TwinOaks

It should handle it just fine, but test the spray pattern and consistency. Resolene actually says to apply with a damp sponge, etc. but spraying is so much more even in coverage.

I've made shoulder holsters for Glocks, and will share some ideas with you. If you intend to make a horizontal shoulder holster, you'll need access to either the real thing (preferable) or a dummy gun. As semiautomatic pistols tend to be a little grip heavy when loaded, you will want to have all the detail molding you can get to keep it in place, and unless you're using spring tension to hold it, you will NEED a retention strap. If you're building a vertical rig, then the detail molding for retention isn't quite as important, but you don't want the gun bouncing around in the holster either. I have access to a p226 and could draw a pattern, but you still need the physical gun/model for molding. If possible, I would suggest building a holster from a pattern (you can get real size images online for your outline and use the measurements from the specifications page at Sig to get pretty dang close on the stitch line) and then telling your customer that you need the actual gun to complete it.

That's both good and bad to hear.

This is quite the coincidence as the LGS just asked for 6 of my hybrid holsters, as well as an assortment of all leather holsters. For me, it's too early to say if it's good or bad from a sales POV, but the owner and I are friends so I am making them for him. I cut his price to about 60% of my retail...and I'm still making money it. That allows the owner of the store to have the merchandise and still sell it for a profit...he raised the retail price by a little bit, and we'll see if they move at his price. If they do, it means I was underpricing the goods. Perhaps the most important aspect of the deal is EXPOSURE. Yes, I have a little sign that says "Custom Leather Available", but that has led to very few sales. Since the items I built for wholesale are in the store, I've had two additional orders for models that aren't there. In my view, it's pretty effective for a few reasons: First, as a hobby maker of the product (meaning this is not my full time job, and I don't have a store front) it's good because I get paid immediately. It's really nothing more than a bulk discount when you think about it. Second, it allows me to streamline production methods. All of my hybrid models have the same size and shape piece of leather, so I get all of it cut out, hardware added, glued, and stitched at the same time. Doing it this way really is more efficient, when compared to one off models. Third, instead of just a sign, there is merchandise available for potential customers to look at, touch, and try. One of the orders that I've gotten is going to be a "highest level of concealment" holster and since the fellow had specific requests, I had specific prices....I took my base price and started adding 'features' until I saw a reaction and the final price is settling on $100.....for a holster that won't be all that much different from what I'm already making......but it's custom. That order wouldn't have happened if the customer hadn't been able to try on one of the other ones. So there is a definite advantage to having something real in the customer's hands. Even if it isn't EXACTLY what they want, they get a feel for the quality and the hook is set. Then you reel them in on the custom jobs, make a little extra, and BOTH sides are happy with the deal. There's all kinds of reasons I could list, but the final one for this post will be this: I enjoy working with leather, but it's an expensive hobby. To pay for that hobby, I need to sell some products. If I sell them one at a time, it's "okay". Selling 6 at a time is better because I IMMEDIATELY have my percentage of six sales instead of having 100% of fewer sales, kind of spread out. I still take the custom orders, and those have priority. I'm not out anything, I'm just making a little less off of each one....and I'm making it all at once. On the other side of that coin, if I did have a shop of my own, NO selling wholesale isn't worth it. A physical space has costs that must be addressed (the 'overhead'), and selling wholesale to others is effectively competing against yourself. The downside to selling to someone else is that once the merchandise is theirs, you no longer have any pricing control. Example: You make and sell holster model X for a retail price of $75 at a profit of $40/holster. If I offer to buy from you at $55 (still letting you make a little), then sell it at $65, I'll have YOUR product at a better price and steal your customers. Consignments.....nope, I don't do those. I don't have enough spare leather to just build something and see if it sells.

First off, you probably shouldn't use INK. Use DYE instead. Ink has a tendency to wick through the leather fibers much the way a tattoo fades. I noticed it on my old baseball mitt the other night. The glove is pushing 20 years old and where I'd written my name in it (with indelible ink, as it was known at the time) is faded to the point that all the letters are no longer visible. There's no damage to the surface, the ink just "migrated" into the surrounding leather. Dye is typically very tiny solid particle suspended in a solvent, and once the dye penetrates the pores of the leather, it's there to stay. Once you have the image where you want it, you'll need to seal the leather's surface. There are a variety of options, but due to your location I'll recommend acrylic wax. For leather, it's sold as "Resolene", but I and others have found that acrylic floor wax is practically the same product, but perhaps a bit more diluted. Here in the U.S., it's commonly sold as "Mop-n-glo", or "Future"...along with some others. Check your local supermarket's cleaning aisle for what's available to you. The best method for application, especially on something that could smear, is aerosol misting. Do several light coats, and let it dry between applications.

Ummm, does that type of needle system have a scarfed area? (I'm only really familiar with the Boss) If so, do you have the needle positioned correctly? The first time I put a needle in the Boss, I reversed it and couldn't get a stitch for anything.

It sounds a lot like unison feed without the feed dogs....the presser foot moves with the needle. Just needle feed is also available, as in the tippmann boss. On that type of machine, often referred to as a jump foot, the needle enters the leather and at the same time the foot lifts slightly to allow the needle to move the leather rearward. Then, at the back of the stroke, the foot sets down as the needle retracts. At the top of the return stroke, the foot both lifts AND 'jumps' forward to the next position. Singer had a similar feed, IIRC. Check out Wizcrafts' post about leather sewing machines in the sewing machine section; he describes several of the feed systems.

I just sent a pricing and order quantity request to JRMCLIPS.com. They have a metal J-clip that looks pretty useful (look in the '2000 series', at the 1200 clip). There's a nice pic of one on a holster of their 'full product line' page. If there's a large order requirement (1000 pcs minimum) I would consider a group buy.

You'll need to be quite a bit more specific. For the purse: What size, number of pockets, preference for hardware, etc. For the wallet: Men's or Women's style? Single fold, bi-fold, tri-fold? Do you want the alligator skin as just the outter shell and use a commercial interior or custom cut interior.....or do you expect the interior to be 'gator as well? What will be done with the scraps....and there WILL be some, because alligators don't come in purse shapes. And the critical question....How much 'gator and how thick will the hide be? If it's 'natural thickness', the maker will have to split/skive the leather to the appropriate size for the product. What kind of tanning will you have done? This is very important because some kinds of tanning are suitable for bags, others ....less suitable. If you're going to have it bark tanned (Vegetable tanned), then you should expect several months of wait time before the hide is returned to you. If it's done by JoeBob the part time taxidermist, is it TANNED, or is it just "preserved". The type of tanning will determine the steps the maker will need to use to seal the purse against moisture.

mojoe, I don't think the OP is going to respond to you on this one.....the thread is over a year old, and the OP hasn't been online since Feb of this year. To answer your question, a lot of belts have SEGMA snaps instead of Chicago screws because they're easy to set and they have a small profile....and they're mostly used on unlined belts. For the record, I build mine with Chicago screws, and if I supply the buckle, they've got loc-tite on them so they don't work loose.

At Katsass' recommendation, I've been using Mop-n-glo. I think the two are nearly the same thing as Acrylic Resolene, but in bigger, cheaper, and probably less concentrated bottles. ***A note about acrylic waxes: There has been a good bit of discussion about them in saddle making, and the general consensus ( first hand reports from saddle makers) is that you can't oil through it. Other finishes allow a person to periodically condition the leather as needed, but once it's sealed with the acrylic, it's sealed. For carvings, this doesn't have much consequence, but for working items that need to be maintained, it could mean a shortened overall life of the product. I'm not saying don't use it, but be aware of what it does.***

I've found it works well to transfer through the pattern with a fine tipped ball point pen.....in a different color than what you printed. The pen acts as a stylus, but also allows you to see where you've been without needing to lift the pattern to look. If you get a little off the line, it's immediately obvious. The transfered line (through the pattern) is also a bit finer, so if you DO get off the line, you can correct it, then flex the leather to 'erase' the wrong line. When using your beveler, don't set it on the leather before you strike it. Hold it just above the leather and let the tension in your fingers provide some "spring action". When you hit it with your mallet/maul/hammer, the tool will go straight down (with practice) and leave a beveled impression without sliding towards the line. + Xnth for proper casing of the leather!!!!

I just wrote a little on this subject in the topic "rub off rub off rub off", but it's also very well covered here. You need to remove excess or residual dye particles and seal the leather.......what they said ^^^^^^^^^^^. Also....Eco-Flo is water based, so anytime it gets wet you are reintroducing the base solvent do the dried dye. The pro water stain is a pigment and liquid wax emulsification. If you have children, you may be familiar with "Crayon on drywall"......it's like that.

Well....not to be too critical about it, but your hypothesis that airbrushed dye doesn't penetrate is just plain wrong. If it had any validity, then the moment an airbrushed piece was tilted, the dry particles would fall off...like powder. Or if a few stuck, they could simply be wiped away, leaving clean leather with no stains (remember, you said "This makes sense as to why the dye does not penetrate at all!") And, it DOES matter how much you spray. The reason airbrushing is so popular is that it allows the user to get multiple tones/hues/saturation of the color on the leather without having lots of streaks, or needing to experiment with many levels of dilution. You can spray it straight and undiluted and still get different effects, AND use less dye for the project. Or, you can set it to "wide open" and completely saturate the leather....which may mean a refill of the resevoir, depending on how much it holds. The reason airbrushed dye doesn't penetrate as deeply is that there is seldom enough sprayed to puddle on the leather and soak in....and you aren't using a dauber to rub the dye into the leather. Or you didn't clean the surface of the leather with deglazer / alcohol to remove anything that could act as a resist and also open the pores. As to preventing "rub off", that's easy. Remove all non-absorbed dye particles before sealing and finishing. This is done by wiping the leather with a cloth and rubbing, and rubbing, and rubbing, and rubbing.....well you get the idea....until you no longer pull loose dye particles from the leather. Once you get to that point, add a conditioner and let it sit.....the buff it again. You can certainly use any finish that you want, but bag-kote / tan-kote is not water proof, so any excessive exposure to moisture may result in the removal of the finish. On the bottle, it says "Moisture resistant", so the occasional rain drop won't cause too many problems. Resolene is pretty good IMO. After the 'extra' shine wears off, I've found it to be a durable sealant/finish....however, it too is moisture resistant, not waterproof...though I've not had any problems with resolene running if it gets too wet. Neatlac, et. al., is a lacquer finish that should be rubbed into the leather. Spraying it doesn't get it into the pores very well, and it can quickly puddle up. When this happens and it's allowed to dry, you get cracking and peeling of the finish. I haven't used the oil dyes, so I can't give a first hand perspective on them.

Look into an Osborne splitter, but be prepared to shell out some money for them - they aren't cheap. You should be able to get them from Weaver or Springfield. Personally, I'd opt to spend the money once and get a quality splitter...BUT if you're on a budget, Tandy has one that is much cheaper. I've seen some threads on how bad it is, and also a couple of reviews that say how nice it is. caveat emptor.

Ditto. However, you can still try pyrography...

The threads are locked when they stray waaaaay off topic and degenerate into verbal sparring matches as the last one did.

Getting the needle pretty hot DOES help to melt the bonding on the thread (as in 'bonded nylon').....but so hot that it melts the thread together.....wow.

I had looked at getting the Luberto's Cub before I got my Boss and since it's a full rotary throw, I'd considered motorizing IT. What I thought of was a bevel gear set (90 degree), with a motor mounted vertically on the side of the machine. I suppose you could do the same with a Boss and a true Servo motor (the kind that turns x degrees, then returns). ETA: I guess we could "Rube Goldberg" this thing until it works......

Angus, welcome to Leatherworker.net! No rush on the pics, but remember that if you have questions on how to so something, an image really helps us out. Other than that....the coffee should still be fresh, restrooms are down the hall. Pull up a seat to the table and jump on in with both feet.

Ouch, Kayak.....true.....but ouch. I'd almost forgotten about skiving a fingerprint off..... Doug, you can also use a splitter to remove the flesh side and keep the grain side. I've gotten used to using a head/round knife for it and don't really use much else....except when I'm making butt joints. When I do those, I lay the pieces side by side and use a straight blade to cut them together. Tandy makes a "super skiver" which is a handle that holds a single sided razor blade at a fixed curve and it's pretty good for getting started......tip: Take the blade out and strop it before use. If you are able to invest in machinery, you can look into a "Bell Knife Skiver". You turn on the machine, and feed the leather into the feed slot....it comes out the other side skived uniformly, all the way across the edge you fed into it. Here's a short vid to give you an idea of what they do...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_jis5Poijg&feature=relmfu

I build to allow at least 5/8ths, preferably 3/4" outside the slot, and around 1/2" above and below the slot. For my 'standard' 1911 OWB, the wing is 2 1/2 to accommodate a 1.5" belt slot, with 3/4" on the outside. I cut the slots 1/4" wide, rounded at the end. (1/4 punch connected by a chisel-like tool)

I gotta say, I'm just impressed beyond description. I had a hard enough time teaching the dang beast to take a bit, and breaking it to a saddle....and y'all done trained 'em to hold leather for you!!!!

You could do it with a single pedal, but you'd have to put a pretty stout return spring on it. I say 'pretty stout' because the 'up' stroke is what makes the stitch and pulls the knot inside the leather.