Rayban

Resoline is good and i like it...on certain pieces...but for outdoor stuff that you may be wanting to apply Neetsfoot oil or something similar, use Tan kote. Resoline seals the pours of the leather, will not let other conditioners through......Tan kote will allow the leather to "breathe"...it may not polish up like Resoline, ....it all depends on how the leather item will be used and in what elements.

I use 8oz leather..cut it, wet it down and bake dry it, it hardens and lasts a long time.

I had been hearing a sqeeky sound as the needle was penetrating the leather...probably the dull needle fighting it's way through....gutsy little thing. new needle=no more sqeeking.

Dear Abby...I woke up in the middle of the night and all I could think about was...when was the last time I changed the needle on my sewing machine.....do I have a problem?? True story. Up til this morning, the only time I changed the needle was when I broke one, but that hasn't happened in a couple months at least. I changed it anyhow...those voices were working me over......and I did notice a difference, especially on the horsehide belts I stitched up. How can you all tell when it's time to change? Is there a tell-tale sign you see, or hear, or feel? Please share.

Sounds like legit complaints to me...am I safe to assume you've shared these things with the powers that be @ W&C?

Very nice Tree!

I'll measure for the keeper of a belt before I dye it by wrapping it around the belt, then marking it., then after I stitch it will measure again....same length. But I sometimes see that curve you're referring to when I stitch thinner strips of leather. Never on two lines of stitching on a 1/4" thick belt, however...

Tree....I've had the 3500 for 10 months now and I make holsters, knife sheaths, and belts on a daily basis, and I've yet to "wish I had the longer arm"...but you'll hear, when in doubt, and you have the $$, it's better to overkill.

Kevin, Kevin's right......congrats on your new machine! Threading the machine was intimidating enough for me at first, it very quickly became second nature........and OIL!!

My advise would be to try different sources for leather til you find what you like working with best. Meanwhile, you are fortunate to have a local Tandy store. I believe that if you're thinking about a certain leather, you should just go ahead and try it for yourself and see what you think of it.

I experienced a bottle neck of sorts around Christmas time myself at W&C....I just chalked it up as a learning experience for me....I'll make sure I don't need to order too close to Dec. for now on. I love the leather and the folks there have been very generous with their time with me, so I wouldn't think of throwing them under the bus publicly.

That....and I find that wet leather wants to "grip" the awl some....with 4-5oz and a decent awl, you shouldn't need any trick help.

Same here...I use a 2 x 42 Craftsman with a 220 grit belt. It's a little quick so I wet the edges down a bit to keep from burning, and a "sharp" belt is a must as well. After a treatment on the belt sander, it's difficult to see the line tween the two layers of leather, it really fuses the edges together beautifully, making short work of burnishing too.

No boney plates in the skin.....thanks for all who commented. I still haven't decided what to do with it...guess it's time to venture into the world of inlays....hate to mess up a perfectly good skin though.....

Simple, no nonsense, well built, I like!!

Cleveland...your OP sounds exactly what I went through about a year ago....I had the $$ to buy the Boss but I thought I would see if I could find something used at Toledo Bob's before I drove to Fort Wayne. After Bob demo-ed a couple machines for me I decided to scrape up the necessary funds to go electric. It took me a couple months, but I'm sure glad I waited.

I need to learn to stitch a zipper to cases like that.....I haven't a clue.

I have all the tools/stamps/leather needed but living in SE Mich. I don't know how I can "assist" (?). Let me know how I can help. Semper Fi.

I don't know the answer to your question...I have to think that a line of stitching would slow the stretching some, but I guess it would have a lot to do with how thick the layer of leather is. A question I have to ask....if you're thinking of stitching a single layer, why not just add the second layer and erase any doubt?

Great looking case! I visited your web site and you do world class work!!

I highly recommend Will Ghormley's patterns, you can get them at the Tandy store too. There's several styles to choose from. http://www.willghorm...er.com/owc.html It's what I used to make my Single Six rig....also, you ask if a lining is needed? I would say no.

Make an adjustment somewhere along the line....start the wheel at opposite ends, and if they don't meet dead-nuts make the adjustment when you stab the awl at that point....this is not a science, it's an art form. As they say in any industry where your head and hands are used, you're only as good as how well you fix your......................imperfections.

Welcome and nice holster. What wt. leather did you use?

I would like to hear from someone(s) who have had good luck using FB as their advertising/marketing tool. I see so many companies now, large or small, use FB, but I guess I just don't grasp the concept. I even have an account but it's mostly to have my friends and family rip on me about this and that.... I would hate to miss out on something I can use......just have to learn how, I guess....any help or advise is appreciated. RG