Well, here it is, my first post. I just started dabbling in leather again after more than a year off. I've only made a few things total, so I'm still rough. I got a .22 Henry Golden Boy for my birthday and thought it would be nice to have something western styled to carry my bulk ammo to the range in. I bought a book on braiding and did a round braid with a single piece of lace for each of the front corners and another for the back and flap, it was a lot of fun. Please give all of the critique you can, I'm here to learn.
Notice how I used the same radius object (a vase) to do the outlines for my border tool on the front flap. After seeing how that creates a whider gap in the center than at the edges I thought, Duh! I should have known better. Maybe I need a wing divider. Also, any advice on how you space your lacing holes from the edge without running a line on the leather? It's not extremely obvious, but I notice it.
Next time I would also v gouge the back flap a little higher on the back pannel, as the top sits funny against the back of the side flaps. I could also have rounded the back corner of the side flap to ease the top over it.
Side note: the box pattern I designed and layed out on paper myself. Then last week I got Stohlman's case making books for my next project and WHAM, it looks like I copied it right out of the book. Flattered me a little though, apparently we came to the same idea.