TwinOaks

Grumpy Mike summed it up pretty well, and I'll only add the following: I have applied 'roon with a 1 inch CHEAP nylon brush and even paper towels. I've found I don't have any issues of drips, etc., when doing that, but it also doesn't penetrate as deeply. If you apply with one of the wool daubers that come in the Fiebing's dye boxes.....DON'T LEAVE IT IN THE VINEGAROON. The vinegaroon will happily eat the zinc plated wire handle of the dauber and change your results from deep, rich, beautiful black.......to the awfullest shade of puke green. When I wet form holsters, I usually mold first, then color with the 'roon.....but I've done it both ways. I set my leather in a convection oven, and while the leather is still good and warm I apply the conditioner. I think this helps the leather pull the conditioner in, and so far have had good results....except for the puke green glock holster. You can then leave 'as is', or apply a top coat for extra shininess. It tends to push the oils/waxes in the fibers to the surface, so you might need a little extra elbow grease to get your conditioner back into the leather. That property is also why it's very water resistant. Cautions: Yes, it will stain your hands. No, there's nothing particularly toxic about it that I've found.....NOTE: I've looked up the MSDS info, and FERRIC acetate is pretty toxic and an irritant. I think what we have is either ferrOUS acetate, or an extremely weak solution of ferrIC acetate - - - there's a group called 'the leather chemists' if you really need clarification. Either way, wearing gloves is a good idea. They're either protecting your skin from chemical burns, OR just preventing having to explain why your hands are 12 shades darker than the rest of you. This stuff will stain clothing, and it is the color of rust. It will also etch a stainless steel sink if you let it sit long enough. Water is a suitable solvent. Once dry in the leather, you can treat it as "inert".

You missed an important step, I'm afraid. Hosing down the leather with acetone, regardless of what you're trying to get OFF of it, will severely dry out the leather. Leather is so very durable because of the oils and tallows (fatty waxes) that keep the fibers pliable. After cleaning it with acetone, you've probably stripped a good bit of that out. You really needed to oil the leather (neatsfoot, et al., or EVO) and let it normalize for 24 hrs to condition the leather before applying the finish. I'm not sure if you will be able to oil through the finish or not, but it's worth a try. If the oil doesn't penetrate the finish, and you haven't treated the interior of the holster, you might still be able to condition it by applying it sparingly to the inside of the holster. You could start with a small brush and apply ONLY 1 light coat. The trick to oiling leather is to stop 2-3 coats before you think it's had enough. Over application of the oil will leave the leather too soft, and it will bleed the oil out over time....which generally gets on everything you don't want covered in oil. Things to look for to see if you've stripped the essential oils out of it is to bend a section and see if you have cracks showing up. If you do have cracks when bent, it's dried out. Don't put the holster under any stress. Once the leather cracks, you can't really repair that crack, so check an inconspicuous non critical area. As far as the finish, I suspect that part of the reason the finish looks the way it does is that after the acetone, the leather greedily sucked anything resembling oil or wax back into the fibers. Be aware that getting some conditioning that the leather "likes" better may push some of the dye out, so after conditioning, re-buff it and check. Incidentally......GP100?

Fantastic design and beautiful work! Thank you for sharing this.

Mike, I have to disagree with you about the holster mouth reinforcement....to a degree. Yes, for holsters worn on the belt, the holster is not likely to collapse. I agree with that completely, and do my utter best to build holsters that will stand up to years of use. However, as much of the market now deals with IWB holsters, the mouth band is playing an important part. Correctly fitting pants is one of the biggest issues with the buyers of the IWB holsters - NObody wants to buy a size larger or lose weight to carry concealed. Either is crucial as it accounts for the additional space needed for the weapon (and I HAVE had a customer ask why I wouldn't make a IWB for his Redhawk). The mouth band simply adds a partial second layer to the holster only at the top, allowing the rest of the holster to be of single thickness. I think this adds to the utility of the design as it will give support at the mouth, but not add any additional bulk behind the waist band of the pants. Think of it as a skeleton design.... for one of the layers. Back to OWB / belt holsters; I've lately started making more 2 layer holsters, with grain 'up' on both sides, after seeing your results. Even with lighter weights like 4/5, like you, I've found them to be much stiffer than they'd ever really "need" to be. But for a small portion of the holster market, having that mouth band screams "BUY ME!".....and I wouldn't want to argue with the customers.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! Answering your other post (psst, it's in Leather Conversation) - Yes, there is a LOT of cheap junk available, and there's also a slew of 'introductory' tools. The intro level tools often ...umm...."leave room for improvement in design and construction". They're abundant because most people exploring leather working for the first time aren't all that interested in shelling out a hundred bucks per tool (top shelf stuff). Even then, there's a LOT that can be done with the intro level tools, and let's face it - A fancy handle and an Al Stohlman logo on a swivel knife won't make it cut any better than a 'cheap' version....at least not in the hands of a novice. Yes, there are differences in tool quality, but most of it is the hands of the maker. We had a new member post a stunning carving she did........with a manicure set. Unless they've improved recently, I can't endorse Tandy tools, but you might check out ProCrafter tools at HideCrafter.com. Or you might experiment making your own tools- member Elton Joorisity on this forum is currently making stainless steel tools and they're getting good reviews. So...you're interested in learning about leather. Do you have a specific area you want to learn? We have very talented members in most areas of the craft, and knowing what you're interested in can help us direct you to the right areas and get you in touch with the right members.

In that case....Good hunting on the deals, and many enjoyable hours in your hobby!

And leave it up to the other Mike to immediately post a pic of a beautiful example of the way I like least........ Mike, do you ever have issues with the loops leaning or twisting? Now I'm wondering if perhaps I just did something wrong. Perhaps my loop leather was a bit too thin, as the first and last loops in the line kind of "fell over" towards the belt.

The jist of what I'm saying is that while yes, there are deals to be had, most people will come out ahead by ordering a suitable machine that is already set up for their needs. Taking the consew 206-RB that Wiz mentioned as an example, I'm looking for something on the cheap- I just looked and found a 255 for $375 buy it now + $49 shipping. ($425 total, and yes, I rounded up by a dollar) Industrial sewing machine table: We'll go low ball on this at $99 as there are several prices listed shipping $59 (rounded again - $585) Motor-~$115 for an electronic DC servo +$15shipping (yes, a new motor)......(that puts us at $715) Add to this: Cost of mechanic to check the machine and set it up...unless you happen to be a sewing machine mechanic...or you're willing to learn. If you're learning, how much time will it take and what is the value of that time? Let's use easy math and say the trip to the mechanic or the mechanic's trip to you cost you $75 including fuel.....$790 total before figuring YOUR time. That's just over $300 from a new machine from Bob Kovar.......I think the used machines are a bit less expensive. Dare we calculate lack of production while building the machine? In short, yes, it's possible to find good deals on used equipment- especially at auction lots, etc. But the machines are not set up to sew leather when they come from an upholstery warehouse. The average member of this forum will be faaaaaaaaar better off buying a machine from a dealer that specializes in tuning these machines to our use(s). From the previous posts in this thread, I gather that you don't know a lot about the various machines. There's nothing wrong with that. You are asking questions and learning and I applaud you for that. But if your goal is to get a good sewing machine so you can sew leather projects, presumably for money at some point, then I ask you to ask yourself: Are you going to save more money by looking for weeks for the right deal than you would make in the same amount of time if you had the machine up and running? I know to ask this question because I have done what you are doing. I still don't have my electric machine, but I do have a Boss, and it's exactly what I needed for the projects I'm doing. I looked around trying to find a 'fixer upper' machine for cheap, so I could save the money............. then just borrowed the money to buy the Boss. I paid back the Boss in 2.5 months, only working on the weekends. Spending the money on a good machine was the better decision because I more than tripled my output....which more than tripled my leather related INCOME. When I get ready to purchase an electric machine (which is getting close) I'm not going to try to find something to rebuild. I'm going to call Bob or Steve, have the machine shipped, and be making things by the end of the weekend. Please don't consider JUST the 'up front' costs, but also consider the rest of them......the total economy of the purchase.

That part that says "capacity", or "thickness" means the maximum amount of whatever you want shoved under the foot. To get that # in leather thickness, just convert: 1oz of leather=1/64th.....8oz=8/64ths"=1/8th". 3/8ths=24oz. Saying "3 layers of chap leather" is not specific enough as the leather itself may be different weights. The modern walking foot machines typically utilize (but not always) a UNISON feed, which is ideal for leather. Wiz , Art, Steve, Ronnie, Bob, et al., can name more machines than you're likely able to find. Instead of exact models, I'll offer this: ANY home style machine won't do, or won't do it for long. Look for machines based on commercial/industrial sized heads. -----OR----- Stop trying to find an Ebay special that : 1. probably needs reconditioning/rebuilding, requiring time and money., 2. doesn't include the table, motor, or belt, 3. may be an antique or have hard to locate parts which means rebuilding is gonna be expensive, 4. is advertised as "HEAVY DUTY", "INDUSTRIAL", or "SEWS LEATHER", ....most of these machines can handle two layers of soft garment leather at best, don't have an adequate feeding mechanism, can't handle adequate sized thread, and have bobbin capacities that won't even finish an average wallet if you DO get it to sew large thread. ----instead----- Decide on what kind of leather you're going to be sewing, and tell one of the dealers here what you want to do and that you want a machine that will do it. Ask them to recommend a machine that will do MORE than that, as it's better to NOT push your machine to it's limits every time you use it. Given that information, they can provide you with: 1. A machine head that has the ability to sew leather -preset to your intended uses. This will probably include presetting the tensions so you only have fine adjustments to make, and TIMING the machine head. 2. A motor with enough slow speed torque to be able to sew in a controlled manner (many AC motors only develop the required torque at full rpm). DC servo motors are great, but they aren't the only option- If you haven't, I recommend reading Wizcrafts' thread about the types of sewing machines suitable for this hobby. 3. A stand or table that will securely hold the machine without additional woodworking skills, 4. Customer support if you have problems, 5. A warranty - just in case there's a hidden crack in the casting and it was somehow missed by the mechanics....or other problems. P.S. Bob Kovar (Toledo Industrial Sewing) does have used machines for sale. Let him know what your budget is, along with your needs, and let him check his stock.

Another option is Liquid Latex (found in the model train area of Hobby Lobby and presumably other craft stores). This takes several layers to build up, and a steady hand with a brush to get in small areas. But it will stop dye............and as I found out by trying to use the resist over a dye (dual tone dyeing), it might even remove it. As soon as you can, invest in an inexpensive airbrush. It is hands down the best tool for applying an even coat of dye, and doing something like your rune is VERY easy.

There's this one: http://leatherworker...=1 And this one: http://leatherworker...=1 but I don't see the third way one a quick search.....but that one is easy- In the first link, Jbird shows how he made a pair of slots for the strap to run through. Another way is to only make 1 slot per bullet, which lets you pull only the loop through....it feeds back on itself. I've found this last way to be pretty fast, but the least attractive (just my opinion) because the loops have very little support and can twist in place, or lay over to the side on the ends. There's more topics listed- search criteria: "bullet loops" ....including the quotes.

Match your needle and thread sizes and set up the machine. Make your bobbin tension about 1 pound, maybe 1.5lb. It should pull out with just a bit of resistance, but not enough that you have to pull hard. Now, back your top tension off completely and make a stitch. You should not have any knot on the top - this tells you your bobbin tension is enough keep the top thread under the leather. Now, tighten the top tension to the point that you pull every knot to the top - consistently. You'll actually pass the point that you'll end up setting the tension, but this is to find the right range. Starting from no tension, adjust by full turns, counting them as you go. When you've got it set to pull to the top, start backing off your tension until you see the knot pulled into the hole. You should be able to adjust the tension at this point by 1/8th turn increments, until the machine pulls the knot to the center of the leather. Keep track of your adjustments and you can repeat them. Something along the lines of noting the leather thickness/type and the setting. Example: You could have a note card with "3 layers, 4oz vegtan, 207 thread top and bottom, 4+5/8ths turns from zero", and you can 'pre-set' the machine back to that point at almost any time. It saves a lot of trial and error. This may or may not work on your machine, so let us know what you're using so we can tailor the answer to your situation.

We have a thread here called "Care and feeding" that covers this exact topic. The general consensus is that by providing the customer with care instructions, you not only appear more professional, but also dedicated to customer service.

Hmmm....I wonder if that's what happened to the several million dollars my long lost Nigerian uncle (who knew!?) left me in his will.

Katsass touted Mop-n-glo some while back, applied best by spray in a 50/50 mix. I tried it and haven't opened my bottle of resolene in several months. It's best applied with an airbrush, just misting it on in layers. It's thin enough that it penetrates the leather a bit and dries quickly. I typically apply two light coats, altering the direction of spray to assure even coverage. After both coats have dried (minutes not hours) I heat the leather a bit and apply neutral shoe polish. Let that dry, then buff. Fantastic results and NO COMEBACKS because of it. I HAVE applied it by brush/swab and it works 'okay' but I find that because the mix is so thin it's easier to OVER apply it, which could lead to a bit of cracking if it's too thick. A paper towel dipped in the solution and quickly wiped on left a good result, but if you're going not going to spray the finish, I think a slightly thinner mix and dipping might work.

I typically just use a creaser to mark the line, and use the tension on the machine (Boss) to keep the stitches tight. On some small hand sewn items, where I am using waxed linen, I WILL groove the line because the linen isn't as abrasion resistant as the nylon. For strength critical items, I won't use a groove because I want all the leather I can get under the stitch.

Thought so.....

Hi everyone, I recently received the following email: Heather Madison madisonh@thumbtackmail1.com to me show details Nov 14 Hey there, I'm reaching out to you because Thumbtack is getting a lot of job leads for leather repair professionals, and I'm looking for another leather repair professional who is interested in taking on more clients. After checking out your website I think you are a great fit for Thumbtack and I'd love to start sending you job leads. Please fill out a few details about your skills and rates, and I'll start forwarding you potential new clients. If you have any questions about what Thumbtack can provide, please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks, Heather -- Unsubscribe Link: One-click unsubscribe. 1001 Page St, Suite #45, San Francisco, CA This message is an advertisement. My only issue with this is that I don't HAVE a website that links to the email addy at which I received this. I'm pretty skeptical about 'free' offers that I get on what's basically a 'cold call'. Anyone else heard of them?

David, welcome to Leatherworker.net! You are most certainly in the right spot to learn about leather. Feel free to ask your questions and we'll do our best to help you.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net and your new addiction hobby. We have a LOT of members who are happy to help out with any questions you'll have, so don't be shy about asking them. If you have a specific question, try to include a pic if you can, as it is easier for us to (literally) see what you're asking about and offer a little advice.

I've had similar results when I over applied the Kiwi. I typically warm the leather before applying the kiwi so that it penetrates a bit. Like ol' grumpy, I apply with fingers. If I can spread it with finger pressure, it's on too heavy. Keep it thin and light.

A skiver (hand held tool) will work "okay", but a splitter does the job cleaner and faster. Typically, any time I've sanded down the leather (belt sander for me too) I've had to take extra steps to smooth the flesh side back to a useable level....my sander tends to leave it a bit "furry".

Welcome to Leatherworker! I'm down in Mobile.

With me doing all the work (yes I'm one of those type people), a replacement screen is ~$90, a battery (mine holds charge for all of 10 minutes) is ~$120, and the power adapter is ~$40......yes there are cheaper products, but I like 'inexpensive' not 'cheap', so I try to buy quality. Given the costs of just the parts vs. the cost of a new laptop, I'm going with the new laptop. This one just needs to last until after Christmas.

My primary computer is my laptop....this laptop on which I'm typing this. It's a 6 year old Dell and has been pretty good up until a few weeks ago. The bottom third of the screen would freeze with whatever image was on it - whether program display or browser- and then slowly fade to "random pixels". Lightly "twisting" the screen instantly cleared up the issue, but it returned when I released the pressure. I checked the biggest self help directory on the planet, and found a couple of possible issues. First I completely disassembled the lid and pulled the screen out so I could check the ribbon cable connection and the power connection...and the LCD inverter. No dice. All the connections were good and there were no obvious damages to cables/wires. Then I ran across a post that said pinching the screen's frame about an inch above the lower left corner of the screen cleared it up. So...I tried it, and sure enough, pinching that spot makes the problem go away! In the help forums, there were multiple reports that the manufacturer was quoting $400-$500 for the repair (if out of warranty). AY CARAMBA!!!!! A new laptop is only $400!! Since pinching the screen worked so well, I started looking for something to pinch it more permanently. I settled on a 1 inch wide binder clip. Squeeze to open, apply to correct location, release tension.....screen works! If anyone else is having a similar issue, I'll be happy to supply you with the magic binder clips to repair your screen.....at a bargain price of ONLY $199.99 each (shipping included). Hope this helps anyone else that can't afford $10 coffees either.