Dwight

Hey, Folks, . . . got an order for several military type slings (double row of holes all the way from end to end). I need a supplier for the frogs and rectangles to make em with, . . . anybody got a good source? I found em on Ohio Travel Bag, . . . but no prices, . . . and if I can find em, . . . I'll order them this weekend if the price is any where near good. Oh, yeah, . . . no steel or aluminum, . . . gotta be brass. Thanks, may God bless, Dwight

This is how I do it. May God bless, Dwight

I need to watch this so I can get some ideas............ May God bless, Dwight

I don't have a lot of experience, . . . but what I have done seems to be working out. Here's an example of acrylic paint on veg tan, dyed with Feibings British tan, . . . then a coat of resolene, with the paint applied last. It was also carved and a little stamping done, which is not really apparent in this picture. May God bless, Dwgiht

I have not done a lot with pigskin, and haven't done anything for a couple of years. BUT, . . . like the old thread said, . . . it works. The key is first getting the contact cement DRY, . . . if you can touch it and feel any sticky or liquidity to it, . . . it is not dry yet. I have a heat gun I use when I'm in a hurry, . . . that will work too. I also think it works better because of the heat, . . . but I don't have anything but my own experience to bolster that. AFTER it is dry, . . . put em together, . . . put a pillowcase or something similar to that type of material on it, . . . roll it with a rolling pin, . . . and let it set for 6 to 10 hours, . . . by then you will have 99% or so of the bond you are ever going to get. If you did it correct, . . . the only way it will come apart is where the leather separates internally. The glue will not give way, . . . or at least that has been my experience with contact cement for the last 50 or so years. Chief and Katsass both make holsters that way, . . . I make a few that way, . . . made one some time back, . . . laughingly call it my spare round. That thing got so hard after molding that it could easily be used as a weapon, itself. It's my "out on the property" holster, . . . no worries about it ever getting hurt. May God bless, Dwight

I personally have always thought that while that design may have it's uses, . . . lovers, . . . etc, . . . I'd never be one. To me, . . . it looks like something that Mickey Mattel would make for his Moon Warrior Phaser pistol. May God bless, Dwight

I have two cheaters, . . . a template, . . . I made it myself. AND, . . . the punch has a line scribed in its top (where the mallet hits it) and all I have to do is orient the line parallel to the belt, . . . comes out OK every time. BUT, . . . I've also punched a bunch of leather with it, . . . lots of practice, . . . that too will help. And, yes, . . . go with the oval punch. Personally, I think it looks far more professional and "correct" than a funky old round hole, . . . but that is just one opinion among many. May God bless, Dwight

I'm afraid I'd have to walk around the outside of my house 5 or 6 times in a foot of snow to cool off after getting that shipped to me. There is no excuse or reason for that. Personally, . . . I wouldn't mess with the store, . . . I'd go straight to the top of the Tandy food chain, . . . pull on the big dog's collar. They should send you the proper item, . . . and refund your money as a way of saying they are sorry. May God bless, Dwight

Malabar, . . . Just for kicks, . . . I checked Ebay, . . . this is like the one I had: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bianchi-FastDraw-Left-hand-Black-Leather-Steel-lined-Holster-Cowboy-Western-SASS-/251520540033?pt=US_Holsters&hash=item3a8fcadd81 As you can see, . . . lots of steel molding must be done before the leather goes on it. I don't remember the guys name, . . . but he is the one who always beats Marshall Dillon to the draw on Gunsmoke, . . . he is the "grandfather" of the steel lined fast draw holster. May God bless, Dwight

One clamshell, . . . as requested. This is actually not the holster I made, . . . but is very similar to it. The one piece of metal is under the top piece of leather on the left edge of the front, . . . and a corresponding piece on the back side. Notice the metal screw, . . . it goes through both pieces as a tension adjuster. This one is for a 6 shooter, . . . the one I made was for a 5 rounder. May God bless, Dwight

Not really sure where you got your info, . . . the only ones I've seen and used since the late 60's had a thin piece of sheet metal sandwiched between two layers of leather, . . . and the purpose was to keep the holster shaped perfectly so the handgun simply laid in it, . . . virtually zero resistance to pulling it out. In order to have a leg guard for a full house .45 LC, . . . you would be talking about a 1/2 inch piece of plate steel, . . . and it could only be used to deflect into a different direction, . . . certainly not stop it. Add a 3 inch by 12 inch by 1/2 inch slab of steel to the back side of that holster, . . . it weighs 5 pounds. But, . . . back to the original question, . . . the metal has to be litterally hammered into it's final shape using a metal "dummy", . . . to get the cylinder and top strap shape, . . . cover it with leather, . . . cement the edges, . . . bend and fold along the barrel line, . . . shaping it around the "dummy", . . . glue and sew the edges together with appropriate welts, . . . Or, . . . I suppose if a person was a really good tinsmith, . . . cutting, soldering, folding, bending, . . . could produce a decent liner. Lots of work there though. The last one I had was for a Ruger SA .357 Mag, . . . with a 6 inch barrel. It was a good holster, . . . but I also have heard of guys being thrown from a horse or just falling, . . . if the pistol pops out, . . . the holster can collapse, . . . and it becomes a real job to get the thing re-shaped. Good luck, . . . anyone comes to me wanting one, . . . either gets talked out of it, . . . or they find another supplier, . . . they are too much aggravation for me. May God bless, Dwgiht

I like em all, . . . good work. May God bless, Dwight

Hey, . . . RC, . . . looks nice to me. But also, . . . if I'm carrying a SA revolver, . . . cartridge loops on the belt are more important than the buckle, . . . but then again, . . . thassss jus me. I also always sew in a one piece keeper for my belt, . . . looks like you riveted yours together. Ah, . . . different strokes for different folks. On the firing line, . . . you'll be noticed, . . . it'll stand out. May God bless, Dwight

If you are having a time getting a straight line with a rotary cutter, . . . might I suggest it is not the cutter, . . . but the operator. Take your time, . . . lay the cutting edge (not the protected edge) against a good straight edge, . . . I cut up to 70 inches that way, . . . no problems, . . . and I'm a shaky old nearsighted geezer. It also helps if the straight edge is rubber or cork backed, . . . keeps it from slipping. May God bless, Dwight

I've done this both ways, . . . see drawing below. May God bless, Dwight

In two words, . . . "you're not". The shiny finish is the hair side of the animal skin, . . . devoid of hair of course, . . . and is just like your skin, . . . your forehead when you look in the mirror. The tanning processes developed down through the years have worked to emphasize and bring out the natural luster of the leather, . . . and quite frankly, the effect you are asking for would have to destroy or seriously alter the top layer of the leather, . . . seriously weakening and changing the material. If you do not want shine, . . . use suede leather. May God bless, Dwight

I have a 50 foot front porch, . . . and occasionally have a special dye job needing special color on the thread. I tie a piece the length of the porch (or as needed), . . . using latex gloves, . . . I saturate a paper towel with the appropriate dye, . . . and simply walk down the thread, . . . squeezing the thread inside the saturated paper towel. I usually also go back the other way, . . . giving it a second coat. A few hours later, . . . it's dry, . . . and I've never had any serious problems with that thread, . . . but I don't use linen, . . . so I cannot speak for the material. But I would think it would be worth a try. And besides that, . . . vinegaroon works mainly because of a chemical reaction between it and the leather, . . . one which probably does not occur with the linen. May God bless, Dwight

Sewing across a strap or belt, . . . literally perforates it like a tear off piece of a sporting ticket. And, . . . unfortunately, . . . it can have the same result: the perforation becomes the weakest piece of the belt or strap, . . . and after a little time, . . . some wear, . . . and a full load placed upon it, . . . that is the place where it will tear just like a ticket stub. Tomt is straight on in his remarks, . . . but other than that, they look good. May God bless, Dwight

First off, . . . I cannot take personal credit for this really neat idea. Some time ago, . . . and at a suggestion of another , . . . I made a rig for cutting fringe, . . . and does it ever work well. I've done 2 pairs of mens chaps, one pair of girl's chaps, and one pair of ladies' chinks, . . . and am thoroughly sold that for me at least, . . . this is the way. It is piece of plexiglass with several lines made by scribe or scratch with a sharp pointed something or another. I would use the gusset piece at the knife edge, . . . leaving it long enough to fringe, . . . having it overlapped on both sides by the front/back piece, . . . but that is just my way of doing things. I have also used the front, . . . fringed it, . . . especially for a "native American" look. May God bless, Dwight

Actually, the answer I would have to give you is "NO", . . . simply because I use either some brisk rubbing or a heat gun on low setting when I apply the wax (especially for touch ups later on), . . . and the heat or friction just "makes' it work. The fact that it is totally repairable at some later date, . . . for some reasonable need, . . . was what drew me to it in the first place. May God bless, Dwight

I will not make a belt for anyone based upon the size of his/her pants. I almost did that once, . . . guy wore 36 Wranglers. Just for kicks and giggles, . . . we measured his belt he was wearing. I made him a 39 or 40 belt, . . . the Wranglers had "grown" as he did. I just won't invest the time and effort until I have told the customer in absolute unmitigated terms, . . . "we gotta know" the size. If they lie to me or are too lazy to check for sure, . . . then the "problem" with it belongs to them if it don't fit. But I don't make them off the Levis or Wrangler waist sizes. May God bless, Dwight

BDAZ, . . . that is the same size as my new work table. I couldn't put shelves under it, . . . because at both ends and one side, . . . I sit down and slide my poor old tired legs under it. Not being critical, . . . but I also cannot use your arrangement as I have a ton of sunlight pouring in my south window and door. The leather would be right in the sunlight in my shop. BUT, . . . FYI, . . . if you have a JoAnn fabric place near you, . . . they have a white poly-something plastic cutting template that is all laid out in 1 inch squares, . . . 36 X 60. The actual piece is a couple inches bigger each way for a border, . . . but if you ever do things needing some kind of quick measuring, . . . it is great. Plus it is made to be used with rotary cutters, . . . and works fine with a razor knife too. You can go on line get a 40 or 50% off coupon, . . . makes the thing about 25 bucks or so, . . . I cannot buy a better work top for that kind of money. I cleaned up the plywood I had for the top, . . . laid down several strips and a border of 2 inch double sided carpet tape, . . . woo-hoo, . . . works like a champ. May God bless, Dwight

Take a look at this thread: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=53478&hl=vault#entry342100 Here is the final product, . . . and I love the way it works. Only takes up a small amount of floor space, . . . I could probably hang 200 sq feet of leather in it. May God bless, Dwight

If you make it right, . . . it comes out looking and feeling a lot like Kiwi shoe polish, . . . just a tad harder. Use it just like you would the shoe polish. I start with pouring the mixture into muffin papers in a muffin tin, . . . makes little cakes of the stuff. I rub a cake on the project, . . . "lightly" hit it with low setting on a heat gun, . . . oil sinks in / wax flattens out, . . . play with it a while, . . . you'll get the hang of it. You can also up the ante with a tad more nfo, . . . I lucked out once on a batch, . . . it was softer and easier to use, . . . but would melt if it got very warm. I keep bees too, . . . but mine haven't done anything for the last couple of years, . . . hoping it changes this year, . . . I love honey, . . . and it is just too expensive to buy all I want. May God bless, Dwight

I just finished a clamshell for a friend, . . . it needed two pieces of metal reinforcement. I used 16 ga aluminum, . . . band saw cut to shape, . . . contact cemented in place, . . . works fine. If you need something that will be covered completely, . . . I have made some out of the 3/32 or so white plastic that is used for post sleeves. I think it is PVC, though it may be a different plastic. One thing for sure, . . . if you rough it up a bit on a sander, . . . it takes to contact cement like a duck does to water. Just remember that if you want to bend it, . . . bend it before you put it in the leather, . . . metal you can bend later, . . . the PVC has to be done first. But boy does it work well when you do it that way !!! May God bless, Dwight