Littlef

Thats interesting. I'll have to check around and see what I can find. Thanks!

yea, I tried that a long time ago. The tire shops in my area are all corporate owned. Discount tire, Big O, firestone, etc. They all have contracts with scrapping companies, and they hold on to every last weight. They probably also have epa requirements to account for the lead disposal. When I first started reloading, I hit every shop in my area, and every shop told me no. So, I buy my lead for reloading.

I think I have an old paperweight in a box - good call. I don't have a source of scrap lead. Tire shops around me are all corporate. They collect and sell back all the lead. I tried to find lead when I started reloading. Good call on the painted or covered iron.

I've been mean to stop by a granite shops, looking for a cut out to use for stamping, etc. - The hole cut out are a good idea too. Thanks!

- yea, demin would work well. I got some old jeans in the back of the closet that could be used. Thanks!! I keep a look out for an old Iron. that would do the job, thanks!!

yea, an old cast iron, iron would do the job, if I come across one cheap. Thanks!! I like the old sock idea for a liner. keeps it simple. good ideas, thanks!

Yea, those are cool. That's kinda what I envisioned if I have to make a weight on my own... except his leather skills far exceed mine, lol.

Good call adding the leather. I was trying to think of things I had around the house, but anything I have with a good weight, also has sharp edges. Adding leather would solve that problem.

Nice, that's a good thought. I have a jar of pennies taking up space. - and pennies don't leak sand.

yea, the paperweight is a good cheap option. My previous employers use to give those out as little awards. I might still have one or two in a box somewhere. Otherwise, I might just make a bag. - Sand would be cheap. Good Ideas Chuck, thanks!

I wondering what people use to weigh down their leather and patterns to keep them from curling while tracing. I've seen actual Leather weights to buy for around 50 bucks, which seems excessive. I have a foam yoga block and place a small plate weight on it, which works, but its huge and its really in the way while cutting. I was thinking of buying some ball bearings and sewing them into a bag or a thick coaster. Has anyone come up with a simple cheap alternative? I have other stuff, but I'm trying to not mark up the leather.

That's beautiful. The stamping on the pockets is a real nice accent. I'm sure your grandmother will love it.

That looks really sharp!

Love it! that looks great,

I'm a newby, but from my experience in the handful of projects I've done, I found if I use full strength dye, it dyes the leather to a completely opaque color. In addition, I had problems with dye rubbing off. And it continued no matter how much I tried to buff it off. - I started cutting my dye with alcohol, and I can now see the leather grain through the dye. I can also repeat multiple coats and bring it darker if need be.... but you certainly can't lighten it once a heavy dye is applied. Resolene seems to work similarly. I started using full strength, and it works, but I'd get splotches, and it was tough to get even coverage. I started diluting it 50/50 - not measuring, just eyeballing it... and it seems to me to absorb quicker, dry quicker, and dry more evenly. I saw a benefit in diluting it.

I use poster board as well. Another Thing I use is craft foam. Not to make a template, but it makes a good analog for leather to prototype gun holsters, mag holsters, ammo pouches, or whatever else.

yea, that's a really good idea I'll get one. Thanks!

I can certainly see that, and I had the same thought the first time I saw a toe plug. I'm not carrying this hunting, and I'm not working a ranch. I'll work it into the rotation on the steel range a handful of times in a year. If its pouring rain, I'm skipping range day. The rest of its cushy life will be spent in a comfy climate controlled closet.

Good call on all. I forgot to burnish the strap before I riveted it to the back of the holster. Now that its in position, its tough to get a good burnish. That welt was such a struggle to get stitched, its been pushed and pulled and bent so much that the surface is just mush. I tried to sand it down, but I'm getting down to the stitch line, so...it is what is. This was my first attempt at a toe plug. I should have bumped the stitch line back on the holster to get a deeper angle into the toe plug. The thread is really shallow in the toe plug, but its also contact cemented into place. Its not going anywhere. I could see how the coin could catch on stuff, but I'm only wearing this at the range, so I'm not really worried about that. - I can see how it would catch on stuff getting in and out of a vehicle or through doorways, etc. It'll do its primary job, which is to allow me to carry it on the steel section at my range. And I also plan to use this same pattern on my 1911. I have a '43 Ithaca 1911A1 that I'm going to make this pattern holster for. I want that holster to be nice, so this is my trial run science experiment. I always like to take Macro Photos of anything I work on. The holster looks decent from across the room, but the imperfections can't hide from a macro lens. Keeps me honest.

I agree, the magic in any craftsmanship is the quality and detail of the finish work that really brings a project together.

Thank you very much!!

Yea I agree. I sanded and burnished as best I could. Next time I plan to give me more room on my stitch lines. I was sanding down, and ran out of room. I still might go back and apply a edge coat to clean it up a bit

Thank you very much sir! I don't think I was intending for rugged, but that's how it turned out. I'm still refining processes. I made the welt because I was having trouble with slop in the holster. The pattern was for a 1911. The CZ52 is very similar in size, but the slide significantly tapers towards the muzzle. I couldn't figure out how to fix that, so I made the welt. With the welt, it fits very securely.

Thanks!! All good thoughts. I definitely struggle to get grooves cut at a consistent depth, and there were a couple places where the guide arm came away from the edge. The Stitching was a challenge, especially through the welt and toe plug. I really had to fight to get that welt stitched. There were curse words a flying, but it was a good learning experience. I tried to drill holes in the welt first, and I was then fighting to make everything to line up. I wasn't fully utilizing the stitching awl in the beginning. Next time instead of fighting the leather and needle to make the holes line up, I'll just punch through the welt with the stitching awl to fine tune the hole. That's interesting you say I should burnish the bottom before assembly. I've certainly never done that, but I'll give it a try next time. --regarding the 123 block, I was using it as a squared edge to bump against the leather/welt and gauge when it was flush.

thank you sir. I plan on using the same pattern to make one for my 1911, so this is kinda the trial run. Slowly building the skills.