Members hillsmithy Posted October 29, 2012 Author Members Report Posted October 29, 2012 I appreciate the additional thoughts. I'm going to take some sandpaper to it and see what happens. I kind of like your idea too, Shooter McGavin. Will get some pics posted. Quote
Members hillsmithy Posted October 29, 2012 Author Members Report Posted October 29, 2012 Here are a few shots of what I've done so far.... Quote
Members hillsmithy Posted October 31, 2012 Author Members Report Posted October 31, 2012 Well, I dug around and found some dark leather I had stashed away. It's thinner than the holster leather and will provide a wonderful contrast. I'm not sure exactly what to do as far as design is concerned, but I'd like to have the light and dark playing off each other. I was wondering if dark leather can take tooling/art work. It doesn't seem to me like it would show up very well. Thanks for any suggestions. Quote
IngleGunLeather Posted October 31, 2012 Report Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) use the darker color for your band. if you go that route and not line it, be sure to dye the inside of the holster to match. http://www.holsters4...oduct/W-JR.html Edited October 31, 2012 by CountryTrash Quote Ingle Gun leather
Members renegadelizard Posted October 31, 2012 Members Report Posted October 31, 2012 i would line it with the dark and go with white thread...stitch every seam before folding it over and sewing the rest of it together...it looks like its a slim jim design, so the sewing wont be nearly as bad as it would be on a mexican loop holster...my first holster was a revolver as well...good choice for a first piece...oh, and i just didi the opposite of you....i wanted to cut out a pattern for a sig 1911, but i wanted mine flesh out so i could overlay it with fake ostrich ...i cut ti the normal way of course...lol...gotta start writing more on my patterns...crossdraw avengers seem to be my nemesis here lately....good luck and post some pics when you are done... Quote Havoc Holsters
Members katsass Posted October 31, 2012 Members Report Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) From the grump; Looks like you are using Al Stohlman's book to learn with, I think I'd just attach a band (forming a loop) of your dark stuff to the end of the belt loop already cut, and make the thing into a 'half-skirt'' holster. You could then (if you are working on a real tight budget and don't have the dye) wet the thing down in some old, real strong (cold) coffee for the wet molding process. That would give you some color to the body of the holster, and a nice contrast with the retaining band, when dry and formed, apply your finish. Edited October 31, 2012 by katsass Quote NOTE TO SELF: Never try to hold a cat and an operating Dust buster at the same time!! At my age I find that I can live without sex..........but not without my glasses. Being old has an advantage.......nobody expects me to do anything in a hurry.
Members hillsmithy Posted October 31, 2012 Author Members Report Posted October 31, 2012 Thanks, CountryTrash. The pic link was helpful. Renegade, enjoyed looking at your site. Nice work. Katsass, yes I'm using the Stohlman book. Tight budget is definitely my situation, so I like the coffee dye suggestion. At the end of your post you said to "apply the finish." What do you suggest. I've never finished any leather.....This is not only my first holster, it's my first attempt at anything with leather. Quote
Members renegadelizard Posted October 31, 2012 Members Report Posted October 31, 2012 The finish that Katsass, aka...the Grump..or Mike in some circles prefers is good old mop and glow cut 50/50 with water...its cheap and effective..some like it, some dont, but most try it cause Mike has been using it for longer than most of us have been alive, so his word is highly esteemed...for a flesh side out, i would wet form and let it dry for a day or two, then dip the whole thing in the mop and glow mix, pull it out, shake it off, and let it dry for another day or two... Quote Havoc Holsters
Members katsass Posted October 31, 2012 Members Report Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) From a grumpy (frugal) old guy; Well, you may think this odd, but many (40 or more) years ago i ran out of the acrylic finish I was using at the time, and being 45 miles or so from the nearest place to get some more, I started to look around. Ma Kat was cleaning up and using Mop&Glow on the floor and it looked a lot like what I had been using on leather. After some messing around and reading a bit - - that's just what went on the leather. Mop & Glow mixed 50/50 with water. I now use an airbrush to apply, but a used Windex bottle sprayer works well. Just stand off from your project a foot or so and let the stuff sort of 'mist' on, evenly. It'll absorb real QUICKLY - - and dry fast on warm leather, especially on the rough-out side. After a couple of minutes apply a second light coat. That's about it. On the grain side (smooth leather) you can follow up with a hand rubbed coat of Kiwi neutral shoe polish and buff to a low sheen. I've now been using it for the said 40 or more years - on all of my stuff. Mike Edited October 31, 2012 by katsass Quote NOTE TO SELF: Never try to hold a cat and an operating Dust buster at the same time!! At my age I find that I can live without sex..........but not without my glasses. Being old has an advantage.......nobody expects me to do anything in a hurry.
Members hillsmithy Posted October 31, 2012 Author Members Report Posted October 31, 2012 Thanks! I'm all over these "guerilla" types of solutions. I also fool around with blacksmithing, and love scavenging and coming up with improvised tools and implements. I make all of my knives and tools with scrap. Don't ask what my yard looks like, or what my wife things about it.... We also raise goats (we get all of our milk for a bunch of children from two goats, with extra for kefir, yogurt, and the chickens!). I have at least one nice skin in the freezer. We also have four goats that have been needing butchering for way too long. (We need the meat and can't afford the feed.) I'm going to give processing skins my best shot. Finding time is the hardest part. Quote
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