Help With Pattern From Stohlman's Book On Holsters

[garypl]

Thanks Bob and Josh for your ideas. I already glued the liner so if it wrinkles I will try your method Josh to smooth it out.

l am learning that there are typically several ways to do the same operation and I keep an open mind to trying different techniques to find what works best for me.

My progress has slowed a bit lately due to workload, but I will post updates on my new Ruger Blackhawk holster, good or bad!

Gary

[MalletMan]

Hey Gary,

I'm curious about smoothing out the wrinkles with a smooth hammer. Do you mean a round/ball shaped hammer that you kind of tap it into place with? At what point do you hit the wrinkles with the hammer. Seems to me if you wait too long the glue would dry and it wouldn't help.

Are there "any" wrinkles left after your method?

I do suppose if you glued the two flesh sides of the same piece of leather together on a holster that perhaps they would hold during punching or jabbing the needle through, but I use a smooth pig skin that has been dyed black for my liners, and they would never hold together when punching or jabbing. How long do you let the contact cement dry before jabbing your holster's holes for stitching?

Josh, I'm looking forward to seeing your holster. I will try to get my latest one in my next reply...

Bob

[MalletMan]

Here are a couple pictures of my last holster. Notice the holster stays folded by itself. That is because I glued it when it was almost completely shut. I may have used more than 3/4" strip of glue on it now that I think of it. Maybe 1 to 1-1/2" strip on both the liner and the cover. It helps to hold it shut, but more importantly no wrinkles...

[MalletMan]

Here is a link to the small "C" clamps I use on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Mini-C-Clamp-Heavy-Duty-All-Steel-Fits-in-Small-Spaces-1-1-2-Throat-/400660145730?hash=item5d4934a642:g:uTAAAOSwkZhWTxmj

You do have to put a thin piece (2-3oz) of leather between both sides of the discs to keep them from denting your leather, but they hold very well.

Bob

[garypl]

Nice looking holster Bob! I haven't tried smoothing liner leather yet - it was a technique suggested by Josh. When I fold my Blackhawk holster, I will try Josh's technique to smooth the leather with a smooth hammer. I will post results.

I always wet leather when bending it. I have made a couple of knife sheaths and shooting bags and I don't think it would be possible to bend the leather without wetting it first.

Gary

[MalletMan]

Sorry Gary,

I got your two names mixed up. The first paragraph was supposed to be to Josh and the second one was to you, ugh. I have dyslexia and it messes with words as well as letters because I have it so badly.

Anyway, I bend my holsters without wetting them. Even the very thick 11-12 oz I used on this acorn holster. I just do it slowly, then put weight on it overnight to get it to stay, that plus having the liner glued to the fold helps it to stay put.

I guess I could try wetting it first. Do you get the whole thing wet? Do you just get the fold wet? Do you get the whole cover soaking wet, or just the tanned surface pretty wet? I figured it would leave a water stain if I just got the fold part wet, and getting the whole thing wet seemed like overkill, so I just bent it without wetting it, lol?

Looking forward to seeing your wallet Gary.

Have a great day!

Bob

[Josh Ashman]

Bob,

The hammer I use is a CS Osborne Shoe Hammer like the one pictured below. The method is pretty straight forward, apply the cement to both pieces. Let it dry for 10 minutes or so, or whatever the can says. Put the 2 pieces together and tap them with the hammer all over to ensure they are fully cemented together, I do this on my tooling slab and tap the liner not the finished side. Wet the fold with a sponge feathering out to the sides if I think it needs it. Fold the holster over, if the inside starts to wrinkle open it up enough that you can rub the wrinkles out. Rub don't tap, watch out for burnishing the leather. Use the hammer face or handle or a glass slicker. Once you're happy with the fold then glue the mainseam, with a welt if you're using one, and sew it up.

I scrolled through the pictures I have on my computer and found the one below of a lined holster. I generally don't bother with lining them, but on this one for whatever reason I did. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the inside but it was wrinkle free. It was lined with veg tan HO and not the pigskin like you use so that may make a difference.

Smoothing wrinkles out of leather with something smooth and using contact cement are standards in western saddle making and in my opinion they transfer well to all leather working.

All the best,

Josh

[garypl]

Bob, like Josh stated, I only wet the fold to get it flexible enough to easily bend, then clamp it or put a weight on the piece to hold it until it dries.

Josh - that is a beautiful holster you made! I hope to reach that level some day - will take lots of practice!

[MalletMan]

Holy Smokes Josh!!

Now "That" is a nice holster. I can tell you have been at this a while.

Yeah, it may be that the pig skin liner is thinner, it is very thin, like 1/64th to 1/32nd" inch thick! I don't think it would be possible to glue it flat and then bend it without a wrinkle. I will try your method using a 2-3oz liner, leather, and see how it turns out. I'm sure the hammering and smoothing would make it stick better than just pressing the pieces together.

Where did you get your glass smoother? Does Tandy carry them?

Thanks, and great job there!

Bob

[Josh Ashman]

Bob,

If you google search "glass slicker for leather" you'll get several different results and ideas for how to get one. You can buy them from Amazon or Sheridan Leather, or you can find a local glass shop and have them make you one, they would likely do it for next to nothing. My "glass" slicker isn't glass, it's a rectangular piece of cocobolo wood with all of the edges rounded, fine sanded then polished.

Thanks for the kind words about that holster.

All the best,

Josh