How Do I Get My Holster To 125 Deg To Harden It

[mlapaglia]

I have been told that to properly harden the leather in a holster after the molding/boning I should bake it at 125 degs. My main oven only goes down to 170. My toaster oven is small and I am concerned that the leather would be too close to the elements. It also only goes down to 175.

How do you people get the holster dry in an oven and still keep it from getting too hot?

Michael

[Art]

Hi Michael,

If you are serious about it, build yourself a drying cabinet. Exterior plywood will work or most things wood. If you are worried about the heat, then line it with sheetrock and/or tin foil. Two incandescent lightbulbs of 100 watts or so will do as a heat source. You have to rig a thermostat for it to turn the lightbulbs on and off, but that ain't rocket science. A circulating fan is optional.

Art

I have been told that to properly harden the leather in a holster after the molding/boning I should bake it at 125 degs. My main oven only goes down to 170. My toaster oven is small and I am concerned that the leather would be too close to the elements. It also only goes down to 175.

How do you people get the holster dry in an oven and still keep it from getting too hot?

Michael

[KAYAK45]

I do not know anything about hardening at "125 degrees", but if that's what you want catch you oven on the heat side going up and shut it off as say 130 degrees and let it cool.

Kevin

[Art]

If you are on a budget, set it outside in a box on a sunny day, if up North it will have to be in the summer. The box (and the holster) will get to 125 pretty easily.

Art

[mlapaglia]

I do not know anything about hardening at "125 degrees", but if that's what you want catch you oven on the heat side going up and shut it off as say 130 degrees and let it cool.

Kevin

Kevin,

This is what I was told, and judging from the quality of this persons work I have every reason to believe them. This is a response to a question I had about making holsters.

Are you including heat setting the leather in your process? Literally baking the molded holster at ~125F for 10-15 minutes (depending on moisture content)?

That's a pretty important step as it helps to 'set' the leather. I try to wait until the leather is on the dry side of "cased" (where the leather looks dry, but still feels cool), then bake it in the toaster oven. It's important to get the leather to about 120 degrees for the cellular 'glue' to set. Don't use a microwave.....trust me. Once it's reached the right temperature (I can hold it for a few seconds before it gets too hot), take it out and set it somewhere with moving air- in front of a fan is good. If you take something like a kitchen knife, or a metal handled tool, and insert it into the molded cavity, you can see moisture condensing on it. That's why you need moving air; to blow the moisture out. Once it' cooled down to room temperature, I think you'll find the holster a good bit stiffer than just drying overnight.

I've have to try it at least once. I have read this other places also and the "Science" of the process makes sense.

[evandailey]

Close the door of the oven on a wooden spoon leaving it open a crack and set it as low as it will go. That's what I do and it works splendidly. That also helps get rid of the moisture faster.

Edited August 26, 2011 by evandailey

[mlapaglia]

Hi Michael,

If you are serious about it, build yourself a drying cabinet. Exterior plywood will work or most things wood. If you are worried about the heat, then line it with sheetrock and/or tin foil. Two incandescent lightbulbs of 100 watts or so will do as a heat source. You have to rig a thermostat for it to turn the lightbulbs on and off, but that ain't rocket science. A circulating fan is optional.

Art

Art,

Whats the rough size of a cabinet that is heated by 2 100W light bulbs? Im thinking a 2 foot cube?

Michael

[electrathon]

Close the door of the oven on a wooden spoon leaving it open a crack and set it as low as it will go. That's what I do and it works splendidly. That also helps get rid of the moisture faster.

I can't believe it took so many replies to get to this answer. Leaving to door open a couple inches works great. I have done it a number of times, always with great results.

Aaron

[Big O]

I just hang the holster inside a cardboard box and prop up a handheld hair dryer about three feet away, pointed into the box below where the holster is.

[Shooter McGavin]

I have a cardboard box with a small electric space heater blowing into it.