Troy I

Monica...I must have lucked out...I purchased 12 sq ft from Springfield and the look was fine, but like you said it is difficult to dye, using lighter colors. It did look very good with Aussie Leather Conditioner after it was buffed out. As for the price...pig is about the least expensive I can find. For my holsters I usually up the price by $30 to cover the lining and additional work that goes into it, but I'm just a hobbyist and not in this to make a living, I just like to cover my cost and get a little pocket money.

The only thing that I have used is veg tanned pig. Works good most of the time...some times it will come out a different shade, than the main leather...that's the only problem I've had with it.

Welcome...I'm just South of Front Royal. Troy

Hi I'm from VA as well...Northern Shenandoah Valley. Welcome. Troy

Same here as Camano said..I use veg tanned pig glued flesh side to flesh side.

I use whatever wood I have laying around.....as for your measurements....get them close....but don't over think this project...as long as you are close in your measurements, you will be fine. Also I have never socked my wood pattern enough to make them expand.

What I have done in the past is to get the measurements of his magazines and then cut a block of wood to the same dimensions and use the wood to form the holder.

Can't go wrong with Weldwood.

PM sent. Troy

I ordered 30 belt straps from their Web site, then followed up with a phone call and spoke with a very nice lady and ask her to add a note to my order for the thickest straps they had. Well to make a long story short...after a month and a half, I called to check on my order...they said that they were out of stock...wow they could have told me that when I ordered!!! When the straps did arrive, 9 weeks, after they were ordered and paid for, I noticed that they ranged in thickness from just under 6 oz to what I ordered 8/9 oz. In total about half were under the ordered thickness, but the leather was pretty good over all and their prices are reasonable. Also some of the straps (about 8 or 9) were shorter than what was ordered...but they still worked for my projects. With all this being said...I will still order from them...I just have to plan ahead and order before my supply gets real low.

Itch is right...been there and done that. Granite tile will crack. You might want to check with a contractor that is remodeling a house, sometimes they are tearing out kitchens and might have a granite counter top that they will sell or give away, if you haul it away.

Good luck Ray...let us know how it works out

25b...if this question is for me...I make holsters and rifle slings, mostly but have made key rings, Leatherman holder,knife sheaths,cell phone cases and the list go's on...the only item I have left natural is a rifle sling at the buyer's request....when I make an item, most of the time I make two...One for the customer (customer always has their choice as to which one they want) and one to sell retail. Here is a link to the one I'm referring to http:// pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=171546190781&alt=web If the question is for Ray...sorry I rambled on and hijacked the topic. :-) Troy

When I want a natural appearance I finish the leather with a couple coats of neets foot oil, topped off with Montana Pitch Blend. This combination will darken the leather a little, but I think it looks good.

I'm no expert...but to me it looks like your timing is off. Call Cobra Steve...he should be able to help. My Cowboy 4500 did the same thing and Cowboy Bob walked me through reseting the timing.

Same here Red...mine is real clear and now has sort of a metal smell to it...it has been working for about 6 months. I filled glass jars with steel wool and topped it off with vinegar, adding more vinegar and steel wool as needed for about 4 weeks, pored the mix through an old sock and let it sit till needed. This has worked well for me...some leather needs to soak a little more than others. My leather usually comes out a dull black,but a light coat of oil will deepen the back.

WOW. ..that is fantastic. ..GOOD JOB. .You have something to be proud of.

Maybe try Lowes or another type of hardware store.

Good question. ..I think it may give a better look on the back side + what Gary said above. Don't know for sure, I have not tried it yet...waiting to use up some of my 277 thread, so I can order more from cowboy bob.

I oil inside and out with NF Oil, using my fingers after the has been applied. I think olive oil will work fine, I have even read of people using Cod Liver Oil with great success.

The wood that I use to clamp with has 5 or 6 coats of marine grade polyurethane on it...they are as smooth as glass. I also make sure that I do not clamp too tight---just enough to hold the leather in place until it is dry enough to hold its shape. You might also want to take the clamps off before the leather is too dry and rub the marks out with you fingers. For that matter you could try that now...just wet your leather a little and rub with your fingers or something that is really smooth.

When using a saddle stitch I don't use a knot. ..only back stitch two or three holes.

After reading through this post...I'm a little concerned and confused. ..who is a good supplier for leather straps, 1.25 inches wide, 9/10+ oz, and of course veg tanned. I have purchased from Ludlow in the pass, but I remember reading a post that he is trying to sell his business and his website shows his leather straps are out of stock. Out of the 30 straps I purchased, about 5 were very soft and stretched very easy. ..in other words unusable for my projects. My stock is really low and I need to resupply ASAP. I use the straps to make M1907 rifle slings. Troy

No don't throw it out...it should still work...I have used some that was like you described. ..the only thing is to run it through a backing soda bath...and then rinse with plain water...you may have to rub lightly if some of the brown stuff is on the surface of the leather. But it should work fine.

I had this problem too...now I take the width of the gun, divide by 2 and don't add but half the thicknesses of the leather, sometimes I only add about 1/16 of an inch to account for the leather thickness, I use 8/10 oz leather for all my holsters. When you lay out your stitch lines make sure you come straight out from your gun outline at a 90 degree angle. Hope this makes sense. ..it's hard to put into words. Remember. .leather will stretch a lot when you are wet forming...better too tight than too lose on your stitch lines. This is just the way I do it...I'm sure there are many many other ways.