A Holster "in The Oven" Question!

[ShortBBL]

This is not 100% dry yet, but I cooked it in the toaster oven on 150 for 35 minutes..... my wife thinks there is this crappy coloring/stain because maybe it was too hot. Might this dry out to match, by tomorrow or is she perhaps right?

I hope this can be saved.... it fits and came out really good except for the color issue!

Thanks for your thoughts.

[TwinOaks]

Sad to say, that ain't water stains....that's scorched. 150 degrees is too hot, shoot for a max of 130.

[DCKNIVES]

I agree, you cooked it.Your lucky thats all the damage you got.Toaster ovens are notorious for not having accurate temps so a light touch is needed.Dave

[TexasJack]

Find that can of black dye

[ShortBBL]

Son of a.........

Dang it.... I hate when she is right!!

What really boggles my mind is on another holster made today also.... with different leather (Bridle) same settings, came out perfect!!

I guess I just need to turn this WAY down and if need be, give it more time? Lower temp but longer? Will that work?

And..... Why would most of the holster turn out fine, but one area like this, burn!?

[olliesrevenge]

The lowest my main kitchen oven goes down to is 170, and I stuck a holster in there for 30 min once & it turned out ok. The bottom heating element was the one that did the heating, so I laid the holster on a cloth hot pad and then put that on a cookie sheet, to protect the leather from the hot metal. It looks like the end of yours that got scorched was maybe close to a heating element and took more than it's fair share of radiant heat?

Before I built a hot box (which is currently still in R&D mode) I used a small space heater to blow warm air on my holsters to harden them. I probably built 20 like that, they got pretty hard & I never damaged one, so I guess it's pretty safe. The trick is remembering to turn them and "cook" both sides.

[ShortBBL]

I have a new convection oven, bought just for holster/sheath making. I use the grates to set the work on, maybe I should use the pan instead? Also, now that I think about it a little.... the end that is cooked may have been positioned closer to the lower element.

In any case, I will turn it way down and try cooking off another one!

[TwinOaks]

I've been heating my holsters in a counter top oven and I go for the lowest setting of 150 for 10-15 min. But....that time starts when I put the holster in, so a lot of the 'cooking time' is used up by the oven coming up to temperature. Actual time at 150 (ish) is probably less than 8 min. You'll just have to play with the oven to learn when it's too hot. Also, most ovens have 'hot spots' in them, and that was my impression of what happened to the holster. In general, if the leather is too hot for you to hold, it's just too hot. Same thing applies to water used to soak/wet form- if you can't put your hand in it, don't put the leather in it. After all, it's just skin.

[ShortBBL]

That's what's stranger here! The leather didn't feel hot at all! The first 10-15 minutes, the reinforcing piece was dry.. the rest was still very wet looking. I left it go for another 20 at least. Maybe I should have taken it out and just let the air finished it. I was hoping it would be 90% dry so it would be super dry by morning. Maybe I am just pushing it too fast.

How long do you guys soak the leather? I have been dunking it for 10 seconds or so.. maybe I am soaking it way too long too?

I've been heating my holsters in a counter top oven and I go for the lowest setting of 150 for 10-15 min. But....that time starts when I put the holster in, so a lot of the 'cooking time' is used up by the oven coming up to temperature. Actual time at 150 (ish) is probably less than 8 min. You'll just have to play with the oven to learn when it's too hot. Also, most ovens have 'hot spots' in them, and that was my impression of what happened to the holster. In general, if the leather is too hot for you to hold, it's just too hot. Same thing applies to water used to soak/wet form- if you can't put your hand in it, don't put the leather in it. After all, it's just skin.

[Denster]

That's what's stranger here! The leather didn't feel hot at all! The first 10-15 minutes, the reinforcing piece was dry.. the rest was still very wet looking. I left it go for another 20 at least. Maybe I should have taken it out and just let the air finished it. I was hoping it would be 90% dry so it would be super dry by morning. Maybe I am just pushing it too fast.

How long do you guys soak the leather? I have been dunking it for 10 seconds or so.. maybe I am soaking it way too long too?

About a three second dunk is enough for 8/9OZ. More is too much for forming and molding but has no effect on heat drying. Get a oven thermometer you can read through the glass and set the temmp to turn off at 130 degrees.