Wet molding and Boning a holster

[jlopez]

This is my first post and I spent several hours trying to search for this topic with no real luck. However I found other information that i would not have thought about. I have made holsters in the past but have never hand boned one but always tooled. From what I gather Wet molding it with a water temp about 120 degrees and a drop of dish soap will help in "forming the leather". Presume just utilizing your fingers for the major out line around the trigger guard, shroud and slide. I noticed someone was using the end of a sharpie for other parts. This is a IWB for a Walther PPK My questions are as follows:

1. Do you dye the leather before or after molding and boning?

2. Where is the best place to start the boning. I have not figured out how to find the ejection port and other lines that would need to be boned.

3. When letting the holster dry to you leave your unloaded and wrapped gun in or do you take it out.

I read many post but these were the questions I still had. My apologies if I missed somewhere in another post.

Thank you,

Juan

[Jordan]

I dye after boning and it is throughly dry. I don't feel that water temp has much to do with pliability, room temp has worked for me. No best place to start other than to use your hands and fingers to get the general shape then use whatever smooth tool you want to define the features you want. Gently remove the pistol after you are satisfied with the shape etc and let it air dry. I have used a vacuum bag to get the general shape which saves some pain in my hands. There are some that will dip the dry holster in dye let dry and then dip in clear acrylic finish.

[Shorts]

1. Do you dye the leather before or after molding and boning?

I don't. I dye after the molded/boned holster is dry. But I use water-based dyes so, the nature of the beast, I dye after. Some makers dye before molding. The process depends on your preference and the type of materials (mainly dye) that you use.

2. Where is the best place to start the boning. I have not figured out how to find the ejection port and other lines that would need to be boned.

I press to find the curves of the gun. Once you become familiar with the grooves of a particular model gun, you get better at boning. It'll take a little practice to get the feel of the gun edges under the leather with your tool. I prefer using hot-warm water, I feel it makes the leather more pliable. Keep in mind, if the water is too hot to keep your hand in comfortably, it is too hot for the leather. Leather WILL scald and burn if the temp is too much. That will sap the oils from the leather and it will dry stiff and brittle.

3. When letting the holster dry to you leave your unloaded and wrapped gun in or do you take it out.

The gun/mold stays in the holster until the leather is dry on both sides and returned to its normal color. If you pull the gun from the holster and find there is no moisture on the gun, you're good. If you're using a real gun, wipe it down and oil it up.

Overall, don't be afraid to try various techniques and methods to find what you like and what works for you. Everyone has a method to their madness. There isn't ONE specific procedure that should be used

Edited December 11, 2008 by Shorts

[Tac]

What Shorts said.....

I usually dye after I mold and the leather is dry, but I have dyed first on a couple of holsters, using oil dye and I found that I did not get a good detail to the mold... so I stuck with "mold then dye".

As for where to start... I usually start around the trigger guard, as it is easiest to find. I run my boning tool around the front and back of the trigger guard on both sides of the leather to help give it a good friction fit and move on to the ejection port on autos or the cylinder of revolvers. As for "finding the ejection port"... if you press on the leather with your thumbs (using 7/8 or thinner leather), you should be able to feel most of the details of the surface of the gun, to include the ejection port, pretty easy. If you are using really thick leather it will be harder to find the details and you will get less detail in the wet mold process.

Drying the molded leather with the gun in the holster over night has worked best for me. After an evening drying at room temp, I take the gun/mold out of the holster and it's usually still damp inside the holster and I let it air out and continue drying with the gun/mold removed until it's completely dry before I move on in with dying the leather.

Don't be afraid to ask questions... thats how we all learn from one another.

-Tac

[Go2Tex]

I found that molding for high detail works best with cased leather about 5-6 oz, that is dry enough to hold the crease or shape, etc.

Dye is almost always applied after everything is done unless I want white stitching. I dye the inside or liner before assembly.

Those hard to find details can be located by pressing the gun into the grain side, marking the location of the feature. I even use the gun to make an impression on the grain side for details like the slide grooves on autos. Of course, those are merely for show since they are not deep enough to actually serve a purpose otherwise, and you can only do that for details that are semetrical for both sides.

Edited December 13, 2008 by Go2Tex

[jlopez]

Thank you all for you help.

I did as suggested I dyed after wet molding and letting it dry completely.

For the boning I used the back end of the sharpie for the ejection port and slide detail. I used the handle of my spacing tool for the trigger guard. Both of these were great suggestions I found in other threads. As for finding a place to start I started by pressing just around the slide. I found out that when boning if i made a mistake i was not hard to fix. I started lightly and as the impression was starting to appear I could press a little harder. The trigger guard was definately the easiest. I feel for my first time I got a good impression.

Now if I could just get the edges a little more perfect. With a single thickness of leather no problem. The power drill idea was great. But when it is a double thickness the burnishing wheel is just to small in width. I even bought the number 5 edger but it still is not enough to the get the edges to fit the slicking wheel. I checked at tandy and they do not sell different wheel widths.

Juan

[Shorts]

Good work on the holster. It came out nice.

Keep working on the edges, they'll come around as you domore of them. Instead of the drill, you might go back to a dowel/stick/antler until you get ahold of a custom bit (some folks make custom woodel burnishing dowels for the drill).

I use a well-worn dowel

[ArcherBen]

For my edges I simply put a 1/2" dowel in my drill press, wet the edges of the leather, and go to burnishing. I've found it to work really well and give very nice edges, IMHO, based on my limited experience. If you want to see an example of an edge finished this way, take a look at my post in the Critque my Work section.

[jlopez]

Shorts you rock man,

I remembered I had a oak dowel sitting around. I used my dremel and a bit to create the groove and the width i needed. Viola! I have a new burnishing tool. I can use it by hand and it will actually chuck in the drill. If I had not buggered up the edges trying to get what I wanted they would be even better. I included a picture of the best edge which is what I was going for. This holster is for my self as are all my holster I just wanted to step up the appearance a little better than I had been getting.

Again thank you all for your help especially you Shorts.

Juan

[Tac]

That holster turned out nice. You will get better at all aspects of this hobby/craft with experience. I like your burnishing tool idea. I might have to make one for myself and give it a try. Most of my holsters I currently make, I just edge with an edging tool, wet the edges and burnish/slick with a peice of canvas material taken from an old pair of pants (works best if you rub the canvas in one direction rather than back and forth).

-Tac