CaptQuirk

@TinkerTailor- That last part was a neat tip. As far as the globs on the shaft, I really don't think about it. I just scrape it along the inside edge when I wipe the brush to get rid of the excess. Just like when I tip the dye jar on my sponge, I now do it AWAY from the leather I'm working on, in case it spills out. Things you learn to do and not to do.

@malabar- I think that after punching, sanding and burnishing, the slot should open up a bit more. If not, maybe burnish and sand a little more aggressively? You can always remove more, but you can't put it back. I have a small pile of holsters to prove that last point.

I knew that, I was just being facecious...faseci.. I was being a smartarse

Was the horse bad? It looks like its wearing hand... hoof cuffs?

Why do you cut it? I've been using it full strength with a brush as a resist. It works ok, if I am patient enough to apply a few coats... and wait overnight. When I'm not patient enough, it doesn't work so good. I found that out with some interesting results.

@Widget- My Mom's family was from Wilmington, I remember going through Nwark as a kid! Back on topic, I just use the brush that comes in the can of contact cement. The only tip I have, is to wipe the excess globs off the brush, and brush from the center out past the edges. This helps keep the brush from hitting the edge with glue, less clean up before burnishing the edge.

I just got a response from Texas Custom Dies. A curved 1 3/4" slot punch is $125 plus shipping. Weaver has an Osborne 1 1/2" curved for $43. I'm sure it isn't the same quality, but it is either one punch and no leather, or a cheap punch and leather with free shipping for the same price. I can work with cheap

That looks as good as anything in the reproduction catalogues... and extra bonus kudos for doing it with the period styled tools. That is above and beyond.

Nice! Did you burn the image in?

@alpha2- I tend to shoot for 3/16" for my stitching, so I mark the line in a little more, so that I still have that 3/16" worth after sanding and shaping the edges. But like I said, you are doing a great job.

A really nice job for a second attempt. I can't wait to see what else you do. The stitching looks like it might be a little close to the edge, but that isn't likely to be an issue. So, good job, and keep it up!

@tnhomestead- I used the hole punch and my pocket knife with a straight edge for straight slots. It does ok,, but a real punch would be nice.

@HBAR- I agree 100% with you about the time saving and quality of results. I couldn't tell you how much time I put into those two slots, and they were far from being what I wanted. As for the curved slots, I used them on a small of back holster, so that the guy could have a little adjustment on the position. I don't do a whole lot of holsters with belt slots, but just one was enough to know it sucks doing them by hand. Straight slots aren't too bad though.

@MADMAX22- Being serious, I have used a lot of the chicago screws from Weavers, most of them being bought in the 6 pack packages from the hardware store, some recently bought from Weavers directly. Never had any issues with them not working as expected.

As a person who just attempted to do curved belt slots by hand, I agree 100%. Was that $80 each, or for the pair?

Females can often be temperamental,, Did you try some soft music and conversation first? :).

@rickybobby- How much was that belt slot punch, and was it straight or curved?

I have a system that really limits the amount of dust- I do everything by hand. No expensive or fancy machines to make thing quick and easy for me, no sir. The only dust I create is when I fart... Oops! Did I say that out loud?

Unless you need matching Black hardware And in general, a lot of places will only carry shiny nickle or shiny brass. If you want antique or gunmetal, etc., you are out of luck. That is one of the reasons I like buckle guy, they usually have a good selection of finishes and designs.

I really like the finish and white thread on the far right 1911, but they all look good.

Very nice work! I'm envious of you folks that can do lacing. What leather is that you used?

I like BuckleGuy, and they are usually my first stop when sourcing hardware. If I have any complaints, it is that the website could be a little easier, and the selection could be a little larger. That said, the site is NOT the worst I have tried to navigate. But, it could be organized a little better. This last holster I put together, the customer wanted all black hardware- this meant buckles, o-ring, d-rings, rivets, and chicago screws. I could not find half the hardware I needed, and ended up at Weavers. They had all that I needed in one stop, but the site was hard to navigate. 10-15 pages of buckles to navigate one at a time, with a slow connection. The search feature did not work. All in all, BuckleGuy has a decent selection of hardware and other supplies, good prices, and deliver quick.

It seems like i ran across this place too. If I remember correctly, they also have a rental program for the mold guns. Something like $30 and you get it for 2 weeks? I didn't like the site, because they want you to place the order, and then they let you know if they have the gun you need.

@tnhomestead- Ok, gotchya. I was wondering why you sent me your number Thank you!

I talked to him maybe 2-3 weeks ago. He is very busy, and doesn't get around to checking this site much. The phone he listed is the way to go. He said something about updating the list, but is obviously over his head in work.