Vacuum bag for forming holsters

[BOOMSTICKHolsters]

Thanks for the pics, Denster. It looks like your method cleanly exposes the lines of the gun, so it would work for the way I do things. How long does it take to accomplish those results?

Here is a thread with a quick and dirty tutorial on using a press that shows one instance of what you're asking for. I'll try to get some more pictures for you if my camera will cooperate.

[rdb]

Now that I see your method, I like it. It's a little simpler than building a box. For pocket holsters, the amount of impression seems just right, so as not to give away the lines of the firearm inside the pocket, but shaped enough to hold it.

PS: I dig the fancy stitching.

[Shorts]

I always thought this was an interesting method. However, it seemed to be more trouble than the results. Especially if the holster will be boned for detail. I don't think I'd use this for molding leather, but possibly other projects with epoxy resin casting.

I certainly respect the work yall put into getting your machines together. Great designs that do the job!

[Denster]

Boomstick: Thanks for the link. That answers my question. Seems like the same amount of detail press or vacuum on the initial pulldown. Like I stated the vacuum has the advantage of being able to work some fine details through the bag at least on the face side. Working time from the time I put it in the bag till I take it out, mind you this is two guns at a time, is about four minutes add a couple of minutes if I decide to work in some additional detail.

As a matter of interest the total cost on this whole setup was about $175. While it is a somewhat significant time savings fom doing it by hand I found the most important thing was that there was virtually no chance of marring the work.

Shorts. I'm curious why would you not consider it for forming leather?

[K-Man]

Interesting concept, Denster, though not a new one. In my experience, I can get greater "initial" detail with my Weaver press with a 6-ton jack. I use the gum rubber to surround the gun/holster. I've had no marring of the leather. I can press two pocket holsters at the same time, in approximately 3 minutes. I then only have to spend a couple of minutes on the boning enhancement of the gun in the holster.

Edited March 27, 2009 by K-Man

[Shorts]

Shorts. I'm curious why would you not consider it for forming leather?

I use a sponge press for initial forming when wet. Then my fingers for final touch-ups just before boning after the leather moisture is right.

[Denster]

K-Man: Didn't say it was a new idea just was interested if anyone else was using it and any tips and tricks they may have learned. I wouldn't expect you to have any marring with the press. What I meant by marring was as opposed to doing the initial forming by hand. The initial detail you are refering too is what I was interested in improving. Just a couple of things I have come up with is having a platnen in the bag to help increase drawdown, warming the bag to increase flexibility, Tried using foam pads over the gun/holster OK results not as good as just the bag. No real advantage to it over the press if you allready have one.

[K-Man]

In my experience, foam pads are far too weak to provide any substantive results. Would a higher cfm be advantageous in this application?

I agree that there's no real advantage with the vacuum bag process over the press set up. It's something to consider if initially starting out perhaps. It looks, based on the pictures you've posted, that it would work best for small objects, such as pocket holsters. In the picture of the OWB holster that you show, it appears that the definition is even less than in comparision to the pocket holsters, or am I seeing that wrong?

[Denster]

K-Man. That is probably due to my poor photographic skills I should have cross lighted that to show the detail. The pocket holsters were formed at 18mgh while the unit is capable of 30mgh+ as it maxes out the guage. The pump I have is 2.5cfm one with more oomph might make a difference. What it is capable of for example with a Taurus PT1911 it will bring up the forward slide serrations take down pin end and slide/frame delineation. I'll be forming 1911s and High Powers in the next couple of days and will get some pics.

I've considered making some lighter guage vynal bags for greater flexibility. Actually the foam pads didn't do a bad job however this was dense close cell foam. Can't expect them to be as good as gum rubber under 6tons though. In any case just using the bag provides better results and the advantage of being able to work details through it. I'll keep playing with it and see what I come up with. In it's current state it provides a good close fit without further work and the lines are exposed if I want to do a close detail job. I find that tedious. I'm not in yours and Boomsticks class when it comes to that.

[Bronson]

Denster,

Are you using any bleeder cloth around the holsters and under the air valve? When we do fiberglass bag forming at work this is an essential element to get a good suction especially around shaped objects.

Bronson