Members BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 27, 2011 Members Report Posted August 27, 2011 My American Harvest food dehydrator has an adjustable heat knob that will go down to what you want. The hair dryer is another good option. Right now down here if it was left in a car it would get hotter than you need. With the windows up interiors can hit 160 easily when it is 110-115 outside. A hot plate with a container on top to hold the holster. A space heater with a fan. Lots of options. Quote You laugh at me because I am different. I laugh at you because you are all the same.
Moderator Art Posted August 27, 2011 Moderator Report Posted August 27, 2011 I use a Cabinet that was used to take food trays around in a hospital, it's about 5' x 3' x 3'. It is of course better if it is insulated. Art Art, Whats the rough size of a cabinet that is heated by 2 100W light bulbs? Im thinking a 2 foot cube? Michael Quote For heaven's sakes pilgrim, make yourself a strop!
Members katsass Posted August 27, 2011 Members Report Posted August 27, 2011 (edited) My American Harvest food dehydrator has an adjustable heat knob that will go down to what you want. The hair dryer is another good option. Right now down here if it was left in a car it would get hotter than you need. With the windows up interiors can hit 160 easily when it is 110-115 outside. A hot plate with a container on top to hold the holster. A space heater with a fan. Lots of options. The BIGGUNDOCTOR and I are about in the same kind of territory, he's about 300 miles north and east of me but we both are in the desert southwest. It's a little after 6:00am here and running at about 76 degrees right now, on its way to 105 or so. By mid day it'll be at least 150 on the surface of the sand. I will generally just sit my holster on a cardboard box a foot or so off the ground and let 'er go for a little ...... turn it over once and within an hour or so it's done. Winter time I use the box and small space heater. Mike Edited August 27, 2011 by katsass Quote NOTE TO SELF: Never try to hold a cat and an operating Dust buster at the same time!! At my age I find that I can live without sex..........but not without my glasses. Being old has an advantage.......nobody expects me to do anything in a hurry.
Denster Posted August 27, 2011 Report Posted August 27, 2011 If you are only going to do one or two holsters you can use denatured alcohol instead of water for forming and it will have the same effect when left to dry naturally. You do have to work quickly to have the forming done before the alcohol evaporates. As to heating I use a cheap convection oven from Wally World. I have a thermometer inside so I can monitor the temperature as you can't trust the dial. Making a heat drying box is simple. A good size is an 18"cube. Use plywood for the base and furring strips for the uprights and the door. You can screw or glue blue insulating board to the sides, door and top. Screw a porcelain light fixture to the base and hook it up in line with a light dimmer switch. One 90 to 100 watt bulb is more than enough.. Shove dowels through the blue board to form a rack to lay the holsters on. Shove a meat thermometer through the blue board about 1/2 way to the top. Poke several 1/4" or so holes in the blue board just above the base and several in the blue board at the top. This will create a chimney effect that will carry the moisture away. Turn the dimmer switch on low and monitor the thermometer. Increase the setting until it holds between 120 and 130 degrees. Put your holsters in and dry away. What you are doing is liquifying the collagens in the leather and allowing it to migrate and glue the fibers in place. The alcohol does it chemically the water does it by heat. Think liquid hide glue which is essentially the same thing. Hide glue liquifies at about 120 degrees and gells at around 80 degrees or so in the presence of moisture. Quote
David Posted August 27, 2011 Report Posted August 27, 2011 Unless you are very experienced with drying cabinets.....just leave it alone and let it dry! I dryed my first check book..... When dry it resembled a potato chip. I wouldn't advise it. Dave Quote
Members Colt Hammerless Posted August 27, 2011 Members Report Posted August 27, 2011 Regarding using alcohol to form with. I believe the advice is to use isopropyl/rubbing alcohol and not denatured alcohol. I've never done this, but that's what I've read. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Colt Hammerless Quote
Denster Posted August 27, 2011 Report Posted August 27, 2011 Regarding using alcohol to form with. I believe the advice is to use isopropyl/rubbing alcohol and not denatured alcohol. I've never done this, but that's what I've read. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Colt Hammerless Youre wrong. Actually you are right and wrong. It really doesn't make any difference which you use. Quote
Denster Posted August 27, 2011 Report Posted August 27, 2011 (edited) Unless you are very experienced with drying cabinets.....just leave it alone and let it dry! I dryed my first check book..... When dry it resembled a potato chip. I wouldn't advise it. Dave Actually as long as you keep the temperature under 150deg F you won't have any problems. It doesn't take any experience just some small attention to details. The detail in this case is keep the temp under 150. Just letting it dry after using water will result in the holster only being a small amount firmer than when you started. That's probably OK for checkbooks. Not for holsters. Edited August 27, 2011 by Denster Quote
Members Big O Posted August 27, 2011 Members Report Posted August 27, 2011 Regarding using alcohol to form with. I believe the advice is to use isopropyl/rubbing alcohol and not denatured alcohol. I've never done this, but that's what I've read. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Colt Hammerless When I've been in a hurry (almost always a mistake), I've cut my dye with denatured alcohol and done the molding while the leather was still damp. Messy, but it works. Quote https://www.facebook.com/BigOGunleather
Members BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 27, 2011 Members Report Posted August 27, 2011 The BIGGUNDOCTOR and I are about in the same kind of territory, he's about 300 miles north and east of me but we both are in the desert southwest. It's a little after 6:00am here and running at about 76 degrees right now, on its way to 105 or so. By mid day it'll be at least 150 on the surface of the sand. I will generally just sit my holster on a cardboard box a foot or so off the ground and let 'er go for a little ...... turn it over once and within an hour or so it's done. Winter time I use the box and small space heater. Mike Yep, when you live where we do you learn to adapt. I can sun dry Roma tomatoes in one day outside, and cosmolene is easier to remove after setting the item outside in the sun for a bit. I am always looking for ways to use El Sol. the clothe s dryer doesn't get used in the summer, as it takes longer than outside-blue jeans are dry in about 10 mins on the line. It was 113 yesterday, and even after midnight it was still 99. My question is what happens to a hardened item if it is exposed to high temps again,like being left in a car during summer? Quote You laugh at me because I am different. I laugh at you because you are all the same.
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