What Is The Best Tool For Forming Holsters?

[charlescrawford]

What is the best tool for forming holsters? I have tried sharpie markers, bone folders ( from tandy) and even horn creasers also from Tandy and haven't been really happy with any of them they all see to mark the leather and I don't seem to get a real good molding from them anyway.

Thanks

[chiefjason]

I go in this order; thumbs, back side of my edger, toothbrush handle. You will want something rounded and smooth for the big forms around the slide and trigger IMO. I start on the slide side and work my way over the top to the trigger side. Once the big shapes are blocked in I go back with modeling tools, folders, and such to do the detail work.

Make sure the water content of the leather is right. Which takes some time to figure out. Too wet, and it molds then starts to release before it sets. To dry and it does not mold well.

[camano ridge]

All of the tools you mentioned and the tools ChiefJason mentioned work great. If you are having trouble getting good defenition or not holding the defenition as it dries then the problem as Chiefjason mentioned it may well be the casing or your leather and not your tools. I usually wet my leather do a general molding then let it set for a few hours then come back and do detail molding. It works for me.

Edited September 30, 2013 by camano ridge

[Jeff L]

Best tool I have is a 12 ton shop press from harbor freight... Sandwich the gun and wet holster between a dense foam and some plywood and crank it down.

[charlescrawford]

Jason & Camano, How long do you guys soak your holsters? Once I finish dying I let it sit over night. Then the next day I submerge it for 1-2 minutes at the most and start forming it the best I can. Our home office is generally the hottest room in the house so once I get done I put the holster with the blue gun still inside on top of the bookshelf and let it finish drying for 24-36 hrs before I touch it. I don't do the oven trick because our oven doesn't do that low....lol

[Denster]

One to two minutes submerged is your problem. You have super saturated your leather. All it takes is a four or five second dunk then let the leather start to return to it's natural color and insert the gun and form.

[charlescrawford]

So if you do a quick dunk like will it soak in enough to mold and come back like mentioned below? How long do you generally have to do get it molded? Most of my holsters are 7-9 depending on style.

All of the tools you mentioned and the tools ChiefJason mentioned work great. If you are having trouble getting good defenition or not holding the defenition as it dries then the problem as Chiefjason mentioned it may well be the casing or your leather and not your tools. I usually wet my leather do a general molding then let it set for a few hours then come back and do detail molding. It works for me.

[camano ridge]

Like Denster said way to much soaking time. I wet it just until it is wet through and plyable. That actualy doesn't take much. Like was stated 5 - 15 seconds if it doesn't feel plyable enogh give it another quick dunk. You need it just soft enough for it to allow you to move the leather around. You will have plenty of time. Like I said I usualy do an initial rough molding then come back when the leather is a little drier and refine my molding. Take some scrap leather and practice get it wet wrap it around something and mold do it at different levels of wettness you will soon learn when it works best.

[chiefjason]

Like said above, just a few seconds under the faucet for me. Get it completely wet, then another quick once over. If I have a reinforcement piece I may try to let the water run over it a couple more seconds. Total, less than 20 seconds for any holster I do. Then I let it set a few minutes to let the water soak in good, and let the water on top evaporate. Then you've got 15 to 20 minutes of working time. Once you get used to it you will start to notice the leather changing as it dries.

Once it's molded I put the shoe rack in the dryer and run it on high for about 20 minutes to force dry it. This heat changes the characteristics of the leather and makes it stiffer and firms up the mold.

[charlescrawford]

When you let the water on top evaporate do you mean you let it come back to where it is starting to show it's dry color or just where the surface is dry?