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

[Big O]

At this point, I just stick a ruler through the belt slots and push them together a little, then let it dry that way.

I really should get a section or two of really thick, stiff belt blanks for that purpose......or something else with the proper dimensions.

Someone mentioned wooden mandrels. How would I go about finding/making those?

[Dwight]

At this point, I just stick a ruler through the belt slots and push them together a little, then let it dry that way.

I really should get a section or two of really thick, stiff belt blanks for that purpose......or something else with the proper dimensions.

Someone mentioned wooden mandrels. How would I go about finding/making those?

Big O, . . . I have taken small board scraps and made "imitation" belts and other tools around which I mold leather shapes. I like southern yellow pine the best as it sands easily, . . . is harder than regular pine or spruce, . . . and does not leave a grain mark on my projects.

As for developing the "curve" for the body, . . . I laughlingly advise my customers to strap on the new holster, . . . insert gun, . . . get in the car, . . . drive about 100 to 200 miles to a really great restaurant, . . . come home. Unholstering and laying it on the night stand, . . . it will be properly curved.

Don't laugh, . . . it works.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Shorts]

At this point, I just stick a ruler through the belt slots and push them together a little, then let it dry that way.

I really should get a section or two of really thick, stiff belt blanks for that purpose......or something else with the proper dimensions.

Someone mentioned wooden mandrels. How would I go about finding/making those?

I grabbed some aluminum straps the last time I picked up some steel stock for the garage. I was using belt mocks ups but they became too flimsy when I needed to form belt channels on my holster models that were a little tight. The aluminum is rigid and holds form, and nonporous so I don't have to worry about breakdown or swelling/shrinking.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Shorts

[Reaper]

To me it would seem to be more of a pain in the butt to have a shaped holster digging in until it reshapes to my body, than one that has a curve to it but will shape to me as I wear it. Not like it is Injection molding or Kydex which drive me up a wall because they never fit "just right"... 

But, what I have been using for belt slots is two Cypress shims which are inserted and pushed together until the desired thickness of a belt is reached.  You can get them at Lowes, HDepot where the Doors are located. Shim Packs...

[Shorts]

To me it would seem to be more of a pain in the butt to have a shaped holster digging in until it reshapes to my body, than one that has a curve to it but will shape to me as I wear it. Not like it is Injection molding or Kydex which drive me up a wall because they never fit "just right"... 

But, what I have been using for belt slots is two Cypress shims which are inserted and pushed together until the desired thickness of a belt is reached.  You can get them at Lowes, HDepot where the Doors are located. Shim Packs...

The reminds me, if one goes too far shaping the holster it will actually be too loose on the gun when being worn. The affect is the opposite of pulling the wings back that make the mouth close. Instead the wings get pushed out and the mouth opens. I built a holster for my dad and I put a little more curve into it than was necessary for him. I watched it happen. On me the holster holds the gun snug. On him, it's loose on the gun.

It needs to be realized that there is a happy medium that must be achieved.

[olliesrevenge]

Mandrels...

I'm sure alot of leatherworkers use them, but being a total noob I was oblivious until I got the idea from one of Lobo's posts, where he posted pic's of his.

I found this at Home Depot ...

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1/Ntk-All/Ntt-poplar%2Bwood/h_d2/Navigation?langId=-1&storeId=10051&Ntx=mode+matchpartialmax&catalogId=10053&merchRule=true&catStyle=ShowProducts

...except in a 1/4" x 1 1/2" size that is dead nuts identical to the profile of a good gun belt. I sanded the edges round and tapered the ends a bit and it was good to go. I haven't thought about swelling shrinkage though, I guess I'll keep an eye out for that.