Botched First Attempt At Avenger

[chiefjason]

It seems that stitching the belt loop half closed with the stitch line from the trigger guard is problematic.

On the plus side, I did not make the same mistake I made on my AIWB a while back. Learned a lesson that was 3 steps into the process. But adding the belt loop to the back on step 5 or 6 was not thought through completely. My stitch line below the trigger guard would run right through the belt loop. DOH!! Good thing the customer is not in a huge hurry. Reinforcement/belt loop has been reconfigured and cut. Re cut the pattern. I'm pretty excited about how it's going to look when it's finished. I just have to get there first.

I'll probably finish the botched holster for my own collection. I don't think it's non functional. It's just not nice enough to go out the door. BTW, it's for a Ruger Mk II with 5.5" barrel. It's a mini hog leg.

That is all.

[olds cool]

Mistakes are how we learn and become better craftsmen. I screwed up on my first holster too. I was making an OWB pancake and got sidetracked by my wife while I was in the middle of assembly. I glued the 2 halves together before stitching the guard on, or what some call a sweat shield even though it's on the outside. The leather I used was really fuzzy on the flesh side so it was pretty much welded together for life. I tried everything possible to get a needle inside to stitch it up, even cutting one down to about 1/2" long, but ould only make it about 1/2 way around. After that blunder I decided to wet form it anyways and never made the mental connection between water based dye and soaking in water. Oops, no dye left on the piece. At that point, I tossed it in the scrap bin. It nagged at me for a day or so and I figured what the heck, why not finish it for the experience. Figured I'd wear it until I could finish another one. I've now shown it to a few friends and even though I can point out a half dozen mistakes, not one of them notices until I point them out. Still wouldn't let it out the door to a paying customer but it's given me a real perspective on how critical I am of my own work. It's also drummed up a little future work.

[renegadelizard]

It seems that stitching the belt loop half closed with the stitch line from the trigger guard is problematic.

On the plus side, I did not make the same mistake I made on my AIWB a while back. Learned a lesson that was 3 steps into the process. But adding the belt loop to the back on step 5 or 6 was not thought through completely. My stitch line below the trigger guard would run right through the belt loop. DOH!! Good thing the customer is not in a huge hurry. Reinforcement/belt loop has been reconfigured and cut. Re cut the pattern. I'm pretty excited about how it's going to look when it's finished. I just have to get there first.

I'll probably finish the botched holster for my own collection. I don't think it's non functional. It's just not nice enough to go out the door. BTW, it's for a Ruger Mk II with 5.5" barrel. It's a mini hog leg.

That is all.

I did the same thing with an avenger that was all ostrich..that was an expensive mistake there...i keep it setting on my shelf in front of my workbench to remind me to think before i glue and stitch...lol...

[George B]

Thanks a bunch guys. I was doing real well, no big mistakes and everything was coming along well.

Then I read the posts here and everything went to hell fast.

Second guessed my stitch line on a holster, shouldn't have done that. Didn't fit the pistol at all. I should not have done that, but, after searching through my dummy guns I found one that fit it perfectly. Still had to make another but at least I can eventually sell the first one.

Then I made a double layer carry belt. Spent hours tooling assembling. De-glazed then dipped. The dye job came out blotchy and almost non existent in spots. Bit my tongue and mustered up the strength not to let it fly across the shop, set aside and let it dry. Next day went out wiped it down carfully with denatured alchohol and dyed it a darker brown by hand (insert sigh of relief here).

I won't mention some of the other little boo-boos I made last week as they were all correctable, just took additional time.

I learned three good lessons from all this...

1. Do not question or second guess my original stitch lines.

2. Dye my pieces first, before I stamp or tool.

3. Never read anything about any one else's screw ups EVER again! Somehow it rubs off on me.

[chiefjason]

Too funny. I was trimming the extra leather off of the second one and my round knife slipped. I had a moment of panic where I though I had cut the sweat shield. Luckily it was a near miss. Stitch line on this one will be fine too. I need to get this one done. He's not in a hurry, but I hate having something out there needing to be finished. And there's about 5 more behind him needing to get done too.