Dwight

Duke, . . . a couple years back, a lady on this forum told of an old fashioned "Finish" she has used for a number of years. Gives a soft finish, . . . gives a sheen, . . . real easy to apply, . . . and very cost effective. Measure out equal parts BY WEIGHT of virgin bees wax and neatsfoot oil, . . . put in a jar (one you don't want to use for anything else again), . . . set it in a pan of boiling water, . . . wait for it to all melt together, . . . pour it into a little plastic tub and let it set up. It'll be similar to shoe polish, . . . put it on either with your finger tips or a small rag, . . . rub it in, . . . buff. I also like to hit the first coat or two with my heat gun set on low and far enough away that I can literally watch it melt into the project. I just finished a black, single holster, western rig, . . . most authentic looking one I ever did. The finish is soft both to the touch and to the sight, . . . and if it gets scuffed or anything, . . . real easy to fix. Again, . . . old fashioned, . . . but is a real nice looking finish. May God bless, Dwight

Because it is just basically a computer monitor, . . . the thing needs to be protected. Put something in the "cover" part that will protect the "screen" from the owner banging it up against a table corner, chair arm, etc. I'd use a thin Kydex sheet or something like that, . . . maybe a sheet of plexiglas, . . . but other than that, I think I would make them either like a zippered Bible cover or with a clasp like a clutch purse. And of course, . . . carve the thing front and back, . . . May God bless, Dwight

This will be the place: http://www.letargets.com/estylez_ps.aspx?searchmode=category&searchcatcontext=~080000~080200~080202 May God bless, Dwight

That looks good for your first one, . . . my first one did not look anything near that good, . . . but I still have it, . . . and sometimes still use it, . . . just for old time's sake. May God bless, Dwight

Resolene holster finishing 101: (hang some kind of string in it through a belt loop, . . . around a snap, . . . somewhere that is unobtrusive, . . . so you can hang it to dry) Thin resolene 50/50 with water. Obtain a cheap, BRISTLE brush about 1 inch wide, . . . not nylon, rayon, uberfiber, . . . bristle. Start with the holster opening, . . . where the gun goes. You can pour it, . . . brush it, . . . however you do it, . . . get the inside of that puppy wet through and through. Next, do the back of the holster, . . . slather it on until it gets good and wet, . . . and the brush strokes are causing a minor "foaming" of the product. Keep brushing until the bubbles are gone. Now lay the holster on your hand, . . . start adding resolene to the front, . . . again using quick brush strokes, . . . create a foam, . . . brush left, right, up, down, diagonal, . . . this will dissipate most streaks. You want a good coating on the front, . . . be careful not to over do it. Once the foam comes up, . . . you have enough, . . . stay with it and brush out the bubbles. End up by holding the holster by the string, . . . then brushing all the edges real good for a good looking edge. Bagkote holster finishing 101: (hang some kind of string in it through a belt loop, . . . around a snap, . . . somewhere that is unobtrusive, . . . so you can hang it to dry) I've not done a lot of this, . . . but am pretty well impressed with the results so far. Thin the bagkote 50/50 with water, . . . put in a small air brush, . . . mist a light coat into the gun cavity, . . . then the back, . . . then the front. Hang up to dry. Repeat as desired. I prefer Resolene, . . . am learning to use Bagkote, . . . do not use Atom Wax or super sheen. Hope this helps. May God bless, Dwight

Some years back, I purchased a shoulder holster for a friend, as I could not at that time make him one. It was not any thicker than 5 oz, . . . was very, very rigid, . . . and was a well made holster. Just relaying my experience, . . . May God bless, Dwight

Before you spend that cash, . . . try a little experiment. Take two belt blanks, 8 oz +/-, so the total thickness becomes .220 to .230, . . . stick em together with Weldwood contact cement (don't be tight fisted with it either, use a goodly amount), . . . edge, burnish, and sew with some 346 thread, . . . dye it a reasonable color, . . . give it a good coat of 50/50 Resolene/Water. Put it on a nickel steel roller buckle and wear it for a month, or a week, or until you are satisfied that you don't need a stiffener. While I am not a poster boy for morbidly obese, . . . I'm a pretty good chunk, . . . carry a full size all steel 1911 with 8+1 and up to 3 full stainless mags. My belt holds up my piece, . . . . all of its accouterments, . . . and my pizza belly, . . . Try it, . . . you just may like it. May God bless, Dwight

The "Boss" takes a bit of getting used to if you have any experience with a "standard" sewing machine that does clothing material. I still reach occasionally with my left hand behind the needle to lift the presser foot, . . . duh, . . . The good side beyond the durability of the machine, . . . is the people who make them. Mine got out of time, . . . rythem, . . . and I got out of patience. Called Ben at Tippmann, . . . told him I needed help with a capital "H" and he said bring it on in. Three hours later, my machine was sitting on his desk, . . . after a few of those doctor like, . . . "Hmmm"s, . . . "Ahhh"s, . . . and an "Uh Oh" or two, . . . he grabbed a battery drill and proceeded to disembowel my machine. When he stitched her back up, . . . she was sewing like she should. Cost, . . . a hand shake, and a "Thank You". That is my kind of warranty, . . . my kind of service, . . . and they are my kind of people. May God bless, Dwight

A few months ago, I was invited by a friend to bring some holsters, . . . sit at the gun show with him, . . . we'd chat and sell guns and holsters. If I had taken only the top stuff, . . . I would not have had a good day. Most of what I sold was the "not quite perfect" stuff, . . . including one absolutely hideous looking attempt at making a kydex tuckable for a 1911. The guy that bought it, . . . only wanted a holster he could slide down on the bed rail at his house, . . . for a night time gun. I could probably have gotten three times my price if I had marketed it that way. Anyway, . . . I'm in agreement with Lobo, . . . May God bless, Dwight

If you are doing only small stuff, . . . a 1 ton arbor press from Harbor Freight is only $50. I use it for everything from my maker's stamp down to my 1/2 inch lettering. The best part is that it gives me a "uniform" look across the lettering or stamping, . . . something I could not get with my mallet / hammer / sledge / hatchet / etc. May God bless, Dwight

ShortBBL, . . . I'm one who makes first, . . . dyes later. I've done the drum dyed, . . . won't be going back there, . . . don't like the leather. I've also dyed then assembled, . . . but most of the time, . . . it is assemble, . . . they dye. Lou Alessi was the other way around, . . . cut, dye, assemble. Dyeing is not an art, . . . but it can make you pull your hair out trying to get just the right effect. I'm working on a single holster western rig right now that I want to do in a light grey color, . . . I got the color I want, . . . but all top coats I've tried have altered the color. I'll just keep messing with it until I get it. I'm also in the process of building a spray booth, . . . got the gun & compressor, . . . gotta have a booth, . . . then the dyeing will get to be fun. Or maybe I'll really be bald, . . . whatever. May God bless, Dwight

The main most thing I have a problem with, . . . is watching my left hand. I'm naturally right handed, . . . eat, type, shoot, throw, shift, . . . do it all righty. Every time I pick my head knife up, . . . I make a mental note to watch that left hand, . . . because if it is in the way and I slip, . . . it is in trouble. That is also the reason that I use a drywall knife for most of my cutting. May God bless, Dwight

You may also like to try Feibings Ox Blood and USMC Black, . . . about a 2 to 1 ratio, . . . I've used that and been satisfied with the results. May God bless, Dwight

Thanks, hivemind, . . . I'm working on a late 1880's style SAA rig, . . . part of the "Set" is an antler handled knife that would double as a short sword, . . . never made one, . . . like the idea of the buttcap. Keep up the good work. May God bless, Dwight

FWIW, . . . I contacted Galco a couple years ago, . . . wanted to make myself another paddle, . . . their rep said they would sell me their plastic part for ten or twelve bucks. I thought about it, . . . decided against it. You may want to contact them. Stay away from the $20 jobs you find at cheap gun stores, gun shows, and flea markets. They break at the drop of a flea's hat. May God bless, Dwight

Spurs, . . . enclosed is the notes I give out/use for a class I teach on making a pancake. Take your time, . . . visualize each step, . . . PM me if you have any questions. May God bless, Dwight

I was thinking earlier today about a knife with an antler handle, . . . lo and behold, . . . here it is. Now for the $64,000 question: how do you lock the antler onto the handle without a rivet or pin showing? I can see a pin on yours, but on others I've seen I am at a loss as to how to do it. Thanks, . . . and both are some good looking work as far as I can see. May God bless, Dwight

What kind of holster do you want to make for it? May God bless, Dwight

Another thing you can do, . . . thin down some of the buckskin to about an 80/20 thinner to dye ratio in a small bottle. Just touch it with their yellow, adding drops with an eye dropper one at a time, . . . mixing, . . . spotting on a scrap piece of leather and quick drying with a hair dryer. You will probably come real close that way, . . . and when you find the combination that works good, . . . if you have access to an air brush, . . . try using it on some scrap leather pieces. The trick is to mix up the dye a bit lighter than you really want it to end up, . . . that way you can add successive coats and it will darken. Tricks learned after 30 years in a paint plant, . . . making automotive refinish paint, . . . but applicable to this operation also. May God bless, Dwight

FWIW, . . . I had several email discussions years ago with Lou Alessi on holsters. His professional process was to cut and then dye them. It was the second step in his process, . . . and considering that his business made thousands and thousands of holsters, . . . I worked out for him. I personally don't like to do it that way, . . . but then again, . . . I do a lot of things differently from accepted ways. May God bless, Dwight

All of the belts I sell on my website are double layer: I start out with the front piece, . . . hit it with calipers, . . . then go looking for the back liner. 8 oz is supposed to be .125 thick, . . . but often times will run much thicker, . . . and what I am looking for is a total of .118 to .124, . . . which my experience has shown me is just about perfect for carrying a handgun, ammo, etc. As mentioned, . . . cemented & sewn, . . . although I do have one out there I did not stitch, . . . it is a "trial" that has been going on for over 4 years now, . . . no complaints. May God bless, Dwight

I laughinly tell many of my (face to face & CHL) customers that the best way to get their holster to fit them and their gun: find a really good restaurant about 2 hours drive from home. Put on the holster, put in the gun, get in the car, turn on the heater, buckle up, . . . go get a meal at that restaurant. When you get home and get out of the car, . . . it will be fitting you like a glove. It takes a little body heat, . . . time, . . . etc. So far they have all laughed, . . . I don't know how many have done it, . . . but they haven't come back complaining either. The next step is to have him put the handgun in a baggy, . . . put on the holster with the handgun, . . . and wear it around the house for a day or two, . . . especially seated, . . . maybe watching a movie or two. Again, . . . the body heat will take care of it if there is any taking care of it to be done. It may be that you will have to remake it, . . . but so far I've been pretty much able to avoid that. May God bless, Dwight

We may be doing a "word play" thing here: but I have always called the black plastic thing that uses an actual razor blade a box cutter. They start out sharp, but are only good for about one belt, and the blade is wobbly and thin. I have x-acto knives gathering dust because they also are too wobbly and thin. I have three drywall knives that use a blade that is shaped like a trapezoid. The blades change by pushing a button at the blade end of the knife body, and as Bison mentioned, they need to be stropped well to stay sharp. On the average, I can cut 2 or 3 full belts out without having to stop and strop the blade. Having 3 knives allows me to also just pick up another knife and keep cutting. Sharpening each end of all 3 blades can take a half hour of time to do (also sipping a spot of tea or some coffee along the way) but it is well worth the effort when you see the final results. Doing only straight cuts in 6 oz leather, . . . you will love the drywall knife. May God bless, Dwight