Dwight

Well, . . . I was out in the shop earlier this morning, . . . just happened to have my camera, . . . so here is what I use. # 1 is the whole thing laid out on the floor # 2 is the tongue end, . . . with the place where I pop the hole for either a Chicago screw or concho, . . . # 3 is where the two pieces come together, . . . this time it is set for a 40 inch waist. Again, it will make a 44 inch belt, . . . but that is adding the necessare "extra" so the gunbelt fits over the hips like it is supposed to. # 4 is the buckle end, . . . showing where I pop the holes for the buckle retainer # 5 is the templates I use for the tongue or buckle end. These are standard ones from which the customer can choose, . . . if he wants something different, . . . takes more time, . . . costs more $$$. Anyway, . . . that's how I do it, . . . set the belt pattern, . . . mark it, . . . cut the front, . . . mark and cut the back, . . . punch the holes, . . . and go for it. This is a direct product of John Bianchi's VHS series of tapes on how to make a Western gunbelt. May God bless, Dwight

Awww, . . . c'mon oltoot, . . . gotta have some good reason to come back in the house. I mean, hey, . . . those cookies will go stale, . . . the mice will get the swiss cheese, . . . and that left over bag of Hershey kisses from Easter will just get gobbled up by the crumb crunchers, . . . if I don't have a reason to go back in and check on them. May God bless, Dwight

I agree with all Wizcrafts said except for this one statement. Back after I got mine, . . . I posted a query on this forum, . . . and I really wish I could remember who it was that answered it. We sat and talked on the phone for about an hour one Sunday afternoon, . . . and the very first thing he brought up was how the thread was feeding off the spool. i told him, . . . factory specs, . . . and he indicated that was the very first thing I needed to change. I bent my thread arm down so the eye was parallel to the middle of the spool, . . . added a ring to the eye that had no edges on it, . . . and I pull the thread through it first, . . . It makes the spool turn around on the post, . . . like the spool in a regular sewing machine, . . . The thread will either wind tighter, . . . or unwind (depending on the direction of twist) if you leave it as per factory specs. It only makes a difference on a long run like the outside of a purse or a belt, . . . but it can and will make a difference. May God bless, Dwight

I have occasionally seen the same thing, . . . VERY occasionally, . . . and not lately. Generally, . . . I have chalked it up to a harder / softer piece of leather in the affected areas, . . . and it seems to be the answer, . . . though I would not bet the world series on that answer. Try tightening up the top tension a good solid 2/3 of a turn, . . . then adjust the bobbin accordingly. Also, . . . make sure the needle you are using will slide freely down a piece of the thread you are sewing with. A needle with a smaller hole will give you fits too. I found shortly after getting mine a number of years ago, . . . the instructions point you in the general direction, . . . but you have to walk the course. Play with it. And, . . . go get a couple of 1/4 x 20 wing nuts, . . . and a couple of 1/4 inch lock washers. Use the wing nuts & lock washers to lock your top adjustments in place. I've had em move on me during a big holster or belt, . . . and it is some kind of aggravating. May God bless, Dwight

My new shop area is 12 by 22, . . . and I had outgrown it the day I turned the lights on in it. I just have to deal with it, . . . as I cannot afford to do any more. One thing the USNavy taught me, . . . storage (as much as possible, in plain sight) is the key to making the most out of limited space. Right now I have about a hundred bucks worth of shelving boards (#2 white pine) that have not gone up yet, . . . they will, . . . and it will then make things better. For sure, . . . insulate the thing, . . . especially the roof, . . . keeps the sun out in the summer, . . . the heat in during winter. Mine has a mininum of 2 inches of foam all the way around, . . . 6 inches in some places, . . . even the floor is insulated w/2 inches of foam. May God bless, Dwight

I'm not sure where you got the idea that water will help with a spirit or oil based dye, . . . believe me, . . . it will not. If anything, . . . it will make the job even worse. For lighter colors, . . . cut the dye with the appropriate thinner product. I have cut them up to 90% (1 part dye, 10 parts thinner) for a special effect one time. Turned out beautiful. And when you put it on, . . . put it on, . . . if it is not WET, . . . it is not enough dye. I actually quit the dauber, sponge, wool square idea, . . . got a couple of flat pans, . . . everything is dip dyed, . . . and I don't have dying problems. Period. May God bless, Dwight

Sharkey, . . . Smith and Wesson makes about as many revolvers and there are hats for the Queen to wear. Get a model number, . . . or at least the frame designation, . . . somebody should be able to fix you up. I have one for a S&W 5 shot snubbie, . . . made for a lady who would do all right with it against 6 bad guys. She'd shoot the first five and beat the last guy to death with the empty gun. Let us know, may God bless, Dwight

Once you make your pattern, . . . punch each end with a round hole, . . . then razor cut or roller cut (be careful !!!) between the holes. We do the same thing to make Roman sandals,............ the picture is the pattern used to create the sandals. May God bless, Dwight

I've always been the guy who believed in "What goes around, . . . comes around", . . . Karma, . . . "as ye sow, . . . so shall ye reap". Yeah, . . . I've probably done more and given away more for others than I have received, . . . but I feel good about it, . . . am at peace with myself over it, . . . and do not have any problems with it. Sometimes, I have found, . . . that something done as a kindness or friendship or even as charity, . . . has a way of paying more dividends than the bank book can hold. But again, . . . that is my whole philosophy of life, . . . and it has kept me up until 69 +, . . . so maybe it is pretty good after all. As a caveat, though, . . . I am careful not to become the "go to" boy for freebies. There is a limit. May God bless, Dwight

If my math did me well, . . . you have what I know as 4/5 oz leather. I personally find it a pain to carve, stamp, decorate, . . . but it is because I'm a bit ham fisted when it comes to that kind of work, . . . and 4/5 is just too delicate for my club fisted way of working. Also, . . . I've found those double shoulders to be sometimes a bit hard on the outside especially. Try a piece of the leather more toward the upper neck area, but away from the edge, . . . or the spine area below the shoulder itself. I have wonderful "luck" with them for holsters, belts, etc., but if I'm going to be doing much decoration, . . . I prefer the bends in 7/8 or thicker. Hope this helps. May God bless, Dwight

An electric drill, . . . drywall screws, . . . goes together fast, . . . if it needs changed, . . . comes apart fast too. AND, . . . you can beat it with about anything you want, . . . the screws WILL hold. May God bless, Dwight

Welcome, WillieO, . . . Hey, . . . what you are talking about is in fact a very smart way to use your leather. Flesh side out in leather lingo is "rough out", . . . and if you have ever seen any of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns, . . . in most of them (if not all) his holster and gun belt were roughout. John Wayne also had a roughout money belt he wore in a western or two. Using full grain leather with the rough side out, allows you to rely on the strength of the hair side to maintain the item's basic shape, . . . yet have it appear to be suede. You can finish suede with several different products, . . . I use Resolene in a 50/50 mix with water, . . . it will stiffen the leather at first, . . . but it can be "broken in" to about any flexibility you want just by manipulating it. May God bless, Dwight

I don't remember where I got it, . . . but I understand that some of the old cowboys of yesteryear would punch a hole in a silver dollar, . . . and use it for the rowel in their spurs, . . . that way they always had 2 dollars on their person. When I looked for different rowels for mine, . . . "IKE" dollars were just the right size, . . . and you guessed it, . . . Dwight has "Ike" dollar rowels in his spurs. Hang in there LTC, . . . if they come and get you, . . . they'll probably already have me in the wagon, . . . we can chat till the lawyers get there May God bless, Dwight

My only problem with doing it by pants size, . . . I had a feller one time ask me to make him a belt. i asked what size, and he said he wore size 36 Wranglers. Being a bit cautious, . . . I measured his belt, . . . and found that the hole he used most was between a 39 and 40. The 36 Wranglers had "stretched" so to speak. If I had made him a gunbelt based on his say so, . . . it would have buckled only in the very first hole on the billet, . . . if at all. That is the reason I insist on a belt measurement, . . . but if the other one works, . . . that's great too. May God bless, Dwight

I actually have a 2 piece "pattern" I use. I made it so that it allows for a 4 inch additional length, and is marked for waist size. One piece is the billet end, the other the buckle end, . . . they come around together to form a pattern for the belt. I directly trace the belt blank off this pattern. I can measure the buyer's belt he is wearing today, . . . (say a 38 waist), . . . set it at the mark for 38, . . . it will lay me down a pattern for a 42 inch belt. It already has the hip curve, . . . holes punched for tongue and billet, . . . makes life easy. Guy comes in wanting a cowboy rig, . . . if he has to turn around in my driveway before leaving, . . . I can have the pattern set for him before he is on the road, . . . 600 feet away. And so far it has only had one problem customer, . . . he gained 2 inches while I was making his rig. I would imagine Jim's is similar, . . . but just make sure what you do works, . . . and when you get it working, . . . write it down, make a pattern, take copious notes, . . . so you won't forget by the next one you do. Now "YOU" may not have to do that, . . . but this old redneck would forget most anything not done in the last few days. May God bless, Dwight

Although we all love leather, . . . (obviously ), . . . and other natural materials, . . . it is a given that pretty much all natural materials will soak up oil from any source, . . . and any metal firearm will have oil on it in varying proportions. Since you will not be able to see in this thing, . . . it could become a trap for oil, . . . then dust, . . . creating a bad environment for really fine weaponry. If it were mine, . . . I'd make sure the lining was one of the plastic fantastic man made thingys that does not absorb oil or other liquids. That should be a very positive protector for the contents of the bag. The alternative would be a leather only bag, . . . and hand wrap the contents with a clean rag / cover / whatever. May God bless, Dwight

An inexpensive, yet useable tool I sometimes use: take a piece of steel tubing about 3 inches long (in this case, 1/8 inch tubing). Lay it against a sanding wheel, . . . sharpen the outside edges of it like you would do sharpening a pencil. Put it in your 1/4 in electric drill, . . . drill your holes. I usually do 5 or 6 holes, . . . take it out of the drill, . . . use a wire to push out the pieces, . . . Every other hole or every 3rd hole, . . . touch the tip to a block of beeswax or parrafin, . . . makes the going through a bit easier. May God bless, Dwight

Hey, . . . there's one just like that one over on CASCity........... Still good looking though, . . . even on the second go around. May God bless, Dwight

Your only concern really, should be sunlight, . . . and/or salt spray, . . . seeing as where you are. If your booth is out in the sunlight, you may want to use a finish with a UV blocker (Resolene is one of them), . . . and salt spray will definitely put the hurt to leather goods. Those would be my secondary concerns, . . . pilferage at outside booths / fairs / shows is my usual first concern. May God bless, Dwight

I have a piece of a broom handle, . . . about 10 inches long with a round piece of wood on it's end, . . . and a piece of rubber floor mat tacked onto the round piece. I can take both hands on this baby, . . . lean my 180 or so pounds into it, . . . and it is very seldom that I do not get it to come off. I always use this first, . . . and in some cases, . . . I'll nudge the concho with a whack or two from a small rubber mallet. As a last resort, . . . I have a special pair of pump pliers that I just barely catch the outside edge with the flat lip and break them loose, . . . then to the broom handle tool. I hate seeing bent up conchos where some hooligan took them off without using any real care. May God bless, Dwight

For just about any chain made, . . . they also make what is known as a repair link. You basically put it in where it is needed, then bend or peen or snap it into the desired shape or place, . . . they work many different ways. But, . . . they work. There are many motorcycles zipping up and down the streets with multiple repair links in their chains, . . . as well as chains on trucks, cars, etc. A really good hardware store will have them, . . . or maybe google them on line. Depending on "the" chain you are using, . . . you may opt to use a different style repair link, . . . but it will look uniform if you have one on each side, . . . matching so to speak. May God bless, Dwight

Actually, . . . he always wears a shirt or a tee shirt under his holster, . . . just like I do. I had thought of not stitching through it, . . . but my Tippmann pulls a pretty tight stitch, . . . and I got a bit concerned about the thread laying across the back of the kydex, . . . going in and out of the adjacent holes, . . . and was a bit worried about any movement causing the kydex to sever the thread. That was the precipitating thought that made me decide to stitch it all the way through. Kydex in my slim experience with it, . . . doesn't do well with contact cement, . . . and I was afraid that slight movement could cause it to fail. I see Jim at least once a week (one of my church elders), . . . so I'll be able to update as needed. Again, thanks for the design idea. May God bless, Dwight

I've never heard of any issues with silicone, . . . (other than the initial stink while drying out), . . . and I've used it for 40 years on every conceiveable project I've been involved in. Never one issue. Paint does not stick to it, . . . so I would doubt you would have any issues with stain and stuff, . . . finishes, . . . waxes, . . . and I've molded it to fit where ever needed with my right index finger so many times it isn't funny. It is a pain to get off the finger, . . . but it was always worth it. May God bless, Dwight

Stitch Dex, . . . OK, . . . you got my curiosity up, . . . a friend came to me a couple weeks back, . . . needed an IWB for a Bersa Thunder 380. I had to scrounge, . . . found my one and only piece of Kydex, . . . and remembered this thread. Mine is not as good looking as yours, . . . but just for kicks and giggles, . . . I made him an IWB using your technique, . . . and I have to admit that I am far more impressed with hybrid holsters now than I was before I made that one. It is comfortable, . . . and for now we are awaiting the "show and tell" after a couple months of use. Again, thanks for sharing. May God bless, Dwight

Jimbob, . . . I picked up my cowboy making from John Bianchi, . . . off his videos. Using his ideas, . . . I set the buckle so that the inside edge (where the face of the belt rubs) is even with the end of the belt (see picture). I set the tongue of the belt so it is also at the end of the belt (see picture). With a 2 3/4 to 3 inch setback to the first hole, . . . it makes the thing come together well, . . . rides good, . . . and I've never had but one complaint. I made a 55 inch gun belt some years back (it took several weeks), . . . customer took it home, . . . called and said it was too small. I adjusted it for him, . . . but always wondered how many doughnuts it took to add 2 inches to a 55 inch waist. Anyway, . . . those pictures are from the very first one I ever did (for an old uncle who as since passed on and it was returned to me as a gift after his passing) and the only thing I have added is that I use 7 holes in the belt now instead of 6 as in that one. May God bless, Dwight