prototype material

[cardinal leather]

I’ve been looking for a dependable material for leather prototyping, especially for holster work. I tried a few common options like laminate underlayment and thin foam, but they were either too thin, tore easily, or didn’t really simulate the thickness of leather very well.

While I was at Menards, I checked the carpet section and found a roll of anti-fatigue runner on the bottom shelf. It’s about 1/8" thick (measured 3.2 mm), 30" wide, and was running $2.49 per foot, so I picked up a few feet to try.

So far, it’s worked really well. It’s tough, doesn’t tear easily, and has just a little bit of stretch—enough to wrap around a firearm properly without feeling spongy. It also does a decent job simulating the thickness of around 8 oz leather, and I was able to run it through an industrial machine without issues.

For the price, it’s been a solid option for patterning and test fitting without wasting good leather.

The finished holster was a F.O. Baird design from 1951 for a 1911 handgun reworked for the Ruger wrangler 22.

 

 

[YinTx]

Very cool.  I'll have to give that a try!

[chuck123wapati]

excellent find !!!!