Jump to content

Do you heat-dry your items?  

45 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you heat-dry your items?

    • YES: With a heat box or similar setup
    • YES: With a hairdryer or other forced air source
    • YES: Desert dweller - Don't have a choice
    • NO


Recommended Posts

  • Members
Posted

Earlier thread prompted this question. Been thinking of building a dedicated box but I'm not sure if I will gain anything as my fan dried holsters are pretty stiff as they are.

By the end of the show you start telling them you keep a few head of steers behind the house and go out and carve off a strip when you need it, it grows back in 5 or 6 weeks. - Art

JR

  • Members
Posted

Only for rush items. Not for additional stiffness. I will reinforce with another material if stiffness or rigidity is required. I believe that the leather will break down and soften the same with time and usage whether heat dried or not.

Diapers and Politicians should be changed often...

Both for the same reason!

  • Members
Posted

don't see a point in it, imo

No sir, he fell into that bullet

Posted

I am in final finishing on 38 items now, and have completed well over 200 pieces since the first of the year. What I gain from heat drying is keeping production moving.

For those making one item at a time there is little to be gained. For those with 10 to 12 (or more) pieces in progress at all times there is much to be gained.

I am presently working on a new drying cabinet to accomodate up to a dozen pieces at once. The time savings will be considerable.

Lobo Gun Leather

serious equipment for serious business, since 1972

www.lobogunleather.com

  • Members
Posted

Yes, I heat dry. I'm with Lobo on this one. It saves a huge amount of time when working on multiple items. My heat box is basically a plastic storage bin with a hole in one end and a small space heater with fan. I have an oven thermometer in it and it keeps the temp at a constant 120°-125°. The fan also keeps the air moving so the pieces dry very quickly. I would estimate it takes about 40 mins to completely dry a holster in the box. Mine is large enough to have at least 10 items in at once, but I seldom have more than 5 in at a time. At some point I'll make something a little nicer, but what I have works very well for now, and it was cheap.

  • Members
Posted

I am in the process of building a cabinet similar to this:

http://advancedsurvivalguide.com/2010/11/03/diy-build-a-forced-air-food-dehydrator/

I have tried the oven, heat guns, etc and all have worked well (minus the one time I friend one with a heat gun). I prefer to work in groups so being able to mold 10 holsters at the same time is the end goal here.

  • Members
Posted

I heat dry in a countertop convection/toaster oven. It does seems to harden the holsters a bit more than just air drying, but I could be imagining it. The bigger factor for me is dry time. I live in the humid south, and it would take days to dry otherwise.

  • Members
Posted

I only heat dry in the winter time, . . . over the wood stove during the day, . . . above the propane furnace at night.

In the warmer months, . . . it all gets hung in the sun to dry.

I will probably build a cabinet next fall, . . . but only if I am successful at building business more than it is now.

May God bless,

Dwight

If you can breathe, . . . thank God.

If you can read, . . . thank a teacher.

If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran.

www.dwightsgunleather.com

  • Members
Posted

Maybe I should clarify. I don't heat dry, I live in Florida and do much of my work in the Sun. That is why I do not see what use in using a drying box.

No sir, he fell into that bullet

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...