Dwight

Well, Penny, . . . I'm just a lazy old coot, . . . and while there are a bunch of ways of doing belts, . . . the main ones I do are 2 layer, . . . usually run around .220 thick when they're finished, . . . and they are built so an old geezer like me can put a full size 1911, . . . 2 magazines, . . . key chain, . . . cell phone, . . . on it and it not sag. I cut my blanks, . . . do both ends, . . . cement them together, . . . dress the edges, . . . punch the holes in the tongue end, . . . and run em through the dye pan. I use a 9 x 14 cake pan, . . . pour about a half quart in there, . . . run it through like a snake, . . . about 3 to 5 seconds is all it gets. I also cut my Feibings oil dye about 20%, . . . it seems to penetrate better that way. Let it dry 24 hours, . . . don't mess with it, . . . leave it alone, . . . Get an old wash cloth you never want to wash your face with again, . . . and start polishing on that belt, . . . laying flat on a counter, . . . use some elbow grease, . . . rub it hard. When the pigment is not coming off any more (use a white paper towel to check), . . . quit rubbing. I then come back and burnish the edges, . . . and apply the final coat, . . . finish coat, . . . 50% Resolene, . . . 50% water. That belt will not bleed color, . . . will stay color fast for as long as it is a belt. If you buy your dye by the quarts, . . . and cut it a bit like I do, . . . it is not "that" expensive. Though I have never guaged it specifically, . . . I'd say I'd get probably 20 belts out of a quart. May God bless, Dwight

My process either uses a known and proven pattern where the pieces are cut, glued, edged, and sewn before any molding, . . . OR, . . . the pieces are cut a bit big, . . . part of it is cemented (maybe sewn, it depends) and then the holster is molded to the gun. The second process is by far the most common that I do. After molding, . . . it has to dry, . . . and for me that is 24 hours, . . . no short cuts there. I then re-insert the gun, . . . close up the holster with one hand, . . . and mark the edges for cutting. After cutting them, . . . I contact cement the edges together and then comes the dressing process. It starts with a 1 inch wide belt sander, . . . which makes all the leather layers even with the others. That also gives the outside edge it's final "shape" of the silhouette of the holster. After sanding, I edge the whole thing, . . . inside, . . . outside, . . . left, . . . right, . . . top, . . . bottom. Take your time here !!!! Get it right. Sometimes this is where I do a first burnishing of the edges, . . . dremel tool and water only, . . . then when I start with my stitch gouger, . . . it slides along the edge very easliy and I don't have to tug on it. After sewing, . . . dying, . . . and drying, . . . I'll sometimes come back for a second burnish before the finish, . . . other times after the finish, . . . depends on the finish product I am using, . . . Very seriously, . . . not dressing up, cleaning up, burnishing, and making the edges look good, . . . to me looks like a brand new car that just came off the line with no chrome, no trim, and a flat paint job. May God bless, Dwight

Brian, . . . one thing which will help you out immenseley, . . . glue your pieces together before you try to sew them. You can use Weldwood contact cement (my preferred product), Tandy's contact cement, Elmer's wood glue, or a host of other products: just figure out which one you want to use. You can then dress your edges, . . . which gives you a good starting point for your stitch gouge to roll against, . . . and will make your product look SOOOOO much better. Once you have done that, . . . Electrathon has a good idea, . . . personally I hate hand sewing, . . . use a machine any time I can, . . . but when forced to do so, . . . I do my stitch gouge line, . . . run my stitch wheel, . . . get out the awl, . . . whet her up real sharp (my awl is a pointy headed little blonde female awl), . . . and go at it. Now, . . . if you are real persnickity about how it looks, . . . put a plastic cutting board under your project, . . . that will let the awl just peek through the bottom layer. You can then run the awl back through the other way, . . . and the back side will look "very pretty" also. I only do that on projects that have to be "so so" and it is not that often. But that is one way to do it. Good luck, . . . and remember, . . . practice makes perfect. You have completed a project, . . . that means you have scrap laying around. Sew that scrap together, . . . giving you practice. May God bless, Dwight

Jake, . . . go to www.my1stop.com, . . . 800-691-7867, . . . Rita Schroeder was my initial contact person. Let me know if you are interested in getting some of them, . . . I'm going to put them in smaller quantities and sell some of them off on Ebay, . . . May God bless, Dwight

If you do the youtube thing, . . . you'll see at least two different rigs. I know in one (with Kirk Douglas) he wears a simple buscadero black rig with about a 4 inch drop on the holster. It also had what looked like a box of bullets on the belt, . . . and an off center clipped buckle. If you're planning on making one, . . . should be fairly simple. I don't recall any of his movies where the rig was outlandish, . . . but then I'm not an expert on that issue. May God bless, Dwight

No problem, Particle, . . . the first image is the "whole thing" as it comes off the printer. As I said, . . . only have to enter the info in one place, . . . it is situated to automatically populate the other places. I drew lines around the label area so you could ID it in this image. The second image is the label peeled & stuck on the box. The third image is the packing list severed from the original, . . . ready to be inserted. This is my "2013 easy paper flow" solution. The form was the only hiccup, . . . I wanted a 4 x 4 label, . . . in a corner, . . . and the only reasonable buy for these was by 1000, . . . but I'll be set for a while in the "form" department. May God bless, Dwight

I have also done a number of shows. If you are a veteran, . . . have something displaying that you are. Make sure your customers know that they are buying YOUR American Made product. Know what you can make well, . . . make that and take it. I know you may get all kinds of answers for what to make, . . . what not to make, . . . we did a survey of over 1500 people some time back, . . . all told there was something near 1800 weapons mentioned. Of the first 200: this is a quick run down we saw in the survey, . . . it doesn't add up to 200 because I didn't list every one, . . . just the most prolific. 1911's of all flavors = 70 Snub nose .38 / .357 either 5 or 6 shot = 31 Glocks of all flavors = 28 Keltecs = 15 Beretta 92 = 10 Sigs = 15 HK = 12 Surprizingly there was one Ruger Vaquero .45 and 2 Baby Eagles and 16 other makes/models were mentioned, some multiple times. My most prolific models mirror this list, mostly, . . . being 1911's and the plastic wonder 9's. I also take an assortment of belts and mag carriers. That makes for the opportunity for a "package deal" of matching holster, belt, and mag carrier. I very seldom sell only a belt, . . . almost always it is "together". The belts I sell are plain Jane, double layer, 1 1/2, and my customers love them. EDITED: Also, . . . take a comfortable chair, . . . wear comfortable shoes, . . . and be prepared to be exhausted by the end of the day. I pack all my stuff in clear Walmart plastic boxes with locking lids, . . . go in with a 2 wheeled cart, . . . everything is priced / labeled / ready to sell as I pull it out. Get there early enough to get set up, . . . get a cup of coffee, . . . and be FULLY ready to sell at the opening bell. STAY until you see that it is only you and the other vendors, . . . bargain hunters like to hang around until the last minute, . . . and they usually have money burning holes in their pockets. May God bless, Dwight

For the most part, my shipping goes out in the USPS boxes "IF it fits, . . . it ships". A long time ago, I took a look at all the different parameters involved, . . . and for both me and my customer, . . . it is by far the cheapest. Part of that is that I build the shipping price into the product, . . . my customers all know that if they buy my product, . . . the price they see, . . . is the price they pay. I also have just instituted a new wrinkle in my paper flow, . . . when the order comes in, . . . it is entered into the computer once, . . . one sheet of 8 1/2 by 11 paper comes out of the printer. On that integrated form sheet is my production ticket, . . . packing list, . . . and mailing label. I only type in the name, address, and the order items, . . . Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access does the rest of the work for me. When my product is ready, . . . I cut the bottom of the paper, . . . pack the product, . . . peel the label and put it on the box, . . . insert the packing list, . . . mail it. Done. May God bless, Dwight

Bob, . . . it isn't that hard to do, . . . chest armor. The "hard" part is the mold. I made mine literally out of 2 x 8's wrapped in old towels and a Tee Shirt. I used the towels to build up the chest muscles, back muscles, etc, . . . while looking at the Tee Shirt to see that the "body" looked authentic. I happened into Tandy's the right day, . . . they had some 12/13 oz pre dyed stuff that was on a "clearance" table, . . . that is what I made mine out of. Soaked it in the bath tub of hot water (as hot as my hands could stand it), . . . molded it on my "body" mold, . . . laid it on a round roll of chicken wire hanging over a floor register to dry out. Once you get the front and back pieces made, . . . the rest is just ornamentation, . . . you can go Roman, Greek, Mythic, or whatever flavor you want. If you want to make really hard armor, . . . you submerge the leather in liquified parrafin or beeswax, . . . I've only done small pieces, . . . gets really hard, . . . Anyway, . . . go for it, . . . it's fun having your own "alter" ego. May God bless, Dwight

Thank you, . . . Imapeopleperson, . . . I just happen to be getting ready to begin a scabbard, . . . and this certainly looks as though it will help. May God bless, Dwight

My first "venture" into selling holsters and such was at a gun show. It will cost you something near $100 in some venues, . . . $25 in others, . . . and you may not sell a thing. That's cool though, . . . because you are there the first time to listen, . . . observe, . . . and learn. Your customers will for the most part be civil, . . . but some will be brutal, . . . they are the ones you learn from. You will find out if your product is sellable in your area. My area of the world does not have a market for BBQ holsters, . . . or fancy schmancy rigs. Plain, utilitarian, personal (sometimes), and cost effective (notice I DID NOT say cheap). It took a couple of shows to learn that, . . . and the money was well spent. If you want a web site, . . . GoDaddy is the one I use, . . . it's a bit clunky, . . . sometimes aggravating in the navigation, etc. but it meets my needs at least for the time being. May God bless, Dwight

One of my "alter egos" is the Centurion of Capernaum. He needed a shield, . . . this is it. It is 1/4 inch luan plywood shaped by water and dried. Covered with 3/4 vegetable tanned leather. Painted with water base house paint from Lowes, . . . ask for their little sample containers, . . . I think they were $1.50 or so. It's the only one I have, . . . May God bless, Dwight

Camoman, . . . try this link http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/2111-02.aspx That should be pretty close to the actual color, . . . as it is a DARK brown. One thing you need to look at, . . . what kind of finish was on it originally. If it is an acrylic, like Resolene, . . . the dye won't penetrate as well until you get it off. There is another thread around here somewhere in this forum or the "How do I do that" forum just exactly on removing Resolene. You "may" have to do that first. You could try a small part of the holster with just the dye, . . . see what happens, . . . if it doesn't take to suit you, . . . you will have to get the finish off. Good luck. May God bless, Dwight

Thanks, Jeremy, . . . yeah, . . . I think it was the Will Ghormley pack I bought showed how to do that. The best thing, . . . the loops don't move, . . . and you don't ever have to worry about stitches breaking. I can also do that belt (the loop part) in just less than a half hour. My sewing on that would be much longer as I only have a Tippmann Boss. It's great for belts, . . . holsters, . . . etc. but a real pain for things like cartridge loops. The holster is double 6/7, . . . the belt is double 7/8, . . . and the loops are 6/7. British tan / Resolene 50/50 water mix for finish. May God bless, Dwight

Customer just picked these up this morning. Both belts are for a person with an over 50 inch waist. But they were fun to do. I hope he enjoys them for many years. May God bless, Dwight

A friend gave me a small bottle of Leather Balm with Atom Wax (Feibings product). I tried it out on a small piece of scrap leather, . . . and I kinda like that finish. Questions: What is it best used for? How is it best applied to say a belt, . . . a holster, . . . a wallet? How does it hold up under long term use (maybe light abuse)? Thanks, . . . may God bless, Dwight

You will have to have a friend to help you, . . . a strong friend, . . . and it is WORK. Lay them out flat, . . . face down, . . . on a flooring surface, . . . and put on knee pads, . . . you are going to be down there for a good couple of hours. You need ideally, . . . steel rods about 20 mm in diameter, . . . very little over that, . . . wood will work, . . . but it is just harder to manage. Start at the bottom, . . . and litterally "roll" the chaps over the steel or wood rod. Don't get in a hurry, . . . make sure the roll is tight from end to end, like the little drawing. You'll have to do the length of both, the width of both, then you wil probably have to turn them over so they are face up and do it all again. They will be appreciably more flexible if you do this, . . . but I won't try to soften it up, . . . it is work, and your hands and thumbs will be very tired once you get done. May God bless, Dwight

Of the three I have and use, . . . one is 8 oz vegetable tanned, . . . the other two (both 40 years + old) are oil tanned or "latigo" type leather, also 8 oz. Using my calipers, . . . two were .130 inches and the other was .120 inches thick. None "stretch", . . . in fact, I would call it a stretch to say that they DID stretch. If you have access to a good smith, . . . he can make the hardware for you from solid brass, . . . probably a bit more espensive, . . . but not that hard to make. Use the Tandy ones for a pattern. May God bless, Dwight

There is one alternative not mentioned yet: take pure bees wax and the better grade of neatsfoot oil, . . . weigh them so you have equal parts 1 to 1, . . . put them in a jar. Put the jar in a crock pot with water in it, . . . turn it on high, . . . leave it until you have mixture where all the beeswax has melted. Pour into muffin papers in a muffin pan to make little cakes of the stuff. First, . . . just grab the edge and rub it on, . . . front/back/edges, . . . all over. Go over it with a heat gun, . . . watch the wax melt and move away with the heat. Polish with a soft cloth. Add a second coat, . . . heat, . . . polish. Sometimes a third coat. I often just smear my fingers in it, . . . and rub it on, . . . or you can use a piece of cloth, . . . like using old fashioned Kiwi shoe polish. 1: it is relatively inexpensive, . . . 2: it is easily made, . . . 3: it is easy to use, . . . 4: it makes a really good looking satin type finish, . . . 5: it is water repellant, . . . 6: it is easily "repaired" if it gets scratched up some. It does darken the leather a bit, . . . but not as much as atom wax or resolene. May God bless, Dwight

I've only made one, . . . had a ball with it too, . . . and if I had your customer, . . . I'd make him/her one like this one. Add to it a shoulder strap that goes up and over the shoulder, . . . down and around the chest and comes to the other end of the holster in the back. If you do this, . . . you make a left hand holster for a right handed person (opposite of the one I have in the picture), . . . so he can pull it out and it will be properly oriented for use. You make that strap so that it has a slot in it like a buscadero loop on a western holster. You will also have to make a template for the shoulder strap, . . . for it to be comfortable, . . . there will have to be a serious crook in it up at the shoulder end, . . . a straight 3 inch or 2 inch strap will dig into the shoulder really hard. Good luck. May God bless, Dwight

Usually, . . . make pattern, cut leather, and generally "create" the holster all in the same day, . . . finish up with wet molding. No less than 24 hours later, . . . burnish edges, . . . do some nit picking adjustments, . . . finish up with dyeing the product. No less than 24 hours later, . . . re-burnish as needed, . . . nit pick as needed, . . . apply first coat of final finish. Depending on final finish, . . . re-coat if necessary, . . . something between 12 and 24 hours. Final inspection, nit picking, . . . package it up, . . . out the door. May God bless, Dwight

Years ago, I set my stitch guide at about 3/16 for holsters, . . . use it for belts, purses, holsters, sheaths, guitar straps, and other associated "stuff". That's what I used for my Ipad Jr shoulder holster. May God bless, Dwight

Look up McMaster-Carr on your search enging. Enquire in their catalog for "gum rubber sheets". The hardness you want is durometer 40. It is what most folks use for their holster presses. I tried to copy/paste the link, . . . wouldn't work, . . . but the first line on the left on the first page was where your choices begin. Call them up, . . . most of the time they are really good people to deal with, . . . they may even send you a small sample, . . . but even if they don't, . . . between the product and shipping, you will only be out $20 or so. May God bless, Dwight

It all looks good from my end, . . . May God bless, 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