How Do I Wet Form ?

[RainSpirit]

How do I wet form a holster for my S&W BodyGuard without hurting my gun? Will I need clamps? I have never done this. Do I tool my leather first? Please all the help I can get is needed and greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.. Rain Spirit

[Dwight]

First, . . . you will have to make a choice: forming VS tooling. Simply put, you cannot have both and expect either of them to be real good.

Tooling adds designs to the leather, . . . forming, . . . if done correctly, . . . will destroy many of those designs. That is why most very closely formed holsters have very little if any tooling on them. Tooled holsters are minimaly formed at best, . . . a general forming for the basic overall shape and nothing really beyond that.

Having said that, . . . take a piece of scrap belly leather, . . . cut it into the rough design of a wrap around holster, . . . and don't worry about the details, . . . you are going to toss this anyway.

Immerse it in a sink or pan of water that is just above body temperature, . . . warm enough to feel warm, . . . not any where near feeling hot. Hold it a good 15 or so seconds under water.

Lay it down, . . . flesh side down, . . . on newspaper or a towel, . . . and just leave it until it really starts taking back the original color, . . . or pretty close. You don't want to mess with it while it is that dark, wet, soppy brown, . . . let it lighten up and almost feel dry to the touch. It can then be fairly easily manipulated with your fingers and your thumbs.

You do not need to wrap your gun in a bag or Saran Wrap, . . . just don't take all day to do this. Stand the unloaded handgun in the middle of the leather piece, . . . where the sight track should be, . . . grab the two flaps and pull them up on each side, . . . hold them in your left hand, . . . securely.

Adjust the gun in the "holster" so it is laying correctly. Begin with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand to pinch the leather into the cracks, crevices, crannies, of the handgun. You want to force it into every void you can find.

Once you have a pretty good form made with just the thumb & forefinger, . . . lay the thing down on the left side, . . . then use both thumbs to further force the leather into the crevices, . . . then turn it over and do it on the other side. Finish up by one more trip through the "thumb forming" with the left side being down.

Gently lift upone side of the leather, . . . extract the gun, . . . lay the leather back from where you pulled it up, . . . wipe down and oil the gun, . . . hang the "holster" up on a string through the sight channel, . . . and let it dry. DO NOT mess with it for at least 24 hours.

Once it is dry, . . . you will be able to see why you could not tool it and then form it. You will also be able to put the gun back in it, . . . and mark where it needs to be sewn, . . . sew it within 1/4 inch of the actual gun itself. Once you have the sewing pattern, . . . cut off the excess outside the stitch pattern, . . . sand it, . . . bevel it, . . . stitch it, . . . admire it, . . . throw it into a drawer and say "Good job, now I can do a real one."

May God bless,

Dwight

[RainSpirit]

First, . . . you will have to make a choice: forming VS tooling. Simply put, you cannot have both and expect either of them to be real good.

Tooling adds designs to the leather, . . . forming, . . . if done correctly, . . . will destroy many of those designs. That is why most very closely formed holsters have very little if any tooling on them. Tooled holsters are minimaly formed at best, . . . a general forming for the basic overall shape and nothing really beyond that.

Having said that, . . . take a piece of scrap belly leather, . . . cut it into the rough design of a wrap around holster, . . . and don't worry about the details, . . . you are going to toss this anyway.

Immerse it in a sink or pan of water that is just above body temperature, . . . warm enough to feel warm, . . . not any where near feeling hot. Hold it a good 15 or so seconds under water.

Lay it down, . . . flesh side down, . . . on newspaper or a towel, . . . and just leave it until it really starts taking back the original color, . . . or pretty close. You don't want to mess with it while it is that dark, wet, soppy brown, . . . let it lighten up and almost feel dry to the touch. It can then be fairly easily manipulated with your fingers and your thumbs.

You do not need to wrap your gun in a bag or Saran Wrap, . . . just don't take all day to do this. Stand the unloaded handgun in the middle of the leather piece, . . . where the sight track should be, . . . grab the two flaps and pull them up on each side, . . . hold them in your left hand, . . . securely.

Adjust the gun in the "holster" so it is laying correctly. Begin with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand to pinch the leather into the cracks, crevices, crannies, of the handgun. You want to force it into every void you can find.

Once you have a pretty good form made with just the thumb & forefinger, . . . lay the thing down on the left side, . . . then use both thumbs to further force the leather into the crevices, . . . then turn it over and do it on the other side. Finish up by one more trip through the "thumb forming" with the left side being down.

Gently lift upone side of the leather, . . . extract the gun, . . . lay the leather back from where you pulled it up, . . . wipe down and oil the gun, . . . hang the "holster" up on a string through the sight channel, . . . and let it dry. DO NOT mess with it for at least 24 hours.

Once it is dry, . . . you will be able to see why you could not tool it and then form it. You will also be able to put the gun back in it, . . . and mark where it needs to be sewn, . . . sew it within 1/4 inch of the actual gun itself. Once you have the sewing pattern, . . . cut off the excess outside the stitch pattern, . . . sand it, . . . bevel it, . . . stitch it, . . . admire it, . . . throw it into a drawer and say "Good job, now I can do a real one."

May God bless,

Dwight

Thank you so very very much! I will take great care to do it the best I possibly can! Rain

Spirit

[sly]

I am working with a piece of 5-6 ounce for a wallet holster and when I put it in the water I could feel the bubbles (air) coming out

in the water and I could see them. Musta' been really dry. Thanks for the information. I'll let you know how it comes out!

[Retired LE]

I am working with a piece of 5-6 ounce for a wallet holster and when I put it in the water I could feel the bubbles (air) coming out

in the water and I could see them. Musta' been really dry. Thanks for the information. I'll let you know how it comes out!

Any update to this thread?

This inquiring mind wants to know.

Mike

[katsass]

From the old grump: Dwight has it down to a 'T', but just a note, use the belly leather to practice with -- ONLY. That stuff is not good for holsters. . My holsters are a little different than most, being made from a double layer of leather in their construction. I do assemble and stitch prior to molding, and because of that it takes a bit more work, but other than that, that's just how it's done, and said better than I could. Mike.

Edited July 1, 2012 by katsass