What Do You Put Your Wet Molded Holster On When You Oven Dry It?

[hestes]

For those of you that oven dry your holsters after you've wet molded them, what do you place them on in the oven? Cedar plank, baking sheets, etc? I'm just curious how others are doing it because every now and then I get a line from the edge of the plank or whatever I have it on. I want to perfect that process and clean up the finished look.

Thanks!

[Russ]

I just put mine on the rack. It's been my experience that if the leather gets a mark on it, the oven temperature is too high.

[chiefjason]

On the rack at 185-195 for 20-25 minutes. If it does not look dry enough I turn off the heat and leave it in the oven longer. Seems to work fine for me.

[Denster]

I have the rack covered with aluminum foil. 120 to 130 degF is plenty to accomplish the purpose. Over 150 and you will damage the leather.

[hestes]

Thanks for the replies! I am using a toaster oven & the lowest temp is 150. I was afraid that was too hot. It doesn't sound like it should be. I am going to experiment a little bit more with it.

Thanks again!

[evandailey]

Get yourself any one of the many silicone baking pads available. No risk of heat marking or even simply the grating bars pressing into the wet leather like a tooling impression.

[glockanator]

The few I have done I bent some s hooks from a coat hanger and the hung the holster from.the top oven rack.

[Steven Kelley]

Making a drying oven is extremely easy and cheap. For about $30, you can make one large enough to dry about 15 items in at a time. I made one using a plastic storage bin, a small space heater, some wooden dowels, and a digital oven thermometer. Basically, cut a hole in the end of the bin about the same size as the space heater. The space heater will blow warm air inside the box drying the items. The items can be hung inside the box using the dowel rods. The distance the fan is from the box will regulate the temp inside the box. It will keep a nice even temp anywhere from 100° to 140°. The moving air really dries the items faster than a kitchen oven, and with less heat.

[PappyUSA]

Tennis shoe rack in the dryer set on delicate also works good..

[particle]

I put mine on a sheet of wax paper, placed on my pizza stone and I try to keep the temp around 130-140 max, for about 45 minutes. Another option to an oven is to cut the end off one of your leather shipping boxes, fashion a small hanger from a large clothes hanger and hang your holster inside the box (really, any box will do), then place a small space heater at one end of the box and allow the heated air to funnel through the box. Works great, provided you keep the heater on its lowest setting and keep an eye on the box to make sure it's not getting too hot. Stick the probe of an oven thermometer through the cardboard to monitor the temp inside the box, and regulate the box by moving the heater closer or further away from the opening.

Glockanator - that's a great idea to actually hang it, instead of sitting it on something else.

As I'm typing this, I see Steven Kelley replied - his is a great option too! Steven, I'd love to see a photo of your box if you'd care to share.

[hestes]

Thank you all for the replies! Now I have several options to try.

@Particle, thanks for the excellent youtube videos!

[SooperJake]

I use a cotton cloth covered piece of horse blanket wool and keep the temp about 135° F for about 10 minutes, then air dry the rest of the way, most times.

[Eaglestroker]

I made a dryer using a filing cabinet, a hot plate, and a bathroom fan. I can hang the items from the divider bars while drying.

[chiefjason]

Toaster ovens are notorious for uneven heating, and higher than wanted temperatures. Be really careful. I use my large oven. My oven does not go any lower than 180, but I don't pre heat it. And I'm more careful if I put items in after it's heated up. I used to have a incandescent bulb in a box that I used. Bulb on the bottom, wire to hang the holsters from on the top. I like the oven better. And I have used the clothes dryer as well and it works fine if you have a rack for it.

[Bronson]

The few I have done I bent some s hooks from a coat hanger and the hung the holster from.the top oven rack.

That's what I do. My oven's lowest temp is 170 but I don't preheat it. I hang the holster turn the oven on and 15-20 minutes later it's done.

Bronson

[Steven Kelley]

As I'm typing this, I see Steven Kelley replied - his is a great option too! Steven, I'd love to see a photo of your box if you'd care to share.

Below are a few pics of my drying box. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. I can fit about 15 holsters in it at a time, which is about the perfect size as that's approximately how many I mold at a time normally. Since it's about 115 outside today, I have the heater moved way back from the box. Actually, probably just a fan would do on summer days in Phoenix. When it's cooler, I move the heater closer to the box. It will hold a temp within 2° all day long if needed.

[malabar]

I dry mine in a convection oven, and I use wooden racks to hold my holsters.

[hestes]

Below are a few pics of my drying box. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. I can fit about 15 holsters in it at a time, which is about the perfect size as that's approximately how many I mold at a time normally. Since it's about 115 outside today, I have the heater moved way back from the box. Actually, probably just a fan would do on summer days in Phoenix. When it's cooler, I move the heater closer to the box. It will hold a temp within 2° all day long if needed.

Thanks for posting the pictures! I think I'm going to have to give this a try!

[renegadelizard]

170 in the oven, prop the door open about two inches with a wooden spoon...put it on the rack and bake for 20 minutes....if you are getting bake lines in your leather, its too wet when you molded it and put it in...let it dry out a bit before you wet mold and a little after you have molded it...

[particle]

Steven - thanks for sharing! Nice looking setup you have there. Man, I can't imagine forming 15 holsters at a time. It takes me, on average, about 15 minutes per holster to form it. But, that includes punching the belt slots (easier to punch when the leather is wet so the slots don't tear out on the grain side), and beveling and burnishing the slots. I usually only have about 3, maybe 4 items in the oven at a time - guess I need to pick up the pace!!

I don't remember off-hand what my oven's lowest setting is, but mine has a Warm setting. I just have to remember visually about how far the knob is rotated, but I can get mine to hold around 135-140 fairly easily, though I have to keep an eye on it since sometimes the heat will spike randomly.

[benlilly1]

O.k. I have to ask...what's the purpose of using the oven? To dry faster or will it retain the shape better??

[camano ridge]

For a good Concealed Carry holster you want one that when dry is hard (very firm) to hold its shape onece the weapon is drawn it will not colapse allowing easier reholstering. The heat softens the collagen in the leather and the fibers of the leather tighten (very basic explanation). Also you wet mold the holster arounnd the weapon to give good retention again the heat will cause quicker drying setting the shape of the holster and maintaining the retention. You should be able to turn a weel molded holster upside down and not have the gun fall out yet it should draw easily.

Edited July 7, 2013 by camano ridge

[benlilly1]

Thanks for the explanation Camano!