Question On Making A Holster

[russell]

im making a holster for a ruger superblackhawk the customer has reqested a deerskin lining in it will i have to bend the holster first to put the deerskin in it its about 1.5 oz deerskin or can i just lay it on flat and glue and sew it flat. im worried about bulges in the deerskin ive had it do it to me on thicker linings but have heard on thinner stuff it works im just tryin to find out

[HarryB]

im making a holster for a ruger superblackhawk the customer has reqested a deerskin lining in it will i have to bend the holster first to put the deerskin in it its about 1.5 oz deerskin or can i just lay it on flat and glue and sew it flat. im worried about bulges in the deerskin ive had it do it to me on thicker linings but have heard on thinner stuff it works im just tryin to find out

Form your holster first then glue your liner in otherwise you will end up with wrinkles you can't get out.

[russell]

Form your holster first then glue your liner in otherwise you will end up with wrinkles you can't get out.

thanks harry thats what i was afraid of

[Lobo]

With light lining leathers I've found that the lining can be stretched as you are cementing it into place. The limits wrinkling during the forming process.

Installing a lining after the holster is formed would be just about impossible to do.

[Dwight]

Lay your holster body leather so that it is hair side down.

Coat the flesh side with Weldwood Contact Cement, using a 1 inch wide bristle paint brush.

Lay your deer skin hide face down, . . . coat the back of it with the same product.

Allow both to dry for about an hour and a half or two hours, . . . overnight if you can stand the wait.

Gently roll the deer skin onto the holster body leather, . . . BE CAREFUL AND DO NOT STRETCH THE DEER SKIN !!!!!!!

Roll the deer skin in place with a rolling pin.

You now have a piece of bonded leather that will make a wonderful lined holster if you follow all the other accepted practices of making a proper holster from it. You will have to sew all the edges to make sure they are not inadvertently separated.

This process will not give you wrinkles.

You'll probably not like this comment, . . . but in your first post you said that you got bulges from thicker leather. Partner, . . . you were doing something wrong, . . . period. If you glue two pieces of leather together with Weldwood like it should be, . . . it won't bulge, . . . bubble, . . . wrinkle, . . . or any of that stuff. Leather is a product that takes well to gluing, . . . but it has to be done right in order to work right.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited May 30, 2010 by Dwight

[katsass]

Lay your holster body leather so that it is hair side down.

Coat the flesh side with Weldwood Contact Cement, using a 1 inch wide bristle paint brush.

Lay your deer skin hide face down, . . . coat the back of it with the same product.

Allow both to dry for about an hour and a half or two hours, . . . overnight if you can stand the wait.

Gently roll the deer skin onto the holster body leather, . . . BE CAREFUL AND DO NOT STRETCH THE DEER SKIN !!!!!!!

Roll the deer skin in place with a rolling pin.

You now have a piece of bonded leather that will make a wonderful lined holster if you follow all the other accepted practices of making a proper holster from it. You will have to sew all the edges to make sure they are not inadvertently separated.

This process will not give you wrinkles.

You'll probably not like this comment, . . . but in your first post you said that you got bulges from thicker leather. Partner, . . . you were doing something wrong, . . . period. If you glue two pieces of leather together with Weldwood like it should be, . . . it won't bulge, . . . bubble, . . . wrinkle, . . . or any of that stuff. Leather is a product that takes well to gluing, . . . but it has to be done right in order to work right.

May God bless,

Dwight

OK russel, I agree with Dwight......mostly. I also use Weldwood Contact cement, but their instruction for the stuff says NOT to wait more than an hour before bonding your two pieces of leather. This is for their product that is solvent based....they DO have a water based cement which I have never used, so if that is the one being mentioned.........disregard my previous statement. ANYHOO......I make all of my holsters from two layers of bonded leather. This produces a firmer formed holster IMO, and all edges are saddle stitched which produces a pleasing appearance in the finished product...again, IMO. Another plus is that your finished product has a nice smooth interior, more 'finished' looking. The lightest holster leather I use is two layers of 4/5 oz shoulder leather in holsters for smaller, lighter firearms....heavier (6/7 oz) leather for heavier guns. Sometimes a combination of 6/7 and 4/5 oz. When bonded as Dwight mentions, there is no bulge, bubble or wrinkle. It does take a bit more stitching, but I find that to be a selling point also. Mike