Dwight

My two layer gun belts are my exception to the rule cyberthrasher mentioned. Wallets, guitar straps, "most" holsters, mag carriers, knive sheaths, . . . yessir, . . . he's got it on the money. Double layer gun belts get the stamping treatment last, . . . and it is simple laziness on my part. I sometimes screw up an otherwise good belt, . . . and if I took the time to stamp it, decorate it, dye it, paint it, . . . woo-hoo, . . . would I be mad. Sooooooo, . . . haveing been there, done that, . . . stamping is last. Stamping can sometimes also change the overall shape of the piece of leather you originally had cut out, . . . I never experience that on this kind of belt. But, . . . it's no biggee either way, . . . do what you are comfortable with. That's one of the things I really like about leather work, . . . you can kinda make up your own rules as you go, . . . no pun intended, . . . but concrete work for example is kinda set in stone if you know what I mean. My process is: cut blanks, form ends for buckle and tongue ends as needed Check for decorative stitching, . . . it would be done here as it only is done to the outside piece, . . . also this is where the buckle end and tongue would be sewn on for a ranger type belt. Next, glue blanks together, sand and edge the edges of the belt, stitch gouge both sides do a first burnish on the edges. DON"T dye the edges yet. If it is a white stitch belt, . . . do not stitch here. If it is NOT a white stitch belt, . . . sew that rascal up right here. Stamp & tool to your hear's content, . . . antique, paint, dye, do all that decorative "stuff" to it. Do a final, . . . really good edge burnish here, . . . then apply the first coat of the final finish. If you haven't done so, . . . sew it up here. Apply final finish coat, . . . smile, . . . you are finished. May God bless, Dwight May God bless, Dwight

Not meaning to sound critical, . . . but about 55 or so years ago, . . . a similar question came up in one of our Boy Scout meetings. Scoutmaster Beach (Ellsworth Lynn Beach to be exact) said we should never rivet an axe sheath. The reason was simple, . . . one day, . . . regardless of how careful you are, . . . the axe will be dropped or swung with the sheath on it, . . . if it is sewn or laced, the axe head will cut through, . . . the sheath will need repaired, . . . and the axe will be undamaged. Rivet it, . . . when the same happens, . . . you will spend some time filing or honing out the nick(s) the rivet(s) will put in the blade of the axe. Made sense 55 years ago, . . . and I still do it that way. May God bless, Dwight

I'm right handed, Chef, . . . carry at about 3:30 strong side, IWB, 1911 (just like my avatar). My spare is on the left side, . . . it actually straddles the rear belt loop, . . . the mag is tilted a bit forward, . . . the bullets point behind me in the magazine. Others prefer carrying so that the bullets face forward. I was taught my way as being better for most people as it used the natural position of the hand. To use my method, . . . you reach the off hand back, . . . palm toward the body, . . . locate mag pouch, . . . slide the hand upwards around the mag, . . . usually the ring finger will catch on the magazine lip, . . . you know you are in position, . . . grasp and pull straight up, . . . the strong hand has shifted slightly on the weapon, . . . push the mag release and the mag falls out, . . . pull up the weak hand and insert the new mag, . . . you are back in business. If you use the "bullets pointing forward" method, . . . you have to use a non-normal, non natural position for the reloading hand, . . . which is palm facing out from the body, . . . your wrist is contorted almost 90 degrees, . . . and because it is awkward for many people, . . . they tend to drop the mag. That can have some tough consequences in a fire fight. There really is no "authorized" way, . . . only preferred, . . . and that is determined by the shooter. May God bless, Dwight

LarMoe, . . . FYI, . . . try Law Enforcement Targets (google em) in Minnesota, . . . you could get one there for right at 40 bucks. I don't have one, . . . but if I did, . . . your round trip shipping would be right at 25 bucks, . . . for 15 more, . . . you have it now, can take your time, . . . and can use it later for other ones. One of the few things I like about Glock, . . . you can use one mold for several different models, . . . so you'll have several different ones with this starter. May God bless, Dwight

I'll just jump in here for a moment to bump this back up, . . . as I have been using Resolene for 5 or 6 years, . . . never have found a way I really like to remove it. That's good and bad, . . . bad for us, . . . but good for the customer. If we can't get it off, . . . they shouldn't be able to eaither. Anyway, . . . I'm interested, . . . hope someone chimes in with a good answer, . . . if one exists. May God bless, Dwight

You may use a different tool than mine, . . . but I use the two piece rivet and washer, . . . and the tool looks sorta like a hunk of scrap steel about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide, and about 3/8 inch thick. It has a hole in the bottom that allows me to place it on the copper rivet and very satisfactorily, but slowly, pound down the copper washer until it makes contact with the top piece of leather. I then cut off my copper rivet about 3/32 above the washer with a pair of side cutters. I very carefully peen with about a 6 oz ball peen until I have the rivet more or less mushroomed, . . . then I pick up my tool again, . . . it has a small rounded indentation in the bottom, . . . I use this to turn the top end of my copper rivet into a perfectly round, domed, mushroom head. An old saddler showed me to use it that way, . . . and my posts never buckle or twist or bend, . . . UNLESS I am going through a really thick layer and I hammer on it too hard. The ball peen is only used to mushroom the very top of the rivet. May God bless, Dwight

Your work looks good from what I could see, . . . but I guess I am confused, . . . what do you mean when you say it is "running"? In the pictures, I see dark streaks on the brown and the red belts, . . . and I would guess they may have come from the resolene, . . . if you did the black belt first. One thing you have to do with any dye, . . . buff the dried object like crazy. I use an old wash cloth or piece of an old bath towel, . . . they work really well for that. Also, . . . keep one small container of resolene for black, . . . don't use it on any other color. You also need to make sure you water resolene down, I have never been successful with using it full strength. I use it at 50% strength, . . . 1/2 water & 1/2 resolene. Other than that, . . . resolene dries clear, although it darkens whatever dye you had on the item. May God bless, Dwight

Feibings Oil Dye will give as good a job as any, . . . and IMHO, . . . better than USMC as you do not have to buff for 3 days to get off the extra pigment. I dye mine in a 9 x 14 cake pan, . . . dip dye, . . . immerse for about 5 seconds, . . . never have had a problem or a complaint. As for the criticism about the direction of the magazine, . . . slant of the magazine, . . . there is no "standard", no "approved", no "best way" other than what your customer wants and pays for. I have carried a 1911 on and off since the summer of 1966, . . . the bullets point behind me, . . . the mag is indexed slanting forward, . . . and many other shooters also carry the same way. But if my customer wants to carry his or hers the other way, . . . God bless them, . . . it's their choice. Ask your customer what HE or SHE wants, . . . you will have many more satisfied customers that way. As for the black leaving color on the other clothing, . . . that is a natural trait of just about all black dyes. You have to seal the product with some kind of sealant or finish other than the dye and neatsfoot oil, . . . OR, . . . you will have rub off for some time to come. I've actually only found one dye that will not do that, . . . and it is Feibings British Tan. Any way, . . . good looking mag pouch, . . . keep up the good work. May God bless, Dwight

Most of us dye our leather all the time. I "only" dye by immersion, . . . using a 9 x 14 cake pan, . . . and I just run the leather end to end through it like a snake, . . . it probably spends something like 5 seconds actually in the dye. On long skinny projects, . . . like yours, . . . lay down newspaper on a large flat surface, . . . lay the pieces on the edge for the first 1/2 hour of drying. I know this sounds goofy, . . . but I've had the dye "run" on belts and other pieces that were long and skinny, . . . winds up light colored on one end, . . . heavy color on the bottom end. I wear disposable rubber gloves, . . . and use only Feibings Oil Dye. USMC black gives you a super color, . . . but buffing off the extra pigment is a long time job, . . . and to me just isn't worth the extra effort. Also, . . . and I know there is a difference of opinion on this, . . . but I personally don't like working with factory dyed leather. I cannot seem to get it to mold, fold, groove, or stamp like undyed veg tan. The other factor to put into the equation is the cost of the dye. A quart of the dye I use is in the 30 buck range, . . . an upfront cost that you could apply toward the side of black leather. I've never dyed a full side at one time, . . . but I'd think it would take at least one quart, . . . maybe two, . . . and you need to figure that into your thinking. Good luck. May God bless, Dwight

I really like that passport case with all the stampings (??) on it, . . . "New York", . . . statue or Liberty, . . . etc. I'm curious though, as to how you got those on there. Was it rubber stamps and ink? Beautiful work, you do, . . . and if I may, . . . "Classy" describes it best for me. Things can be beautiful, artistic, and still look like cheap dime store junk, . . . but your work does not fit in that category. May God bless, Dwight

I use a piece of leather that I cut a tad wider than 3/4 inch. I do that so that when I pull it through the 3/4 wide slots, . . . it will not slide back. Hope this helps. May God bless, Dwight

Just remember the golden rule of thinning dyes and/or paints. MEASURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING ! If you "find" a pretty shade that you may want to duplicate at some later date, . . . you will do well to have made very accurate notes and very accurate measurements. Dying leather is tough enough, . . . don't hamper your efforts by just throwing in some thinner and hoping for the best. I worked in a refinish paint plant for 30 years, . . . and you CANNOT believe what the slightest little change to a color formula will make in the end product. May God bless, Dwight

Humperdingle said: "The only other finish i'd used was Tan-Kote, which is MUCH gloopier. The Resolene is almost a milk-like viscosity, so I didn't think it would need to be watered-down." I don't mean to sound harsh, . . . but you need to take some advice from some folks who have been there, . . . done that. Resolene NEEDS to be watered down. Attempting to use it full strength, . . . and not applying it correctly is what got the bubbles you left on the project, . . . that later broke, . . . giving you a product that looks very much like it had the measles. Again not meaning to hammer you, . . . but you asked what happened, . . . and that is most likely the culprit. There are probably a few bodies on the planet who successfully use it at full or near full strength, . . . but their numbers pale next to the rest of us who water it seriously. I also only use a cheap bristle brush, . . . and get very acceptable results. May God bless, Dwight

Arias, you said your dad has a drill press. That means he has some kind of a small shop. Have him help you build a simple lever press like the little drawing here. It should take a good half hour to make, . . . make it out of one 8 foot long 2 x 4 and a half dozen bolts and screws. The key to making it work right is the back post, . . . it has to be made so it will allow you to adjust for longer or shorter punches, . . . and/or you can make it for the longest and use scrap wood to lift up the punch surface for shorter punches. As soon as I get my new shop set up, . . . I'm making one of these especially for my maker's stamp. Anyway, may God bless, Dwight

The most comfortable I ever made/owned, . . . copy of a 50's pattern that hangs muzzle down under the old arm pit. Strap goes up over the carrying shoulder, . . . another strap goes around the off side arm. Muzzle sits on a sewed in muzzle piece, . . . strap holds the gun in just below the trigger guard, . . . releases with a thumb break. I believe it was a Safariland, . . . not sure, . . . but they are usually on Ebay for around 50 bucks, . . . I bought one of a different size to get the pattern, . . . made my own. Wound up making a double 1911 rig for one of my customers, . . . he absolutely loved it, . . . one under each arm. I've also made a few for horizontal carry, . . . I vacuum form them out of 4/5 oz leather, . . . pull the molding up very tight on the gun, . . . same with the stitching, . . . use a thumb break for extra retention, . . . but I just never got really comfy with them, . . . something about walking around with the muzzle pointing at people and things all the time. Much prefer the muzzle down rig. May God bless, Dwight

Since you didn't say, I'll assume you are hand stitching, . . . which is something I rarely do, . . . and abhor the thought from the gitgo. The first thing to do, . . . let it dry, . . . never think about sewing something that was dyed within the last 24 to 48 hours. That may be a bit long, . . . but it beats the heck out of the alternative: ripping out the dirty thread and re stitching it 2 or 3 times. That gets old in a quick hurry. BUT, . . . I have also learned, . . . for my own use, . . . to add about 30 inches to a holster, . . . on each needle, . . . before I sew. At the end, . . . I'll have thrown away an extra 5 feet of thread, . . . but all the trash, dye, oil, dirt, grime, and ugly on the thread, . . . will be in that "leader" thread. There are probably a dozen other ways, . . . but that is the way I do it, . . . whether saddle stitching or using a sail needle. Works for me. May God bless, Dwight

One thing for sure, . . . anyone sure enough of his weapon and himself to go armed with a hog leg, . . . best give them respect. May God bless, Dwight

Got a belt request once for one with 6 loops for .38's over the front right hand pocket. Made it, . . . sent it, . . . Proved to be too much hassle for him, . . . it's hanging in my closet now. Made him another one. May God bless, Dwight

Altogether, a good looking rig. I've always liked the white stitching as a decoration, . . . it's ugly when it gets dirty, but that's life. May God bless, Dwight

It would surely help if there were pictures, drawings, or dimensions: but absent from those, . . . your best bet as you have outlined it so far would probably be a copper rivet. Copper rivets can come with a large flat head, . . . goes through the hole in each piece of leather, . . . has a washer affixed on the bottom side, . . . cut very closely with a pair of side cutters, . . . and expertly flattened by a small ball peen hammer on a wide steel surface. You attain the rotating effect, . . . place a thin sheet metal spacer between the two pieces of leather, . . . after the rivet is set, . . . pull out the spacer and it should rotate freely. May God bless, Dwight

The dye will not overly effect the molding, . . . just keep your fingers and thumbs away from the areas molded and/or stamped and/or carved. Messing with it while it is damp or wet is what will effect it. If you want white stitching, . . . on a two tone holster, . . . I would first create the holster in it's final form except for dying and sewing. That means also that ALL gluing, edging, etc. is also done. I would then dip dye the main color, . . . and air brush the second. I'd give it 24 hours between the colors, . . . and I'd have it where it is being "assisted" in the drying process. I'd then give it a coat of 50/50 resolene & water. Let it dry for 36 hours. I'd then stitch it up. Then I'd give it another coat of resolene & water, . . . especially over the thread to protect it and keep it pretty white longer. There are many other ways to do this holster thing we do, . . . but that is the process I would use. May God bless, Dwight

In a nutshell, . . . you can't. Smokecigars laid it out for you. I have never ceased to be amazed at how many guys wear 36 jeans with a 42 belt. You can also look at my belt page on my website, . . . tells a similar story on how to measure properly for a belt. May God bless, Dwight

Eaglestroker, I started getting leery of using a press on my holsters, . . . afraid that one day I would pull that handle one time too many, . . . and be buying a broken gun or something to that effect. I investigated the vacuum bag idea, . . . and I am sold. My whole setup cost just under $150 and these pics show the first one I did with it. It is a modified Rhodesian style IWB, . . . and the detail is exactly what the vacuum bag did, . . . nothing added. And, yes, . . . the retention is really great. It actually was too great when I first did it, . . . had to loosen it up a bit. This one has some flaws in it, . . . so overlook them, . . . it was a "practice" piece to begin with, . . . testing the vacuum and the Rhodesian design. May God bless, Dwight

Good looking work, . . . but can the next pictures be on the kitchen table? We've got plenty enough snow to go around here, . . . woke up this morning to another 2 inches or so, . . . May God bless, Dwight

Jay, . . . do you have your firearm? If so, . . . which one, . . . I might be able to find a pattern if you are interested. May God bless, Dwight