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AndyC wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:52 pm Welt was glued in place and clamped overnight to dry. Came home at lunch to set out the holes (using a Dremel, thanks to flechero's great tip):

I wish I'd have known about drilling the holes back when I made some sandals on the 60's. I know getting through two layers of holster leather and welt is tough, but try sewing straps to double sole leather! You are doing some great work right off the bat, BTW!

A dremel can make this easier. Way back when I used to do a little leather stitching and used an Awl type device.
Something like this.

I make my own holsters also. One trick I learned for a custom fitted holster, is use a food vacuum sealer.
I put my pistol in a heavy duty plastic freezer bag, put the pistol in a dampened holster, lay holster on apiece of 1/8 rubber on the diamond side of the vacuum bag (to keep diamond pattern from getting embossed into the leather) vacuum seal it and leave sealed for a couple hours. It comes out looking like you spent hours fitting it. I build up the front sight with tape and tape a wooden dowel along the sight line( between front and rear sight) to create a tunnel.

I'm doing my second attempt at leather. The first one is my EDC - works great for pocket carry, but it's not that pretty. No pics.

That middle clamp put a nasty stain on the leather, so now it's going to be black.

The first attempt at this post had the pics messed up. I'll try again.

OK, same thing. This is the second pic.

Setxjeff wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:53 am is use a food vacuum sealer.

Yep, and if you are careful you can bone the leather right through the plastic while it's under vacuum. Makes it easier as you can see most of the lines already. And if you like a deeper look you can go back over it once out of the vac.

ETA I only wet the leather once... I worry that each additional time it weakens it. With the vac you can mold it, bone it and mark out the stitch lines all in the first wetting. I dye with an alcohol based dye so that it dries super fast and also stiffens up the exterior.

Alcohol molding is another trick to stiffen them up solid.

Progress.