How To Shape Holster To Fit Curvature Of Body?

[SouthernCross]

I'm thinking that a holster should be glued up and formed while on a curved surface to account for the body's curvature. I'm envisioning something with a curve along the lines of a 5 gallon bucket. I'm thinking about maybe first using rubber cement to glue the inner portion to the bucket, then place/tape the handgun over it to aid in determining the fit of the outer piece of leather. Fit it up, glue it with contact cement, and then remove it to do the sewing and wet-forming.

What do y'all think.....or recommend?

[katsass]

I'm thinking that a holster should be glued up and formed while on a curved surface to account for the body's curvature. I'm envisioning something with a curve along the lines of a 5 gallon bucket. I'm thinking about maybe first using rubber cement to glue the inner portion to the bucket, then place/tape the handgun over it to aid in determining the fit of the outer piece of leather. Fit it up, glue it with contact cement, and then remove it to do the sewing and wet-forming.

What do y'all think.....or recommend?

Well I've never done anything like that, but I have stuck an old belt thru the loops on a new holster, and wet molded it by cinching it up around a largeish tree. Worked for me to get the contour. Mike

[Hicks02]

What you are saying would probably work, but it seems like a lot of extra steps. I mold my holsters on a curve during the wet forming. I punch the belt slots and put a scrap of belt leather through them. That way the holster is molded to the belt and has a curve molded in. I hope that this makes since. JH

[Shorts]

I form my holsters during wet mold. Just lay them over my quad and give firm gentle press before I set them to dry. Since I cannot see the girth of my customer I have to mold to a generic shape, not to tight, not too wide. Basically curve enough that the slots on OWBs are even with the back of the holster for the belt. For IWBs I curve enough that the holster mouth doesn't get pulled down tight when the front wing is curved/being worn.

More or less I eyeball it and have a shape I'm comfortable with sending them out. I have considered getting a mannequin torso, especially to help on the shoulder rigs, but I don't think it's worth the cost or trouble. If you shape the holster just enough the customer should be able to wear it in the rest of the way without ill effects.

[olliesrevenge]

I like how you think. The 5 gallon bucket method is how I have formed & dried almost all of my holsters. I used to think that drying & hardening them while strapped to a curve would be crucial for a good fit, but after some experimentation I found that drying them 'on the flat ' using a straight wooden mandrel through the belt slots is just about as well. For me it's more about leaving it in a convenient position to dry.

My steps currently go like this.

Dye pieces

Assemble & sew

wet mold

use a (preferably old) belt to strap it to a 5 gallon bucket (not too tightly)

Position a small space heater so that it blows warm air on the piece for about 40 minutes.

Unbelt it from the bucket and hang the holster in front of the space heater so that the backside gets some heat for another 30 minutes or so.

Once I build a drying cabinet as described in a recent post, I'll stop w/ the 5 gallon bucket method and go to wooden mandrels on the flat. Below is a recent pic of a holster I built that was dried on a 5 gallon bucket.

About your question of using rubber cement to glue the inner piece of leather to the 5 gal. bucket and then forming the outer piece on over the gun.... If I understand correctly, what you are after is having the inner leather relatively flat (albeit, on a curve), and the outer leather doing all the molding around the gun. I haven't done this with a holster yet, but try placing your gun / mold on a piece of wood (I've used a section of 2x12)) , then take your cased (wet) outer leather piece and mold / wetform it over the top of the gun, & secure it down w/ small tacks positioned exactly along where the stitchline will be (easier said than done!). Let 'er dry and then assemble and sew your holster.

[SouthernCross]

....... If I understand correctly, what you are after is having the inner leather relatively flat (albeit, on a curve), and the outer leather doing all the molding around the gun. ....

That's exactly what I'm after.

[ShortBBL]

I think I'll make up a pancake holster for my wife's S&W 642 and tell her I formed it around a five gallon bucket! Yee haaa..... that should be a wild ride! LOL

[olliesrevenge]

Wait a minute, 5 gal buckets really aren't that big around. If you really want to pick a fight tell her you formed it around a 55 gallon drum.

[SouthernCross]

You guys better be careful!

[Reaper]

Heh, we have these huge black wheeled garbage cans for city trash. LOL