dikman

From memory I think I clamped a piece of broom-handle horizontally in a vice and formed the leather over that when gluing together.

I reckon you're pretty safe. I've watched a lot of videos on leatherworking, particularly holsters, and never seen one glued curved, they're always done flat. In fact this site, so far, is the only place I've seen the method discussed. I've only done one holster this way and it turned out fine, although I cut the liner a bit oversize to allow for any mis-alignment while gluing up and then trimmed to size after.

The carvings are very well done (and fitting).

Partially curve the holster first and then curve the liner before gluing, as opposed to gluing them together flat. It can be little bit fiddly but it reduces any bunching significantly.

Steve, when it comes to leatherwork this is THE place to get answers to any questions you may have. The knowledge base on here is quite remarkable.

I wonder if shifting the motor to the top of the table is a marketing ploy, just to make them different? The idea works, as I have done it on a couple of machines (and fitted a speed reducer on top as well!) but in this case there's no room for a reducer on top. Plus, as kgg pointed out, the speed control mounted on the bottom could be susceptible to being kicked/knocked. Personally, I prefer the more "conventional" system, it also makes it easier for tinkering with.

As Fred said, olive oil and beeswax is a simple all natural wax. Mineral oil, even pharmaceutical-grade, is a petroleum product, which some people don't like using on leather. Ballistol is essentially mineral oil with a couple of other bits added in minor amounts, mainly for fragrance. For using on steel obviously using a mineral oil wouldn't matter. Mixing paraffin wax with beeswax and oil (baby oil should be cheaper than Ballistol and essentially the same thing) to soften it would give a harder wearing wax. Lots and lots of possibilities.

It certainly looks ok, let us know how it works in practice.

As kgg said the model they're selling now has the motor mounted on the top of the table and fitting a speed reducer is going to take a fair bit of work!

Just curious why you've started another thread about the same subject some of us have already answered?

Just get the 441, Cowboy or Cobra, either will be fine for what you want to sew. Two of the members on here make a modified needle plate/feed dog replacement which significantly increases the versatility of the machine if you want to sew lighter material (within reason, of course). It's a worthwhile addition.

I've used KH too, excellent quality.

I haven't got anything to add regarding your stitch length problem (sorry) but I wanted to congratulate you on the paint job, it's quite stunning! It gives the gold lettering real depth.

Making your own wax concoction is a whole new rabbit hole to go down!

I've bought a few feet from different (Chinese) vendors and they've been fine.

I think there may be a bit of confusion here, Handstitched is talking about a 441 heavy duty harness stitcher, SteveOz has a Singer 4411 domestic machine. I started out using a Singer 104K domestic machine (no thread) to punch the holes which I then used an awl on to saddlestitch the item. This gave me uniform spacing and was pretty quick. Your machine should work fine for doing that on the thin leather you're talking about.

Wepster, your professor is very astute - and correct! Klara, do I see a Tortie watching you? We've had a couple of tortoiseshell cats and there's something inherently cheeky about them. TomE, don't feel jealous - I just need a bigger shed (not going to happen, unfortunately).

If you're talking about using knives then a quick wipe with oil is as good as anything. As they're used any coating will soon wear off and oil is a quick way to re-coat them again. If you're talking about preserving blades then a wax coating would be better. As Bruce said if you search for wax coatings you will find almost as many recipes as there are blades! Johnson's Paste Wax (not available here in Australia) appears to be a popular choice for almost everything that needs waxing!

Great idea - unfortunately, not only have I run out of wall space but floor space too!

It might work, I guess, for lightweight stuff, but in my opinion you'd be better off using an arbor press with an adapter for the chisel. Or using a full size drill press.

An interesting concept by Pietta. That revolver has a LOT of engraving, and yes, the holster looks great, simple but with just a touch of embellishment (and period-correct).

Second photo, towards the bottom at the join-stitch line, it looks like a cloth-weave pattern? So could be vinyl?

Adds a new dimension to "accessorising". I love it.

Surgical tubing?

Nice, you'd never know it had a pistol inside.