garypl

I have bought leather from Wickett & Craig and Springfield Leather and have been very happy with quality, price and service. Gary

That looks like a really nice set! Gary

I have a cheap plastic placemat from Wally World. I tape the back of the leather with clear packing tape, then I use rubber cement to glue the leather to the placemat. Glue rubs off easily from both pieces. Gary

Good! I think you will be pleased with the Giardini paints - I would try to source them from whoever can deliver them to you at the best price! Gary

I use regular acrylic paints to add background in carved areas, but I use Giardini for edges - it is so much more durable. I think even more than Angelus acrylic paint. I just completed a pouch and painted the edges with Angelus Brown, and I could not get the paint to stop rubbing off when I buffed it. I finally decided to sand the edges and repaint with Giardini black - one coat and I buffed vigorously and no paint came off. Giardini is having a special and they say they have special rates now from FedEx, so you should check them out. They are located in Italy - maybe not too much to ship to you. Check at http://www.leatheredgepaint.com/ Gary

Welcome to the forum! You (and I) can learn much from the experts here. Edge paint is normally latex based and is not flammable. I use Giardini and find it to be very durable and easy to use. Gary

That would be Arvo Ojala - I used to enjoy reading about him and Thell Reed, another fast draw legend.

I agree with Mattsbagger - if you want seamless edges it is better to glue.

I normally use contact cement to hold two pieces of leather in place before I sew them together - keeps pieces from moving around while sewing and also provides some extra strength. If I am hand stitching a pouch I often do not cement the pieces - this allows me to make small adjustments while I am stitching. This shell holder is saddle stitched without any adhesive. Gary

Very nice!

I like the different knife sheaths, especially the one with the knob that goes through the hole in the handle - very clever design! Inlays look good as well. What type leather did you use for most of these sheaths? Gary

Thanks Noob!

Nice looking holster! I remember watching Bat Masterson on tv when I was a young boy back in the 50’s! Are they still playing reruns on tv over there? Agree with you about the belt stitching - the bunched up thread doesn’t look too good. Gary

Thanks for the info!

Nice work on the bags! What type canvas did you use? I went to local fabric store and the only canvas type material they had was duck cloth, and it seemed very lightweight to me. Gary

Thanks! I forgot to post a pic of the gussets - see below:

Finishing up a couple of projects for gun club buddies. Shotgun Shell box holder is made from 5-6 oz veg tan and saddle stitched with Tiger thread. Shell pouch is 8-10 oz Wickett & Craig veg tan for front, middle and rear panels, 2 oz W&C veg tan for the gussets, and rear of back panel lined with pigskin. Everything sewed with 207 thread on CB4500 except the top trim, which used 138 thread. I ended all of the stitching at the tops of the gussets by leaving 10" of thread and saddle stitching the last 3-4 holes. I had a heck of a time getting smooth edges around the bottom curves (obvious from the pictures) always bunches up on me. Any tips on how to do a better job with this will be greatly appreciated! Gary

I checked which bits fit most of the screw on my CB4500. I can use flat bits #90, 25, 19, and 98 for every screw I could locate on the outside of my machine. Gary

Resolene will provide protection and should not darken the leather much. Try on a scrap piece first to ensure you like the look. Gary

Actually, C-R lists just about every available color of Giardini Paint now - just wish they would stock the 250ml bottles.

We men are so simple!

Hi Joel, I think a collection of bits specifically aimed at sewing machine usage would be a good seller for you. The set I bought has a few bits that I will not use. I can’t speak for every type of machine out there, but I can provide you with a list of the bits I use on my CB4500, so you know what many leather craftsmen have to use on their equipment. Maybe others on this forum can add commonly used bits they use on other machines and you can assemble a set based on this input. I will post a list when I get home tonight. Gary

I have ordered from Campbell Randall in the past and they only sold 1 liter bottles. Do you know if they are now selling 250 ml bottles? (Went to their website and I see they only list 1 liter bottles. Last time I bought paint from them they had just started selling a Giardini and they only had two colors and nothing listed on the website. Now they list many colors, but still only 1 liter bottles. ) 1 liter lasts a very long time! Gary

Double presser foot

Looks very nicely done Mike. What type leather did you use for the main parts? Gary