fredk

Its a vetinary tool. Its for letting the gases out of a cows stomach to relieve colic. Its called a trocar and cannula You use it to puncture through the side of a cow and leave the tube in place for a while to let the gas escape see here; https://www.surgicalholdings.co.uk/veterinary/index.php?content=catalogue&category_id=15&sub_id=247 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJpLhXILyAg

On soft and/or thinish leather I use a Glovers needle. I sew at approx 3mm intervals; about 8spi. I sew one way round the project then double back, going through the same holes. If I remember I swop the Glovers needle for a Saddlers needle so I don't make fresh holes or cut the first thread, but most often I don't bother, I just be careful. When sewing this way I don't use a pricker at all.

I was ignoring this topic until now. When I'm sewing - all by hand - I'm too busy to count stitches. I thunked me a think and its surprising just how many stitches I'd do in a run. Not 800, but maybe 400 or so. -or sew? So 600, 700, 800 could be achieved quickly without realising it I only make bags with gussets. I usually sew the front of a bag to the gusset first then the gusset/front to the back. Usually I use a linen/ploymer pre-waxed thread. Most times I use a separate thread for front and back sewing but on occasion have used a single length. By my maths. Assume I make a bag 9 inches across by 7 inches high. I sew at 3mm, but we'll convert that to 3.175= 1/8 inch for this maths. That 8 stitches per inch. so the first sum is 8x (7 + 9 + 7) = 184. And as I do a saddle stitch thats x2 = 368, and if I use the one length for front and back thats x 2 again = 736 stitches approximately Lets take a 40 inch belt saddle stitched at 8 per, thats (8 x 40) x 2 = 320 x 2 = 640 stitches. Even at 5 per its still 400 stitches. Down one side. Its feasible to start sewing at the buckle end to the tip and back up to the buckle in one sewing, so that makes it 1280 and 800 stitches approximately Soon adds up to a lot of stitching On other points; I always cut more thread than I reckon I'll need. The thread is the cheapest part of your work. Even tho my thread is pre-waxed I wax the thread before and at regular sewing time intervals. The part attached to the needles soon shows wear, when it gets too bad I cut off the needles and some worn thread and re-attach the needles and continue. I've learnt that the key to keep it going smoothly is to wax the thread well and often. But I'm still trying to get a beeswax mix at the right stickiness and softness/hardness for sewing. Never yet had to make a join in a sewing due to thread breakage or lack of thread

Work slowly and carefully. Try out different ways of stamping on test pieces. Test your sewing and the dyes the same way. If things don't work out, don't be afraid of starting again; but keep that 'wronged' piece to remind you where you went wrong. I have a plastic box full of such pieces. Depending on the attitude of the FiL; he might one to show off what his SiL made him. Personal approval is worth a thousand hundred dollar adverts His plain holster will be his 'everyday' holster, your fancy one will be his 'Saturday, going to the shootin range' one

Up until recently a friend used an old microwave as his spray painting booth. He knows his electrics so he disconnected the heating element so he could have it on with the door open and the turntable turning slowly. His micro had a vent which he connected to a pipe leading outside to take fumes away. I've thought of doing the same, for spraying small leather goods

As Matt says; All 4 home countries of the UK have banned or limited the use of throw-away plastic bags. In each country shops charge for what used to be free. In England/Scotland/Wales the shops charge about 15p [22c] a bag. But in N.I. we pay more for the plastic bags. In N.I. most shops charge between 30p - 75p [42c - $1] per bag. So we buy other bags to last longer. We've reduced the use of throw-away plastic bags by about 98%. I'm thinking of branching out and making 'life-time'* shopping bags out of upholstery leather I have * re-useable shopping bags are known as 'a bag for life' in the UK; but I have a swmbo Sorry - wandered of topic there

It can be sewn on; using a curved needle. I've sewn an applique piece onto a sgian-dubh scabbard. Pierce sewing holes on the applique panel, glue onto the scabbard [in my case] then use a curved sharp glovers needle to go in and up thru the next hole, continue all round, then back again to the starting point. Both the first stitch starts and last stitch ends between scabbard and panel.

Don't with the car wax; it usually contains additives like silicon which are not good for leather. Beeswax, carnuba, neetsfoot oil mix feeds the leather and gets right into it. Car wax doesn't and remains on the surface >>> Plastic bags are too expensive here [yes, really, about $1 each for a small bag for a few groceries and they fall apart as soon as you use them] I use the free newspapers that come thru my letter box Same as Matt; cheap sponges from supermarket shop

Other than doing an applique panel why not offer to create a new holster, and you can practice your tooling?

I'd reckon it would very difficult to add tooling to the holster now. I think the best option is to do the work on a separate panel and attaching it by sewing it on

I've mixed opinion on making belts out of belly; for a man - no, for a woman - usually yes As said above; if used to wet mould anything it usually toughens up a bit. Dipping it in very warm water and warm drying quickly toughens it up as well. Bellies make decent clutch bags which owners seem to fill till they stretch. Coin bags/purses too.

Will a stacked leather grip be enough around a bolt that size diameter? Perhaps a wood handle might be better Chaps, He's making a burnisher that looks a bit like this; https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/craftool-pro-leather-burnisher

I don't own any Osborne but I think their tools are better than most Craftool

I don't use 'conchos' per se but I have used ornaments on belts and bags which have required either a ready-rivet or screw to hold them on. If the base leather is thick enough I try to skive a depression for the head - rather like counter-sinking a screw into wood. Even if I can or can't do that I glue a very thin piece of pig or deer skin leather over the head. On a couple of occasions I have taken a rough metal file to a screw head to reduce it greatly. The thicker the lining material the less noticeable the bump of the screw head will be. I have used 0.9 to 1.1mm thick upholstery leather as lining for bags and the bump isn't noticeable, you have to rub a finger over the area to find the attachment screw head

I would say ; forget two tone dyeing and masking et al and use acrylic paint for details Here's a knife sheath I did some several years ago. The device on the hangar was coloured in with acrylic paint. afaik they are still showing well all this time later. Another; I made this one nearly 20 years ago. I tooled it, primed it with white acrylic paint and used acrylic paints for the details I got it back a couple of years ago for repainting. This is it after about 15 or 16 years of use, worn in all sorts of weather on about 15 days a month for 10 months of each year, thrown into a trunk with maille armour and tools and other weapons. The paint never got anything more than two coats of Pledge Klear floor 'polish' which is actually an acrylic varnish Gel ink pens are also good for outlining. They can be used for colouring in as well but aren't great for that duty. I used one to outline the lace work on this game board The acrylic paints I used are made by Humbrol, meant for builders of plastic models. I now use paints by Vallejo and Revell as well I think, before you part with that bag, if you think it needs it, paint over the horses with acrylic paint, then use a red gel ink pen on the fine lines within the pattern. Let it all dry for at least a few days then gently put on a sealant. Do not go wet with the sealant or go heavy with sponge or brush as that will smudge the gel ink - it never dries totally waterproof. Ideally spray the sealant. If you don't have an airbrush you can put on a light coat or two of a car paintwork clear lacquer or a car clear plastic primer both of which comes in spray cans. [The lacquer is handy to have in the work room] The lacquer will water seal the gel ink, then you can put on more coats of resolene to both seal it and give it extra lustre. If you're not sure about doing this try it out on a practice piece first

That looks quite grand so it does

I put very small patterns in A5 document wallets, larger than that size they go into A4 document wallets and the lot are dumped into a 42 liter [underbed] plastic storage box*. Any pattern which I can't fit into the A4 wallet goes straight into the big box. All patterns are written on what they are and construction notes. If they are lucky the wallets get written on too. Its kinda no wonder I can't, or rarely can, find an old pattern and I end up cutting a new one! Now that I'm remodeling my workspace I just might sort out all those old patterns. I see a lot of old card heading to the recycling box in my future *I use shelf units in my work space and two 42L boxes fit on each shelf

Regular Fiebing alcohol based dye

Looks grand so it does. Once it gets some wearing the letters will look just dandy

Go to 480volt's signature; on the far right, at the top is a little x. Click on that and it will give you an option to ignore his signature. It makes the picture go away Yes. I use the 1.75 size for all my belts and straps except for the very littlest ones eg 16mm and below. It just needs careful alignment to get the V even on both sides

I get a picture of a roll of steel cable. The picture is approx 4 to 5 times the size of your actual message block in the above post. I use a lap top with a 15 inch screen. The height of the screen is 7.5 inches and the picture is larger than this [using my Firefox browser at 100%]

Check out LePrevo in England Slot Punch T129 http://www.leprevo.co.uk/hole-punches.htm http://www.leprevo.co.uk/photos/slot-punch.html I use them and they are good They also do the belt end punches T130 http://www.leprevo.co.uk/knives.htm

No websites; I get them thru ebay

Yes, it can be a problem, but so can rub-off of brown, or red or blue... Its all in your treatment of the dyeing, buffing and sealing

The problem with that is you are never free of home-work, .................all your school work is home work! Does that make me a Neolithic 59er?