Hildebrand

Get a good overstitch wheel for spacing, no need for a round knife your utility knife with a sharp blade will do fine. Get a good strop to keep everything sharp. Jeff pretty much covered everything else.

I recently received a slot punch but it is not anywhere near sharp. What do you guys use to sharpen punches like this? It seems to have a good bevel in place. ‘Thank you. Todd

I dont know if you got this working or not but if the top is super tight, check the linkage for the presser foot. I noticed I had trouble a couple times and the thread coming along the top of the machine somehow go caught in the mechanism on the back just before the secondary tension. It makes the stitches get really short then the thread breaks. Todd

My wife has embraced by hobby by encouraging wall cabinets initially to keep things in(read not clutter up her house) but we quickly realized laying the rolled up double shoulders on top was not working. We bought what is supposed to be a pantry cabinet. It has an upper and a lower section with a shelf in between. I stand the rolled up double shoulders( I haven't bought any sides and right now don't have plans to) on the shelf behind the top door and the lower door has 4 large drawers behind it which also work very well for more storage. Mine came from Menards but I would think most of the home improvement stores would have similar. Todd

You won't necessarily produce a better product with a machine. You will get a more consistent product with much less effort and time involved. Todd

Very Nice. I always like something new and different. Todd

Another thought. Check the tension disc on the bobbin. I was battling my CB 4500 tension issues, it seemed like no matter what I did the knot would not change position. Then one day a felt a little click when I was checking the bobbin thread and from what I can tell the the little pressure disc was in a bind and no matter what I was doing with the screws the actual tension was not changing. Since then I can make small adjustments and the knot moves as it should into the leather. Todd

Did you recently re thread it? I had that exact balling up of the top thread once when I missed the take up lever in the re threading process. Todd

Be aware that the piece of leather you are looking at on eBay may or may not die the same as your existing shoulder. It's tough to match die on different pieces of leather. Todd

I got mine from Phillipsengraving.com very fast turnaround and very happy with the stamp. Todd

For the belt slots I have the wooden burnisher the fits a dremel tool, I got it on amazon for just a few bucks. It is pointed and you can work it down into the slots after you edge them. I am like Plinkercases I don't set the outside stitch lines until everything is sanded and lined up. I have a few where I thought it was "close enough" to sew and ended up with stitch lines on the back that were way closer to the edge than intended. Todd

I think it looks really good for a first. My first I couldn't get the gun in to mold. Only changes I would consider are moving the stitch line in a little from the edges, you don't give yourself much room for error there and edge and burnish the belt slots. Todd

I use a belt sander like the one pictured, mines not Harbor Freight but the same machine. It works great for getting all of the edges even on holsters but it does leave the edges slightly rough. Still much easier to finish by hand than to even them up by hand. I tried that this winter when it was below zero and I didn't want to walk out to the shop to use the sander. Word to the wise the belt sanders are very messy to use, I don't recommend using them in the house. I tried it and immediately realized the mess created was not worth the short walk to the shop. Todd

Make sure the wider tip will slide through the main portion of the sheath. Definitely use a welt, other than that it looks good. Todd

Thought I would throw my .02 on this. I received a letter from Tandy stating the new price roll out and I could pick up a gift card to refund my membership price or I could call and they would mail it to me. I called earlier today and what a circus. The lady on the phone tried everything to tell me I wasn't eligible for the gift card. Finally after the 3rd time I told her they sent me the letter I didn't just call out of the blue she said she would send the card and "not argue" with me, after she had argued for 10 minutes. I live 2 hours from the nearest Tandy and 6 hours from the nearest good Tandy. I am only 3 hours from the leather store in Billings, MT I think my trips are going to be that direction from now on. Really looking forward to the show in Sheridan in a couple weeks. Todd

Here is a picture of the ones I use from Home Depot. Todd

This is my first try at an IWB holster. Thank you to JLS leather for the pattern, this is a Kimber Micro in his Springfield Micro pattern. If I make it again for this gun I need to sweep the top of the front and back down a shade to completely clear the magazine release and squeeze the stitch line in at the very top a touch. I have a few issues with the sewing, I am starting to get on the same page as my CB 4500 but sometimes I still end up with a stitch where I didn't intend for it to land. Same with the presser foot marks. Any critiques or pointers welcome. Todd

The problem here is you have to have your snap location exactly where you want it before you glue the liner in. I just use a plastic screw head insert from the cabinet screw section of the big box hardware stores.

Not local but spent 3 years with a Boss. What kind of issues are you having? Todd

I just had the same thing happen with Strapworks. I needed some 3" plastic slides and they were the only ones that had them, it cost $7.50 for the slides and $8.00 for postage. Like above I just ordered more to drop the per item postage a bit. Todd

I am going to offer a different perspective. As stated above you really don't know yet if the cheaper tools won't get the job done for you. My personal opinion is there is a small percentage of people who tool leather that will actually notice the difference in the tools or people will notice a difference in the quality of their work based on the tools used. I would buy the cheaper tools learn the craft then decide if a more expensive tool will make the project better or would the money be better spent on additional tools, for me its been the money is better spent on more tools so I can accomplish more things. Maybe at some point in the future my carving/stamping skills will reach a level that the tool matters but not yet. Todd

I have watched a ton of utube videos and they are really hit and miss for leather. Stock and Barrel has some good ones but also some real clunkers. The sewing machine "review" videos I have came across are pretty lame no matter who the star is. I second reading the various threads here, if a machine is good you will see it and if it is not good you will see it. Todd

Just worked on 3 tonight. I use 4-5 oz for the loops. Todd

Looks good. What part of WY are you in? Welcome to the forum, there is a ton of great information here. Todd

Congratulations, no tips or tricks I have found yet. I just enjoy the heck out of mine.