Denster

No Problem. A welted back seam is made by inserting another thickness of leather between the front and back panels of the holster in the area of the triggerguard and below it. Has several advantages as it protects the stitches and puts less strain on them and makes forming somewhat easier particularly with heavier leather. I should also mention that this weight leather is good for very large knife sheathes particularly those designs that are two piece construction and use a welt front and back.

10/13 skirting can be used to make holsters of some types. Pretty much limits you to fold around with a welted back seam. Usefullness is pretty much limited to sporting holsters for large handguns and some duty style holsters. It can be formed to the gun but detail boning is very limited. At that price it doesn't hurt to have one around for an option.

They only weigh between 25 and 35 lbs depending on whether it is the newer aluminum casting or the older cast iron. Pretty simple machine actually. Pop the back off just a simple plastic cover and see if the innards are rusted. Pull the handle and cycle it and see that all the parts move. There are probably some attachments with it check and see that they are not incorporated with another auction lot. Watch the maintenance and demo videos on the tippmannindustrial.com site to get an idea of how it should operate. Bottom line is that they sell used on eBay for $900 and Tippmann will completely rebuild and service for about $100 so if you can get it for $600 or less you are good to go. If this is your standard estate auction you may be surprised at how low it goes. I bought my first one for $75. They are an excellent stitcher and very rugged. Good luck.

Lobo I think you are really on to something here. I threw together a trial piece from some scraps this evening for a Taurus Slim I picked up at the gun show today. I allowed I/2 the frame thickness plus leather thickness and1/4 in fudge factor to the rear edge of the front wing loop and a little more on the rear wing. I can't believe how flat it lays and I can buckle in the same hole I use without a gun on. Way to go.

I've always thought that rough out IWB and Pocket holsters were a good advertising gimic to allow makers to use up leather that had defects on the grain side and not have to go through the finishing steps. What little friction is provided is soon lost due to burnishing from the method of carry. A good holster design is what provides abscense of shifting. That being said you can seal, to some degree, the flesh side with Leather Sheen however no matter what, if it is dyed and you sweat on it, you may get some bleed on your clothes. If you like black use vinegaroon to color. It has nothing to bleed out.

Charlie Yeah I know itt doesn't look right but it works and that is whats important. I had to file my bracket also. It is a generic lube pot it isn't made by Tippmann or for Tippmann.

Really nice looking holster Lobo. I'll be interested to hear the field reports. I see the potential advantages. Thanks for sharing.

There are a couple of ways to mount it but the most convenient I found was to mount the end of the bracket on top of the thread stand by the bolt that connects the thread stand to the machine. You can then angle the pot so it is a direct shot to the first double hole thread guide.

Go to www.proleptic.net they have manuals for just about everything.

Henry Do you by any chance have any of the presser foot adjusment valves for sale? If so PM me I need one. Dennis

Whoops! Correct last post model is P6C-8

The full model is the bostitch p6-8c. That is the heavy duty model that uses the heavy duty crown staples. You can google it or they have them on eBay. Best prices seem to be around $27 plus shipping.

The presser foot doesn't walk the leather the needle does. The presser foot just holds it in place. If the material is being pulled back and/or up you likely have too much top thread tension. Less likely is a presser foot valve leak or if your machine has the optional presser foot adjustment valve installed it is set too low.

The blade is deffinitly the problem. I bought a set at Harbor Freight came with the adjustable groover, adjustable V gouge, and a #2 edger for $12.95. All had to be sharpened but the groover had to be reshaped and sharpened. The Tandy blades fit perfect and the handle itself is good.

Kate Ahhh! that is an entirely different ball of wax. From what you just stated plan B is the best option followed by a hearty "get lost dude"

From what Kate described this is a personal check not a credit card and no other money is involved outside of product and shipping costs for the customers desired shipper. It may be a little odd but not neccesarily criminal. There is no probable cause for an arrest until the check bounces. As to arresting the shipper. Again no probable cause and in any case what if the shipper is UPS or FedEx with a call tag. Remember the shipper has to be knowingly involved in a criminal scheme to be arrested. I still maintain the original options. The customer, if legit, will not balk at time for the check to clear as that is pretty much accepted business practice. If you cash the check and it bounces then turn it over to LE. In any case do not ship till the money is solidly in your account.

Thanks for the heads up. Cost me $370 though. Lots of neat stuff.

Two options Kate. First tell him there is a two week delay on shipping for personal checks to clear that is pretty much standard anyway. If he balks or you don't want to risk the returned check fee if your bank charges one then just send the check back as a return to sender unopened and tell him to get lost.

Joe I dont know of any books on making holsters for duty use or concealed carry. Most of the custom makers have a LE background and know from experience what works and doesn't. The level II and III retention holsters all use some type of reention on the trigger guard that requires some pretty forceful twisting and manipulation of the weapon to clear leather. Not something that would work with a shoulder rig. Bianchi had a devise for awhile that would work on a shoulder rig. It had a button that engaged the trigger guard on holstering and a lever attached to the button that when triggered by the users fore or ring finger released it. It worked after a fashion but not terribly secure. I would suggest browsing the websites of the major manufacturors and custom makers of this type of holster is about the only way to get an idea of what is viable. If your customer can only wear a shoulder rig then he needs to have a plan to guard against a gun grab. Tactics beats equipment every time. I once saw a 120lb female rip my partners Python clean out of the side of a Safariland belt holster. He had a plan and got his weapon back.

The function of the retention strap on a shoulder rig is to keep the gun from falling out of the holster not protect from gun grabs. The way the shoulder rig is worn on the body pretty much precludes the use of the mechanisms used on the level II and III retention holsters worn on a duty belt. If weapon retention is a concern then stay away from shoulder rigs and go with a good high ride strong side belt rig.

As with most crafts there are a lot of good ways to do the same thing. Twin Oaks posted a good and very workable idea regarding boning inside a poly bag. I do essentialy the same thing as I use a vacuum bag for forming and bone the details through the bag. I don't see the necessaty of putting the gun in a bag or wrapping it with anything as I want the tightest fit possible since it will loosen slightly the first time it is worn. When I use real firearms for forming I have them waxed with Johnsons paste wax which protects them nicely. Heating to between 120 and 140 degrees after forming for about 30 minutes will release collagens in the leather, think liquid hide glue, and result in a stiffened holster that will hold it's form a good long while. I dip my dried holsters in warmed neatsfoot oil, about 90deg. Just a quick dip to coat all surfaces not a soak and let the excess run off. It does not negatively affect holster form or stiffness. Other have different ways that work for them. Try different ways and see what works best for you.

Johnsons paste wax in the yellow and red can from your local Kroger or equivalent store. Thin coat on let dry and buff. I have a highly acidic system and can rust metal by looking at it:). I use it on the tables of my shop tools, hand tools, the firearms I use for wet molding holsters and any other metal surface I might touch. Works great and lasts a long time and easy to renew. Cheap too I've been using the same can for over five years.

Check your previous post under sewing leather.

The aerostitch doesn't come stock with a presser foot pressure adjustment. Tippman offered and may still have an aftermarket valve to adjust the presser foot pressure. As to the stitching problem I would first make sure you are using the correct size needle for top and bobbin thread combo. Try slowing it way down and watching each stitch to see if the material pulls back toward you as the needle goes up and pulls the stitch tight. If it does you may have a leak in the presser foot valve. In any case you can call Tippmann and their Tech will walk you through things to check. Really they will. All necessary parts are still available. One other thought, you didn't wind your bobbin too tight and do have the thread comming off counter clockwise don't you.

Harbor Freight sells a 5Gal 2HP compressor for around $100. Less when on sale. It will run the aerostitch just fine. The compressor doesn't have to be capable of 5cf continuous delivery if it has at least a two gallon tank. One of the pancake compressors will run it fine also. Set the delivery output at 90psi and start stitching. When you hear the compressor kick on stitch for another few inches and then wait 30 or 40 seconds until it kicks off and go back to work. My compressor is the one with the five gallon tank and I can stitch continuously all around a gunbelt before the compressor kicks back on. Hope this helps.