SpaceRanger42

That is totally true. I should mention if you do use pine snot (gum trag, looks like snot smells like pine sol) make sure you dye your edges first because it totally seals the pores of the leather.

Nice!

If you go to Home Goods or TJ Maxx or Rosss or one of those places, hit the kitchen aisle and grab a wooden pastry roller. they are excellent all around shaping tools for leather work and only cost about $8 in those places. Make sure you are gluing all the way to the edge. I always cut one piece over sized then trim the excess. I do not recommend using wax on the edges of projects any more. Especially on carry holsters. As the temperature changes and the piece gets worked about and stretched while it's on your belt you will actually squeeze that wax out of the area it was filling. Once your edges are trimmed even, wrap some fine grit sandpaper around a burnishing tool and go to work on the edges. Likewise beauty supply stores have some really interesting very fine polishing boards and foam blocks. You can also go old school and use a piece of broken glass to shave those edges smooth and even. If you do that be careful or you will cut the snot out of yourself. Also I recommend using thick bottle glass, like a coke bottle. Once you have your edge super smooth and even apply gum tragacanth to the edge, let it sit for a minute then go to town with your edge slicker. Don't pound on your edges unless you have a smooth finish hammer like a cobbler's hammer. Use a better contact cement. Barge or Dap ( same active ingredients but Barge is an import)

Dig that! I really like my Heritage Rough Rider in .22. I finally finished my holsters for my Remingtons so next is my plinker. Nice clean work you did there.

They have some outstanding pattern/templates

Dammit, now I want to redux my holsters . . . Great work!

Wrap some heavy weight aluminum foil around the stock. Cover that in masking tape. Use a sharpie to draw your seams, cut the foil/tape off the rifle. Clean up your trim lines, trace the pattern onto some cardstock and add enough allowance to make up for the weight of the leather. You should come out alright

By any chance would you be willing to share your pattern making process? The face plate seems pretty straight forward and I really love how much space for tooling is on there. If you go to a LARP in WA and you see someone wearing something similar, it might be me