bikermutt07

Nice job.

He hasn't been here for awhile now. Lots of folks come and go from here. Try doing a search here for a pattern.

You are doing great for your third project. It's hard to progress when we have so little time to spend on our hobby. There is a member here that started within a month as me 3.5 years ago. His work is miles beyond mine. I think he may be retired. Or, maybe I'm just not that good. As a small piece of advice.... I have started to end my stitches without so much back stitching. Especially in areas under no stress. Like on the 2 lines down the center, I would just get the front thread back to the back side, tie a knot with the back thread and singe them into a tiny ball. It makes for a less bulky end to the stitching, and again it's not under any stress in that area. And, tap those stitches down after you finish to help them lay flatter. Good luck and keep at it.

Don't forget this book. This book is wonderful. It will show all kinds of techniques, and even how to make a few tools from screwdrivers and such. Probably one of the best purchases I have made in leather work. Also, being in England, check out Abbey's of England for supplies. Welcome aboard.

I don't have any advice on making one. But, Springfield Leather has patterns for them. I think they have 4 to choose from or all 4 for $28.99. I'm sure they come with suggestions, or you could call them and ask directly.

Sounds like you have your answer, charge accordingly. Are these being bought by fans?

Nicely done, Sir. Felt like I was right there with you.

These are really cool. If you have a press, I highly suggest getting some plates made up. They would be perfect for those areas. Some are available in derlin as well. That could save some money. There was a guy in Dallas that was making a lot of CNC plates for his stuff, but I can't remember his name. Last year he was posting at least one a week and they were all around 3"x6".

.6mm with 3mm spacing will look good on wallets. Probably 1mm with as much spacing you can get on a belt (5 or 6mm). That's a lot of stitches.

Since you watched the video, here is what I found for myself. I was getting the zig zag on the back and the straight on the front, when trying to cast the loop. I think I was doing it wrong. After watching Nigel's review on the Wuta irons, I realized what I was doing, in essence, was causing my stitches to be stitched backwards. Now, I pick a front side. Front needle goes to the bottom of the hole. Back needle goes to the top. And, I quit worrying about the back. As long as it is in a straight line, I'm good with it. Here is an example.

Wallets require a smaller machine while belts and sheaths require one of the bigger machines. That being said, you can look at a cowboy cb 341 or a 3200. Both machines will handle up to a ½" of material. But the 3200 will handle larger thread for belts and sheaths, or even holsters. The 341 will handle up to 207 thread which, I believe, would be fine for belts and sheaths. But, if you want to make holsters I have read that you shouldn't use less than 277 thread. All machines have a certain amount of range and a sweet spot that they operate in. No one machine will do it all. If I had my way, I would have a 341 and a 4500 to cover anything I wanted to make. But, here I am still hand stitching everything. All of the info above has been only researched. Other brands like Cobra and artisan have comprable machines. They, and the cowboys are clones of much more expensive machines. These are all built in China to specs set out by these dealers. Then they are inspected and adjusted by the dealers here in the States before they are shipped to the end user. They will last decades, if not longer. Cowboy and Cobra are well known here for their great service, before and after the sale. I have researched cowboy more because they have a dealership within driving distance to me. Shipping is expensive on these machines. Hope this helps.

Dang, that's a fair piece to travel.

Great job.

In answer to your gun being in the holster, flesh side, grain side, suede, whatever..... It doesn't matter. It will all be hard on the finish. Most of the pros line using grain side out laminating. But, you don't have too. I haven't tried any drum dyed skirting. I don't know if it will wet mold but I think it would.

Look up Leodis Leather on YouTube. He has a video called neatening up your saddle stitch.

I haven't messed with goatskin so I'm not sure about the price on those. But 21.00 on a belly isn't bad. W&C is some of the nicest tooling leather you will find. Check out their website. Now that I'm thinking about it, their bellies may be 13.00.

You can buy bellies direct from Wickett & Craig for 18.00 I believe. It will be nicer too. And, 21.00 isn't bad.

Try wet molding before you dye and stitch. I don't use the Eco flow, but I'm sure adding water to a water based dye (even when dry) is going to have some pigment movement.

Thanks. In my research I found the handmade shoes for men book. But , I don't think it covers making or adjusting the lasts. And really, I think that will be at the heart of a great fitting shoe. How and where the adjustments are made is what I am really wanting to know about. I'll check out the video series as well. It is probably out of my current chewing gum budget though.

Dang, wish I could find one around here for a buck. ( Or Green back aka dollar)

Shoot, it's a cool bag. The red thread and the punched hole features draw so much attention. No layman will ever notice the small flaws. Cheers.

Ok, so those are basically shoe anvils. Got it, and thank you.

Would this be similar (in use) to the little flat metal "soles" I see all over eBay? I know they set on a post, but I'm not sure what they are used for in repairing shoes?

DWell, this thread got me investigating. I ordered myself a pair of lasts. I think I should be able to make them work. Just got lucky on eBay. I also found this guy in Australia. Tim Skyrme seems to have written the book we are looking for. http://www.shoemakingbook.com/purchase page.htm I haven't gathered the funds for this purchase yet. I also found a few schools that teach lasted shoes. There is a school in Washington State, at least 2 in London, and one in New Orleans. Of course these are expensive options. I'm sure they are well worth the money, but it is money I don't have. The last time I bought shoes I found that the ball on my left foot is a good bit wider than my right. I also broke both my heels in 2010. I need comfortable shoes. I can't imagine how good a pair of bespoke shoes or even better work boots might feel. If I build 5 pairs before I get them right (for me) I would be way ahead of the game. I know most bespoke shoes start at over 3 grand. It may be months before I even start this, but I have committed myself to trying it. I have watched a lot if videos and think I could wing a pair of Chukka boots for practice, or something.

I don't understand the object. Is it a motorcycle seat? The seam looks really nice. I'm also curious about the giant last thingy?