garypl

I use 3M clear packing tape - sticks really well. I have also rubber cemented the piece to an old plastic place mat that you can buy from Wally World. Both work well for me.

The thicker the leather the more wrinkling you will have when bending it into a circle if you glue them up on a flat surface. If the item is being made to stay in a circle, I would glue the pieces on a form or just do it by hand starting at one end and keeping the pieces curved.

I say go for it - who cares what anyone else thinks as long as you like it and it fills a need for you! I’d be interested in seeing how it turns out

Nice job Y! I have used inexpensive acrylic paint from Wally World with pretty good results. Good way to practice without spending a lot on paint. Gary

On thicker leather I adjust for @4-5 per inch. Usually use 277 or 346 thread, depending on thickness of leather and amount of stress on the seams. I also use a CB4500 and normally don’t have to mess with tensions much when moving up or down one size thread.

Thanks Y. I will try one of these glues. I had some concern about using the Titebond, but after testing on some scrap and sewing the scrap pieces, I didn’t see any ill effects, so I went ahead and used it. It is a pattern from Linnell. I bought a few of his videos and they were very informative - recommend them for anyone trying to improve their carving skills (I still have a long way to go!) The pen holder was a last minute add-on. If I would have thought to include this before stitching the spine I would have made the spine from 2 layers to hide the stitches between the layers - live and learn!

Maybe the temper of the leather you used in the second sheath was softer? I once ran into a hard spot in the middle of a piece that bent the needle. In that case, I had to start over, remove the thread, and drill a small pilot hole to finish sewing. I normally check stitch appearance after the first 4-5 stitches to check they look OK. This allows me to adjust tension or stitch length before sewing the entire piece.

Very nicely done! Only thing I noticed is the stitching on the Texas sheath seems to be pulled down too much - holes look too large. Or is this just the lighting?

Chuck - I just sized it to fit a standard 6 x 8 spiral notebook. I think the dimensions of the covers I made were 8 x 10" with a spine made of 4-5 oz. By the way, I had a heck of a time gluing the bison leather gun case before stitching it. Tried contact cement, rubber cement and double stick tape and none of them would stick due to the oily bison leather. Finally tried using Titebond wood glue and it worked great!

Jay / Chuck - thanks for your kind words. Made a few mistakes on both of these, but that's how I keep learning as I fumble along!

Just finished a couple of first time projects. First is a portfolio I made for my friend's daughter who recently graduated from vet school and is a large animal vet. Covers made from 6-7 oz W&C and inside used calf leather. Second is a takedown gun case for a friend's Savage O/U 20 ga/22 LR shotgun/rifle made from 4-5 oz bison for case and trim. Inside is lined in waxed canvas and case is sewn with 207 thread. Has three compartments for the buttstock/barrel & fore end and an extra .410 ga tube. Made few mistakes as I learned but he was pleased with the end product, so I am happy!

I had a similar problem with my 206RB-4 in that I suddenly couldn't pull up the thread even with the top tension extremely tight I was using 138 thread top and bottom. It had been sewing fine and suddenly the problem started. With the bobbin case out of the machine, the bobbin thread came out easily but as soon as I inserted the case back into the machine, I could hardly pull the bobbin thread out. I tried every adjustment possible and nothing helped so I bought a new, genuine Consew bobbin case and voila, everything works again! Does your thread pull off the bobbin easily when your holding the case outside the machine? If yes, install the bobbin case and check if it still pulls out easily. If it is extremely tight you might have a defective bobbin case. My old case was not a genuine Consew case and by briefly inspecting it, I could see no visible difference between the old case and the new, Consew case. But it has worked fine since I replaced the case. Hope this help. Gary

Thanks for the tips Josh - I am going to start practicing basket weave stamping again! Gary

Josh, another beauty - very nicely finished. And I like the grips on that pistol! How long do you estimate it takes you to stamp that basket weave on the belt? I think that would take me at least two hours or more. I’ve been practicing on small pieces, but don’t feel I have the technique down good enough to ruin a belt yet! Whose basket weave stamp do you use? I am wondering if a better quality stamp is easier to use than the Tandy stamp I have? Gary

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