Boriqua

I have some experience creating basic objects with polyester resin but not sure this is the way to go. I just bought an oddball gun and realized no one is making holsters for it. Now I can go ahead and just use mine but It has become my carry and I don't need it locked in to becoming a functional mold. ASP and Blue gun and the like don't yet make a mold for it. Has anyone here tried to create there own mold from a gun? If so .. what was your process and how successful was the outcome. I don't want to crud up my gun making the casting mold. Once I have the cast I am good to go. Any advice, thoughts or other are greatly appreciated. Alex

I strive to give everyone what they want but I wont do anything I dont think will work so if someone wants a light or laser I sell them on a thumb break. Unlike Kydex I cant make the trigger guard the only point of retention so thumb break it is. On the one below I actually blocked out the laser part in wood and formed my holster around the gun and wood blocking. It was very snug but the wood blocking was a skootch over sized for the laser. Worked out really well. Sorry I dont have any with the blocking in place. I know that would be the most helpful part. Before anyone asks .. yes I know the break, breaks to the non traditional side. I said I sell them on using a thumb break not which side they should want it on.

I have a couple of hundred sets of regular line 24 snaps from dot. I watched a video on setting the "pull the dot" fastner and it looks like the only unique part is the socket. Do I have that right? Can I just order a bunch of sockets and use the three other parts from my regular kit. Only thing I could see losing is the "pull the dot" print on the socket head. Thanks for any info! Alex

I use a bone folder for slicking edges and a host of other things. One of the most used tools in my arsenal. Recently I went to fold over a piece of natural leather and BAM ... brown black line from the folder. I dont know what to clean it with. It is a store bought piece and has some kind of sheen to it. I am afraid to put anything on it to clean it. Alcohol was only marginally effective. Alex

I am trying to do a couple of pieces that are as natural/organic ?? as possible. I am not ready to tan leather so I am kind of stuck there. I am sure the process is laden with chemicals. I have made some beautiful natural dyes that I am happy with. I have made small sewn objects and have dipped them in paraffin which makes the pieces nice and stiff and makes the natural dyes look nice and deep. I am using some botanical material and so far have figured out how to not have it crumble after time . So I think the only thing I dont have locked down is the thread. I have been using tandy's waxed thread and the thinner awl thread and have read more about thread on this group than I knew was possible Still .. Now I am curious as to what dye's or processes are used to get the colors into the thread? What are they using to make the thread brown or black. I am considering hemp and trying to dye it myself but I don't know what thickness to use. I have been able to find 1mm and 2mm hemp. Linen and cotton would be fine but all I find are waxed so I wouldn't be able to dye it. I hand sew everything. Any and all help would be appreciated. This project has been a blast. Kitchen is a mess but hey ... sacrifices have to be made. Thanks! Alex

I want my holsters to start out a little to tight to insert the gun after drying. I mean .. TIGHT. Then I wrap the gun with a little wax paper and stuff it in often with a good deal of force. When I take the gun out it is perfect. A nice amount of retention but not sloppy. My little 2 cents and I certainly not doing this as long as others ... I case the leather (dip it fairly quickly in a frying pan with water on both sides.) I stick it in a plastic bag for say an hour or more. I pull it out and let it get close to its original color. Its still redish but not dark like when you removed it from the bag. I wait usually about an hour. I stuff my gun in there and do any boning I want to do I leave the gun in it for about 1 hour. I stick it in the oven at about 150 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. I use a bent hanger to hang it from one of the racks I use an oven thermometer and dont put the holster in until the thermometer reads 150. I take it out of the oven and usually wait about 30 minutes. I dont know why?? I carefully take the gun out of the holster and let it dry about 24 hours. If I stick my finger in the holster and if I feel humidity I leave it alone and wait. I then dye I have to work my muscles hard to get the gun in there when its wet and I work those muscles to get the gun in there with wax paper when I am done. I mean tight! Then I get this. This particular holster is deferentially hard waxed but you get the point. Tight is OK. This particular holster is for my own carry and I can tell you it draws like a dream and I can run from godzilla and never worry about my gun popping out.

Any chance you have a pic. I would love to see the aging the sun produced. What color did you start with or did you use the natural strap? Alex

I use the Bee's wax and Neatsfoot oil paste using equal amounts of bee's wax and oil by weight.. What is your formula when you add the paraffin? When you do the flesh side are you getting color rub? Thank you Oh and to the original OP question .. the coffee works well and then finish it up with a light application of oil and you have a nice light to medium brown. Alex

That is just Awesome! Always feels great when you have nice things to work with. You boy should be overwhelmed.

Your right! those pix stink! I tried it again while I still had the gun around and I put a couple in a slide show. http://boriqualeather.com/Dragon%20Box/ Alex

Hey Guys Someone brought this up on a gun forum and I thought I would ask here. If someone comes to you with a specialty request.."can you make me a holster for a gun that has this nifty attachment thing" .. the only way you can accomplish the build is with the gun in hand do you need to have an FFL to accept the gun for the time needed to make the holster for it?

Well I wanted to try something a little different in that I wanted to do Asian dragon like you might see "dragon dancers" use during new year and not mean scary dragon. Its a box for a beautiful handgun. He wanted leather not wood. I'm kinda, maybe, not sure, sort of happy with it. Alex

I know sounds stupid maybe but ... I have never had occasion to make a long carved straight line but see work here like a chess board and I wonder how you carve a perfectly straight line. I thought holding a swivel knife against a straight edge but that can be right so any help would be appreciated. Thank you Alex

Hey Reds It is a oblong punch that I picked up from Tandy http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/tools/punches/3120-143.aspx I havent handled other brands of punches but as a tool guy it doesnt seem like the best made tool. It is hefty though and does the job. Dont use it straight from the package it will ruin your stuff "personal expereince " You will need to do a fair amount of sharpening but once its good and sharp it does a great job with little effort.! If I had to do it over I would look at another brand though. Alex

Here is the back. I cant show it on a belt because it was done for someone else out of state but I hope to get pix of the gun in the holster. Maybe I can get him to take a pic on the belt for me.Here is the back.

I finally went ahead with a reverse avenger style something or other. Sure I am not the first person in the world to dream it up. Whew this was tough. I hadnt seen a protractor since high school. Im trying to start making my holsters more compact so they can be slide back and forth on the belt more. I have a pancake I made for myself years ago and I noticed when I get in my wifes car I would like to slide it forward and then slide it back when I get out but there isnt much room because of the spacing of the belt loops. I think I will be doing more Avenger style holsters. Thank you everyone for your help !!!

Alrighty .. I went and bought those super cheap clip on lights at home depot. A little better. I will have to build my light box. Had thousands of dollars worth of camera gear but the daughter wanted to take photography in college and .... well all of its gone. Anyone who has kids knows what I am talking about. She is my baby and I would give her anything I could. So here is the latest try.

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. Time ... whew ... I would say it was probably 24-32 hours. This is the first time I ever tried anything like this so there was a lot of fumbling around. I dont have a machine so the fine thread around the central figure was all done by hand with my wifes wee bitty needles ... which really hurt by the way, and I bought super duty upholstry thread but it is still very thin. I have some kinks thought through though. I now have ALOT of questions for the group based on things I would like to do better.

Always a little intimidated coming to this board but here goes. Its not as dark as in the pix but I need to upgrade my camera.

That is over the top AMAZING!! I cant get over the detail. What patience you must have. Well cool thing is you have inspired me to try something like that in the future. Alex

Hey Guys I come to the well once again. I am trying to make a cross draw holster for a 3" 1911. Cool so far but ... Im trying to get a 30 degree cant and I am at wits end. I have been working on just getting a pattern all day. I was trying a pancake but I am not married to it and would be just as happy with an avenger style holster. I dont even know what to ask except .. anyone have any ideas on how to accomplish this. Not terribly difficult on a longer gun but I am stumped with this 3 in 1911. I put up a picture of where I landed up but you can see the belt slots are not even and I didnt want to go all the way up into the grip. Thanks all Alex ]

SWEET! Your drawing is great.

Punishers had become a popular request !! Guy had a pair of these guns and wanted right and left holsters. I would like to see him out and about with these on his hip We do have open carry here

Awesome! Did you sand the white after applying it. I cant tell from the pic but it looks aged which is very cool. Here is the project. Damned thing had a compensator and a lazer. Construction was 1 layer of 9-10 oz glued rough to rough with a piece of 4 oz. It was a heavy gun!

Thank you so much!! The 104-2 is perfect. Alex