Using A Press To Mold Holsters?

[hestes]

Hey, all! I have seen it mentioned a couple of times that some people use a press to mold their holsters. For those of you that do that, what does your setup look like?

Thanks!

Haley

[PappyUSA]

2 pieces of 3/4" plywood matching your foam.

4 large C claps will do but the cheap clicker press that Weaver sell is best. About 300.00 bucks.

I've also done small holsters with just a bench vice.

Edited July 17, 2013 by PappyUSA

[Jeff L]

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-shop-press-33497.html

[Jeff L]

I use a couple of pieces of plywood with some 1 inch neoprene foam in the above harbor freight 12 ton press.

[Dwight]

I quit using a press, . . . use a vacuum system now that I like better, . . .

But here is my old press that worked fine.

I quit using it because I'm getting so many of these plastic guns, . . . and I figured that some day I'd smash one, . . . takes a bite out of the old profit margin.

The press is made of 2 x 4's bolted together, . . . and an 8 ton jack, . . . was way more than necessary for the job.

The key is the two brown layers, . . . gum rubber, 1 inch thick, 40 durometer hardness, . . . cost me about a hundred bucks from McMaster-Carr (goggle em).

All in all, . . . I had something like $130 in the first holster I pressed out with it. If you are only using steel guns or "blue" guns, it is OK, . . . but if you are doing Glocks or XD's or some of the other plastic fantastic shooters, . . . just be careful.

May God bless,

Dwight

[olds cool]

That's a nice little press Dwight and I've got everything but the rubber sitting in the garage. You think some of the closed cell camping mats would work? I've got one that a little harder, not like those soft Yoga mats or wrestling mat softness.

[Jeff L]

This is the foam I use. I get the 1 inch thick stuff in the 1/4 sheet = 6 squares about 11 1/2" square. for like 3 bucks they will cut it into 6 squares for you... Stuff lasts a long time. I use 2 pieces on each side of the holster.

http://foamforyou.com/neoprene.htm#Neoprene High Quality

[Eagle Crest]

i use a couple of pieces of closed cell foam. get the holster wet put the gun in and i sandwich it between the two pieces of foam and sit on it. very crude but it works. obviously if you are girth challenged it might not work as well. i have also used a couple of slabs of wood clamped together instead of using my body weight.

[cgriff54]

Warning!! Newb Question:

Is this an alternative to hand forming a holster with a boning tool? What are the advantages / disadvantages of press forming. Would this work for a flat back holster? I have no experience with leather working unless you count my Boy Scout years, many moons ago.

[Dwight]

Warning!! Newb Question:

Is this an alternative to hand forming a holster with a boning tool? What are the advantages / disadvantages of press forming. Would this work for a flat back holster? I have no experience with leather working unless you count my Boy Scout years, many moons ago.

Yes, . . . a good alternative.

Advantage: much quicker, and deeper detail, . . . disadvantage, you can ruin the gun if you get heavy with the press.

Yes it works with flat backed holsters, . . . just put something solid under the back.

And be careful of the medium you use. I tried some open cell foam, . . . wound up with a holster that looked like open cell foam instead of leather.

The faces touching the holster need to be as smooth as the leather, no lines, no blemishes, etc. Lines, blemishes, marks, . . . they will all transfer.

There is a learning curve in using a press. Bad decisions will gain you experience with a press, . . . experience you only learn from bad decisions.

Good luck, . . . !!!

May God bless,

Dwight

[thor447]

Here's what I made for my Kydex and leather holsters.

[Jeff L]

That'll work... Really liking that metal bench it's sitting on too.

[thor447]

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate it. I used it with great success earlier today to press out the Kydex for this XDs hybrid holster.

Picture quality is quite lacking - cell phone - shaky hands!

The workbench is nothing special - bought at home depot a long time ago. It's been a great bench despite the somewhat negative reviews.

http://www.homedepot...46#.UexLjY2gp8E

Edited July 21, 2013 by thor447

[hestes]

Wow. Those are some neat setups! Thanks for the info and photos!

[Shooter McGavin]

I use the 6 ton Harbor Freight press, 2 pieces of 1/4" plate, and 2 pieces of 1" thick 40A rubber. I dont think it makes my holsters and better or nicer but it does save the thumbs when doing large quantities of holsters as it helps to find all of the lines for you.

[malabar]

Warning!! Newb Question:

Is this an alternative to hand forming a holster with a boning tool? What are the advantages / disadvantages of press forming. Would this work for a flat back holster? I have no experience with leather working unless you count my Boy Scout years, many moons ago.

You can do a flat-backed holster by pressing or vacuum.

This will do the bulk of the forming work. If you want a really fine, detailed look, you still need to hand detail it. But most ofthe work is alrready done.

tk

[charlescrawford]

So which is cheaper up front and down the road shop press set up or vac press. Currently I am using a vac press from roar rocket that you hand pump all the air out. Works ok I would just like more pressure on the bg’s I mold. The other issue is the bags are pretty expensive. They have to custom make bags for me for holsters since their bags are pretty big for holsters. 4 bags are like $400 I think. 

[Dwight]

4 hours ago, charlescrawford said:

So which is cheaper up front and down the road shop press set up or vac press. Currently I am using a vac press from roar rocket that you hand pump all the air out. Works ok I would just like more pressure on the bg’s I mold. The other issue is the bags are pretty expensive. They have to custom make bags for me for holsters since their bags are pretty big for holsters. 4 bags are like $400 I think. 

My setup cost me $99 for the pump, . . . couple bucks for the hose, . . . $10 for the vinyl at Joann's fabric, . . . and $15 for the vacuum nozzle that goes thru the bag.  I've used the same bag now for at least 6 years.

All I did was buy a piece of Joann's  heavy duty clear vinyl, . . . about 24 inches wide, . . . 45 long, . . . contact cemented the edges to make a bag, . . . installed the nozzle, . . . and have never really had any problems.

I gave up the press idea when I started getting so many of the plastic fantastic firearms, . . . figured one of these days the press would collapse the thing, . . . and I would be stuck buying him a new weapon.  Can't happen with a vacuum setup.

This is my vacuum bag, . . . and my sealing setup, . . . I use the little board to keep the back of the holster straight, . . . without it, . . . it all collapses into a ball.

May God bless,

Dwight