Denster

Particle Just a suggestion. Since it doesn't seem like you have the available time to make a great deal more holsters per month. Why not calculate at the best how many more you could turn out and use that figure to decide on the most frequently requested one to four additional blue guns to buy.

For a first project that is way better than just OK. Good goin!

Maybe it's just me. Where does anyone see any contention rearing it's ugly head here? Malabar asked for critique on a new design that I presume he is going to market. When I post holsters I have built for critique I may not agree with some of the responses I get but sometimes it does cause me to rethink some things and make changes I didn't notice but someone else did and I end up with a better product in the end. Marketing a new design can be expensive in time materials and energy it's not a bad thing to have some different input. Obviously Malabar is somewhat new to the business, we all were at one time, but it is obvious he does have some talent. I just noticed K-Man's response. Yeah what he said!

You suspect there is a huge difference? If you are going to be in the holster business you should have a pretty good working knowledge of holsters in general not just the particular style you choose to build. Just my opinion YMMV

I'm afraid I still fail to see the real advantage. Schools and the Post Office are gun free zones not holster free zones. Seems much simpler to just secure the weapon. What I meant by the bind is that pancake designs where the centerline of the gun is aligned with the centerline of the holster puts pressure aganst the back and front of the holster when it is on the belt with the weapon in. This pressure is one of the things that gives even a poorely designed pancake holster good retention when it is worn. With the flat back design most of that pressure is lost. You essentially have the entire holster pouch attached to a flat back. Then with the 5/6 OZ weight leather you may have good retention when new but long term I think is problematic. I doubt whether too many of the better holster makers would disagree. It sounds like you are a pretty efficient workman to complete those holsters in an hour. Better than I could do. You might be well served to take K-Man up on his offer to post photos of well designed pancake holsters and explain the drawbacks of your design. Legitimatly he is one of those better holster makers you refered to.

K-Man and Katsass pretty well covered the ride hieght and cant. A few things I noted. I've never been much of a fan of snap on OWB holsters. That is a YMMV situation of course but I don't see any advantage for the added complication. I also don't see the purpose behind flat back designs. It complicates the build process and does not add materially to the concealablity over a well designed pancake. It also gives up much of the pancakes retention ability by not having a bind on the holster with the weapon in this would also be escaberated by the use of 5/6 for the outer panel. I'm curious as to what price point you intended to bring this holster in at? With all of the complications you've added. ie: Flat back, metal reinforcement, snap on loops etc. it looks like a time consuming design to build.

Looks pretty good for your first attempt. The sight tunnel is acutally just about right.

See my previous post regarding the particular leather you bought. Regarding your question as to how drumm dyed veg tan behaves. The only difference you will note is that it takes just slightly longer to take up moisture and I mean slightly more. Other than that you will notice no difference from natural veg tan in either molding or heat firming. From a practical aspect it is best to stay with W&C or HO. Yes they are more expensive but you are only talking a difference of two or three dollars per holster or less and the difference in quality of the finished product will be light years ahead. If you want your holsters to look like Milt Sparks then you have to start with the same materials. As simple as it is.

I thought I recognized that order number. 11-1211VC. I ordered two of those awhile back. Had the same experience you did. I called Weaver's to ask them just what the heck it was. Turns out that it is highly compressed bullhide used generally to make portable radio cases etc. It will not absorb moisture period and I couldn't get it to glue up even using Masters. I used it finally to make dress belts and rifle and shotgun carry straps. Oh yeah don't bother trying to burnish the edges either. If you want something in drum dyed black that works well and I mean really well. Get the 03-430S Hermann Oak Black Strap sides Weaver's has them in 6/7 and 7/8. The color is struck through and it molds and firms up like well Hermann Oak. Seriously I've bought over 150 sides and they are great. If you want different colors go to page 58 which is the Hermann Oak Bridle Leather starting with 02-320S. Now before someone tells me bridle leather won't work for holsters this is not your usual bridle leather. It is much drier than english bridle and will absorb moisture and mold and firm up very nicely. The color is not struck through however. Or you can do as Tony suggested and get W&C drumm dyed backs.

The triggerguard on the P7 M8&M13 is about 1/4in longer than that on the PSP. A PSP will fit into a holster for the M8 but you will not have the proper fit at the front of the triggerguard.

Really nice looking holster. Quick question if you don't mind. What weight is your shark and what weight leather do yo bond it to for your loops?

Most of the designs don't have a pad in them. They are used generally to provide a little friction and keep the butt from slipping when working the action.

You're welcome. Glad it's working.

The 4OZ spools have a tendency to add considerable resistance to releasing the thread and a lot depends on how they were laid up. I've got some off colors that I only have on 4OZ and I do what twinoaks recommended. It will really mess your stitching up if a loop sticks on the spool and you don't catch it. It happens occasionaly with the one pound spools but I can generally feel it and correct it before it's a problem but then I've been sewing with my two for a long while. Also twinoaks and particle made some good points in their posts.

It doesn't what I would call hang up it just requires some extra pressure right at the top of the stroke as that is when the cam on the needle shaft pushes the thread takeup lever into final popsition and pulls the loops of thread into the leather. If you don't feel this when dry cycleing the machine but do when sewing then that is what it is.

OK I watched the video several times. I am presuming you have lubricated the machine? For the most part it sounds and acts just like both of my bosses. A few things I noticed. One that table will never do. Way to much wobble. Second you could probably use about two more complete turns on the presser foot pressure screw. Third you do not have it threaded correctly. The thread should pass in front of the pin that is between the double hole pin below the thread guide and the first tensioner. You have it passing behind it in the video. Regarding the presser foot pressure. It must be enough to hold the material in place as the thread lift bar pulls the stitch into place. If it is not the material will be pulled forward resulting in some bad looking stitches and the inconsistant pull up you are seeing on the thread take up arm. Most folks try to get by with as little pressure as possible to avoind marking the leather and cause themselves all kinds of problems. The marks are easily removed and shouldn't be a concern.

Mike What you are probably noticing regarding the click and then the extra pressure at the end of the stroke when actually sewing is the cam on the needle bar that raises the thread takeup arm. On the newer machines the thread takeup arm is springloaded to keep a bit of tension on the thread. The click is when on the upstroke the cam hits the thread takeup bar. The extra pressure at the end of the stroke is the bottom loop being pulled into the leather. If you are really feeling it you probably have the bobbin tension set way too tight. Most new users do this. As to the 1lb for setting bobbin tension this is not a precise measurement. Just back off your bobbin tension till the thread flows smoothly with slight resistance when pulled.

Here is the link to the troubleshooting video. http://www.tippmannindustrial.com/video.php?image=Trouble&osCsid=e353727d737d6bff8a0cb1542c6bb316 You will need to watch it all the way through as the rack gear is the next to the last segment but you probably should watch all of it anyway. It wouldn't allow me to fast foward to just that segment. Wouldn't be a bad idea to download it and burn it to a cd.

It sounds like you have a timing issue. With the boss this is a simple situation. You didn't say if this was a new machine or one you purchased used. I am suspecting that you either have a broken tooth on the AR-05 shuttle shaft gear or a broken tooth on the rack where it contacts that part or you have a piece of something in there that is gumming up the works. At least that is what it sounds like. If it is a new machine I would call Tippmann tomorrow and they will take care of you. If it was a used machine go to their website and watch the video on installing a new rack. It's pretty simple and will let you take the rack out to examine it and with a flashlight the shuttle shaft gear. You will also see how to reinstall the rack for correct timing. It's easy and not rocket science. One other possibility is that the lock screw on the needle shaft gear AR-10 came loose and allowed the gear to rotate a bit. Hope this helps.

Toledo is a good place to buy so is Weaver's if you have a tax ID#. Both poly and nylon work well in the boss. I switched back to nylon because my aerostitch hates poly. Make sure hwen you ordern needles to get the 794S which is the chisel point for heavy leather.

Sorry I do not. Essentialy it is just a line 24 snap. The front and back snap areas of the holster meet over the part of the weapon covered and close on the centerline of the weapon. When the weapon is drawn it wedges between the two parts and separates the snap. Alessi used to use this design but I think the only place it is used now is Ken Null uses it on his city slicker shoulder holster.

I suppose you could use a pull through snap design as that has no dexterity. You might want to consider making it from nylon instead of leather as leather will conform to nthe curvature of the body.

Hand stitch a belt! That will hone your skills allright. This is not the only way to do it it's just the way I do it. First I skive the buckle end of the outer piece. Next I die the outside layer I don't dye the liner. I cut the liner about 3/8in wider than the outer layer and glue the two together. Next I use my roundknife to trim the excess. Next I case the outer layer and impress my stitchine. Then I sew it up. Next is edging and edge finishing and punching the holes and slots. Last is to apply choice of finish and assemble.

I doubt that the Tormek would be very useful for sharpening leatherworking tools it is mostly for woodworking chisels and plane blades. Pretty pricey also. I have used my Drill Doctor sharp all to sharpen old abused round knives. I also power strop my round knives on a buffer with a paper wheel loaded with jeweler's rouge. Both of those tools together are about half the cost of the Tormek in basic form.

That of course begs the question. For what purpose?