rktaylor

Thanks for the compliments. I think a holster would fit but pretty soon you run out of waist. Well my son would, I have a little more. I have sewn across straps and learned the "tear on dotted line" lesson as well. It's a rite of passage. Randy

I don't have a photo from the back, but the circular piece has slots. There are two straps and they simply pass through the circular piece. I placed the slots at 90 degrees because it seemed like a good idea. They should be closer to 60 degrees. I'm not sure what you mean by holster. Randy

This is what I would consider a medium-large size. It's 8" wide, 9" tall with a 4.5" (cut size) gusset. Randy

Thanks for the compliments. Nothing is attached to the belt. Everything slides on, so you can move items where you want. However the pockets on each side are all sewn and riveted together. I think I have enough leather left to build a smaller tool pocket if he wants to change it out. Randy

Thanks for the compliments. All in all, it was a fun learning experience. Not sure it's a new direction though. I'll be really interested to see how it holds up during use. Randy

My son just started in construction and asked for a tool belt. I should have just bought him one. It was a fun project and like most things for me, I immediately wanted to build another to fix my mistakes. Critiques are welcome. Randy

I suggest you draw a new fender pattern to ensure the top and bottom are square. This isn't as critical with the half stirrup leathers that you have, but I like things to be straight. Assuming they are 3 inches wide, you draw a rectangle 3 inches by the length of the old fender. Then you can use the old fender for general shape and use a little artistic freedom to make them look appealing. Sounds like you are going to twist and wrap the new fenders. If so, I have a couple tips that make it easier (at least for me). Randy

As far as saddle repairs, I think this is one of the easier ones. Post questions as they come up. Good luck, Randy P.S. Basketweave is eating her legs up? Is she riding in shorts?

Looks like you have made some progress. At this stage, I suggest you think about rigging placement. Unless it is used exclusively on a pony, standard rigging placement is tough to make work. Randy

That looks really nice. I like harness leather bridles. Randy

Thanks for the compliments. The young man can play, so I hope the strap can keep up. He's getting really popular thanks to TikTok. I don't understand, but I guess I'm too old. I think the font appearance is an optical illusion since the strap is curved over a post. The letter height is within 1/16" but the width may vary. If they are tapered, it certainly wasn't intended. Randy

Thank you. Thanks. He saw some sample tooling and approved so it won't be a complete surprise. Randy

A friend ordered this guitar strap as a Christmas present for his son. I don't do a lot of floral tooling so it took some time. I vow to practice more in the coming year. A pre-news year's resolution. Randy

I use athletic tape. Maybe that's the white tape Bruce mentioned. I tried band aids, but they weren't very effective. Randy

I finally have some adapters for this press. I decided against modifying the press and chose to modify the attachments. I bought a Little Wonder 104 rivet set and anvils. I had an adapter made for the anvils. I had the rivet set turned down to fit the press. I also had a Tandy mini punch set that I never use. I had the handle modified to the press. Overall it works pretty good, but the stroke seems a little short. Randy

Anybody headed to Wichita Falls for the Boot and Saddle Show? I'm finishing a saddle to take and will post some pictures soon. Randy

Well done. Randy

My recent builds have been with Timberline, Double L, and Swanke. I've been happy with all of them, but there are differences in cost and quality. Depends on what you want. Randy

Nice work. Randy

@bjr, Thanks for the stories. I sold that saddle about a year ago to a guy in Wyoming. I seem to recall that he knew Mr. Steiner, but I can't find any communication to confirm that. He was sure pleased to get it. Randy

The top is 3/8" and the bottom is 13/16" (seems odd but I measured it). Stimpson steered me to another company (I don't recall the name) that made dies for 104 rivets. I'll see if I can find the name. It would be nice if Weaver parts fit it. I haven't tried to find the specs on their dies. I'm just kicking tires now as I don't have a huge need. But, if I wouldn't mind using it without a big investment. Thanks for the tips. Randy

I looked at a lot of options several years ago. Found a few examples searching the web but never got started. I'll be interested to see what you do. Randy

Thanks for the comments. I have a local machinist who works for beer so the adapters should be easy (at least for me). I currently don't have dies, so I was wondering if anyone has made a similar adaptation. The Weaver dies seem affordable, but I haven't priced others. I want to make use of the tool, but I don't know much about it and want to invest wisely. Randy

I recently acquired a Stimpson 405. The driver and anvil are for grommets. Has anyone adapted one of these rivets or snaps? How about converting to another brand like Weaver? Thanks, Randy