TwinOaks

Kingsmerecrafts.com has some pages on several types of lacing.

Asking "what finish should I use?" will get nearly as many answers as there are members!! So, for my $.02, I like Leather Balm w/ atom wax. Please note that I haven't tried sno-seal, pecard's, Dr. Jacksons, ....the list goes on. As far as using the spray on laquers, you might want to spray everything in the can into a small jar, then toss the can. Apply with wool scraps, and rub it lightly. Sprayed on finish (laquer) doesn't seem to get into the leather as well, and is prone to cracking. Another issue to consider is the rub-off from the dye. When you use dyes, even spirit dyes, you need to buff the leather before applying a sealant/topcoat. Often times there are tiny particles of the dye that do not absorb into the leather, and instead sit on the surface. That's what's causing the color transfer you're seeing. Try a few test pieces with varying degrees of buffing + topcoat. One last thing to think about...are you letting the solvents from the dye completely dry before applying the topcoat?

Yes, vinegaroon could damage a gun's finish. That's why it's important to either use well brewed 'roon, or neutralize the holster after coloring. My batch has been sitting under the sink so long that I really don't have any vinegar smell to it anymore, and that means that the acetic acid (vinegar) has been pretty much fully reduced (used up). I haven't seen any adverse effects once it's at this stage. However, a fresh batch may still have active acid which is why some folks recommend a baking soda bath to fully neutralize the acid. Just to make sure, I seal the inside of the holster with resolene before final assembly.

Hey Josh, I can't get the pic to blow up right now, but it looks like some type of fleece. My guess is short synthetic fleece, which should be available at fabric shops (unless you live on the gulf coast). I've been looking for the stuff to line pistol cases with. Take a good look at the back side of it- if it looks like some type of thin waffle weave and the front looks like wool, well, it's synthetic fleece. If it's hard fabric on the back....it might be carpet (think floor mat for your truck)

Hi Kandi, welcome to Leatherworker.net. Whenever you have a question, post it up! There's more than 6000 members on here and we all tend to help each other out when we can. I'm pretty sure we'll find an answer to just about anything you ask.:D

It really depends on the type of wallet you're making. If you're making just a plain wallet, with no tooling, you can go really thin- like 1-2 oz (which is lining leather). If it's going to be tooled, I try to stay around 3-4 oz for the outside. Any thinner, and it gets really easy to cut through with a cam or beveler. BTW, when speaking of leather weight in ounces (oz), 1oz=1/64th inch. So, 3-4oz = 3/64ths-4/64ths, or 1/16th inch. Pigskin, or Kidskin is decent for the interiors if you aren't buying pre-made wallet guts. There's a couple of tutorials by Kevin King that are worth the time to read. He shows how he makes the interiors and exteriors of his wallets in them, as well as how to bind the edges.

Russ, check the settings on your browser. If you have it set to clear cookies every time you close it, then you will have to sign in every time. This places a 'cookie' on your computer that acts kinda like an ID tag, telling the forum that you are a member. Also, when you do sign in, see if the "remember me" box is checked ( I think it is by default). If it isn't, the cookie won't be deposited. Lastly, while I'm far from the browser expert, there are some folks here that are pretty dang sharp with them. If you let folks know which browser(s) you're having problems with, I'll bet the gurus will chime in and help you figure it out.

Hmm, editing posts seems to cause it to hang up. Still getting some random jumping (vertically) as I'm typing this. It's kinda like the page isn't sure where it's supposed to be. Also, can we have the "back to top" button next to the report button re-installed?

The new colors, time stamps fixed, speed seems 'normal' - I'm on FF on a high speed hotel connection- and quick reply seems back online. WOW! That was fast! Now that things are easier to read again, I'm diggin' it. Thanks so much y'all.

Russ, with the way the site is expanding, and some of the upcoming features I've heard whispers about (like videos) there was simply no choice but to upgrade. At some point the old version of the site would have become obsolete. One of the major factors is the advertisers here. It takes money to run the site, and while AFAIK no one gets a salary, there's still bills to pay. The ads pay for things like bandwidth, server lease, program license fees, etc. In the past, member contributions were able to offset some of the costs, but not all. So here we are with the new version. Yes, there's bugs in the system right now, and I'm absolutely positive that they're being addressed. Remember, all the members and even the moderators (*gasp*) have families, yards to mow, church to attend, homes to clean, etc., as well as donate their time to this website/forum. This isn't half as bad as the Big Crash was, and this was planned. Now there's just a few wrinkles to iron out. It'll get better, we just need to give the crew a little time to work on it. One of the things I personally liked with the old style was a non-white background. For my eyes, it was easier to read the screen with the leather shaded background than it is a bright one. Plus, I've grown accustomed to knowing where everything was (control wise). Well, time to learn the new way!

Speed is coming back to 'normal' when loading pages, but there is a definite lag on interactive pages like this reply. Clicking to another area (like when I decided to add to this sentence instead of writing below) caused it to hang up. I got a full white page, no text, graphics, etc. Had to refresh the page with the browser button. Chat doesn't recognize this site's ID yet, I know, work-in-progress. PM's are gone. I know y'all are working on it and we appreciate it.

I was just about at the point of calling Jo, but I figured I'd wait and see. Quick note: Everything is taking about twice as long to load right now. That may be due to the changes, it may be my end of the pipe, I dunno.Also, the screen keeps jumping around, shifting up or down, apparently at random. Lemme know if I can help out,Mike

While I still don't have my sewing machine (%^%$^%!!! honey-do projects!) I wanted to add a small comment on the customer service side of the conversation. While I was researching which type of machine I want, I placed a call to Ryan one Friday afternoon. I ended up talking to Ryan for about 20 minutes, just picking his brain about machine capabilities....which I've done with Steve as well. We had to cut the call short because he was losing cell signal. So what does all this have to do with anything? He was losing cell signal because his charter fishing boat was getting out of range! Yes, I'd managed to call him as he was headed out on a vacation and he still took the time to chat with me. I was (and am still) very impressed at the efforts made to help out customers, or even potential customers like me.

Reloader? Yes, but not like I used to. I don't have any of my equipment set up down here yet- it's still sitting in the basement at my parent's house.....of course, that reminds me that I need to go get the fool thing....

Now, Ray, you're missing an opportunity. You're the one who promotes selling sideways! Agree to shipping and include round trip airfare for yourself...you have to make sure things get set up properly, right?

I made this suggestion on a gun forum I also visit. Here's a little backwards thinking on the subject, it's a little more work on the molding, but it's worth it. When you make the holster, make it backwards. Instead of cutting out the notch for the scope, then wrapping, and stitching, start at the belly of the pistol. (For this explanation, 'belly' means the bottom of the slide and trigger guard). Fold the leather, starting at the belly, and wrap it to the top of the slide. Continue as you normally would for making a holster. When you are ready to stitch it up, add a welt to the seam. This will give you a nice built in sight channel, and can easily accomodate different front sights by changing welt thicknesses and widths. If you want to allow for a scope, it's easy to do with this design. At the seam, you simply widen it out where you want the scope. This also has the advantage of being able to sew/glue in reinforcement strips and finish the edges of the scope cut-out before final assembly. Now, unless you've taken some pretty extreme steps in the molding process you may have a little bit of a triangle between the trigger guard and the muzzle. Inside this little triangle is an ideal place to put a tension nut, if you like, or you can simply cut-out-to-shape if you want a holster that is more form fitting to the gun. One of the things I like most about this style is that if it's done on a non-scoped gun, it can be made with a single straight, one pass through the machine, stitch. You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned anything about the attachment portion of the holster. You can make whatever kind of loop or slot form you like and sew to the back of the holster (prior to assembly). It's also quite possible to make the whole thing out of a single piece of leather and have a folded over loop for belts (kinda like a Mexican loop holster). Doing the latter means the holster can be made with a total of two straight stitches (or two straight and a little bit of curved stitching if you want to follow the profile more closely). I should probably add that this is not a high retention holster design, and recommend a thumb strap, hammer loop, or flap. For concealed carry, I prefer something that is molded and boned for highest retention, and my preference is the pancake style. Do I need to toss in some photos for this?

No, the leather sheen ( IIRC) is water soluble and will not suffice as a sealant/top coat for anything exposed to weather.

I think it would have to do with the thickness of the strap as much as anything. Thicker leather, especially well weathered and somewhat stiff leather, doesn't like to bend in half. Adding the roller helps with the tensioning so the leather isn't doubled over during tightening. This IMO keeps the strap from cracking due to over flexing.

Welcome home. This is hands down the best site on the whole www, and we're always happy to have new members. Write up a list of questions and we'll try to get them answered for you. We LOVE pictures, so as soon as you can, show us what you do.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! We've got quite a few members from the UK on here, so there's a fair chance you might get to meet some folks face to face ( I mean, it's such a small island and all, you just might know them ). Give us some ideas of what your projects entail and we'll be glad to help you out on them. Heck, ask any ol' question and we'll try to answer it!

Anyone have a source for small quantities of the DOT snaps? It's been a while, but the last time I checked the order minimum was more than I'm interested in.

My guess is that the "u" shaped parts are for hooking the squirrel's legs in, while the center "u" is clearance for the head. Lock head/legs into postion, start incision, peel. An easy way to peel a deer is with a golf ball. Tie off the head, make the cape, belly, and leg cuts, then shove the golfball under the skin on the cape. Tie a rope around it (using the golf ball like a cleat) and pull away. A nifty device for getting female squirrels out of their jackets is similar, but is simpler to make. Use a 3 inch diameter brass pole and play loud '80's rock music.

The 'one week' suggestion is, as many things, just a rough rule of thumb. My vinegaroon was usable quickly too, and it's just gotten better with time. While the reaction to make ferric acetate starts immediately, it is also a continuing process, at least until the acid (vinegar) is used up. Your choice of steel wool also sped up the process...steel wool = more surface area for the reaction. Give it some time and you will see that it still works as well, and the smell will be considerably reduced.

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 George, Signature confirmation will not double your shipping costs. It double's the customer's shipping cost. After reading UKRay's problems, I think it's a good idea to have some kind of confirmation, and signature conf. eliminates the excuse "well, I never got it, I don't care what the delivery service says". You may not need to do it if you have a 'good' customer base. However, when dealing with Paypal, it's probably best to have your bases covered.