How To Ruin A Day

[BillinOK]

Thank goodness this was just a trial holster. I have been wanting to try out Lobo's avenger style holster. Got a side of Wicket and Craig saddle skirting skived down to 7-8oz. Drawed out my pattern to my Ruger P90 and finally ended up with a pattern I liked. Cut everything out, grooved a stitch line, and dyed everything saddle tan. Got everything sewed together....with a couple mistakes, but as I said this was a trial run. Dunked in water for 2-3 seconds, then worked the gun into the holster. It was a tight fit. Got out my brand new in the box heat gun and started drying the holster. Holy mackrel........the leather wilted like your fingers do when you've had them in water a long time. Lesson learned, keep heat gun in box! But............I like the fit and style of the holster. There are several mistakes, besides the wilted part, that I will correct. The gun fit tight, but loose enough for fast draw. The holster was snug against my side and the gun did not bow out. The fast heat dry hardened the holster to a nice degree. Got the back side belt loop to close to the stitch line, so there are several corrections to be made.

The leather I got from Wicket and Craig was excellent. Nice and smooth flesh side. They have me sold on these.

Thanks Ray for helping me with this. Hopefully the next one will be better.

[terrahyd]

HI Bill

keep the heat gun..I like the effect .. bet you can't do it again??? good job man...

..Doc..

[Lobo]

Bill: I received your e-mail and responde so you should have that by now, with a few suggestions on design elements.

General comments:

The use of heat can be very useful in achieving the most rigid results in holster forming, but it is easy to overdo the heating. Too high a temperature, or too long an exposure, will damage veg-tanned leather.

Heating will activate collagens in the leather fibers, which causes the difference in the final structure. Once the necessary degree of heat has been reached the result will occur, so there is no need to complete the drying process at temperatures above normal room temperature.

Heat guns can be used but, as you have found, the flow of super-heated air must be kept moving and not allowed to concentrate on a single area. A better approach for the hobbyist or occasional maker would be the kitchen oven. Most ovens have a minimum temperature of around 170 degrees, which is hotter than the 130 to 150 degrees necessary for the purpose. So, short exposures (about 10 minutes at a time) should be used. For those who do detail boning on their products this provides a good opportunity to complete that process easily at intervals of decreasing moisture content.

Convection ovens will generally operate at a lower temperature (around 150) and feature a fan to keep the air moving, so these are better for the purpose than the kitchen oven.

For those making holsters on a regular basis a drying cabinet can be useful. A heat gun or even a hair dryer can be used to produce the heat and to induce air flow into the cabinet, and a thermometer will allow temperatures to be monitored and maintained within a fairly narrow range. Once the desired level of heat has been applied the heat source can be stopped and the contents will continue drying as the temperature gradually dissipates. Additional applications of heat can be done as desired.

[katsass]

Thank goodness this was just a trial holster.

Bill, I've done the same thing....back a while ago when I got in a hurry. I never used a heat gun on leather again. In OK I expect that your humidity is a bit higher than here in the Mojave desert, and things dry a bit slower for you. I spent some time around Memphis many years ago and I would have had real problems working leather in that kind of humidity. I have just the opposite problem when working leather now. We are having a late winter here, and a surprisingly wet one....almost 8 inches of total rainfall this year. Our humidity is sitting at 26% right now, but the forecast is for wet weather in the next few days, over a large area that includes us. It really only means clouds, wind and cooler temps. Humidity may climb to mid 40s. In summer (my prime leather working season) we tend to run a humidity level in the low teens and often down to single digit percentages but, too many newcomers are moving in and the overall humidity is climbing slowly. In the summer I usually get the needed drying in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of sitting a molded holster outside. I then have to shoot it a couple of times with Neatsfoot to replace the oils lost in the process. Mike

[BigRiverLeather]

too many newcomers are moving in and the overall humidity is climbing slowly.

Whiskey Tang Foxtrot???

Yeah, heat scares me. I've used my oven a vew times. It's minimum is 170 like Lobo said. I put it in cool, let the oven warm up then shut it off when it gets to temp, usually about 25 minutes total. Frankly, I've seen little difference when doing this so I don't think it is worth the risk should I get side tracked by an old episode of Baywatch :D

I like the heat box idea, but I can't say I'm that amitious yet.

[Denster]

Heat curing a dampened holster properly can make a major difference in it's firmness and how well it retains it's retention abilities. You need 120 to 135 degrees for at least a half hour. The cheap convection ovens at walmart work good but you need to hang an oven thermostat inside to determiine the temp. Generally when the thermostat reads 120 the surface temp of the holsters will be right at 130 which is ideal. The combination of heat and moisture releases collagens in the leather, think liquid hide glue, and actually glues the fibers of the leather in position. The same reason you see leatherworkers heating their creasers for a lasting crease.

It's easy to make a heat box also just furnace tape some insulated board together and install a light bulb base with a dimmer switch wired in line with the plug. Shove some dowels through for a rack for the holsters. Shove a meat thermometer through the side to show the internal temp. A 60W light bulb will easily bring a 2'X2'x1' box up to temp and adjust with to hold with the dimmer switch.

[BillinOK]

Years ago I took a plastic tub, cut a hole on the side bottom, and put an old hair dryer minus the heat at the hole. I had a rack inside. that's how I air dried the holsters. I don't think I got the rigidness of the heat dried ones. I may try building the box heater and try that. Does there need to be "air flow" around the holster/box?

I just checked at Walmart and they have a Black and Decker convection oven for $40.00.

Edited March 31, 2010 by BillinOK

[okie44]

I found this link some time ago, when I first started making my own holsters. I was interested in making some of my holsters as hard as practical, and also water proof. Their is a bunch of information in this post, and a lot of it does not apply directly to making holsters, but I found it interesting.

I have used the heat method to harden holsters, with good success, if you are careful about how hot, and how long you leave it in the heat. I have also used the wax process on some rear pocket holsters, as they are subject to a lot of sweat when I wear them. I tried 2 boxes of paraffin, add about 1/2 bottle of neatsfoot oil, maybe 4oz or so. Heat this to about 180 - 200 deg., in a crock pot. Dip the holster in until it stops bubbling, then pull it out and let it cool. It will be hard, and very water resistant. It will not feel waxey, as it will all absorb into the leather. I have done this a number of times, and have not had trouble with cracking of the leather.

I don't use heat so much anymore, as i have found that using rubbing alcohol to work and form the leather holster usually leaves it stiff enough for my purposes, and it dries fast and won't rust the gun.

Hope this helps, and doesn't just add more confusion. John

Hardening leather

[Denster]

Years ago I took a plastic tub, cut a hole on the side bottom, and put an old hair dryer minus the heat at the hole. I had a rack inside. that's how I air dried the holsters. I don't think I got the rigidness of the heat dried ones. I may try building the box heater and try that. Does there need to be "air flow" around the holster/box?

I just checked at Walmart and they have a Black and Decker convection oven for $40.00.

The convection oven's air flow maintains an even heat throughout the oven which is important. I think I paid $29 for mine but it may have been on sale. You can accomplish the same thing with the heat box. Just make it about three feet tall and eighteen inches square with the bulb in the bottom and leave the top open. Punch a few holes around the bottom to let air in. What you have then is a chimney effect as heat rises. Shove your meat thermometer through just below the holster racks and adjust your dimmer till the thermometer shows a little over 120. Works great. I used this in a slightly different form to dry wood for traditional bow making.