Red Cent

Granpajoe, you are either a hillbilly or a southerner. I use rubbing alcohol to thin. Since ethanol and methanol are simple solvents, the addition of methanol to ethanol does not exponentially increase the "denatured alcohol" ability to mix with the dye. As in my granddaughters statement: Whateverrrrrrrrrrrr.

Solution to S needle problem. http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-9-in-x-11-in-1000-Grit-Ultra-Fine-Silicon-Carbide-Sand-paper-5-Sheets-Pack-9083NA-20/203783589

Good point Rohn. It is a good looking belt. And I would add one other thing. Where the belt makes the bend to hold the buckle, I skive the area and finish it up with the curved end of a belt sander. Takes away a lot of bulk and will not detract from looks and has plenty of strength. Question: Did you stop sewing before the buckle because.............A lot do it but I sew ALL the way around the belt. Just curious.

If your are going to build stuff like holsters and belts, squeeze the pocketbook a little and get the 4500. You will have a second thought or two with the 9" arm length as compared to the 16". The Cowboy series is good stuff. And a lot of good stuff heard here about Cowboy Bob. I bought a Cobra 4 (twin to the 4500) and with it, I got Cobra Steve. Great guy and great customer service. The other thing to running one of these machines is to read, read, read.......................................and ask questions. Other forums are rather blunt about asking the same questions. RTFM and scour this site. But they won't give you grief about asking the same questions that I asked and those before me. Great site, great people, great information. And remember, carry it forward.

BHP, the picture shown and all my leather products have been sewn with an "S" needle. http://www.schmetzneedles.com/learning/pdf/leather-needles.pdf http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=nylon-thread

A quart of oil in a 3200?! Surely you jest. When you get ready to clean and oil again (12 sewing hours) they suggest three drops in a number of holes. The stitches do not appear to be tight. That makes the thread look awkward. And the hole you are making looks awfully big. Still. I use 277 top and 207 bottom (Cobra 4). Give Cowboy Bob a holler.

Well, all I can say is WOW!! The hours you must have in that beautiful saddle.

The straight hang and anything else that points the barrel forward makes it difficult to expose the grip properly and keep the grip frames close to the body. It comes to manipulating the belt attachments whether they are slots or loops. This looks to be bulky but it hides very well under almost any cover garment and protrudes no more than any pancake.

+ on the quilting squares (courtesy of my wife) and the 90 degree squares. Making a square or a rectangle "square". You square both of the perpendicular sides and then add them together. Then you take the sum of the two numbers and take the square root of that number. A 6" square will have a diagonal measurement of 8.48528137". 6 X 6 = 36. 36 + 36 = 72. The square root of 72 is 8.48528137". Been a long time for that to be remembered. And I did not make good grades in math

Mike, not questioning the tension or security of the holster. It will become really loose as time goes by unless you do another closer stitch line. The "setting too high" refers to where the center of balance is in relation to the belt. With a very light handgun, it would work and it probably works well now. " you can draw gun without telegrahing your draw " Now you done it . As an old gun guy, I am interested in that statement.

I am a little confused about the holster. The fit is going to get loose but it is a nice design. I believe it is a left handed OWB holster. Two things; the holster is riding a little high on the belt. It might work if it was a pancake or an Avenger style. The holster will not remain close to the body. Or are the leather straps attached at the top of the holster?

Different? Just because? Others don't? Why not?

The missed stitch in the curve can be, generally, one of two problems. And they are related. You are "outrunning the stitch" with the curve. If you have 4-5 to an inch, a curve must be taken slowly if it is an acute curve. Shorten the stitch (more per inch) and you can make a sharper curve successfully. When I first started, I hated the look of the back stitch. Now, I generally will turn the wheel by hand to perfectly place the needle in the hole to get a clean looking backstitch. I guess it is because the way I have set the tension, I have no problems with going back and forth with white or black thread without touching the tension adjustments. I use polyester black and white. Some time ago DirtClod suggested the poly and I have used it since.

Is it a decorative stitch or is it a stress stitch? Would the back side be seen?

Gotcha.

I simply want to use eyelets with the hybrid. I have the t-nuts, rivets, chicago screws..........

Your stitches depict a reverse twist point needle. I use the S needle - narrow cross point. Here is a site that is really informative about needles. http://www.schmetzneedles.com/learning/pdf/leather-needles.pdf

I don't think we connected. I want to do this: http://clevelandkydex.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=628 #8-9 eyelets are for two pieces of kydex. What do I get in eyelets that will work with leather?

Do you use eyelets on your hybrid holsters? I see the #8-9 for two pieces of kydex. What about 8-9 ounce leather with a kydex shell? I usually rivet them or, maybe, chicago screws.

I believe you need to adjust the tension some. I use 277 top and 207 bottom and the top will pull into the leather. The needle hole seems to be huge compared to the thread. What size needle and thread? ....

"...the best start place is a straight away...." Not necessarily. This. ".... in the most hidden spot as well?" I stitch all the belt. All the way around. Some start and stop just before the buckle. I start at the hidden end/buckle end. I backstitch when I start and when I stop. Yes, the drop of glue is always on the back. Carefully. Too much and you will get a dark spot. And you do not want the glue to go all the way through the hole. Just a little dab will do ya.

Depends on the stress placed on the leather. Especially if you are going to wet form the leather and it is snug. If possible I always tie off if the knot cannot be seen. Most all my holsters get a tiny drop of super glue in the last two or three stitches on the back to lock the stitches. Look for the places the back stitch will not be seen. Say the buckle end of a belt. If you are doing a pancake holster, you need to backstitch. Customers will not mind if you do it right. The 3200 should be able to perfectly backstitch and the only thing will be double thread that is not really noticeable or unattractive. What are you backstitching?

"why do we still make so many holsters that are canted when everyone today teaches a straight pull from the holster?" Because IDPA and other shooting disciplines require a straight hang or a FBI cant. And it is easy to teach. Personally, I have carried and competed with barrel forward and worn just to the front of the hip for over 50 years. works very well for me.

There are three iterations of the Blackhawk. The first one came out in the mid to late 50s. Was very close to Colt SAA size. The second iteration was a larger all over handgun. Produced in 72-73 the same time they introduced the large Vaquero. When someone talks about a hot Blackhawk load, they are talking about the 2nd gen Blackhawk. The new model Blackhawk (3rd gen) is back to the approximate size of the original. A new model Vaquero (2nd generation) is the same size as the 3rd gen Blackhawk. Having said that, you can get a NM Vaquero and make holsters for it, Colt SAA, and the Blackhawk. One difference is the tall sight of the Blackhawk.

I use this: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Folding+Utility+Knife&FORM=IRBPRS&crslsl=0#view=detail&id=3EE7672C23BCA6D5F856C99E65A4090005E605E4&selectedIndex=13 But... I use a blade that looks like a double edge razor blade. Gives me four "blades" to dull. Quick change blade and is noticeably thinner than a regular utility blade. Cuts 8-9 ounce much better than utility blade. And I use a regular utility knife with heat treated blades for sharp curves and corners. I have been using the pad for about 6-8 months and I cannot tell where I have cut unless some lint is pressed into the cut. I never feel any influence by other cuts and you will not cut all the way through. It seems to level out the blade after about 1/4" depth in the mat. Totally water proof. No leather sliding around. When you get it, clean off the surface. After cleaning, it will not rub off on the leather. Nor your hands. For the price, I would advise someone with little room to cut the mat up into useable pieces. http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Tools-1777341-Carpet-Blades/dp/B0052XR1S4/ref=sr_1_116?ie=UTF8&qid=1415725386&sr=8-116&keywords=irwin+blades Cutting: I guess it would have to affect the cutting edge some. I don't think I change blades much more than the plain utility knife. But the blades are rather cheap