Red Bear Haraldsson

I think the first post was interesting how the back side of the holster stuck out farther than the front side. And he isn't messing them up, he's making another pair, shorter, so the barrels peek out the bottom. He's not cutting those two off in the middle, come on now people. Might go good for SASS B-Western categories. Come to think of it, all of the cowboy rigs we (My collective we, not everyone here) had as kids had the barrels peeking out the bottom, and likely they were all copies of B-western movies... Oh HEY!! I forgot to ask earlier, does anyone know where to get a correct sized copy of the rounder flower line drawing? I am having the dickens of a time trying to find it. I'd /like/ to get it sent off and have someone make a craftaid for it, but I don't know if it is copyrighted or not.

This is the current Painting Cow link: http://paintingcow.com/content/index.php/publications/free_lesson_sign_up/ Cheers!

Don't carve nothing else, just hang it up for a while... I need some time to catch you!! Beautiful work, don't let anyone tell you different. Just marvelous. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=64096&page=1 Just came from your 25 rounders post. Lordy, what a difference you've made! I, too, am going to start of with the rounders (the way I was originally taught in High School (1986) and again in the Navy (1992)). I'm going to pick up all those books (and a couple of others) and get to practicing. I do not think I will get as far as you did in three months, but it will NOT be for a lack of trying.

Very nice Toney! I'd like to get a peek at the backside of that holster if you don't mind. I'm still working up to the 3D basket weave, myself. So far, I have been lucky enough that my stamp mistakes are easy to hide.

http://www.iron-powder.com/iron-dye-ink-and-stain/ http://shop.chemicalstore.com/navigation/detail.asp?id=Iron100# Grr, crazy link button has not been cooperating today. I've been wanting to try and make a batch and I found these two sites that might be helpful for someone. Cheers

Excellent advice Art. Found a few posts I had seen before but couldn't find a second time. Thientran2711 - Don't worry on your behavior. It's fine. We've all had good and bad luck finding things in here in the forums. Welcome to our house, enjoy the show.

I think this picture will answer your questions, JLS. On Josh's belt, the chape is only fastened to the belt at the two rivets (that bracket his maker's mark) and the stitch lines. The keeper on the chape is for the billet and the keeper on the gunbelt proper is for the billet end of the gunbelt. The two rivets hiding under the edge of his buckle are just for the buckle. At least, that is how I am seeing Josh's belt. Mine is just a poor copy that I had to finish in time for last month's shoot. And I still don't know how you guys get the little thumbnails in the posts...

Quite nice work, Jack.

<<Smacks forehead!!>> D'Oh! Of course!

http://www.garrettwade.com/small-precise-locking-tools/p/88H03.10/ (The hemostats were just a bonus, I linked the first site I could find with locking tweezers)

Do it! Do it! It's easy-peasy (famous last words). Go to the front of the Gun Holster (this) section, get some from Jim (first pinned post) or from JLS (four posts above mine, #4) on his site. Go to the How Do I Do That section and get the download on finishing edges (2nd post... maybe?) from Hidepounder. These things and the video? The holster is already halfway made! Just don't ask me how far I am on mine yet... my next holsters are going to be reverse-sewn, something I saw Red Cent do earlier.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18101 <- This will answer the second part. Hidepounder has a great handout on edges. As to the first part, it would depend upon what you are gluing and where. If it is something wide and flat, I just put something heavy on it for a while. Any hammering you do to it will likely leave impressions. If it is something slender and delicate, you could use spring clamps with scrap leather between the clamp and the project so as not to leave clamp marks on the project.

I use dyes as dyes and stains as high-lighters. Once again your gear looks phenomenal (ihateyouihateyouihateyou). Hmm? What was that? Excellent, excellent work. I have offered up three pictures TOTAL of my projects. I talk a good game, but I am still terribly displeased with my work. But here I sit, bolstering YOUR ego... again! (Just kidding! Really!) Yay! Beautiful work, simply beautiful. I have finally finished all my 'prototypes' so I have pretty well run out of excuses on projects.

Oi, here we go again, Sunshine. :) How did you do the flower on the cinch belt? That seemed to work out really well. Personally, I use Super Sheen as a resist. I'd test a piece first and if it didn't come up bright enough, I would do it again and paint an undercoat of white acrylic under the gray (over the super sheen) and see if that comes up the way you want it.

Consider it a missed buttonhole in your shirt, where would you button it to? There is no place to stitch that missed spot into. From the 2nd picture, it appears that you missed that hole going up that side. Me, personally, I would take and cut the lace a hole or two above the missed spot and cut out all the lace between that point and just around the corner of the front where the lace makes that turn from the front side to the front top. Splice in, fix it right and call it a job well done. Afterwards, it will look right, it will BE right, and you will have fixed it right. Then if you decide to tell anyone about the minor mishap, you can say you felt the need to practice splicing lace, then ask them if they can find where the splice is. I've been in this exact spot. I did the exact same thing on the wife's purse. Did my best Yosemite Sam impression, cut out the mistake and fixed it right. Worst part about it is my wife will not use that purse because she thinks it so nice she is afraid someone will steal it on the (city) bus. The bag (from those two pictures) looks good. Fix that spot right and call it a job well done so it will BE good! Good luck, friend!

I believe you are talking about chrome tanned leather which will not burnish worth a darn. I'm sure more help will post here soon.

I take all the credit for the bolstering of egos that did not need it.... shameful, tsk tsk. My kids are all grown and gone, empty nest CELEBRATION!! Of course, my granddaughter is about that size/age. Seriously. Very good job. Beautiful work. Miles and miles past me in carving skill (I hate you forever.) Huh? Who said that, Did anyone hear that? Hmm, strange. I like it, Monica likes it, you should like it, too. Excellent work. I look forward to your next project!

Oooh, I like it! I want one! Shiny, thanks!

I'd be interested in seeing pictures of the curved slot and how they are done. Are they punched holes and hand cut in slots? Because I am avoiding that at all costs. I cannot even cut the outside edges evenly. I went searching other forums and someone said they thought the curved slots might be from a clicker, so I would be interested in that. I will chip in my two cents on the friction side. I think with the weight of the leather we typically use (then doubled over and glued) that there wouldn't be a whole lot of floating going on.

Ah-ha! I know that stuff! I always heard it called plumber's tape. Hey, is that why the belt-buckle holes are so close together? They match with the holes in the hanger (tape)?

Remember that you will always be your own worst critic. Take a page from Bob Ross (Joy of Painting), "There are no mistakes only happy accidents." I think you should go on like you are. Belt looks good and even, flower looks awesome. This ain't knitting, you cannot pull stitches out until you get back to the mistake. Do your best, accept what develops. It'll be fine. Looks great! Let's see it finished!

Step 4. You're missing step 4... You're going to have to be just a leeeetle more specific about what you think you're missing. Pattern? Design? Leather? Tools? Edging? Dye? Finish? Hardware? I'll go out and say, the model you are using in the photo is top notch, got that part covered just fine. Give us something to chew over and you will likely find more help than you can shake a stick at.

Too hard to tell from the picture. Burnish it up and see how it turns out. Make a list of the things you like and dislike about how it turned out. Work on improving against the dislike list. Remember, you will always be your own worst critic. Mistakes happen, just do your best and let the rest sort itself out. Everything you do is practice to be better at what you are doing.

Different makers use different numbers and Tandy has been known to change their numbers as well. As I understand it, the thinner the leather, the smaller the edge beveler you use. Go here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18101 Hidepounder has a fabulous handout for finishing edges. It is the second pinned topic in the "How do I do that?" forum. His handout and that topic should be able to answer most all of your questions. And Welcome to the Club!

Okay, my prototype is done. I messed up on it here and there so I just did all the steps to make it functional. My /next/ one will be for my finished gear. The pouch, closed, is about 3.5X5" The bag is the lower leg of my Navy coveralls. The leather is 8-9 oz, the inner patch is 3-4 oz. The belt clip is from Tandy and quite a bit stronger than I imagined it would be so I shouldn't have to worry on it moving around on the gunbelt while running around on the stage. I'll test it out at the match this weekend and see if I need to change anything about it. Wow, someone message me and teach me how to link pictures so they aren't movie marquis, sorry about that!