TwinOaks

I'll second the advice to get the highest quality tools you can at the beginning. Your skills will increase faster when you have tools that yield the best result.

1. Some antique paste SHOULD come off if you do things right. It's designed to get down in the crevices, nooks, and crannies....not a top coat. Go to YouTube and search "Keithvalleysaddlery", or "Antiquing Leather" ....there is a video on antiquing. 2. If your Saddle Lac is cracking, you're putting it on way too thick. Don't spray it on the leather. Spray it on a piece of sheep's wool and rub it onto/into the leather. 3. If the resolene gets dots and puddles, and builds up to a milky appearance, you're putting that on too thick. Sure you can use the preval, just MIST the leather and let it dry. Then add another coat if you need to. With either of the two finishes, you should not spray until you have a liquid layer, as that indicates it is too thick.

We never dumped the CO2 by point it down or anything like that, it's just when we'd go rapid fire for most of a hopper, there'd be some snow and the barrel would get a bit frosty. That's why I was suspecting you'd have a massive cooling effect. Of course, this is in the days when semi auto Brass Eagle Sting Rays were "top of the line".....so it's been a while.

Yep, Mike, I run into that "designer" jean thing all the time. I also keep reminding people that they're adding a fair sized spacer inside the waist line.....but they KEEP coming back and saying "My pants don't fit right now...". My good customers understand the issue are already wearing pants one size larger to accommodate the shooter.

Well then...Excellent!! Thanks for the refresher in phys. 102. I guess it speaks to how long ago it was when I played PB ( I still have the Tippmann Poison).

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Spectacular work!!!

Don't plan on spraying anything that can freeze. Because your releasing a pressurized gas, you'll see the results of the Joule-Thompson effect......it'll get a lot colder. Add to that you're already using CO2, and you can expect the rig to chill or even freeze anything water based. Back when I played paintball, (ah, the good ol' days) we'd occasionally get "snow" from rapid shots. Regular airbrush compressors usually have a water trap "in-line" because the expansion of the compressed air gets cold enough to cause condensation of any water vapor in the air ...all inside the air hose. While using CO2 should eliminate the issues of trapped moisture, it will also be much colder. The results could be icing of any H2O, or gelling of any alcohols. Maybe you have all that worked out already....... Please let us know how it turns out.

I'll second the idea that the tallow and oils getting cold add to the stiffness. I usually just quick case mine with a spray bottle, but I'm not doing a lot of detailed carving these days. Mostly just stamping, and I respray if it starts to get dry. If I have to leave it for a while, I respray and cover with plastic to prevent evaporation. As to the leather being stiffer after casing, well....water reactivates the collagen in the leather fibers, and collagen is kind of a cellular 'glue'. So, once the 'glue' has been activated, it keeps the fibers in place when it dries. Oiling allows the fibers to slide against each other, and that is why too much oil can leave a piece of leather "floppy". It's a bit oversimplified, but we did have a very in depth discussion of it way back when, delving into the chemistry of the leather. I think that thread may have been lost in the crash ('09?), and I recall it from when I first got interested in leather during late '07.

Thicker will be sturdier, but at 12oz, you should be fine. I routinely make belts from 8/9 with a 4 oz liner and they support even full size steel 1911's with no problem. I suggest staying at around 1 3/8ths inch wide. That pesky 1/8th inch up to 1.5 has caused some issues with some makes of pants' belt loops. I don't know why, but I haven't had any issues since I started cutting then at just under 1.5 inches. It's probably the amount of material in the belt loop - some belt loops just don't have the space for a thicker belt. And here's a convenient tip: cut one side wider than the other. When you go to glue the pieces together, it's a LOT easier having a little 'wiggle room'. Then, cut down the larger piece to the edges of the smaller one and complete.

You are hereby granted permission to modify your tools any way you see fit, using any process you want, provided you don't violate any local, state, or federal laws......or the laws of physics. I would suggest though, that arch punches are not usually cheap, and you will need some pretty serious metal working tools to do this. You could alternately start with a belt slot punch which is what you have in pic #2. Have you considered using a piece of pipe instead? It is much less expensive, and would allow you to make an error or two in the production (and start over) without breaking the bank. Also, there are several members here that make leather working tools as a hobby/part time job, and since they already have the tools/experience, you might check and see if they could do it.

Perhaps Artisan has the next great thing, and I hope they do, but they have lost some of their great reputation. There have been multiple reports on this site that describe poor or non-existent customer service. I hope that is changing. You owe it to yourself to see it sew leather in the thickness you'll want, without leaving marks. I'm going to go check out their site and see if they have it advertised, then get back to you. ETA: I just looked at their site and I don't see anything new. Could you post a link to the machine you're talking about? I'm kind of wondering if they've reinvented the roller foot......

I pick up LOTS of plastic pocket folders at walmart in the 'back to school' section. The last time I picked any up (last year) they had gone down to $ 0.02 each. That's a bunch for $5. The material is thin enough to be cut with an exacto style knife, or scissors, and cuts very smoothly. Color selection is pretty wide, so I use one color for holsters, one for pouches, one for wallet pieces.....etc. A simple single hole punch (for paper) easily adds a hole to it to keep multiple pattern pieces together with a loop of string, or a ring. They're waterproof, firm enough when held down to trace around, and thin enough that you can press 'dots' through the material and they'll stay there....kind of like a craft aid. That's fantastic for marking stitch lines inside the pattern, and I use my overstitch wheel to do that. A regular stylus works just as well.

Contact Springfield Leather (see ad banners), or look on their website....and search for a product in 'manmade materials' called Acetate. It's the clear 'window' material used for ID wallets. Make the window a bit larger than the ID to allow for the material to be somewhat tight at the sides where it's stitched. That "tight at the sides" may also be what's making it hard to pull the currency out of the bill pocket.

Apologies if it was taken the wrong way, but the first two replies seem a bit harsh for someone asking for the reasons why A. S. isn't used much in holster making.

You may be making the wallet too short. Make another one and add a half inch to the overall length to see if that helps. I don't see it as a problem, but the customer is always right you know. Do you glue the interior in place while it's folded?

You may use whatever you want to sew with, and please ignore the somewhat hostile and negative comments......looks like somebody didn't get their nap before posting. From what I've seen of the artificial sinew, it does not lay down as neatly when stitching, and since it is basically non-twisted thread, there may be some strength issues or stretching problems over the long haul. I'm one of the people that recommends using an awl instead of a punch because instead of the holes closing up 'a bit', the holes made with a diamond awl do close around the thread. This is pretty critical to thread life because it keeps out dirt and gunk. The 'gunk' side of that is probably less important if using synthetic thread, but getting sand or fine dirt particles in the holes can cut/abrade the stitch, causing it to break. From a purely aesthetic perspective.....if you like the look of the artificial sinew and find that there are no durability problems with your products, by all means, keep using it. I prefer waxed linen, but use bonded nylon with a sewing machine (tippmann boss). And yes, you can still call 'Leather Products'.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! I'm sure our Canadian members will be glad to see another supplier north of the border, and we're always glad to see new members. We'd love to see some of your work when you get a chance to post some pics.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! It's good to hear that you're returning to the addiction hobby/craft after your hiatus. A lot has changed in available tools/equipment, but all the traditional methods are still used as well. Feel free to ask any questions you have and we'll get them answered for you.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! Although Mobile is where I live, I spend a LOT of time in Ms., as that's where all my work routes are. I'm usually in the south end of the state, from H'burg/Laurel (greater area) over to Waynesboro and south to the coast from Waveland to Pascagula. If you ever get south, drop a line.

I specifically refuse to make SOB holsters that will cross the spine, for that exact reason. One of the doctors I supply (with leather), has seen first hand what happens with a spinal injury. Here's how he described it: He made a fist with each hand and set one on top of the other.....then he moved the top one sideways so that only the bottom edge of his top fist was touching the one below it. As he put it, there is no fixing that kind of injury. I explain that to the customers that think they want a SOB holster, and I've only had ONE still want that style. He didn't get his holster from me. Occasionally, I still get requests for small guns that will rest on the back of the hip, and I'm 'okay' with that......but the customer signs a liability waiver that stays in my files.

ABS perhaps? I've had a few issues with the thinner kydex (.09x) forming a 'hinge' in the center of the bend and breaking there. I'll occasionally still make them, but I've gone back to leather loops.

When I use it, I do all of my steps, including molding, before application of the brew. Then I do the heat set. You CAN wet form vinegarooned leather, but I recommend placing the gun in a plastic bag. Remember, it's mildly acidic which could damage the finish. Once the 'roon reacts with the leather, you'll notice that it's more difficult to wet the leather to form it. This is because the process tends to push the oils and fats to the surface of the leather......which is why oiling or conditioning after the treatment is so important. You NEED to get those oils and waxes back into the leather. Instead of oil, I have also used Aussie conditioner and the effects are the same. You can also brush the stuff on (I use a cheap 1 inch paintbrush), but if you do so, you don't get the through and through color (well, not all the time). I've found it works well to apply the conditioner while the leather is still hot as it helps to melt it, and helps absorption. Additional notes: If you drip some 'roon into a stainless steel sink, rinse immediately with water or it WILL stain the metal. The after effects are commonly cold shoulders, furious scowls, and even being banned from playing mad scientist in the kitchen.

Either Dwight or Denster uses waxed linen on his Boss with no real issues other than occasionally needing to remove the extra wax from places it rubs off the thread. The machine is pretty robust, so unless you try to abuse it, it should work just fine for a long while. I got mine second hand from another member here and have done nothing except periodic lubrication and keeping thread in it. Something I did that has made the unit MUCH easier to use is I semi-permanently mounted it to a base. The nuts are recessed and sandwiched between two boards to make a double layer base that is approx. 18 x 24 inches. Then the entire base is clamped down to a table. This spreads the clamp points out further and makes it more stable, as well as giving me a specific place to keep the little tool box with extra needles, feet, tools,and bobbins. It also opens up your options for clamping as I've got a wide flat surface instead of just the footprint of the machine.

Stitching around the belt slots WOULD be a good idea if you don't properly bond (glue) the leather before stitching.