TexasJack

No, Druid's warning is NOT justified. Druid is spreading a rumor about something that is NOT a dangerous plague of terrorism. That inflates the fear and is more likely to cause people to TRY to mimic something like this for the attention. That sort of thing COULD get someone hurt - most likely the kid making it. Druid doesn't understand the chemistry of what was going on. I do. Druid is not reporting "facts", but reporting what a media outlet reported as fact. (The first time you are quoted by the media is the last time you will believe everything you see reported by them.) The MSM hypes reports to drive up ratings, not to keep you safe. This is also NOT a forum for reporting or discussing public safety. Leatherworking safety, yes. "Bomb" making, no. If it was, I could cite many, many other serious dangers to the public that go on everyday and, in fact, hurt far more than this My "callous attitude" comes from an understanding of real dangers, which BTW I deal with on a daily basis. Let me also add that Druid's wish that I blow off my hands with such a device was wrong in every possible way and completely unjustified. THAT is "malicious intent".

I've suddenly developed an interest in making hats.

Yeah, Chuck, we're surviving. Got down to 19 deg. the other night. Steam lines froze up in the chem. plant. No snow here but they got 3" up in College Station, which isn't that far north. Supposed to warm back up into the 60s this weekend, so hopefully can get back into the shop and be useful again.

Interesting. Think I'd want to see something inside the shamrock other than the side of the holster. Leather dyed green? I don't know --- food for thought.

Terrific stuff, Chuck - as always!!

The Taurus 1911 is a very fine pistol and I think you'll be well pleased with it.

Nice job!

I've been doing environmental work for over 30 years. I grew up in a highly industrial area and I saw first hand just how bad things could get without trying to do things right. And I will be the first to tell you that this whole "carbon footprint" eco stuff is a giant crock of ****. We were given the great resources of this planet to use wisely - and we should do that. In fact, the US and Europe have made tremendous strides in pollution control. Things like better insulation, LEDs, cogeneration (where the waste heat from making electricity is used to make steam for heating purposes), etc. can really allow us to reduce pollution, save resources, and enjoy life with very reasonable cost . But leather products ARE a wise use of the environment. Same with wood and paper and cotton. Paying insane prices for leather from animals that happened to fall over and die? C'mon! That's crap. If a single 'natural' chemical can be used in making a product, suddenly it qualifies for "eco" status (and fetches higher prices). Buying it doesn't help the planet, it helps the company's CEO get a bigger bonus. The company I work for formed a "sustainability committee". No scientists, no engineers - all directors, VPs, etc. Are they looking for ways to better use our resources? No. What they're looking for is awards that they can try to garnish so they can pose for the media. The earth is not a static environment; it is dynamic. More CO2? More plant life! What do plants do? Convert CO2 to oxygen. Dynamic, changing, surviving - that's what life is. Drink all the Al Gore kool-aide you want, but don't be surprised if it doesn't satisfy as advertised. C.S. Lewis said, "When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing. They believe in anything."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is not so new. I used to use this mix to fill balloons with hydrogen - 45 years ago. (I did temporarily lose some eyebrows lighting off the balloons.) There are several versions of this around, and most of them don't work very well. A couple of kids have tried it and so now there's a flood of internet warnings. I hate to have to cite Douglas Adams, but the best thing you can do is: "Don't Panic". BTW, you just proliferated the composition by publishing it on here. Way to go, Druid. I know it's hard to comprehend, but the internet is like a big sewer full of every kind of idea - good and bad - that gets tossed into it. Not everything you see on here is gospel.

Ya gotta start somewhere!

Very nice!

I once asked a knifemaker and supplier what I needed to make a knife. His answer: "Desire".

Are toy guns banned? Or the solid models used for forming holsters? As for knives, you may be able to make a wooden knife to use for forming the sheath. (It's pretty easy if you have a sander or grinder available.)

Yeah, not only are they well done, but Will makes fantastic gun belts.

Very nice!!

tntsl, Chuck's DVDs are worth every penny!

Just makes me laugh! The whole idea of leather being "OK" if the animal died in the pasture is ridiculous. Most people that (are crazy enough) to hate leather and fur will hate it no matter where it comes from. Eat the meat, tan the leather, make things out of the leather - and ignore weenies that find fault with any of that.

Nice try!

Most finishes have volatile chemicals in them. Unless you're using and oil or wax, you're going to have chemicals and some need to allow for ventilation. I do understand that Minnesota in winter doesn't leave you with a lot of options.

One of the really knowledgeable folks on here told me he lets the gum trag dry before slicking and it does a much better job.

Welcome from the southeastern part of Occupied Texas!

Traces are the part of a harness that connect the horse to the load (usually via the breastcollar or hames). "Rolled" means they are round instead of flat. A spokeshave is a tool with a blade in the middle and handles on each side. The name refers to it's use in shaving wood to make the spokes for a wagon wheel. In this case, the same type tool is being used to trim the leather. I'm not familiar with harness making, but worked horses on a farm when I was a kid. If I understand what Jim was explaining, this tool would be handy for making various harness parts because you could hold part of the leather and do your work, then quickly move on down the rein or trace or whatever and work the next section.

I took a small piece of wood and made a 'dummy' pistol first. (Those little semiautos are pretty square and don't take much shaping.) I wet molded one layer of leather on a board, using the dummy gun. Once dry, it can be sewn onto a flat piece of leather and any final fitting done with the real gun. Then another piece of leather is glued to the rough side of the flat part and sewn together so that the flat side is stiff enough that the pistol won't "print" in the pocket.

Wow! Very nice. Can you tell us a bit about it? Also, how does this tie in with Ulysses Grant?

Very nice job on the holster! Of course, you gotta have a nice holster for a Kimber.