dbusarow

Dwight, Go to the bottom of any page and change Massice Brown Crystals to IP Board Lo-fi Kind of ugly but it works really well and is really really fast. Dan

dmr400, A double layer gun belt is a pretty ambitious start to leather working! Not because it is technically more difficult than some other project, just because it is one heck of a lot of stitching. When you finish it your hand stitching will be worlds ahead of where it was when you started. So with that out of the way take a look at this http://www.wrtcleath...therstitch.html The prepunching that Chuck describes does two things for you. First it makes it a lot easier to keep the stab holes straight (perpendicular) and that helps a lot in making the back side stitches look good. Second, even though you still want a sharp awl blade it's not quite as imprtant since you are using a mallet or maul to drive the awl through the leather. After you get all the holes prepunched you will still want to use the correct technique of holding the awl and needles in your hands at all times and using the awl to stab each hole a second time just before running the needles through. That reinforces the correct technique and makes the actual stitching easier. One thing I did different than Chuck (that's Chuck Burrows who is a member here, take a look at some of his work) is just hold the awl blade between my fingers when prepunching. I found that when the blade was in a handle I didn't have the "feel" to keep it perfectly straight. Lastly, post an address. I bet some supplies would find there way to you. Thanks for your service! Dan

Jim, It's hard to imagine how much time you devoted to these tutorials. Thank you very much. Dan

PJ234, It's not that bad. It is time consuming, no doubt about that. Use shorter pieces, I use as much as I can hold with my arms outstretched, somewhere around 6'. Sometimes I make it a little longer than that but not much. Where you join together is just a variation on backstitching. Tie the thread ends together when the first strand gets too short to keep going. Take a new thread and start it 2-3 stitches back. Pull the stitches extra tight for those last couple stitches of the first thread to help eliminate bulk. Here's the thread I started when making my first belt. There's some good comments in the thread. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=16905 I've made two more. They get easier, and your hand stitching WILL get better. Either that or you'll quit. Dan

Sounds like you have a very bright boy. I think I was 10 or 12 before I tried driving Dan

Duncan's Outdoors. The Rodeo should be an exact Colt clone. Dan

Jim, I bet there's more than one of us hear that would appreciate reading about your method. If you're inclined to write it up I know I sure would be. Thanks, Dan

I love the green liner. And the overall color ain't too shabby either. Question on the stitching, do you have a special setup to do the double stitch lines or is that two passes on a normal machine? Thanks, Dan

Kevin, Is this just the buffing wheels you see for polishing shoes or something else? Dan

The way you attach them to saddles is by using a bleed knot in the strings. Whether or not that will work for your belt depends on the design of the belt. But I think it could look pretty cool to have strings hanging from each concho. Use really nice saddle strings of course since they would end up as a fairly prominent part of the design. Dan

I'll second that. Lightbox is nice for some things but I'm not sure the images included with posts is one of them. Most of the pictures included in posts here are very large so that we can show/see detail. I think the old behaviour of opening a new window for the image was a lot easier to use. Just MHO and you know what that's worth Dan

Great job skiving the layers of the welt. Really a nice transition from trigger guard to barrel area. And beautifully burnished too. How does the snap behind the trigger guard work? I looks great but also looks like it might be a little tricky to draw quickly. Dan

Thanks! You put in an awful lot of time and effort to help us newbies out. Dan

This is still available. Send me your best offer and I'll pass it along. You might get a surprisingly good deal. Thanks, Dan

I don't know but they sure look like you would attach them like a copper rivet. Did they come with burrs? Dan

It looks to me like View New Content right hand side, just under the ad banners. I also missed "View first unread" in the topics until I realized that it does that for you automatically now. That's nice. Dan

Josh, Duncan Outdoors is the place for older styles. http://duncansoutdoor.com/customs.htm http://duncansoutdoor.com/customs_album/ Dan

Where do you live? There may be a member near you who could help out. If your near me stop by, I have some Hermann Oak Old World harness leather that is about 1/4" thick. You can't dye or tool it though. Not easily anyway. Dan

I'll second the vote for plain old saddle soap. I too use the Fiebings and I've turned some pretty old, grungy tack into good looking stuff with just the saddle soap and water. Dan

I really like the way the attachment points on the scabbard are used as a decorative element. Very cool. Dan

Asking price lowered to $900 Thanks, Dan

Thanks Jim! Dan

Pete, The way they look to me is that it is two separate patterns. Both patterns are reduced. The part that needs to be stitched is a little fold out pocket for business cards/credit cards. Dan

I'm posting this for an acquaintance whose husband passed away. She is hoping to get $1,000 not including shipping. I didn't have a camera with me when I visited her yesterday so I've snagged pictures from the Artisan site. The machine looks like new. They bought it in 2004 and he passed away early 2008. Here is the description from http://www.artisansew.com/leather.html 797 AB NS LTHR, New Updated Model Very High Quality Walking Foot, Adjustable Height Presser Foot Walking Device to Climb over Heavy Obstacles, Front Foot Lifter. New and Improved Model of 797 AB Leather Stitching Machine Drop Feed Leather Stitching Machine with a Big "M" Bobbin Rotating Hook, Including an Automatic Oil Lubrication System with Reverse Feeding for Back-Tacking. For Sewing: Chaps, Chinks, Belts, Holsters, Check Book Covers, Wallets, Day Planners, Vests, etc. The Machine Sews Leather more than 3/8" and has a 5/8" Presser Foot Lift. The Maximum Thread up to size 138. New style front presser foot lifter and a dial adjustment for the presser foot walk height. A Dial Type Stitch Length Regulator Adjusts to 3.5 stitches per inch. Optional Presser Feet are Available. Controllable Stitching Speeds up to 190 SPM when included with the Artisan SR-2 Speed Reducer. Recommended Needle: Schmetz 135 x 16 #18 to #24 TRI Or Changeable to 190 R style needle. The machine includes the Artisan table top and heavy duty wheeled legs. PM or email me and I can put you in contact with the seller. Thanks, Dan

Guess I need to buy a spool and see how it works out. Dan