Denster

I'm with Troop. I use 1&1/2 and 1&3/4 punches from Texas Custom Die that cut a slot 3/8" wide. Like all of the punches they need to be reground and sharpened because the way they come they are ground for punching through only one thickness of leather. I punch the slots after stitching. I case the leather front and back to tap and close the stitches then punch the slots. At whatever point you punch though the leather needs to be moistened to prevent top grain split at the end of the slots.

For cowboy mounted shooting you'll have to rethink the whole rig. The strongside holster should not be on a drop loop and should ride fairly high and should be farily snug on the belt. The crossdraw also has to ride high and orient the grip close to the belly button and should be snug on the belt. Pressure from the body on the grips will keep them in the holsters. Check some of the cowboy leather suppliers and look at their rigs for mounted shooting. This is an interesting sport , think barrel racing with guns, but it does require leather much different than the usuall fast draw rigs.

Whoa don't panic. The machine is fully capable of doing great work. Here are some tips. You didn't say what type and thickness of leather you are sewing. I'm going to presume that it is veg-tan at least 4OZ in total thickness. First are you using the S type chisel point needle. The standard needle works OK for garment leather and canvas but for veg-tan you need the S type. Second is the needle the right size for the thread you are using and is it oriented properly in the machine? Third what type and size of thread are you using? Fourth most folks think they need a lot of bobbin tension. You don't. The thread should flow freely from the bobbin with light, less than 1lb, resistance. Set your thread tensioners as per the manual. Make sure that your thread stand and that wire guide allow the thread to come off the spool with no resistance at all. Fifth on uneven stitches this is often the fault of not having enough presser foot pressure in combination with too much bobbin and tensioner tension. These are some things to try. It would really help to know what leather you are using and what thread along with some pictures to help diagnose the problem.

If you find a source be sure and let us know. To my knowledge the only US tannery doing horsehide is Haroween in Chicago and all of the production of the main hides goes to the garment and upholstery industry. What is available to us mere mortal holster makers are horse butts that are the remnants of processing shell cordovan.

That's handy. Thanks for the post.

The aluminum oxide with beeswax is not a rouge. The beeswax is to hold it to the leather. This will sharpen a dull edger in short order. If you can't buy from Weavers make one.

Weavers sells about the handiest device for both sharpening and stropping edgers. All it is is a 2X6 plank about 18"long. Heavy leather that has been edge beveled is set in four saw kerfs lengthwise in the board. There are two different thicknesses for small and large edgers. On two of the strips you rub with beeswax then sprinkle with powdered aluminum oxide this is for sharpening. On the other two you rub in jewelrs rouge. These are for stropping. Every time I sit down to edge a piece I run the edger a couple of licks over the sharpening side and 8 or 10 strokes over the stropping side. It only takes a few seconds and I always have a sharp edger. I believe they charge 12 bucks for the tool but it would be easy to make.

You will like it. A powered machine is nice if you do long stitch runs or larger projects where throat depth is an issue. Speed is not a factor as you can sew as fast on the Boss as most folks run their powered machines. If you like plump stitches, I do, then 346 top and 277 bottom makes a nice plump stitch and you have to wind bobbins less frequently. On needles get the Smetz S type chisel point needles for leather. I like bonded poly thread better than nylon because I find it runs through the machine smoother. A left presser foot and center foot are nice to have. Skip the stirrup plate it is a waste of time. Some folks like the edge guide I don't. If you want one let me know and I'll sell you one cheap. If you have any problems don't hesitate to call Tippmann they will bend over backwards to help you out. Or PM me and I'll try to walk you through a solution. You are right about resale value. Keep it clean and oiled and you can use it for a long while and still get most of your money back.

Tippmann still supports the machine and carries a full line of parts.

I'd suggest that you resist the urge to do that. The reinforcing collar is glued as well as sewen and attempting to retrofit a metal reinforcement will likely ruin the holster.

Bob One more tip. Go to Springfields website and register your tax ID# and business name and it will unlock the wholesale prices so you can see them on line. Good luck with your new business.

I have some imported double backs in 8/9OZ that is the same way. Much harder to cut that even Hermann Oak and I had to hold my groover at a steeper angle to get it too cut. The upside is that even though it took longer to absorb moisture for molding it made up into very nice holsters. I think it probably has to do with the method of tannage. I think if I were you I would loose the exacto knife and get a good round knife or at least a good utility knife and strop the blades before use.

Really should do as Particle suggests and get a state sales tax ID. That doesn't get the IRS involved and it really is worth the time to be able to buy at wholesale. Weavers is a wholesale only outlet .Springfield is both retail and wholesale. To answer one of your questions most of the tools Weaver sells are Barry King. I've had very good service at both places. I call all of my orders in both at Springfield and Weaver. Calling Springfield is always a good idea because the carry far more than is in their catalog so if you want something and don't see it call anyway and likely Kevin has it or knows where he can get it.

Rick I've got a pair of 40 durometer gum rubber pads 12x12x1 you could have for $70 shipped. I bought two pairs from Mcmasters Carr when I built my press so I woud have a backup set and never used them. The first set still looks like new can't wear the darn things out. PM me if you are interested.

Go to the holster and knife sheath topic and look at some of Particles work. Those are all stitched on the Boss and are an excellent example of what can be done.

Several things come into play. First for punching through two layers of heavy leather the punches have to be reground at the primary bevel. Otherwise the shoulder is trying to stretch it's way through. Two use at least a three pound maul four pounds is better. Third the punch must be really sharp. You need a well polished very shallow bevel on the inside of the punch. This is only one to two degrees and extends inside about 1/8. Third a solid surface is mandantory. I use a poly board on top of my granite slab. Four you need to case the leather before punching. Even with the reground primary bevel there will be some stretching at the ends and you can tear the top grain if you don't case. I can punch through two layers of Hermann Oak 8/9OZ with one at most two good solid whacks.

Mine is #30 . No it doesn't have a fleece cinch.

Wow! That is nice. You have changed the design a lot. Have to revise my estimate on stitching time. On the one you show the areas that are stitched I'd estimate could be done on the Boss in 20 to 30 minutes.

Bobby I guess it would save you quite a bit of time. You wouldn't have to make much of a change as the cylinder bed on the Boss is 3" in diameter so just increasing the diameter a bit so it wouldn't drag as you rotated it sewing the top and bottom rollover welts would be enough. I did think of a way you could close the back with the Boss. If you were to take a 1" wide strip of say 3OZ the length of the cup and glue it in overlapping the rear seam you could then stitch it parralel to the ends just above the rollover on the top and bottom and again top and bottom about 1&1/4" in from both ends. You would still have to punch the holes for the attaching thongs of course.

Bobby Examining the one I have. If you increased the cup and top guard from 3" to 3&1/4" so it could be rotated around the cylinder arm once it was glued up I could do all of the sewing with the exception of the closure at the back in under five minutes. That is everything including the tab for the sling and the cup and top guard attachment points. I don't know how long it takes you to do all of that lacing with the artificial sinew but I imagi8ne the time savings would be significant. The Boss is also useful for things llke pocket quivers (I've sold a lot of those) bracers (particularly with sewen in stiffeners) and just a whole slew of other things. If I thought about it long enough I could probably come up with a way to close the back with the Boss also. Just a really usefull machine.

Doing overlays is not a problem. Sounds like the Boss would fill your needs. I second the stitch precision which is the reason I use it for 98% of my holster work. Belts only take a little longer but I generally do them on the aerostitch anyway as my arm doesn't get as tired. Speed is not really an issue as you can sew as fast with the Boss as most folks run their powered machines. Tippmann service after the sale is great and if you have questions don't be afraid to call. Very friendly folks. By the way I've had one of your side quivers for a couple of years now. I like it a lot.

I have two of them and together they have sewen over 3000 holsters plus assorted accessories, knife sheaths and archery gear. I like them a lot. I also have a aerostitch for jobs where the narrow throat of the Boss is a problem. They are built like a tank and the only thing I have broken are a couple of needles and a presser foot cable that wore out. If you are even slighty mechanically inclined you can tear the entire machine apart and reassemble it yourself. It does not work well on garment weight leather but anything heavier up to 3/4" of veg tan it will sew it no problem. Setting it up and using it is a lot less complicated than a powered machine. I know people report having trouble sewing and I would guess that is inexperience at sewing and failing to call Tippmann for assistance. A lot of people must like them as they sell used generally for about 75% of new price. I'm sure there will be someone along to tell you how awful they are. I'm just relating my experience and opinion.

Hermann Oak is as good as it gets for holster making. I use it almost exclusively. That said heating to 130deg F for 20 to 30 minutes after molding greatly improves it's ability to hold it's form in the long term.

I have to agree with Dwight. Wearing the holster with the gun in for a few hours will let the holster conform to the individual. I pre-contour all of my holsters as Particle does because it eases the break in period. A properly formed pancake style holster is always going to be tight the first time it is worn, even pre-contoured, as the belt tensions the holster front and rear around the weapon.

A cheap convection oven from Wal-Mart works great. Make sure to put a cooking thermometer inside and keep the heat between 120 and 130. More than that is not good.