billybopp

Contact cement will work quite well. There are a couple of things that you need to watch for, however. If the lining is thin, you need to be especially careful that the contact cement is very smooth. A glue spreader of some sort is helpful for that. Those "sample" credit cards that you get in your mailbox all the time are very effective glue spreaders, and expendable. Contact cement can be a little difficult to align and get flat, so there are a couple of little tricks that can help. 1. Cut the liner a little big and trim off after gluing to compensate for any slight mis-alignment. A piece of plastic sheet can be helpful in letting you glue a bit at a time, when placed between the two pieces being glued. Just put it between the pieces and align them, and pull back the plastic bit by bit pressing the two pieces together as you go. Bill

I have a Logan 60" matt cutter that I have found works very nicely for straightening the initial edge for strap cutting. It's extremely easy to use, and big enough to nearly do most double-shoulders. Any remainder that doesn't fit on the cutter is pretty easily extended by a hand cut. It can do a vertical cut, or 45 degree bevel as needed. It also does a nice job of cutting photographic matts, as it was designed to do. Bill

No doubt, if you're making a bunch a die is the way to go ... but I don't make a bunch of ... well anything! Bill

I have a couple of English Point punches in different sizes from different makers, and they are shaped slightly differently when compared side by side, so I don't think there is any exact definition of the shape. As belt end punches are pretty expensive, I only have the sizes that I use most, but can use a larger one for a slightly smaller strap if needed, with a little hand cutting to help the transition to the side look a bit more smooth. When I need a drastically different size, I mark both edges of the belt straight across and then use a compass scribe to mark the curves to the tip. It's close enough to look good, anyway! There are other fairly inexpensive tools available for marking your cuts such as this one. Also, gmace on here posted a quick little video about making an English Point end freehanded and by eye. I'd have to say, tho, that his hand and eye are probably more accurate than mine. I'll stick to punches and marking!! Bill

I have a few rotary cutters that I use. They work quite well for thin garment leather and stretchy leather such as deer/elk. They are not so useful for harder veg-tan for me. I do however LOVE having a rotary "paper cutter" that is fantastic for anything up to about 6oz and is the cat's a$$ for squaring up smallish pieces! Bill

I like deer or elk. Soft, a bit spongy and very comfy for the guitar straps I've made. Bill

Rotary knives work very well for really stretchy leathers such as deer, elk, lamb, etc. Also good for thin leathers, although other knives do OK on thin as well.

1/4 inch would be 16 ounce leather. Heavy stuff indeed! You'd be surprised how long you can make leather strips using a tool such as a lace cutter like this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y_R9ivP0_g . You'd probably want something thicker than the lace cutter can make, but the principal is the same regardless of the tool that you use. If you remember your mythology/history, when Queen Dido and her lot ended up in North Africa in what is now Tunisia. She asked the king there for temporary refuge for her folks .. Just as much as could be encompassed by an ox hide. being the smart gal that she was, she had the hide cut into a very thin continuous strip that marked out pretty big bit of land, which would eventually become the city/state of Carthage. Bill

Take a look at lekoza leather slam thread. Lekoza.com

I haven't tried it, but I remember a post on here some time ago about "British Museum leather dressing" for leather restoration/preservation.. You might google that and see what you find. Bill

I suspect that Stohlman recommended using a stitching groove for several reasons. Most his work that I've seen pictures of were done with heavier leather, where the groove would not make that much difference in terms of strength. His books are also aimed at beginning/intermediate leatherworkers, where a groove front and back will give a good reference for getting awl holes precisely aligned front to back, angle alignment, and also helps to guide an overstitch wheel for marking spacing. I have no doubt that he was aware of pricking irons, and also aware of how expensive they were before the Chinese knock-offs became available. An overstitch wheel is a far less expensive tool (not to mention readily available at the local Tandy store). As mentioned above, there's nothing wrong with a groove in the right circumstances and there are some cases where it's the right aesthetic and is certainly a good thing to know for all levels of experience. I may be wrong, but those are my thoughts! Bill

That's cool. I love homemade and repurposed tools!

I have a bunch of older Tandy snaps that are fine, but even if the newer ones were top quality I wouldn't buy them. I really don't like the fact that they feel the need to plaster their name all over the new snaps. Bill

I'd say dont sell as well. You'll probably regret it one day if you do. Besides, most of what you have posted are cutting tools that can be useful in one way or another in leatherwork! Bill

I'm pretty sure that all such labels that used to be on machines from the factory have been crowded out by the ones that the lawyers make them put on. You know the kind "Stop machine before changing needle". " Do not put fingers beneath needle while sewing". "Machine will not sew without thread". " Thread must be purchased separately". "Power must be on before operating". But seriously ... GREAT idea for these labels! Bil

There is an excellent article on finishing edges here on LWN. Finishing Edges Bill

I don't know anything about this either, but agree that it looks really cool! I'd love to see some more pictures .. It might be fun to try to make something similar! Bill

I don't have a pattern for gloves, but ..... For those long runs of hand-stitching, I've found that athletic tape is a good solution. I wrap fingertips to help prevent awl and needle pokes somewhat, and wrap pinkies where the thread rubs as you pull to tighten. Be sure to use cloth tape rather than the plastic finish type, as it has a good bit more grip for pulling needles. It also has the advantage of being clean and fresh every time you use it, as well as being cheap and effective. Bill

I'd add to what Colt said .. When your brush is fully loaded with dye, use it more away from the cut marks and as it dries out a little move toward the edges. That will help to prevent "dye creep". Bill

A good rule of thumb for thinning substances to airbrush is about the consistency of whole milk. Eco flow and resolene can be diluted with water, I use filtered water, but distilled water might be a better choice. I don't know what you'd use to thin neatsfoot oil, but it's not TOO thick as it is, so might work straight from the bottle. I've never tried it, tho. Bill

As with most things, there are trade-offs here. The "artist" compressors (Paasche/Badger/HF Kit) run relatively quiet, but they also do not flow a lot of air, and do not have tanks to help even out that airflow. Artist airbrushes don' t need a lot of airflow .. but for maximum versatility, I'd go for a compressor with a tank every time AND one that has airflow(CFM) to support more than just an artist brush. Covering a large area of leather with an artist's brush is a pain, and you'll do better with a touch up gun for that purpose but it will require more airflow. Match the compressor to the tool that uses the most air. About the only way to know how noisy a compressor is is to try them out and see. For airbrushes, I've used Paasche for many years and love them. The H series single action work well for a lot of things, and can be set up to cover a decent area if that's what you're looking for. The VL series double action brushes allow much more control, but a little more time to master. The VLs also offer multiple tip/needle/nozzle combinations for differing flow and coverage area. My go-to is the VL because of its versatility. Badger and some of the others probably offer many of the same options. If you go for a VL, pay attention to which tip/needle/nozzle comes with it! Other must-haves include a GOOD respirator, because you do not want to breath in paint/dye/whatever. Goggles or some sort of eye protection are needed as well since anything you're likely to spray isn't good for eyes, or even your glasses (scraping paint from lenses sucks!). An in-line moisture trap is just about a necessity. It will remove any moisture that the main trap doesn't (it's kind of surprising how much at times). Some good to have items include extra nozzle sets if your airbrush uses 'em. A better pressure regulator than the one that's on the compressor itself. A stand of some sort for your airbrush. Extra bottles with both spray caps and storage caps in several different sizes. You'll want to keep one bottle just for cleaning out the airbrush after using it. If you'll be spraying indoors, an airbrush cleaner can be very useful http://www.amazon.com/GotHobby-Airbrush-Cleaning-Clean-Holder/dp/B00KS1II96/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1464557091&sr=8-6&keywords=airbrush+cleaner. A spray booth is also a good idea .. Even if its only a big cardboard box and a window fan! Quick disconnect fittings sized for the output of your compressor as well as for the smaller airbrush hose are terribly handy. An ultrasonic cleaner is also quite useful for keeping your airbrush clean is a good thing (and useful for other things as well). Skip the little bristle brushes that everybody likes to sell with airbrushes. They are less than useless since they often shed bristles that can cause problems. Pantyhose/knee highs are pretty useful as are small funnels for filtering stuff as you fill your containers. There's a lot of info there ... and hopefully some food for thought!! Bill

Thanks again, Jeff! Bill

Thanks!! Good to know! Bill

Kinda curious, is the Mando really a whole lot better? Worth the price difference? Bill

Many find that "I can make that for less than $150" ends up being far more expensive. It's also far more addicting, frustrating, satisfying and fun! I've never made a holster, but make lots of other things, so I can't give you any specific direction on that. JLSleather (above post) has been exceptionally kind in offering free holster patterns that many here have used with great success, so that could be a great starting point for you. The best resources to learn from will depend on how you learn best! There are some great books, videos and threads here on LWN. Some books to look out for include Al Stohlman's "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather" available to buy at Tandy stores, and in electronic format in the link at the left. You'll find a number of other decent books at Tandy stores, and their leathercraft library. There are also a lot of videos available on Youtube and elsewhere. Some are very brief and cover only the basics, others more complete, and some just plain long-winded. You'll quickly figure out which is which. Some worth a look include Tandy's videos, Ian Atkinson, Nigel Armitage, Springfield Leather ... And as mentioned above, one link tends to lead to another .. You never really know what you'll find. For leather and tool suppliers, you'll find some great stuff at the top of the page here at LWN, at Tandy, and many other places(depending on where you live, some may be better for you than others). Hope that helps! Bill