Tandy store said that their clone of the Boss is not going to happen. He didn't know the reason (for sure) but the corp office said they are not going to manufacture it. John

Here's a site that may answer all your questions. Look in the Product Information at the different threads and their specs. http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merc...CFQt0YAodhn0iUQ According to the information listed here Polyester would be the better choice for outdoor use. Sunlight (UV) degrades nylon much more than Polyester and Poly holds up better to mildew/water. John

I did a google search and came up with a few leads. It looks like it's sold under several different brand names, not surprising. Here's the Protex version. http://www.made-in-china.com/china-product...TY-0618-1-.html Here's a Prostitch version with slightly different model number. http://www.pro-stitch.co.uk/0618.htm Here's the Highlead version. http://www.sew-europe.co.uk/highlead_gc0618.htm I didn't get it the spects but they look like the same basic machine. Looks like it might work ok for leather work. Hope this helps. John

Hi Ed, Your progress on these bags in the last 8 months has been outstanding. They look terrific and each is better than the last. The detail on this bag is just extraordinary. Are you going to leave it natural or dye it? John

Go to your nearest gun store/outdoor sporting goods store and get one of the cheap fabric gun rugs. You can usually get one for $5 - $8. That will give you not only the size but padding info and zipper size. John

I've used Coats bonded poly since I got a machine last Sept. All the info that I found on the net said that poly stretches less and it more impervious to sun and chemicals. It's worked just fine so far. John

Thanks guys! I turned 60 so I'm now a confirmed old fart!!. My mind says I'm 30 but my body says I'm 90!!!!!!!!!!!! John

I went through this same process about eight months ago; your're going to wind up spending about $1000 for a new or used machine that will sew 1/2 to 5/8 in of leather. I bought a Neel's Saddlery Model 5 cylinder bed machine. They run $899 plus shipping from Ohio and that's about the best price I could find for a new machine. It will sew 1/2" of leather with no problem. But it's not a walking foot machine, it uses feed dogs to move the leather. Feed dogs will leave an impression on the back side of the leather you are sewing. This may or may not be a problem for you, it wasn't a problem for me. I make 1/4" thick belts, magazine carriers, holsters, and gun cases. But the bottom line is it's going to set you back $1000 to get a machine that will do the job. I've been watching Ebay and Craigslist for industrial machines but to get one that will sew 1/2 to 5/8 in of leather is very close to a grand and there is no guarantee of the condition of the machine. Bob in the listing above this one had a good looking machine for $1000. John

From 1960 to 1967 we lived in a remote part of NE Washington state. For 4 years we had no electricity, running water, and an outhouse (2 holer). I used to go hunting/plinking almost every day of the year. The only thing that kept me in was when temps dropped below -20F or the snow got deaper than 24 inches. I took a 13 passenger school buss to school. I used to take my rifle or shotgun on the buss to school. When I got to school, I would take my gun to the office and they would store it for me until school was out. After school I would get my gun and hunt the 4 miles to where we lived. During the summer I would hike to town (4 miles) and meet my cousin and we'd go prairie dog hunting. I would walk anywhere around town (350 people and 100 dogs) with a 22 revolver strapped to my hip and packing a 22, 30-30, or shotgun. No one ever gave us a second look except tourist, freaked them out!!! Can you imagine the PANIC that would cause today. I never would have and it didn't occur to any of us to shoot anyone. If you had a beef with someone you used your knuckles to settle it. In 30 years they only had one shooting in the whole county. God how time have changed!!!!!!!!! Like most of you I now have to go to an indoor range to shoot (pistols only). I can't afford a membership in the gun clubs in the Seattle area, so don't get to shoot rifles anymore. The State and Forest Service have shut down most wilderness areas to shooting, nearest area to shoot would be at least a 2.5 hr drive for me. John

You might try a polarizer filter. You turn one ring of the filter to eliminate the glare. It also has the effect of making the color more saturated. If you are using a digital camera, you will need a circular polarizer filter, slightly more expensive than a regular polarizer filter. John

Hi Ed, Try Lowes hardware center if you have one locally. They usually stock a wider variety of screws, bolts, etc, in both SAE and Metric. John

Check sewing/fabric stores and craft stores, they both carry circular cutters. I got the 60mm diameter size at a fabric store. Works great on 8oz leather. John

Hi Warren, Belts usually run 1 to 1 1/2 in wide, with 1 1/2 in being the most popular width ( it will fit most jeans, docker style pants). The wider belt helps to prevent the belt from twisting outward when carrying a concealed weapon. This keeps the weapon pulled in tight to the body and that conceals it better. I personally like Inside the Waist Band holsters, I have never been spotted when carrying with that style holster. I skive the tongue and buckle ends to minimize the bulk and make them easier to buckle up. They are very stiff when new and will loosen a little with use. John

That's one fine holster. Very clean and precise layout and stitching. Western holsters was what got me started in leather work. They are fun to make!!!! I have about worn out my copy of "Packing Iron", great book of holster ideas. John

I have a Neels Saddelry Model 5 machine (drop feed, cylinder bed). It does a good job, leaves a light imprint of the feed dogs on the back side of the belt but doesn't seem to be a problem with my customers. I'm still working on getting the presser foot tension set so that the marks are as light as possible and still feeds reliably. I hear you on the buckles, most of my customer prefer a plain buckle and I'm getting ready to order again so will try a different style with more heft. John

Hi Grumpy, I use double layer of 8 oz veg tanned cow, some of these have 8 oz bull on the back side. I didn't notice much difference between the two. They work the same as far as I can tell. This was my first leater order from Zack White and I'm impressed with their leather. There was very little waste. These belts come out to 1/4 in thick. My belts are glued, sewn, and the buckle end is glued and riveted. Makes for a study belt and makes concealed carry a lot more comfortable. I relly enjoy doing the belts. John