TwinOaks

Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net. We're glad you found our little corner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs and professionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you might have. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.

Hi Tom,Welcome to leatherworker.net, we're glad you found our little corner of the internet. There are several DVD series available, but I don't think anyone specifically addresses motorcycle seats. Paul Burnett is a well known leather artisan and has online 'courses', both here and his own website (paintingcow.com). There's a few pointers and tutorials on the main page, too. Given your example, it looks like you've got the hang of carving pretty well, and reviewing the tutorials will help solidify your foundation. I know these are no substitute for actual instruction, or face to face review. If you'll scroll way down, to almost the very bottom of the page, you should see a listing of upcoming events. If there's one close to you, stop in and check it out.You're in the right place, just give us enough time for everyone to here.

Another thing for the Boss is size. I don't have room for a full sized industrial machine, and I kinda wonder if my floor would even support it. I suppose I could always put it in "the shop", but the only power run out there is an extension cord. I like the idea that I can take it off of the table by myself, or put it in the truck without busting a gut. If space is at a premium, it's hard to argue with a portable tabletop model.

To turn a strap into a night latch is pretty simple. Find the center of the strap, cut a slit in it, then push the running end of the strap through and pull it until the sides roll- you'll have the "top" of the strap still facing up. You'll have to experiment with the length of the slit, as it depends on the width and thickness of the strap. Spacing between the slits is up to you, but I always try to keep at least half the slit's length in solid leather between them. It's much easier to pull the strap through itself when wet, and pliers are probably needed.

Unfortunately, you're about to get disappointed. Getting a machine for cheap is easy- look on ebay. Getting one that will sew the thickness you want for cheap is where the wheels fall off. You might luck up and find something at an estate sale, or such, but you're looking at several hundred to an easy thousand dollars for a machine that will stitch thicker layers of leather.Luberto's makes a hand crank sewing machine that will perform the task, but it's still over $1000. It's called the Cub Classic I, and II, depending on the throat depth.One of the issues you'll find with old Singers (like what you'll find on ebay advertised as a leather stitcher) is that they don't have enough ass to handle the leather. Sure it'll punch holes, and may lock the stitch, but there's also thread size to think of. The old models just don't have the bobbib capacity for much sewing. If you were looking to sew thinner leather- wallets, boots, etc., then you might look for a Singer 31. It's a favorite among boot makers.Though the older model singers are either treadle or electric, you can find hand crank adapters for them.There's a whole section of this forum dedicated to the discussion of sewing machines, and you may find a good bit of useful information there.

I'm a long way from making the move, but helping out with a friend's business I've observed an important lesson: not only have the right tool for the job, have the right person. 8th sinner touched on a really important one in his post- an accountant. Even if you're bartering for services, it's better to have people with specialized skill sets to handle certain jobs. They will be more proficient at the job, and quite possibly more competent. If your knack is leather, then spending time doing taxes uses "leather time". I'd be willing to bet that like many folks you're fairly competent at many skills, but can you perform a task as well AND as quickly as a pro in that field? Perfect example: I'm an electrician, and this weekend I built a porch. It's stable, (mostly) square, and the posts are (mostly)plumb. It only took me 8 hours. A neighbor who's a carpenter politely pointed out a few errors, and asked why I spent so much time on a three hour job.By having the right people doing the right job, your time is spent where it should be- on leather.

Only 35 here, but I feel much older.

Here's an easy way to accomodate a CCW in a kit purse- it isn't necessarily the most secure, but it is easy. When you assemble the purse, include a couple of small loops or (keychain style) split rings. One should be placed high, one low, and arranged to provide the desired position for the weapon. There are two attachment points to help keep the weapon correctly oriented, and if properly secured in the purse, it allows the weapon to be drawn without drawing the holster with it. Now make a small holster with corresponding attachment points that allow the user to clip the holster into the purse, or remove the weapon and holster as needed. A visit to a government building (courthouse?) is a perfect example of why it's a good idea to have a removeable holster. Another option would be to just insert a pocket (with closure device) at a seam. My personal opinion is that a purse is a bad place to keep a weapon. In a purse snatching scenario, the bad guy gets the money AND the gun. As I said, that's my opinion, and YMMV.

Dustin, that' exactly the wrong attitude to have. This website is for all the members, regardless of skill level or ability to contribute financially to the site. Telling someone they should go find another place to learn about leather, just because they don't have a high speed connection, is reprehensible. There's plenty of other sites on the internet that harbor "holier than thou" attitudes, this one doesn't need to be another one. Dwight, give us a little time, and Johanna and Kate (and others working on the behind the scenes activities) will get it straightened out. This site didn't really have much choice but to upgrade, as there's things in the works (yes, I've heard some whispers) that the old site just couldn't handle.As for the "going Wall Street", well, like Johanna said, there's bills to pay. The members contributions help, but run thin pretty quickly. The ad banners really help to offset the cost of leasing a server, plus they provide a direct source for US to get what we need. Leatherworker.net, your one-stop-learn-and-shop website!!!

Don't forget that besides making sure the timing is all correct, annnnnnnnnd presuming you don't have them already, you'll need a motor and stand/table. A speed reducer is highly recommended as well. You did well on the price, congradulations.

Well, for me and mine, we don't celebrate Halloween aka "all hallow's eve". For the kids, it's okay to go to one of the "harvest festivals" usually hosted by a church. To me too much of the 'fun' of halloween has been replaced by annoying little punks committing foolishness or outright criminal activities.Ray, I know that there in England you don't have all the option we have here in the States, but here's a little something to make you smile...One of the really nice things about having a reloading press for shotshells is the ability to load ROCK SALT. I haven't had any problems for a long while

Okay, time to close this one. Mods, padlock please. I'm not locking it unless it turns into a Fords and Chevys argument. Both browsers have their advantages and their flaws. Mooshi- please note this is an old thread. I'm hijacking TwinOaks post so I don't bump it again. Johanna

Ditto the oil comments by Lobo and Katsass. DON'T DIP IT IN OIL. I wet form then force dry in a convection oven to about 140F. For conditioning the leather, I use Aussie leather conditioner instead of neatsfoot oil, and apply it while the leather is very warm to aid in absorbtion. Net result is the same with oil, but for me it's easier to control how much I put on.For the pictured holster, it looks to me that the mouth band could extend a bit further around the curve of the holster (the top of the pistol)and that would provide a bit more stiffness. Here's a tip for boning the leather to the gun- wrap the gun in plastic, drop it in a ziploc, or wax paper (thanks Shorts). This will provide a few thousandths of clearance for the draw without negatively affecting the retention. When the leather is well cased, put the whole thing in a ziploc and bone in the details. The plastic bag will allow you to rub in the detail lines without excessive rub marks on the leather.Overall, it's a nice design, though I think you'd benefit from another 3/8ths inch on the sweat shield, but that may just be the angle of the photo.

It sounds like the old skin was merely dried, not tanned. There's several products on the market, and no telling how many 'home brews'. You'll need to completely dry the skin, then add the tanning solution as per the directions that come with it. That should provide a durable skin. To keep the scales on, I think you'll need to seal them with something like super sheen, or resolene.As others chime it, you'll get more info- I'm merely reciting things I've read/heard, and am working on my first rattler right now. I'm glad this came up because I forgot where the other thread I was reading went....

You can also make a sheath that is more closely fitted to the blade by not stitching the entire length of one side of the holster. Leave a slot to provide clearance for the blade and secure with a snap/strap. I do think the full sheath looks and works better, but I wanted to toss out another possibility.

For me, the easiest way is to lay out a very light scribe line and use a clear straight edge to mark the spacing around the area. Then work your way to the blank spot and tilt the stamp away from the area when you smack it. If you have multiples of the same stamp, you can grind one in half to make half impressions easier to manage. If you don't have multiple stamps, you can use a pad of leather to help stop the marking of the leather. Be aware that you may get some impression through the pad, so keep that in mind when you smack it.

Nice kukri! I like that the mid handle ridge has been removed already. Just pick it up (if so where?) or has that one been in the family a while?

The only other 'portable' machine I know of is the Luberto's Cub (in 6 or 9 inch arm). It's a full rotary crank instead of the slot machine pull of the Boss, so space would be an issue. AFAIK, Luberto's hasn't updated the website to show the Cub, but I posted the text of a letter from them on this forum (search for "Luberto's Cub" and include the quotes). The bad news is that with the current promotion, you should be able to get a few more accessories with the Boss at the same price. IIRC, the Cub starts at about $1200 for the 6" arm, and $1400 for the 9 inch.In either case, the machine needs to be attached to a solid mount via bolt or clamp. Neither is a tabletop model.On the other hand, I think Sailrite does have a "portable" 111 model, complete with a tiny DC motor. That one gets expensive pretty quickly though.Considering weight, required space, and (once you get the tensions set) ease of use, it's gonna be hard to beat the Boss.Note: I don't have one, but am saving up for one.YMMV

Gotta check with MY boss, but I'm certainly interested.

I guess it's on my end....BTW, I like the idea of using the waxed paper. I'll have to try that on the next one.

For the Kydex trigger lock, I designed one by molding a strip of Kydex to a 1/8th tsp measuring spoon to make a 'hump'. Then I put a bit of an angle on it to provide a positive lock on the trigger guard. It was fully internal, and attached via rivets. I think the downside to the one I made is that it was a dual gun holster. I had a bluegun to mold from, but only on one gun (HK compact vs. a Sig 229). The problem is that the trigger guards aren't exactly the same and the lock was too strong on one of them. It caused some hinging at the closest rivet, and eventually broke the kydex. Lesson: keep enough kydex intact to compensate for "oops".Back to tight holsters: Other than the bag or wax paper method, you can also spray down the inside of a holster with one of the 'dry lube'sprays. My personal choice is Rem-Dry, because I also use it on firearms. It 'moistens' the leather with a solvent and leaves behind a teflon based film which slicks up holsters very well.Monica, you're gonna have to tell me how you managed to get the spacing between the lines like you did. I tried that to separate the headings and when I posted, it all got jammed up together. P.S. It did it here too.

Weeeeelllll, it would appear you've done some homework before starting the project....Excellent!!! Fit looks good, as does the finish on the leather. Here's a few things to work on for the "details": Be careful with the use of 'common' snaps. Holding a pistol is one of the last places you want cheap snaps to rear their ugly heads; 'pull the dot' snaps are best (AFAIK), but they're a little pricey. For first projects, the 'common' snaps will do, just watch they don't pop loose. Corners: Not only will it look nicer, but will wear nicer if you radius the corners a bit. Rounded corners are less likely to snag and get turned up/down.Mouth of the holster: When you run the edger, knock the corner off all exposed edges. Edges: I yield the floor to Mr. Bob Park and his tutorial for technique. However, for the holster here, it appears as though both pieces were edged/finished before assembly. When two pieces of leather are mated, DON'T round the sides where they meet. After they're joined, finish it as a single piece of leather and there should be little or no visible edge where they meet. If you have a belt sander, this goes very quickly. Alternately, I often use a "sure-form" rasp tool to trim edges together. A standard file works too, it just takes a little extra slicking. Stitching: Overall, very well done. Along the curves it gets a little rough, but it's an easy fix. You'll need to scribe a line (or groove a line) for the stitching. If you don't have a fancy tool to measure everything 'just so', you can use a serving fork by hanging one tine over the edge and scribing with the next. Yes, I said use a fork. Dinner forks can also be used for marking stitch holes. Look around in the toolbox and kitchen drawers, there's tons of stuff you can use if you don't have "leather tools". Need a good mold? Vacuum seal bags. Want detail but don't have a press? Rolling pin. Want more detail (during wet molding) without scuffing the leather? Put it in a Ziploc and bone the details through the bag. Excellent first holster, and very nice pics too!

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! We've got a ton of pro- and amateur members here who are great at helping new members learn about leather. Look around a bit, post some questions, and we'll do our best to answer them. If you need help on a particular method, or have a specific queston, please post pics (or link to them if they're already posted on here) and it'll help us answer the questions better. We love pics, so be sure to post some pics of your work.

For Economy grade leather to practice on, check out Tandy. They frequently run sales and specials and I've picked up single shoulders in 6-7 for not much more than those 12x12 squares. If they don't have anything at the time you're looking, CALL them.You can also place a call into Springfield leather (see banner at top of page). They cut leather and may have some oddball pieces left over from another customer's cutting at the right price.Hope that helps, and good lucks.

I'd have to say it depends on the store and the manager, and how well you know/get along with the manager. I sell the occasional holster at the local gun store on consignment. Typically, it isn't worth my time to try and compete with the store's stock holsters - the time I put into it demands a higher price than the stock items. (It's tough convincing a customer that a $60 leather holster is better than a $20 nylon). However, when they get some models in that the stock holster doesn't fit...well, then it's time to deal. I know the manager well, and trust him to take care of the holster(s) while they're there. I fully expect customers to try it out. If you aren't in the same position.....it's probably not worth the time to put something on consignment.