I Have A Question On Using 2 Layers Of 4-5Oz For Holsters

[harley45]

So for the past few years before I found this forum I made all my holsters out of 7-8 oz and all was good. Then I started seeing guys on here talking about using two layers of 4-5 oz and I thought that makes sense I think I'll try. I've had great success with it on pancake style holsters and thought I'd try it on an avenger type or maybe a summer special type. I'm just wondering though before I do it since I'm folding the leather on these do you guys cut both pieces the same size or maybe leave one a little bigger than the other to prevent wrinkles?

Thanks

[Greg528it]

I'm pretty new at this, BUT.. I've had good success with the back piece in 7-8 and 2 flesh side to flesh side together as the front for a lined holster. The manager at the local Tandy shop, when showing me his lined holsters warned me.. Shape the inside piece then the outside piece, gluing as you go along. I took it to heart and have had very smooth insides, no wrinkles. I have since read on here, a week or 2 ago. Glue them flat then form. If you form it right you get no wrinkles. I should try that. This of course does NOT answer your question.

On the pieces I've lined (run 2 -- 4-5 oz) I ran both inside and outside long and let them be longer than the back. The back I've cut to a hair over net shape. I sew together, than trim the excess off leaving 1 smooth edge to then radius and then burnish.

[Dwight]

My lined pancakes are 2 pieces, . . . flesh to flesh, . . . bonded and used as one piece of leather, . . . works fine, . . . no wrinkles, . . . no problems.

My Western holsters are the same: 2 pieces, . . . bonded flesh to flesh, . . . then cut, folded, edged, gouged, sewn, laced, or whatever. Occasionally, I have seen small wrinkles in the underside of the bend where it forms the belt loop. Occasionally, I have seen small wrinkles down the inside of the holster in what would be the sight channel.

Most of the time, . . . that is taken care of by first lightly skiving the INSIDE piece of leather, . . . about 1 inch or 1 1/4 inch wide. Then bond, . . . and use.

Additionally, . . . when I do the bending in those areas, . . . I roll it over a round rod, . . . forming the bend as a roll instead of a flat out "bend" in the leather.

And of course, . . . I've never had anyone ask one of my customers out on the trial, . . . "Would you mind letting me see if your Dwight's Gunleather holster has any wrinkles under the belt?"

For an Avenger style holster, . . . I would follow the same above ideas, . . .

FWIW, . . . my best results have come from using the same leather, . . . cut from the same hide, . . . as much as possible when I make this type of holster.

May God bless,

Dwight

[katsass]

FWIW from the old grumpy guy: I have been sticking leather together to make holsters now since the early 60s. I understand that Bianchi was doing the same thing when building his early stuff in his garage. My way of doing it ALMOST removes the probability of the little inside wrinkle that wants to show up along the long fold of the holster. Usually it doesn't show up at all, but as Dwight says, there is always the chance that a chunk of dead cow skin may want to be arbitrary. I slather the contact cement all over the flesh side of both pieces of the poor deceased cow critter. One piece is left slightly oversize to assist in alignment. When the smelly stuff (I use Weldwood contact cement in the original formula -- don't particularly care for the 'green' version) is basically dry to the touch, I stick the two together. I then use an old wallpaper roller to ensure total contact. Finally I lay a chunk of granite that is polished on one side (I was very glad that no part of a word was on it when I got it -- I think it was a reject from a monument company) on top of the stuff and go off and do anything in the world except screw with the damned thing until 24 hours have past. Very seldom do I find a wrinkle show up -- and even then it's right where Dwight says it is, and damned near invisible. Good luck in your endeavor. Mike.

[jbossartcustomgunleather]

I use barge cement-coat each piece, let dry to the touch-then assemble. I use a wide roller(or those granite kitchen rolling pins for large pieces) over the entire piece, then I use a small steel roller at a slight angle on the edges.

Cure time is critical. If the piece doesn't require tight bends I may only wait a couple hours, but for a tight bend I leave it set until the next day.

[Red Cent]

Are all you guys hand sewing?

[harley45]

Thanks for all the responses I now have several things to try!

[Dwight]

Are all you guys hand sewing?

Hands are for hamburgers, . . . machines are for sewing.

I would probably drop down to key fobs and ankle bracelets if I had to go back to hand sewing. I traded off a stainless 1911 to get my Boss, . . . and, yeah, . . . there have been times when I questioned the move, . . . but my son can put it in the yard sale when I'm gone, . . . for now, I'm using it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[jbossartcustomgunleather]

Machine stitching for almost a year now, I don't know how I used to do that!

[camano ridge]

Everything i make and have made for the last 40 years, wether it be a holster, buscadero belt or rifle scabbard etc. is hand sewn.

[vaalpens]

I have used the method suggested by Katsass with 2x5-6oz pieces of leather. I really don't know if there are any wrinkles on the inside of the holster, but if there were, I'm not able to see it because you see the marks of the gun left on the inside of the holster. With the lined holster is is more difficult to put detail in when you wet form. This is not a problem for me because I don't like the excessive amount of detail you sometimes see on holsters. I still hand sew, probably because a sewing machine is not in my budget yet. Good luck with your first lined holster.

[katsass]

from the grumpy guy again; all of my stuff is hand stiched. Mike

Edited June 6, 2014 by katsass

[Dwight]

Here is a couple of examples of Katsass technique (curing overnight with a weight) and my way of doing it (lightly skiving the inside piece for about an inch or so at the bend).

The flap area and the barrel area at the sight plane were both skived, . . . Weldwooded, . . . put together, . . . laid under a marble weight for about 12 hours, . . . then magically turned into a big brown holster for a big stainless .357.

I'm usually in too much of a hurry to wait, . . . but this time, I had the time, . . . so I added the "grumpy" effect, . . . and as it is plainly evident, . . . grumpy or not, . . . it works.

AND, . . . it ain't got no wrankels, . . . rinkels, . . . or wrinkles.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited June 12, 2014 by Dwight

[harley45]

Those pics are perfect Dwight helps alot my thanks, I assume you will mold bone then sew at this point? Do you have any problems sewing a molded holster on your machine? I only ask because I am about to pull the trigger on a machine.

[Dwight]

Those pics are perfect Dwight helps alot my thanks, I assume you will mold bone then sew at this point? Do you have any problems sewing a molded holster on your machine? I only ask because I am about to pull the trigger on a machine.

Well, actually, Harley, . . . the pictures you saw are of the completed holster, . . . needing only the final assembly of the parts after the final finish goes on. Construction wise, . . . it is done.

The walls were made of two layers of.109 thick (7oz) leather, . . . and the bottom seam including the welt, . . . came out at .550 inches thick. That seam had 5 layers of leather there, . . . 4 coats of Weldwood contact cement holding it all together while I stitched it.

Molding, i do after I dye the holster and let it dry. I then soak it good again, . . . and go to town on the molding, . . . boning a holster of that type is just simply out of the question. I've laughed and kidded Mike about this process as it just about makes another weapon out of the holster itself, . . . it becomes so hard.

As far as sewing, . . . all the stitches you see there are done on my Tippmann Boss, . . . including the .550 seam. That seam took me all of probably 2 minutes to gouge and sew with waxed 346 thread. The only part of the whole holster that was hand sewn was the outside portion of the thumb break. This holster is for a pretty good sized man, . . . and he has an old fashioned (40 year old) stainless steel Colt .357 with a 6 inch barrel he'll be toting in it. He also got a matching belt with 24 cartridge loops. The thumb break is for his horseback riding jaunts, . . .

If I didn't have my machine, . . . I'd probably find some other use for my leather shop.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited June 13, 2014 by Dwight

[harley45]

Makes sense Dwight, I was just curious, Is it even possible to sew a holster on a machine after you mold it?

[Dwight]

Makes sense Dwight, I was just curious, Is it even possible to sew a holster on a machine after you mold it?

Actually, most of my CCW holsters are molded first. I'll sew down the sight track edge on my Cactus and pancake designs, . . . wet mold, . . . allow to dry, . . . then do the glue/cut/sand/gouge/edge/sew trick with the holster basically molded and boned.

I'll sometimes touch up the boning or molding, . . . but only if it needs it. AND, . . . those are holsters made from one layer of 6 to 9 oz leather, . . . uhh, . . . mostly.

My cowboy holsters and large revolver holsters all get pretty much sewed up then molded, . . . just the way I do it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[harley45]

Thats the way i do it now by hand just wondered if it could be done on a machine the same way.

[Dwight]

It will depend on the machine.

Some will allow you to do it, . . . some won't because of the "table" arrangement.

As you can see in this picture, my machine allows a flat object to go through and just run out on the table, . . . I intended for that to happen, especially for belts.

The little box looking thing to the left of the machine is held on with one screw. Remove it. . . . I've got a saddle stitcher that allows me to put any shaped piece in there, . . . including a pre-formed holster.

I had to remove the box for this holster, . . . as it would have made the stitches come out not perpendicular to the holster. Again, . . . when I designed the shop, . . . I had that in mind.

May God bless,

Dwight

[harley45]

It will work then as I want a boss to,especially since they are right down the road from me

[Dwight]

Harley45, . . . that rig is finished, . . . off the table, . . . I started a new thread with it.

May God bless,

Dwight