Dwight

I sharpened the outside edge of a piece of 1 1/4 inch EMT, . . . hammered it flat over a piece of steel, . . . have a really good oval punch that makes really nice holes, . . . 5/16 wide, . . . 1 9/16 long. Cost: about 20 minutes in my metal shop. May God bless, Dwight

Go into your kitchen, . . . look for one of those plastic cutting boards. Put it under your leather. Then, . . . pierce the front and go through the leather until you can feel it hit the plastic. Turn it over, . . . finish your awl hole punching from the back. Works for me. May God bless, Dwight

For holsters, I very seldom use any thing other than Resolene, . . . 50/50 mix with water, . . . brushed on, . . . sometimes 2 coats. First, it has a UV blocker, so I know my product will not be adversely affected by sunlight, . . . and secondly, it adds a bit to the rigidity of the holster. I have an IWB holster here made of 5/6 leather, . . . Resolene coated, . . . it is almost as hard as a Kydex holster. I do prefer Bag Kote for billfolds and purses. (Maybe that is why they called it "Bag" Kote) Matter of fact, I did a very different billfold a few weeks back for a new customer, . . . sent it to him, . . . he was absolutely thrilled with it, . . . and of course it had Bag Kote as it's finish. I don't use BK on holsters though, . . . because it is not as rigid, and does not have the UV, . . . but that is just me, . . . May God bless, Dwight

I just may have to look into that, Ken, . . . my local Lowes doesn't always carry the jell Weldwood (I like it the best), . . . and I suppose I would use less brushes. Thanks for the tip. May God bless, Dwight

Bluesman, . . . if you can stand it, . . . 2 more tips for you: 1. Don't buy it in any can except the pint size "Weldwood" that is sold in lumber stores, . . . can looks like a paint can, . . . lid comes off with a quarter or a flat blade scredriver, . . . and keep the stinkin' brush away from the mouth of the can. 2. Go to Harbor Freight store or crank up http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=acid+brushes and you can get these. Use em once (several times if you are doing several things on one project) and when they harden up, . . . pitch em in the trash. .pr-snippet {height:15px;} .price-box {height: 60px!important;} .related-products-name {height: 74px;} 1 MATCHES FOR ''ACID BRUSHES'' 36 Piece 1/2" Horsehair Bristle Acid Shop Brushes The little rascals are only 3 bucks a bag, . . . I love em.AND, . . . always let your contact cement get completely dry to the touch. Actually, I have forgotten about it, . . . next day remembered, . . . put em together, . . . rolled with the old rollin' pin, . . . worked out great. Generally a good 45 minutes works great, . . . but if you have this "hurry up" itch that needs scratched, . . . use a heat gun to dry the glue. Just be careful not to get too close to the leather, . . . and don't stay on one spot too long. May God bless, Dwight

The only rule or law you violated, . . . is one of pysics. The greater the angle you make your slots, . . . the longer they will have to be to allow a full size belt to go through both. That makes the outside edge also longer, . . . reduces the overall strength by changing the length/width/depth ratio, . . . which reduces overall strength and rigidity. Will it cause a problem? It can, . . . which means somewhere, someday, . . . it will. I tend to do more of the "straight up" slots, . . . but that's my way. May God bless, Dwight

For tooling, you need a surface that does not yield, bounce, move, and is solid. Kinda like a piece of steel, . . . but marble is better. Tandy sells tooling size pieces for about $30 to $50 if I remember correctly. That piece will do you good. You can also maybe get a broken piece of a marble counter top at some lumber yards, . . . small piece of marble at a grave marker place, . . . be resourceful and cheap, . . . most of the time it pays. Weaver will cut the pieces of leather you need, . . . sized correctly, . . . etc. if you want to buy a bunch. They also have pre punched key fob stuff, . . . other things like that, . . . you need to search their catalog. Cutting leather is best done in my shop with a very sharp drywall type razor knife. Scissors are for real thin leather only in my shop. May God bless, Dwight

One place you may try: Weaver Leather, in I think, Berlin, Ohio. There web address is: http://www.weaverleather.com/ I personally deal with them, find them to be really good people. Use their "Contact Us" info, . . . call em up, . . . tell em what you want to do. Only problem you will have, they only do wholesale, so you have to be set up at least in if you live in Ohio with a Vendor's license. May God bless, Dwight

If at all possible, I personally measure the belt they wear when they talk to me about the new one. I go from that "most used" hole to the buckle end, . . . that is my critical measurement. I always put 7 holes in my belts, instead of 5 like you find at most stores. The center hole is my critical measurement hole. So far, I've never had any dress gun belts come back with that formula. May God bless, Dwight

I'd probably start out with one of those foam pop can holders. Don't forget to insulate above, below and all sides, . . . as any temp change there can cause condensation, . . . which we all know is not good for leather products. I'd go so far as making a waterproof shield between the product and the inside also as a JIC measure. May God bless, Dwight

I've never done it, . . . but my gut tells me that if I wanted that "look" a piece of clear vinyl from JoAnn fabrics would be just right to get that effect. Some of their stuff is 60 wide, . . . and if you got 1/3 of a yard (abut $16 a yd) you'd be out 6 bucks or so. It cuts real easy with scissors or a razor knife, . . . will not shrink, expand, rot, rust, or deteriorate over time either. Sandwich that between a couple pieces of 4/5 veggie tan, . . . you would probably have one really neat looking belt. May God bless, Dwight

I made a beautiful little dog collar for a friend for his little 3 pound mutt. The collar holds Mutt's shock collar device. Mutt's buddy figured how to unbuckle the thing ( I used a brass 3/4 inch bridle buckle ) and of course they then were free to run where ever without interference by the shocking device. My friend needs a new collar made that won't be so easy to get off. Any one else ran into this problem? If so, . . . how did you solve it? If not, . . . how would YOU try to prevent it again? Thanks, folks, . . . this ain't my specialty, . . . out of my league. May God bless, Dwight

You don't say how heavy the "thick" leather is you are cutting, . . . but Sylvia gave you some good starters, . . . also STAND UP when you are cutting. I see a lot of people (in my leatherworking classes I teach) who try to cut projects out while sitting. It works about as well as standing on your head and eating, . . . it can be done, but it sure is messy. Personally, I don't use much of anything other than a razor knife, . . . and I have a very special strop that I use to keep my blades clean, . . . and SHARP. I have three knives I keep sharp and when I am working on a project, I'll usually strop all three before I start cutting. A sharp knive is an absolute MUST HAVE for doing leather working, . . . and please believe me when I say that a dull knife will get you cut. Beyond the cutting, though, most of the "good looking edge" will come from the sanding, beveling, and burnishing, . . . the cutting just facilitates that work. A really good little sander is another MUST HAVE if you want to turn out quality products without a bunch of hard hand labor. I use both a 30 inch by 1 inch belt sander and a Dremel tool for my sanding, . . . they both work great, and have their own personal strengths. I guess I don't have any other suggestions, . . . except maybe don't try cutting leather with a splint on your thumb May God bless, Dwight

Ladyface, Cut, sew, punch, lace, mold, . . . including beveling of all edges: these are the first steps, and can be done in what ever order works best for you. I like to do a "first" burnish on all edges as I put the thing together, . . . I use only water. You talked about "casing" the leather, . . . does not need to be done unless you are molding something into it, . . . or if you are stamping, tooling, etc. If you use USMC black, . . . and you want a really good dye job, . . . forget the little 4 oz bottle, . . . get a quart. Also buy a cheap 9 x 13 non stick baking pan that's 2 inches or so deep. Pour the USMC black into the pan, . . . put on rubber gloves, . . . and dip the belt in, . . . making sure to just kind move it through the product, . . . making sure it is in the dye for a good 3 or 4 seconds anyway. I start at the buckle end, . . . and slither it through the dye like a snake, . . . sorta. Then lay the item down flat on newspapers, . . . flesh side down, . . . and leave it for about an hour. Take it up, . . . hang it up where air can get to it, . . . if you have a south facing door, . . . hang it between the door and the storm door, . . . let the sun bake it dry, . . . won't hurt it at all. Go get a pair of canvas gloves (or other kind you don't ever want to be seen in public again with), . . . get a couple of old worn out wash cloths, . . . and begin the bufffing / burnishing process. You want to buff that leather, . . . all sides, . . . all edges, . . . until you take a white paper towel and have to rub really hard to get any more residue off the item. This is especially necessary for the hair side of the leather (smooth side). When you get done, . . . your wrists and fingers should be a bit sore. Burnish the edges, . . . again with water only, . . . burnish them REAL smooth, . . . that is the difference between a leather butcher and a crafts person, . . . Take a CHEAP one inch bristle brush, . . . NOT nylon, . . . pig bristle works real well, . . . mix up the Resolene, . . . 50/50 with water, . . . shake well, . . . start on the flesh side, . . . and slobber the Resolene on. Brush it until you get a "lather" looking foam come up, . . . all along the flesh side, . . . turn it over, . . . do the same for the hair side. When I do belts, . . . I start out with them laying down, . . . after a good coat on both sides, . . . I hang em by the buckle to finish. You might want to take a scrap of leather, . . . dye and buff it (maybe 6 inches square) and practice your Resolene on it. The key is in the finishing strokes. You will put 2, or 3 wet coats, on, . . . one over the other, . . . getting a lather each time, . . . then quit applying, . . . start brushing out the bubbles, . . . left to right, . . . right to left, .. . up, . . . down,. . . sideways, . . . just keep lightly brushing until you have gotten all bubbles and the bluish tint of the Resolene gone. After you have let this dry for at least 24 hours, . . . get a dauber, . . . come back and re-burnish the edges with pure Resolene, . . . you might not notice a great improvement, . . . but that extra coating helps keep the water out of the edges. You can then do the shoe polish if you want, . . . but it will be darn near un-necessary. If I did use shoe polish, . . . I'd use the liquid "scuff kote". Anyway, . . . good luck, . . . happy Easter, . . . and may God bless, Dwight

It'll wind up being one of those things you do want to do, . . . or you don't want to do, . . . and only you can decide. I've made them where there was nothing at all done to the outside, . . . and I've made them where I finish the inside and outside with Resolene just like a regular holster. The Resolene makes for a much firmer holster, . . . but a little slicker in the pocket. It's a trade off, . . . and you alone can determine which way is best for you. May God bless, Dwight

Glad you got that figured out, . . . May God bless, Dwight

It won't work on every one, . . . but on most you can get away with making a piece for the billet end like Kevin said. I do it by opening my original belt up, . . . and adding a horseshoe shaped piece of leather to the belt body, like the little drawing shows. Opening it up will add an automatic inch or more depending on how you do your belts, . . . adding the horseshoe piece can give you however much you want. You can extend the horseshoe back to cover all the holes, . . . camoflage it by adding conchos or decorative studs, . . . you might get away with it. The other suggestion would be to cut it dead center in the back, . . . add the length needed, . . . and lace it back together with some fancy lacing. That is how I would do a cowboy action rig. Oh, . . . by the way, . . . I know you have figured this out by now, . . . but the unwritten rule # 1 on making belts: the people you are selling to have absolutely no idea at all as to what size belt they wear. They think that because that pair of jeans they bought 4 years ago (size 36 waist) means that they are still a 36. About half the time, . . . their fat little ( ? ) bodies have stretched those jeans out to 39 or 40 and they have to hold their breath to get em buttoned. And yes, . . . it goes for the gals as well as the guys. Long and short: take the belt they are wearing TODAY and measure it from outside of buckle to the most used hole. Make that measurement the center hole of your new belt you make for them. May God bless, Dwight

Really good looking, . . . thanks for the pics. May God bless, Dwight

You do fine work my friend. I really like the one on the bottom, . . . the big one. May God bless, Dwight

I'm not a fan of gum trag, . . . use it sometimes, . . . ruined a project one time when it got where it shouldn't be ( MY fault !!! ) and it blocked out the dye, . . . threw the project away. Just be careful with it, . . . Sometimes I like to dye the edges real dark if not black, . . . then go to the straight bees wax & polish the edges real good. That gives it an aura all it's own I think. May God bless, Dwight

I cannot speak for all of them, . . . but I can speak for one of the Springfield stainless models, . . . just too dad blamed big. I had a SA loaded some time back, . . . and at first I didn't quite understand why it didn't feel right in my hands, . . . and it was because it was slightly larger than my GI SA, . . . and my Rock Island 1911. I've made holsters for a bunch of 1911's and so far that SA loaded with out the ambi safety is the only one that caused me any grief. It was the big one. May God bless, Dwight

ksmith, . . . why go to the bother of trying to re-invent the wheel? Veg tanned leather has proven it's worth for decades as THE leather with which to create holsters that can be easily, realistically, and accurately molded to the specifics of most any hand gun. Using modern acrylic finishes, . . . on a time proven base material, . . . will give a superior product. I also had an email conversation with a well known national maker a couple years ago about the chrome tanned question. He told me he had wrapped a mild steel rod in a large piece of suede leather, . . . and stuck it in a safe. Months later he pulled out out to see what if any damage had occurred, . . . and if anything, . . . the suede leather kept the rod from being dinged by the other stuff that was taken in and out. Long and short: no damage, no rust, no problem. Additionally, . . . Galco for one is a prominent maker that uses suede in many of their applications, . . . they don't have problem. And yes, . . . suede is very much a chrome tanned leather. Personally, I would not use oil tanned leather for any holster that did not have a robust retention strap configuration on it. Remember the flap holsters the military used to hand out for their .45's, . . . many of them were oil tanned leather. You'ld get your pants literally greasy from using a new one. Anyway, . . . just some old codger thoughts. May God bless, Dwight

Jeremy, . . . the mix that I make, . . . I will use both inside and out. Since it is a "mix" it is not like pouring straight oil on the item. But then again, . . . it is one of those things you just have to get a feel for, . . . and I don't mean to sound snooty or anything by it, . . . but one of the main differences between a "maker" and a "craftsman", . . . is the craftsman puts thought into the project beyond just the mechanics. Think about it, . . . play with it, . . . make some mistakes it'll all come together as you go along. I got an Ebay message not long ago about a rig I sold on Ebay, . . . one I made for gun shows, . . . didn't need any more, . . . the customer was positively thrilled with it. Those are the things that will make your day for you, . . . and make you strive more for "craftsman" than for "maker". But again, . . . the mix can be used inside and out, . . . I use a wool dauber or a paper towel wrapped around a stick to put it down inside some of the pieces. May God bless, Dwight

Quite frankly, . . . I very seldom oil a newly made holster. IF I DO, . . . it is the hair side only. Oiling the flesh side gives me a holster that I don't like as it is floppy, spongy, and rubbery. I like mine to be stiff. AND I only oil a holster if I see the leather itself is especially dry. Otherwise, I don't. But in answer to your question, yes, I would think that this product is more than adequate for oiling your holster. May God bless, Dwight