Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Craftsmanship => Accoutrements => Topic started by: Ohio Joe on November 20, 2017, 09:26:21 AM
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Was down in Scottsbluff this past Saturday, (wife wanted a new cat), so while down there I stopped at Hobby Lobby and picked up a couple $8.99 assorted leather packages. Long story short - there was enough leather in them to get a couple shooting bags started (even enough for a couple more in the future), so here's a picture of what I've done so far.
The bag on the right will be for my smoothie, and the bag on the left is for my grandson (Lucas) as he needed a bigger bag. Also my wife's new cat is in the picture... lol!!!
Anyway, good fun projects. Not the greatest leather, but strong and workable. Could hardly beat the price for what I'm getting out of the two package of leather... :bl th up
Gotta head to work...
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Looks great to me ! . :bow
Ya gotta like a man with a plan ! . :toast
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Thanks PetahW. :shake
I'll never win a sewing prize that's for sure, but the "rustic" look fits my persona. I know there are some fantastic leather workers here on the TMA that make great bags,,, I'm just not one of them, but I do enjoy seeing their works of art.
I might just start me another bag over Thanksgiving. The two in the above picture you might say were "warm-ups" but needed "warm-ups" for sure. It's been over 20 years since I stitched up a bag, so I'm having some fun doing it and "relearning" along the way. :bl th up
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I'll never win a sewing prize that's for sure, but the "rustic" look fits my persona.
Just a suggestion: the stitching/sewing would be less apparent if the white stitching was dyed with black liquid shoe polish to match the bag.
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But it matches the white shoes! :lol sign
~Kees~
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:applaud :laffing :Doh!
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:applaud :laffing :Doh!
Yep, white shoes, that's gotta be it!
(https://i.imgur.com/llg9DHA.jpg)
Uncle Russ...
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But it matches the white shoes! :lol sign
~Kees~
HA!!! :lol sign
They don't call me, Ohio "White Shoes" Joe for nothin' ! :laffing
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Well, I'm gonna call this one done. Here are some more pictures. I decided to add a couple pockets to the front of the bag for swabbing patches and spare nipples, nipple wrench, and jag... The inside of the bag has a sleeve for a small bottle of cleaning fluid (on the left side) and some gun oil on the right side. The inside of the center pocket is for an extra tin of caps or spare flints. The rest of the inside of the bag holds extra ball blocks and any other things I deem I might need.
The bag (to me) looks Rustic in a way, and I'm happy with it. Right now it's set up for the .54 Lyman GPR, but it wouldn't be hard to switch it over to any other caliber I choose to shoot.
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Looks good to me Joe...and your stitching is waayy better than mine...
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Thanks Al. :) A lot of my stitching holes for my thread I lined up the leather and punched holes in it with finish nails using a piece of 2x4 for a backer board... That actually worked pretty well for me, and then I stitched the p_ss out'a it. I think those extra front pockets on the bag will be pretty handy. :shake
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Here is my second "large bag" made for my Smoothbore... It finishes (inside) 9-1/2" x 9-1/2" with a 1-1/2 gusset. Two inside loops, 2 inside pockets, 2 outside pockets. Made from the scrap leather (as the others were) that I got from Hobby Lobby a few weeks back.
Very similar to the first larger bag I made, but more roomy.
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Hmmm.... "Joe the Bag Maker"
Has a nice ring to it, don'tcha think?
I like that bag Joe! :bl th up
Is the white I'm seeing, the inside of the black....or, is that a white leather gusset you're dividing the bag with?
Uncle Russ...
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Hmmm.... "Joe the Bag Maker"
Has a nice ring to it, don'tcha think?
I like that bag Joe! :bl th up
Is the white I'm seeing, the inside of the black....or, is that a white leather gusset you're dividing the bag with?
Uncle Russ...
Have to admit I'm just about sewed out...
The back is a lite grey color leather (both sides) the inside is the smooth side while the back side is in the rough. I've used a verity of colors as you can see. Gotta use what you have at hand is my thinking since I figure if'n a trapper needed a bag he'd a made it out'a what he could lay his hands on. Though I'm sure his would look a bit more rustic, so I'm a guessing/thinking, "the uglier - the better" as long as it works. :bl th up
I've still got enough of assorted leathers to make another bag or two, and I just might? I've pretty much used up the lite grey color leather, but I still have some for inside pockets. I tried to hide that color as best I could and use the black and brown for what's seen on the surface.
The gusset I use a lite brown leather deer hide I've had for years. (originally bought to repair my leather Rondy trousers (which I still haven't got to as yet.....
I just sew where the needle takes me... :)
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Those are some LOVELY bags, and you can be proud to show them off! I envy how neat and organized everything is.
~Kees~
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Thanks ~Keys~ :shake
Last night I just finished up another bag that will be used for both .45 caliber - Flintlock and Percussion (a couple of my Dickert style muzzle loading rifles). It houses everything I need to shoot and maintain both ignition systems. It looks very similar to the one above, just a few more pockets, and a vent pick holster sleeve where it's handy to get to off the bag if needed.
My wife and I are going to run down to Hobby Lobby tomorrow and I just might pick up some more remnant leather. Figure since I don't watch TV very often, I may as well do something constructive with my time,,, and I'd like all my Rifles to have their own bag. That was one of my goals when I first got into this sport/hobby,,, each Rifle should have its own bag - but over 40 years it hasn't panned out that way, but maybe I'll get there... :pray:
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Okay, got my Flint/Cap Lock Shooting Bag switched over. I realized as soon as I started to combined the two bags into the one new bag that I just gained two shooting bags. Two less I'll have to make. :bl th up
Next project; Take the two old shooting bags and assign each one to my two 42" barreled Dickert .45 caliber Flintlock's,,, then start a new bag for my .50 caliber Lyman GPR Flintlock Rifle, and make one for my (.40 caliber Ed Rayl Barreled Cap Lock). I did pick up more leather at Hobby Lobby this morning. The rest of my rifles are what I consider "Range Box" Rifles as they are X-Stick Rifles and a Chunk Gun,,, competitions I no longer shoot. Who knows, someday I might once again, or just take 'em out to enjoy shooting them?
Might as well spend the Winter being productive... :o I'm sure I'll be sick and tired of sewing after all this..... :laffing
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I agree with your thinking, old friend.
I also agree that, after that much sewing, I would not be able to pick my nose with those same fingers...when it comes to sewing leather, my fingers look more like I had been working in a Butcher Shop....
In my opinion, anyone having and shooting more'n one gun / one caliber, can find it very convenient to have a bag for each gun...ready to go.
Granted, a lot of "stuff' will change over from one gun to the next, with very minimal change to the bag contents, but a dedicated bag is still a super nice thing to have.
Just my thoughts......
:hairy
Uncle Russ...
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I agree completely.
For years (and I do mean a lot of years) I got by with a few bags to service several rifles and always having to change a few things out now and again before heading of to the Range or out on the hunt. I guess at first it was a real pain in the you know where, but like anything else a person can get use to the drill, but it would be so much simpler to have dedicated bags. So far I've tried to keep the same layout of the items in the new bags as in the old bags, and the only real difference is the extra pockets I added to the new bags. I bet I'll search for something in these new bag's and think, "now where'd I put????? :Doh! :laffing Just human nature. :bl th up