TwinOaks
-
Content Count
4,513 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by TwinOaks
-
-
I've been finishing off lock stitches with saddle stitching for several years now....nothing wrong with it, and I really like the results since I can put a "half stitch" in as the last stitch and have both thread ends on the same side (usually the back).
-
Do you mind if I try that pattern?
-
If you don't mind, I think I'm going to be trying this idea. It's an elegantly simple solution. One thing that I've found, though, is that not all letters are evenly spaced from the edge of the stamp...does this jig address that?
-
That's a very nice design for the holster. And, the difference between the two is an outstanding example of why it's always a good idea to test your dyes on a scrap of leather from each hide.
-
I'm with Camano....If what you are after is what's in the picture, but with a D ring, just wrap a tab around the D ring. There's no special sewing technique to it. Glue in place to hold until you get the holes punched.
If you're trying to do it with loop, maybe make two sections of stitching so the rope has a little channel to sit in between the stitches. If you went with rivets, it'd just be one rivet close to the D, a space, then another rivet close to the end of a tab....just like on a belt. You'd just have rope between the two rivets instead of a belt keeper. -
Oh....you meant a Welt. I thought you were asking about a liner. Carry on.
-
Nargil, you might also look at some 'household products' to use in place of the "leather" products. Acrylic floor wax under the name "Mop-n-glo" can be used as a finish...it just needs an extra day or two to get rid of the smell.
-
I haven't read Al's books, so I can't comment on the directions listed there. When I line holsters, I match the liner to the shell for glue-up, full size. Just before stitching, I'll go in and skive the edge of the liner so that the edges line up well. If the pattern is utilizing a welt, I don't bother with the skiving. The shortening of the liner may be to allow for shortening as the holster folds.
-
Oops...I wrote 'Montgomery'.....I still think of that, I suppose, because that's where I met him. I've been to the Hoover store a couple of times on my way to/from Huntsville and Mobile. He had mentioned that small guild but indicated that they started meeting further north than the store. Hence....I'm a-tryin' to find them.
-
awesome start if that's 'just playing around'! I take it you're making stamping blocks, then using a press?
-
I'm curious as to just how fine of a mist that particular sprayer can make....and how fast the dye particles will clog the tip. I think you'd be better off going with an HVLP sprayer that's designed for things up to the thickness of paint. They use a siphon tube, true, but they have a larger nozzle port. You can get inexpensive (but serviceable) models at Harbor Freight and they're usually all metal, have a seal, and since it's directed through a nozzle you'd have more control over the spray pattern. The other IMPORTANT thing to consider is the amount of over spray you'll see. The solvent will be flashing off as soon as it hits the air, and if you're far enough away from the piece of leather, you'll be literally spraying dry dye particles onto the hide. (Incidentally, those DON'T penetrate nor stick to the leather). If you're getting even 20% over spray, you certainly won't be saving much money. After spraying, you'll need to buff the entire piece, then condition it, and working a whole hide/side at a time would, I think, be a bit cumbersome.
FWIW, I think you'd be better off dyeing the pieces as you need them, or in batches instead of a whole hide/side at once. If you don't have one, see if you can contract clicked patterns from one of our members here. That would at least save you the time of cutting out the pattern(s). -
As in my granddaughters statement: Whateverrrrrrrrrrrr.
No need to be rude about it. You asked the question, remember?
-
...wiped off the excess, buffed with a soft rag and let it dry over night.
It takes more than 'wiping' off the excess...you should be using shearling and lightly scrubbing to get rid of all the excess that CAN be removed.
-
I don't think you can. You might be able to match it, though. As Architects say: If you can't hide it, make it part of the design.
-
Howdy everyone, I'm trying to find out if there are any members in or near North Alabama. I spoke to Chance at the Tandy in Montgomery and he indicated that there were several people from this general area. I'm not sure if it's an official guild or just a collection of makers, but I'm interested in meeting any of our members in the area.
-
It looks like you got a pretty even coat of the antique gel and it penetrated EVERYTHING. That can be caused by a number of issues, but generally speaking, if you use one type/brand of product, stay with that all the way through. Don't mix Fiebings and Eco-whatever.
Specifically regarding the eco-antique: I've used it and found that once it starts drying, it's THERE. Apply it per the instructions (over a GOOD layer of resist) but don't use a dry cloth to try and remove it - use a damp one. A damp sponge works very well, you just have to keep a light touch to keep from squeezing any moisture out of it. Work in circular motions, and rinse the sponge often. That should help you pick up most of the unwanted antique. Once that's done, THEN buff with a dry cloth, let the antique fully dry, and re-seal it...preferably with a sprayed on WATER BASED finish like -sheen, or resolene. If you use any finish that has a stronger solvent, it can pull the antique up and it'll start smearing around.
Now, with that being said, IF you have the opportunity to try Fiebing's Antique paste...do so. You'll be amazed at the difference in how easy it is to apply and remove the excess. Plus, you can use regular solvent based finishes
-
The primary difference between the two is that antique is thicker than hi-liter. If you need to make LINES darker, then the hi-liter is the better choice. When I've used it, I apply with liner brush, both for precision and to limit the amount that gets applied.
The run off, rub off issues mentioned above will have a LOT to do with the method of application. PROPERLY done, it will not stain the leather, merely darken the tooled areas. To do that, you have to seal the rest of the leather prior to applying either hi-liter or antique. Then, after application and wipe off, you seal the hi-liter/antique, then seal the whole thing. Take look on Youtube for "antiquing leather", and pic the vid by Keith Valley Saddlery. It's one of the best explanations (with video) of the process.
-
I recall one of the folks on here giving the following advice about applying oil to the leather: Stop putting oil on the leather about 3 coats before you think it has enough. Meaning, that once you apply the conditioner, it needs to have time to spread through the leather and be evenly distributed. Applying too much will leave the leather too soft (at best) or so saturated that the oil leeches out onto anything the leather touches (at worst).
-
I'm going to second a lot of what Dwight said, even though it was a little coarse. It is always a good thing to try and innovate new products, new designs, and even new ideas....but there are only so many ways to wrap a dead cow (or horse) around a gun. When trying a holster design, please don't disregard the work of your peers and especially your predecessors. We, the people who've come before you, have done a LOT of the legwork for you in determining what works and what doesn't. In the case of handguns, safety is of UTMOST CRITICAL IMPORTANCE. At no time is an "oops" acceptable. There is simply too much liability, both Legal and personal, to risk having a gun fall out of a holster. Since such risk is involved, practice and learn on established designs, not what "some guy on youtube" instructed you to do. Odds are, he tried something and it "sorta" worked, so he made a video and it's become sacrosanct because the viewers didn't know what a holster SHOULD look like or how it SHOULD perform. Early in my holster making career, I had a heated discussion with Kevin from K&D holsters, arguing what I thought was best vs. what he (as a professional holster maker) KNEW was best. Much to my relief, the convo was lost in the crash of '07, so there's no actual record of how much of an ass I made of myself. Two or three years, and MANY failed holster designs later, I had the opportunity to apologize to him. He graciously accepted and offered some invaluable mentoring to my efforts. Nowadays, I use tried and true holster designs - some 'standard', some of my own. But before I offer them, I do the legwork on the design - I personally use the holster, I have trusted friends and fellow shooters use the design in training courses. Only when a 'new' design passes some pretty harsh testing do I even consider it for production. There's at least 20 designs where I tried to "Improve" an existing idea....and all of them failed.
Holster design is really pretty simple: The holster needs to hold the gun securely in ONE place; it needs to be comfortable enough for all day, every day carry; it needs to allow the wearer to instantly access the handgun by providing excellent access to the grip and cleanly releasing the gun....but only when it's supposed to; and finally...the holster needs to endure whatever it is you face on a daily basis without negative effect on its performance.
Once those criteria are met, then you can apply whatever aesthetics you want to the holster.
Specifically regarding the holster pictured above - If it works, then great. But I see the following issues with it (some already mentioned): It doesn't provide a clear grip; the molding/retention/stitch line can still be improved; and most importantly, the suspension for the holster is very likely to be insufficient. The straps (thankfully stitched) are thin and loose, which will allow the pistol to flop around, no matter how tight the belt is. This will become more pronounced as the holster gets some wear on it and the straps stretch a bit. You may be able to mitigate this by stitching them down a little higher so that the strap is laying as flat as possible along the back of the holster. The snaps on the bottom are a concern...if you used pull the dot snaps (aka security snaps) then it wouldn't be too bad as long as the release direction isn't vertical.
Lastly, I would like to add that comments like these are not usually intended to belittle you, mock you, or make you angry. Those of us with experience are willing and able to help you improve your designs and your construction methods....and let you know when something isn't likely to work. I haven't seen your first attempt, but this one has some people commenting on it being improved. That's a GOOD thing. For your second holster, it's a decent effort. Now, take the comments we've made into consideration and build the next one even better.
-
Since you can't get the guns themselves, I suggest using the measuring process listed in this tutorial: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=19338
Have the customer trace the guns, then measure around them with a cloth tape at multiple points, then write the measurement on the tracing. It would be best to build a template to approximate the difference between the tape and a strap of leather, but you should be 'okay' if you just add 7-8mm to the measurements.
That will give you a "close fit", but will never match the precision of actually having something with which to mold.
-
If I'm not mistaken, the circumference of a circle = 2 * Pi(3,14) * r ???
so...2*r = d, yes? and that's what I did......Pi * diameter
But I like Brian's method....it's easier! So, I'll just use that one from now on.
Here's the tutorial for round braid that I usually send people to: http://myriam.dakotabraiding.com/Tutorials/Leash/Leash.html
Step by step picto-tutorial, and you can click each pic to get the instructions that go with the individual pictures.
Also, look up Bernie46 on Youtube - he's a whip maker and shows how to bevel the lace with a homemade lace beveler..which will help the strands lay down correctly.
-
?!? where'd I go wrong in the calculation?
-
have you checked the tension of the nut that holds the take up lever in place?
-
Looks like a short stroke on the lever....not getting all the way to the stops on the 'up' cycle.
Calling All Makers Of Cowboy Rigs
in Gun Holsters, Rifle Slings and Knife Sheathes
Posted · Report reply
Since suede can't be edged, you can do one of the following:
Wrap the suede around the edge of the belt, or
take the suede to the edge, and just edge the belt and let the dye try to 'hide' the suede edge, or
stop the suede just a skosh short of the edge and either sand or skive it down to nothing where it meets the back of the belt, or
bind the edge with something like pig skin.
I'm sure there are other options, but those are the ones that come to mind.