Do It Yourself / Make Your Own Gear
Steadily supplemented with information about projects, materials, fabrics and much more interesting information.Watch this space!!

• Tools
  • Singer 4432 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
  • Hand Press
  • Kydex Press
  • Multi Angle Vice
• DIY/MYOG Projects
  • Leather projects
    • Golf Caddy-, Yardage- and Scorecard Book
    • Knife Sheath
    • Pistol Holster
  • Rope projects
    • Monkey’s Fist
  • Kydex projects
    • Knife Sheath
• Materials
• Suppliers List

Tools

Singer 4432 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine

My trusted sewing machine, a crucial factor in many of my projects! Capable of sewing outdoor fabrics, leather and what not. Components like feet, bobbins and needles are readily available. I almost allways use it with the optional Singer Extension Table. This is a purely mechanical machine. A choice I made so I can understand and feel the limits of the machine whilst challenging it’s capabilities. This is a very easy going, uncomplicated sewing machine, with straight forward features that cover all of my needs and much more. The available extra’s like feet and needles are easy to understand and use and explained in the projects that I’ll share and publish.

Hand Press

I use a hand press for punching holes, placing rivets and other accessories, in leather, kydex, fabrics and other materials.

Kydex Press

A kydex press is a must for shaping thermo plastics or leather when making sheaths and other objects.

Multi Angle Vice

My multi angle vice saves me out of many practical situtions, allwys offering me the possibility to work at a convenient angle.

DIY/MYOG Projects

Here you’ll soon find:
Kayak repair, Sewing packs/bags, shaping kydex and leather sheaths, making golf/trekking/camping/ biking/climbing accessories, Rod Quiver, Backpack Rod Quiver, Fishing Kayak add-ons, Backpack Add-ons, Boat Hanger, Kayak Carrier, Fishing Knife and Pliers Scabbards, Rescue ladder, Pole bags, Field Note Wallet, First Aid Kit, Flip Ropes, et cetera.

Leather projects

Golf Caddy-, Yardage- and Scorecard Book

I made this holder to keep all my golf administration together. It fits my back pocket, it has a pencil sleeve and the elastic pagekeeper and slots hold both a side-bound and a top-bound book. The leather is a piece of reused (cowboy)bag, veg-tan 1,5mm cow hide. It is entirely hand sewn using 6- and a 2 prong hole 1mm punches, wax-thread and a blunt needle. It took me 2 hour to make.

Knife Sheath

This sheath had to be made, replacing the 45 year old original that came with this Helle Camp knife. The knife is still in perfect condition, apart from some delamination, which is probably due to decennia of sharpening. (I made a kydex version as well.)
The sheath is made out of one piece of 3mm cowhide (a kids saddle found in a thrift store), thread and a brass button stud. It has two belt loops for a stable wear. I lined the sheath with a snug-fitting piece of 0,5mm G10 Micarta, folded on the edge side. The tools I used are a 6 prong 1mm punch, wax-thread, a blunt needle, a lined Basket Weave Brass Stamp for the decoration and a “V” Gouge for the decoration border. It took me an hour to make this beauty. I made a Kydex version as well.

Pistol Holster

This is the prototype of an bespoke made holster for some Walther P22 version. It is a belt worn, form fit, holster made out of 3mm cowhide, hand stitched using 6- and a 2 prong hole 1mm punches, wax-thread and a blunt needle. The decorative works as a pressure plate, covering elements that create the inward thickening, needed to keep the pistol in place. The basic shaping was done in a kydex press, moulding the wet leather. The whole holster is covered with a decoration made using a Basket Weave Brass Stamp. For the cover plate decoration, several Carving Stamp were used, either bought or home made. This holster took me a day to make, apart from the cover decoration which took another 4 hours.

Rope projects

Monkey’s Fist

This Monkey’s Fist, which is of no use to me, was a nice project to do. I used a glas marble of 6cm diameter, 6mm Hempex rope (a twisted, spun polypropylene artificial hemp rope) and an hour of my time. The knot used for the ball part is called the Monkey’s Fist knot (a throw line knot used on sailing ships and used as a melee weapon by the same sailors). For the handle I used a Crown Sinnet knot with an oversized Diamond knot on the end. All pretty basic knots. The hard part, as allways with paracord projects, is to make the connections between the different parts/knots firm and solid. I solved the problem by incorporating the 2 handle ropes inside the Monky’s Fist knot. The Diamond knot was a continuation with the handle ropes. So plenty of rope should be used from the beginning.

Kydex projects

Knife Sheath

This sheath had to be made, replacing the 45 year old original that came with this Helle Camp knife. I made a leather replacement sheath as well. This sheath was is a very basic kydex project. Two pieces of (carbon look) kydex, heated to 60° Celsius in the kitchen oven, moulded in a kydex press, riveted together (with a rubber washer for some tolerance in the shaping) and fitted with a belt clip. The rivets were set with a hand press, but these rivets can be bought with a manual rivet setter as well. This type of project is ideal to get familiar with kydex work. The only critical stage is the shaping, so the knife can be inserted and extracted easily, whilst being secure and silent when in place. This project took me an hour.

Materials

Here you’ll find:
Webbing, Fabrics, Thermo Plastics, Leathers, repair sets, you name it!

Suppliers List

Duraflex

Duraflex is the brand I use for all plastic trimming products.