Dwight

My sewing comes first, . . . unless the piece is destined for WHITE stitching, . . . in which case I'll do a "pre-burnish" which is just enough to lay the fibers down good. It then goes through the dye process, . . . then the sewing, . . . and a final burnishing. Just my way of doing things, . . . works for me. May God bless, Dwight

Wishful, . . . see PM I just sent May God bless, Dwight

If you want to start out with an easier one, . . . take a look at this Clint Eastwood takeoff I did some time back. The belt is especially simple to do, . . . makes a good first time cartridge belt, . . . gives you experience, . . . without a lot of hassle. The belt is full width, 2 1/2 inches . . . but when you get to the tongue and buckle, . . . you cut the edges down, . . . use a 1 1/2 inch buckle. May God bless, Dwight

Very good looking, . . . I have always preferred the "plain Jane" look and you pulled it off really well. Simple, plain, but by those two, . . . also elegant. May God bless, Dwight

Would someone be kind enough to describe or show a picture of the "roper wallet"? Honestly, . . . I've seen roper boots (have em), . . . roper saddles, . . . but a roper wallet is a new one for me. Thanks. May God bless, Dwight

I use both liquid and gel Weldwood contact cement. I apply it with acid brushes bought from Harbor Freight for about 3 or 4 cents each, . . . use and pitch. I only buy pint cans, . . . so I never have to worry about it drying out. After applying the cement, . . . I go back over it and flatten any puddles, . . . then grab the heat gun, . . . low setting, . . . about 30 seconds later, . . . I'm ready to put them together and continue on with the project. I like doing it that way as it keeps me focused on the project I am on, . . . without a lot of extra "down time" waiting. I've tried Tandy's contact cement (ugh !), . . . water based contact cement (doesn't hold as well), . . . white glue (messy), . . . yellow glue (takes too long to dry), . . . but always come back to Weldwood. Been using it for a few decades, . . . I like it. May God bless, Dwight

The second thing Katsass mentioned is the second thing you did (IMHO) wrong. The liner was way too thin. I use at least 4/5 as a liner when I don't use suede. I also always sew in any and all liners, . . . burnish the edge real good. That thin stuff will get beat up all too fast, . . . then your customer gets a case of attitude, . . . But you can also take a heat gun to the Weldwood, . . . I do it all the time with holsters, . . . otherwise I'd be sitting doing nothing most of the time. It'll dry that stuff really quick, . . . put it together and sew it. May God bless, Dwight

Mike, . . . when you clicked on the reply box, . . . your mouse also hit the underlined "U" and if you mouse click that box again, . . . it'll go away. Most of the time, my mouse hits the Italic "I" box. You got a good start there Southernbeau, . . . why not just add a third stitch line closer to the edge of the gun? Like previously said, . . . it'll loosen up really soon and quick, . . . and the last thing you want is your shootin' iron doing the clickety clang tap dance across the tile floor at Krogers, . . . when you bend over for something. May God bless, Dwight

At the very least you are going to need: a really good, but small awl a good pair of leather cutting scissors a good pair of cloth cutting scissors (believe me they are not the same, . . . you need 2 pair) bees wax (wax your thread as you go along, . . . it'll help keep the stitches you just made, uniform and tight) needles and thread a really good straight edge (stainless steel with a cork back work well with leather) a large wheel rotary razor cutter (I think mine is like 2 1/4 inches in diameter) a cutting board made for the rotary wheel razor cutter a very sharp and slim razor knife (the kind with replaceable razor tips, used by hobbyists) Weldwood contact cement stitch wheel strop drywall cutting knife and blades, . . . buy the more expensive blades, they are sharper. Strop that blade point every now and then Your garment should have all glued seams that are then sewn. You will have to be very careful taking the seams apart, . . . cut a thread, . . . pull the glue apart, . . . cut another thread, . . . pull the glue apart, . . . ad infinitim. Depending on the style, . . . you may be able to undo the side seams and take off a little to tighten that up, . . . and the back seams of the sleeves. You are really taking on a project, . . . but if you take your time it'll work out. Hobby Lobby is a good place for most of the stuff you need, . . . Tandy will have the rest. A salses person will try to sell you the little 1 inch or 1 1/4 inch rotary razor cutter, . . . don't buy it. Get the big one, . . . it stays sharper longer, . . . doesn't weave and wobble, . . . and by and large, for leather, is easier to use. Good luck, may God bless, Dwight

Personally, . . . instead of spending a handful of money on tools and maybe winding up with a "less than steller" job, . . . I'd just pay someone to fix it. Someone with a leather shop doing chaps and other garments should be able to do it for not much more than the price of the tools you need to do that work. May God bless, Dwight

The concept that the liner needs to be shorter is a false concept. I cut my liner by using my outside, finish side, as the exact pattern. All liners need to be glued or contact cemented to the other piece of the belt. THEN, . . . you start punching holes or stitching. I personally (as well as others on these forums) prefer weldwood contact cement, . . . the stuff sold in lumber yards for counter tops. Works like a champ, . . . but there is a little learning curve. Put on an EVEN coat, . . . let it DRY to the touch of your hand. Not sticky, . . . no gummy, . . . dry. Lay the one piece onto the other, . . . knowing it is a one shot deal. Where you drop it, . . . it stays. Then roll the whole thing with a rolling pin, . . . seam roller, . . . etc. It's now one piece. May God bless, Dwight

Most of my western style cartridge belts are in the 2 1/2 range, . . . as it is a tad more comfortable than the 3". Again, though, . . . the cartridge may dictate the width. For basic44's and 45's, . . . I'd do the 2 1/2. May God bless, Dwight

Uhhh, . . . Resolene is a FINAL finish, . . . as well is BAG KOTE. I'd do an either/or, . . . but not both. And remember, . . . anything you do after Resolene or Bag Kote (if it is done completely and correctly) will largely be wasted if it is anything more than some kind of wax / polish / shine enhancer. May God bless, Dwight

You and I share a common anomaly, . . . can't do the edge thingy. FWIW, . . . I gave up, . . . just plain quit. I sand my edges smooth, . . . use my edging tool(s), . . . and using a little water, . . . (emphasis on "little" ), . . . I burnish with either a 1 horsepower / 1725 rpm motor with a 3/4 inch wooden rod, . . . or my Dremel, . . . or a combination of both. If I cannot get it to lay down like I want it to, . . . I very sparingly add some virgin beeswax, . . . or cake/bar glycerin soap. My edges are very clean looking, . . . polished, . . . just not colored. Once I add my usual finish of Resolene, . . . they look very good, . . . and in most cases the burnishing process itself causes the edges to become a shade or two darker than the original, . . . but that is never a guarantee, . . . sometimes it reverts back to the dyed color. May God bless, Dwight

There is a set of VHS tapes commissioned I think by Tandy, . . . using John Bianchi as the teacher, . . . showing you the proper method to follow if you want to make a gun belt of his style. It is better than anything I've seen on youtube, . . . and goes into so many other things that I feel are necessary to produce a quality belt. I do use the trick from Will Ghormley about lacing the cartridge loops through the belt, . . . I won't spend all that time sewing one, . . . when I can lace it in about 20 minutes, . . . and know that it will never come apart, . . . no stitches to break, . . . etc. I understand there is now a DVD copy of that (heard thru the grapevine), . . . and if you can find it, . . . it will help to keep you from making some ugly mistakes, . . . or should I say, . . . at least it did me? May God bless, Dwight

FWIW, . . . I've never been much of one to mess with conditioners, etc. The tanned leather that is on the commercial market is a prepared product, made to be used in a similar manner as lumber in a lumber yard. You buy it, . . . cut it, . . . fit it, . . . stain or dye it, . . . finish it, . . . and use it. If you have a product you want your customer to be able to use for a long time, . . . one light coat of neatsfoot oil, . . . followed by a full day for it to dissipate into the leather, . . . apply your finish and you are good to go. I really believe that a lot of the "stuff" shown and done to leather products is kinda like the makeup applied to many of the "stars" of TV and the big screen. They paint and powder themselves up to where they look good, . . . but they only vaguely resemble their original selves. May God bless, Dwight

Resolene is a water based acrylic FINISH. You can put it on before stitching, . . . your stitches will stay the color they are on the spool. You can put it on after stitching, . . . your stitches will yellow slightly, . . . heavy on the slight, but noticeable to most people. If you stitch first, . . . the resolene will also help protect your stitches as it will also put an acrylic finish on the outside of them. Anything you put on over resolene is wasted product, as resolene seriously seals, finishes, protects, and insulates the leather from further incursions by other products. Any product that will do anything to the leather after resolene, . . . must first attack and dissolve the resolene. I have found my best results in a 50/50 mix with water, . . . brushed on with a cheap bristle brush, . . . I put enough on to get a small "lather" of suds, . . . then keep brushing until there are no bubbles left. Resolene is NOT for suede, . . . and I have ruined suede with it. Very carefully use it on the edges where the veggie and suede come together, . . . it will seal that joint, . . . but you really need to practice that trick before doing it on a customer's piece. I use the tip of my brush, . . . lightly moistened to apply resolene to the edge of suede. It will harden the suede and make it just plain ugly if you get it on the wrong place. May God bless, Dwight

dkbutcher, . . . the first thing you want to do to "learn" the belt craft, . . . is go to Tandy and buy a belt blank. You obviously bought a "cheap" piece of leather, . . . and as mlapaglia said, . . . probably some neck or butt and some belly, . . . maybe was cut around the cow instead of the length. Start out with their blank belt straps, . . . punch your own holes, . . . don't use snaps (it's a bad habit to break), . . . put em together with Chicago screws, . . . buy good buckles, . . . measure it so the middle hole to the outside of the belt buckle is the dimension of your waist or your customer's waist. Also, . . . punch 7 holes for adjustment instead of 5 (like at Walmart), . . . Very few belts need neetsfoot oil to start with, . . . dye it and use one of the Tandy finishes, . . . I personally prefer Resolene, diluted to a 50/50 mix with water. Ask questions, . . . challenge yourself, . . . practice, . . . have fun. May God bless, Dwight

That is some neat gun leather there, camano ridge, . . . I'm always interested to see what other people do/did with their gunleather ideas. Mine are far more on the "plain Jane" scale, . . . Don't think I'd want to tangle with the wearer of the center rig Handstitched, . . . you didn't say whether your client gave you 2 3/4 or 3 inch shells, . . . might want to put a measuring stick on them. Also, . . . from personal experience, . . . when you make that shotgun rig, . . . go with 2 inch buckles and belt tongues. A waist full of shotgun shells is heavy, awkward, and unruly. The bigger buckle will give you a larger belt tongue to put through it. You may also want to use a two layer, stitched tongue, . . . they hold up longer, better, and are also more stable. I use them on all my big gun rigs, . . . have seen some where they used single layer, . . . the leather stretched, bent, got hard to use. May God bless, Dwight

Hadn't shared anything for a while, . . . These are heading for TX come tomorrow morning. Basic boonie gear on the 4 wheeler. May God bless, Dwight

You can make a very quick and easy cell phone, ipod, pager, etc. case with this little diagram. It's held to the belt or waistband by a metal clip, . . . two side pieces are sewn or riveted to the round piece. The top strap holds it in the case, . . . with a snap. It's a "snap" to make. May God bless, Dwight

Handstitched, . . . thanks for the exercise, . . . guy needs a mental challenge early in the morning. On things like this, . . . somewhere along the line you have to make some kind of assumptions and hope they turn out correct. I took a set of calipers to your lone cartridge, . . . assuming it to be a .45 Long Colt (bottom base diameter is .505, cartridge itself is .470 and went from there. If my calculator and brain worked together like they should: The belt is 2 inches wide, . . . the buckle is an 1 1/4, . . . the "edge of one buckle to edge of the other" in the front picture is about 7 1/2 inches, . . . and the front piece is just short of 3 inches tall. Checking it against the other pieces we can see, . . . that should work out good, as it is a lined belt, . . . and seems to be made of 7/8 oz material. Personally, I've never seen one like this. Thanks for sharing. May God bless, Dwight

When it comes to getting in a hurry, . . . trying to do multiple things, . . . katsass tells us never to try holding a cat and an operating dust buster at the same time, . . . let me also add never to try to "hurry" the project by putting a wet holster in a microwave oven. Ain't tried the cat thing, . . . but wayyyyyyyyyy back in my plebe days at leather U, . . . I did try the microwave, . . . nahhhhhh wasn't a good idea. May God bless, Dwight

If you are using this just for a cuff, . . . punch the holes in the strap, . . . put it on your wrist, . . . mark the holes in the cuff through the strap, . . . set your rivets there, . . . and you should have no problem. If you are going to use this for a watch cuff, . . . your friend will probably be back in a couple of days with the pins broken that hold the strap to the watch. Those pins will almost never work this way. The pins for a watch cuff need their own loops. See the little diagram below for how to attatch straps for a watch cuff. May God bless, Dwight

If you go down to the holster forum, . . . the third one down on the pinned list is an excellent pattern for an ankle holster. I have used it to make one for a friend, and it is a very good pattern / idea. As far as material is concerned, . . . Tandy Leather Shop will have all you need. May God bless, Dwight