Boning, I Could Use A Little Help!

[ShortBBL]

I really need help with boning. If only I could get that down to a science, I'd be pretty pleased with how my work is coming along. I think for starters, I just try too soon. I need to let the leather get way closer to dry before working it. I also probably push too hard. I slipped while trying this one, a couple times and that made it horrible.

I guess it just takes making a lot of mistakes but it's hard to ruin a lot of otherwise decent projects while trying to learn.

Any tips you who Bone could give me?

Some of you do some incredible boning and i think that really makes a holster like this style look incredibly cool!

Thanks for looking!

[TwinOaks]

Yes, it appears that you're getting started while the leather is too wet. Part of what you're seeing is burnishing of the leather. I found a way around that by keeping a layer of plastic between the boning tool and the leather. Typically, I'll pull a vacuum to pre-mold the holster, then drop the gun and holster in a ziploc and start boning. That prevents the majority of the friction that causes burnishing. Some burnishing may still occur as you compress the leather, but that should only be on the sharp lines.

[dickf]

I don't actually see evidence of the leather being too wet. When it is, you'll typically see crinkled/wrinkled grain, tools that were dragging, and other malformation.

One thing that definitely stands out right away is that your stitch lines are way too far apart for the 1911. This gun is thin, and it requires the stitch lines to hug it's contour. This is absolutely paramount for retention and longevity in any holster.

To me, it looks like you aren't using a straightedge of any type to chase the slide lines, and perhaps you're not pressing the holster in between your hands hard or long enough. With the pocket oversized as it is, the gun isn't fitting tight to begin with which will make getting crispy lines a lot more difficult. I'd alter your stitch lines to come in at least ~1/2" (by estimate) and then try again. Press the hell out of the holster in between your hands and use your thumbs to bring the lines of the gun through. After you can see the outline of the gun in the leather, it's time to use the tools (remember the straightedge!).

Good luck!

[ShortBBL]

I don't actually see evidence of the leather being too wet. When it is, you'll typically see crinkled/wrinkled grain, tools that were dragging, and other malformation.

One thing that definitely stands out right away is that your stitch lines are way too far apart for the 1911. This gun is thin, and it requires the stitch lines to hug it's contour. This is absolutely paramount for retention and longevity in any holster.

To me, it looks like you aren't using a straightedge of any type to chase the slide lines, and perhaps you're not pressing the holster in between your hands hard or long enough. With the pocket oversized as it is, the gun isn't fitting tight to begin with which will make getting crispy lines a lot more difficult. I'd alter your stitch lines to come in at least ~1/2" (by estimate) and then try again. Press the hell out of the holster in between your hands and use your thumbs to bring the lines of the gun through. After you can see the outline of the gun in the leather, it's time to use the tools (remember the straightedge!).

Good luck!

I need to look around at others work I guess. I just can't imagine how I could get the gun in this thing if it was any looser!! As it is... I have to really force it to fit inside. It is VERY tight. Hmmmm

Thanks for all the comments so far everyone!

[particle]

I much prefer working with a holster that is too wet rather than too dry. When the leather is wet, it's much more easy to manipulate the leather without risk of over-burnishing the leather. That being said - once the initial forming is done, you'll want to let the leather dry a tad before chasing in the final detail lines - otherwise, they'll just pop back out and won't retain any notable detail. I use a vacuum press to initially form the holster which helps to suck the moisture out of the leather. If you're using a real firearm (instead of a dummy), just remove the firearm after initial forming and set the holster aside to dry a bit before proceeding with detail boning.

I agree you could probably stand to bring your stitch lines in closer to the gun. To help get the gun into the holster initially, try taking the handle of your mallet, or a wooden dowel that's been sanded smooth with no sharp edges - insert it into the holster and pre-stretch the trigger guard area a bit, and open up the interior of the holster. Don't over-do it - you don't want to over-stretch the holster.

[okie44]

I usually make my holsters very tight. When you start putting the gun in, it doesn't look like it will fit at all. I sometime use the handle of a tool, to stretch enough to get started, then just work the gun into the wet holster. By doing this, you use up most of the stretch in the leather, which makes it less likely to loosen with age. Sometimes it is a bit scary when you look at the gun, and the new holster, but so far, I have not had to throw one away because it's too small.

[Reaper]

I like it wet..

Work it like clay..