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Got the leather in for the New-Service flap.
First I ground off all the rivets from the holster and removed the flap and loop.
Then I traced around the two pieces of flap, adding about half an inch at the front at the cut point and about two inches at the back, on a sheet of thin plastic.
Test fit:
Very close!
I transferred this pattern to the leather and used an everyday razor blade to cut it.
I decided that it didn't need the dual holes to accommodate different guns and punched the flap latch hole in the center. Then I trimmed the end of the flap about half an inch, just for looks.
Fits like it was made for it! Um... because it was.
Next step is to dye it black. Then rivet it back together. Some sewing will be required as well at the bottom of the loop. I think that's to keep it from snagging on things rather than to lend strength.
Well done. Good start.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's how you learn leatherwork: just do it.
It's a lot like learning checkering. You fuck it up until you get it right. Sometimes you get lucky in the learning, but don't count on it.
DeleteI need the tool that put a line in the border of the flap. I don't think it was gouged, it looks like a wheel pressed it in. Not finding that tool...
https://tandyleather.com/collections/tools/products/craftool-pro-adjustable-creaser
Deletehttps://youtu.be/rircLsW0tKc
If you're thrifty, you can use anything hard (comb, toothbrush handle, flat tip screwdriver ground to a dull rounded edge, etc.) to just bear down on the leather, but the tool makes lines and borders easier.
Most embossing wheels stamp patterns, but if you can find one that does a straight line, that'd work.
Homebuilt: Cut a slot in the tip of a piece of hardwood deep enough to take half a fender washer diameter, drill a hole through from the side for the axle, put a long enough bolt through a big fender washer, cap nut it, and ¡voila! you've got a homemade embossing tool for about a buck, give or take. You'll be using it freehand, so mistakes show. Start slow and gentle, increase pressure after the light first pass, and you should do it just fine after a few runs. Lightly pencil or chalk the line beforehand, and it's liable to turn out better. Buff or sand the sharp edges off the washer rim before you install it for a rounder depression line.