Dwight

I need a pair of chaps about like most guys I know "need" another horse, another gun, or another dog, . . . but after seeing these, . . . I just might be tempted to haul off and make a pair. I started to make a pair several years ago out of naugahide type material, . . . primarily to keep the poison ivy & poison oak off my clothes when I did my weed eating thing, . . . but after I found out about Round Up and some other chemical weed eaters, . . . I shelved that project. You did a real good job, . . . I'll second the suggestion that there was probably one happy cowboy last Christmas. May God bless, Dwight

Looks like a Win, Win, Win to me: you were happy with the work, . . . client was happy with your work, . . . you were compensated for your work. What's to complain?? I'd be proud if I'd done that one. I did one for a Ruger a couple years ago, . . . stainless fluted barrel target .22 with a 4 power scope and regular sights both on it. Had to set the muzzle in first, . . . then rock the rest of it back onto a ledge that the trigger guard sat on, . . . grabbed the snap strap to hold the whole thing in place. It was a Win, Win, Win for me too. Keep up the good work, a lot of people I know wouldn't even have tried that one. May God bless, Dwight

I don't have any samples to show you, . . . but with my Tippmann Boss, . . . if you let up a bit on the tension, . . . you can nail that stitch where ever you want it, . . . just about any direction you want it from where you are now. You can get some pretty far out patterns by connecting the dots your way. I haven't tried the thin thread yet, . . . but I got a hunch it will work. May God bless, Dwight

Doug, . . . it probably is not the problem I had, . . . but it sounds just exactly like it. My "big" problem (there actually were several other little things) was that a set screw had loosened in the back of the machine. Around in the back of your Boss, . . . remove the cover, . . . there is a cross shaft up in the top. On the left hand side of that shaft is a collar, . . . mine had slipped and moved about 3 inches down the shaft. The proper position for that collar is the center of it being exactly 1 inch from the inside left edge of the machine. There is a wonderful mechanic at Tippmann's, . . . his name is Ben, . . . he fixed mine, . . . but I stuck it in the passenger seat of my Jeep and drove it there. Best wishes, may God bless, Dwight

Thanks for sharing, Cowboy, . . . yes, . . . He is good. We don't brag on Him enough in my book. May God bless, Dwight

I googled up this page, . . . http://www.mcpheetersantiquemilitaria.com/05_accoutrements/05_item_006.htm As Frank said, . . . 36 loops. May God bless, Dwight

I had some of the same problems when I did my first few belts. Yes, . . . matter of fact, . . . I groove both sides. I do my edges first, sanding and edging them to an acceptable final finish. Sometimes I even go ahead and burnish them. This is the trick necessary to getting the backside stitches in the groove where they need to be. I learned to position the stitch groove in the window on my presser foot so I could dictate to the machine where the next stitch would land as I made the turn. I actually move the belt while the needle is all the way down, . . . pivoting on the needle itself. I also drastically removed pressure from my presser foot. My belts or holsters will feed, . . . but I have it so loose that it just barely feeds, . . . and I have practiced to the point that I almost force feed it into the machine. That did get rid of those nasty marks you were talking about. My machine is a Tippmann Boss. May God bless, Dwight PS: They beat the heck out of a sail needle and a palm, . . . those sewing machines !!!

Most of my holster business is IWB's and I pretty much use Resolene exclusively. I have never taken my holster off and found it soaked with perspiration or even damp. It protects my weapon, . . . protects the leather, . . . and makes for a good looking product. 50/50 mix with water, . . . brushed on with a cheap, 1" bristle brush. Works great. May God bless, Dwight

It has taken some "work" to get me there, . . . some practice, . . . some effort, . . . but, yes, I do. The vast majority of my work is either a belt or holster, . . . and if there is any kind of "edge" from which to work, I do stitch groove on both sides. It makes it easier to lay the stitching flat with the work. One of my first and worst concerns was that I would get out of the groove on the back side, . . . and the ugly old groove would be there. That very rarely happens, . . . but when it does, . . . I work on that piece of leather with a spoon and some water, . . . and whey I get done, . . . it is almost impossible to find the place. May God bless, 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