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That's what I needed to know guys. To the edges it is. But it does sound like it would be difficult to keep your glue bench dry & clean. Oh well.....

I've started having problems burnishing my belts. I recently started using 2 straps of 7/8 oz leather, gluing & sewing 3/16" in from the edge. I can't seem to get the two layers to marry together as I burnish (I've tried many concoctions). I sand with 120 grit & then with 220. And still the end result is very poor quality. Could it be my gluing? I have not run the glue all the way to the edges of the belt - stopping somewhere arount 3/16 to a 1/4" from the edges. Then roll with a paper hangers hand roller to force the air out & to smooth out. When I sew could that force the edges to seperate to a degree? Should I glue all the way to the edges & then sand off? Any ideas to correct this problem.

Ray, It looks good. Congrats.

sfcan; I bought the same exact press to do holsters on & IMO it's crap. I will never purchase a big itme from HF again. I weilded a 1/2" plate to upper and bottom & it will get me by but I would rather have spent twice the $ & got something alittle more stable. Live and learn.

Thanks for your comments everyone. Natural it will stay...

How many of you folks who make alot of belts dye the liner? I have always left the liner natural, sealed it and applied a top coat but tonight I messed up a belt & thought to myself - I'll just put the entire belt (Light Brown in color, sewn but not sealed) in the pot (black) and go from there. I have several belts from top makers, some leave the liner natural while several dye the liner. (Milt Sparks dyes his while Matt Fatti leaves his natural) I've always been afraid that the dark dye would transfer on to clothing in the hot summer. Any pro's or con's regarding either method. It would be alot easier to dye the entire belt but I would hate for a customer to get dye on his clothing. What say you?

5 Shot; I would be interested in a group buy. I'm tired of the cheap stuff I get from my suppliers. Wrong wording -- I just would like to move up a notch or two.

Their cheap. Buy a new one. And they keep adding new attachments with every release.

Hidepounder, As mentioned earlier I have the Weaver burnisher / sander as well. And as far as burnishing not too impressed. I noticed your "get up" and thought I might rig it up & give it a try. How many times did you wrap your canvas? I could not tell from the pic's. Also, how much pressure are you using. In other words are you pushing up or down with some force? Burnishing is probably one of my weakest areas. I just can't seem to get a nice slick rounded edge.

The edger is not part of the burnisher/sander. It is a device (from Weavers) that you run your belts through that edges both the belt (on top) and the liner (bottom strap) in one pass. It is used for belts or straps and cost $795. But if you do alot of belts - it's a time saver.

Leathercaptain; The Weaver burnisher & sander is $475. I purchased one a few months ago. The best thing they have IMO is the edger. It makes fast work out of the edging process.

I use 6/7 oz Bull & have just started to play with 7/8 Bull but will go back to 6/7 Bull. Plenty of support. No need for a stuffer/ Reinforcement IMO.

K-man; That's just what I needed - Thanks,

Thanks guys, I appreciate the comments. But most of my orders come from the internet or phone so no measurement by me. I explain how I want him to measure his belt but at times the mistake is on my end.

Kydex, plastic & nylon is sometimes added in 18" sections to the back of the belt for additional support but I see no need. Two layers of 5/6 Bull/Horse/Cow has plenty of support IMO. I think the addition is "over kill". I carry an Ed Brown or a Les Baer commander OWB every single day & have never had a support problem. I could certainly be wrong (to each his own) but I would think the addition of a stiffiner would fall under marketing.

Carl, Good lookin holster. Stitching looks good. The only comment I would have is the burnishing seems to be alittle lax. JMO Keep up the good work.

Lobo - good food for thought. I only use 6/7 oz bull hide (double thickness) & it will measure just a tad under 1/4". I have never had a problem with this thickness fitting in a slot punched with a 1 1/5" punch nor loops in casual pants. Althouth I've not tried this width on dress slacks. The tunnel, on a holster, is a different story & one must make certain it fits correctly. My concern & my question was regarding the over-all length of the straps. (What I'm trying to do is make up a grid showing the total strap length need for a certain size belt. I don't want to have to measure the belt + the inside of the buckle, allow for the buckle flap & then allow for the hole being used to the end of the belt tip. I need to cut down on production time). Thus I want to refer to my grid & say alright the customer wants a 39" belt - I will need to cut two straps 49" long for example. Am I making any sense with this?

jt1; There are several ways to make a concealed belt - it seems there is no one right way to do it. I for one, cut the two straps, groove the stitch line in both belt & liner, punch the holes in the tip & the buckle slot as well as the chicago screws. Then dye just the belt not the liner. Let dry over night.Then glue both liner & belt together & let dry. Then stitch. I hope this helps alittle. There are members on the forum that str much better than I. Maybe they will chime in & offer some real advice.

How many inches do you guys/gals add when making a double layered belt. Is there a rule of thumb that will work most of the time. If a customer wants a 39" belt how long are you going to cut your straps? I add about 6 1/2" from the tip to the middle hole & another 3 1/2" for the buckle flap. So my straps come out to 49". (I cut my liner 3 1/2" shorter than the belt for my buckle slot). But it always doesn't work out to the customers needs. Is there an easier way?

I think Jim (The Beltman) told me he molded several of the Blue Guns. You might want to give him a call.

On Belts, holsters and the likes what type of sanders do you all use to clean up the edges and get everything ready to burnish. I have a 4" belt, dremil & alot of sanding blocks. And I still am having problems getting my edges looking good. When it's a double layer I can still see the edge down the middle. They do not come together as one unit. I'm sure this is a clean up / sanding problem. Any tips, equipment or suggestions?

Hidepounder; You have PM.....

You know, for $750 (the amount to become a Dist) you could get about 23 guns. If you could rent them out for lets say $10 for a week it would stop alot of running around. Just a thought....

1Man; I own 5 or 6 of the Milt Sparks holsters & I can see what you mean. The finish it seems to me is in the order of Bag Kote. More of a satin finish. The leather is soft which leads me to think that would be neatsfoot oil. What gets me is the way Tony ends up with the perfect edges he has. He must have a trick to burnishing. All of this is from an untrained eye so don't take it as gospel. SOSHorse; I too use the cheap 1" brushes for my finish coats and find that the bristles do come out. So I have gone to using a sponge and the finish is much nicer. Still thinking about the "air brush".

Papajoe; Welcome to the forum. If you were closer to Atlanta, I could help you out. Good luck with your search.