plinkercases

not sure about quality but lots of selection https://www.holstersmith.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=547_412&osCsid=04virl2c07aidbfuh2oh583ii0

Thanks Ken. Not that I am making saddles and I have other project in mind for these but I was wondering if the nature of the fleece (long short curly straight) made a difference but see it is the tanning that matter most ... for my education what is it specifically about bark tanned that makes it suitable for saddles?

I got a very good deal at an auction on 4 sheep skin hides (all real) but all of different look and feel. My question which are or aren't OK for saddle construction and why? The one with the shortest nap (off white) looks and feels like the fleece I have most often seen (and is most like the artificial stuff) but wonder about the others with longer straighter nap. Thanks in advance for any input.

Bland thanks for that link to SLC patterns.

forester was the tooling pattern also in Ghormley pack? it looks like the famous packing iron cover holster.

yes circular cutter makes sense of the bar and moveable "spindle" where the disc whole sits... thanks

Picture was sent to me by friend and he wondered if it was leather cutting tool? Look like ti might be but I can quite figure how the bar on the left with the movable piece sets any adjustments as it is the tip of the bar that sets a gap to the "blade".... and the gap is fixed on the crank side.

Beautifle work. Worthy to be in Packing Iron!!! Did you developed the tooling pattern form then photos yourself? I seen other attempts and patterns but yours looks pretty faithful in design and execution. In Canada non firing replicas are illegal except for models of guns for which the real steel is considered an antique... pellet bb and airsoft are considered non regulated firearms for many parts of the law but do not require a license if below a certain power/velocity combo level. Over they become regulated (longuns) or restricted (hand guns) firearms in every sense of the law. the folks I know in the Canadian airgun community almost all treat them as real firearms whether they own a license and real steel ones or not. I did that for years before getting my licenses and real steel firearms so type was good training.

This looks great so far and looking forward to more (non gore) pictures. One of the reasons I stared wearing vinyl gloves when sticking was to keep the blood in the glove and off the leather!!! Recently stitched a lot and had a great pokes and scraps but luckily no gushes. Interestingly enough the tacky stuff I was trying on my fingers may have helped slow any bleeding... just theory and I won't intentionally test it but will keep an eye on it. I now much prefer no gloves as I can "feel" what I am doing better. The idea of using a rubber block on the back die at times is brilliant. Heal well and fast.

Well done. Form and function.

Good to know. I am sure what I am using now is ok for my purpose but I think the shooting bags and future back packs could use a little.more beef. I am also conscious of the limited stitches length and a big needle etc. I will let you know how 69 goes. I have no illusion of making this machine do anything it isn't made to do. Thanks agian

Excellent help thanks Wiz. I know it's not a purpose built leather machine but I bought it from an old cobbler who did the uppers with it. It came with the presser wheel and I could not make reliable straight line stitches as the official set well pressure would skew the layers... even when stapled. I don't plan to use it for more than upholstery leather to make shooting bags etc. And it seems very happy doing that. I was jsut curios how it would handle veg tan. For now that kind of work will still be done by hand. I will look into the larger thread and needles suggested and see if I can reset the tensions for 4 layers couch hide max. I will check the knee lift situation again and maybe set the presser bar up a tad as suggested. Great old machine considering it sat dormant since 1995...

Oh this is fun AND makes for a whole new obsession!

good starts all of them. could get expensive if you have to go buy a gun fro each holster you make but sounds like a fine rationalization! If you don't already have them get the Tandy download book by Stohlman - How to Make Holsters and The Art of Hand Stitching leather...both great reference books fro basics you always go back to at some point. They also have holster and gun pelt pattern packs that have some interesting things in them...but I am sure you have seen them when poking around just thought I would shout them out again.

If you are making gun belts its one thing of you are making waist/pant/trouser/dress belts its another. Stohlman's guide had always worked when I have customers wanting waist belts. Get each groomsman to take their favourite belt and measure from the most worn hole to where the end of the tongue meets the buckle. The depending on the dimensions of the hardware you will be using and if it has a tongue or hook etc. you work back from the bar to get the leather length to the middle hole of the new belt. this is the principle and can work with other buckle hardware paying respect to where the hole meets the buckle so speak. use this for locating the middle hole on the billet end then use NVLW's suggestion for adding 2 holes either side (+/-) 7/8ths apart or some use 3/4 apart. I leave 5 inches from the centre whole to the billet tip and 6 if there will be two keepers - also add length to the return fold on the buckle end. Basically follow what is in Belts Galore by Stohlman - fantastic reference book. You can get eth PDF from Tandy cheap and it is worth it. https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/p-1113-belts-galore-by-al-stohlman.aspx Look forward to see the results.

I just switched my machine from a presser wheel to a regular foot (THANKS Cowboybob!!) and have been running some test on how much I can stitch through and am very happy with the results. BUT tension seems to work OK on upholstery leather but when I put veg tan through it seems the upper tension is too light to lull the bobbin thread even flat to the bottom. See pic. I have tightened the upper tension knob as far as possible and this is all I can get. First question - is there any other way to increase upper tension or will I start breaking thread? I had thought of someone do once. Second question - what would the thickest thread and matching needle I can run on this machine? Third Question - is there a way to get the foot to lift higher? I see the cam attached to the hand lever and wonder if this can be switched to one with more curve to it... but would this work with the knee lift even if there was such a part? Any guidance would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

Not surprised. I also know a guy named Bill who also says/writes some very cool and helpful things. I believe he is more of a cypher (inspired combiner of great ideas from other sources into a greater whole than the parts) than an original author. He had lots of editorial help with his stuff too... something like a 100 editors! I like playing dress up as sweating due to over heating is my only chance of staying fit! And I have always wanted to be cowboy so now I am over 50 I can finally do so with guns that make there own bang bang sound. Can you post some of your Will Ghormley pattern holsters?

Lumpendoodle2 the 3D printer is a great idea and I have been toying with it fro smaller items and seeing about making both the positive and negative mold/press parts.......also a good suggestion to use a new mold to make a few "stock" holsters and put them on the general market. I agree it is a cost of business..and tolls are a cost to figure into you tax situation.. I have bought custom stamps on a gamble that a guy could sell an item into a club he is a member of and it went no where.. others have paid for themselves over and over so... And if they sit on the shelf too long then use the forum or others to sell/swap I have exchanged back and forth when I have something the other guy doesn't and via versa.. like a mold pool (not what it sounds like)

Ha!! good stuff AA3JW. This is a great hobby that relaxes, challenges, focuses and has lots of room for progress (not perfection in my case). Please show us some of your other work from the pattern pack. I never took this hobby up to help stay away from the bottle (CC in my case), but did try lots of other clever schemes.... none worked and I still cant play the guitar and have never made it to the gym more than twice!! I am glad to have rediscovered this childhood hobby after a few years away from the bottle. This and shooting sports. I like to shoot Cowboy Action and Wild Bunch (just at the club level since I don't have the time or money to compete SASS). Always a challenge to keep my hobbies (ones that cost a little to a lot), and Jobbies (ones that pay little) in the right priority slot with respect to my time and money and responsibilities etc. Feel free to email me anytime maker@plinkercases.ca Keep up to good surrender.

I believe that is the material that is neither suede or cloth on the back side but looks almost foam like or like pressed sawdust...

Dragon flesh get another vote. I may have missed I in the previous reading but what is the stamp you use fro the scales or is it a combo of 2+?

Agreed on the hygiene issue....I am very choosey now and give them a good sniff test and at the risk if being judgmental I look at the house it is in front of.... I don't need any more but if I see a finish I like on the way to or from work I can skin it is less than 5 minutes. and that said I don't need any more really as I have lifetimes worth and my buddy keep dropping bags on the porch... so yes I go after much fewer roadside couch hide than I used to. Still I suggest contacting upholsterers in the neighbourhood unless you like the thrill of the hunt....

Well I just did my first 7 hours of stitching in the last 12 months... from 2 layers of 4oz through to 3 layers of 10-11 and that SortKwik is amazing stuff. Thanks for the tip. Much nicer not wearing vinyl gloves. I will say that after a year away from riding the stitching horse I was very much beginners again and did not really come back up to speed and accuracy until last piece... oh well good to have gotten some hobby time.

As a show piece it is very show worthy well done.

I will look through my chapter and scan you any pages that talk about fastening. Stand by ye wee patient lass...