Finishing a Single Action Holster?

[DarbyFett]

I made my first holster last night for my Ruger Blackhawk and I am curious how to finish it. I already wet molded it, its just waiting for me to get home and dye it. But I am curious as to what finish I should use, Beeswax?

I have no holsters for it, so i have nothing to compare it to. What do I use to help retain its shape? After the wet mold its kind of hard, does it need to be harder?

Its nothing fancy, and it ain't purty....but I made it .

Edited December 18, 2008 by DarbyFett

[TwinOaks]

Howdy Darby, and welcome to Leatherworker.net!

Veg-tan leather will stiffen a good bit as it dries. If you really want to harden it, use a little heat. About 140F makes the leather quite a bit harder than just drying. When I make holsters, I typically use my countertop oven (it's a convection style) for the last little bit of drying. Obviously, take precautions to not set anything on fire. The leather doesn't need to bake for a long time, either.

By the way, ONLY USE THIS METHOD FOR HEAT SETTING LEATHER DAMPENED WITH WATER. You'll have to play around with the 'cooking' time, as it will be different with the various thicknesses of leather. Also, when you remove it, you'll want to used a hair dryer to dry the inside of the holster.

As for finishing it, there's quite a variety of what you can do. It will really depend on the type of dye you use- particularly the differences between Eco- dyes, and spirit dyes (alcohol). Regardless of what you choose, you need to buff the leather after dying it to remove any pigment particles that haven't penetrated the leather. Failure to do so will probably result in bleed through of the color.

For a first time holster, I'd recommend Resolene or Supersheen, just for the ease of use.

[DarbyFett]

Thanks for the welcome and speedy reply!

Wont it shrink up without the gun inside the holster?

How long would I leave it in there at 140f if the leather is about 8oz(if I remember correctly)?

I was hoping to use beeswax considering I have a couple pounds lying around lol. What if I just brush a light coat on the outside of the holster? I know its not a good idea to do anything to the inside of the holster.

Edited December 18, 2008 by DarbyFett

[TwinOaks]

I stuff the holster with twisted/wadded paper towel (shaped like the gun) to help soak up moisture and heat for about 20 minutes. That's enough to 'set' the leather, but not dry it out too much.

If you're looking at a wax impregnated holster, then it's a whole different ball game. If you're just coating it, you'll want to mix the beeswax with a light oil (probably Neatsfoot) but I'm not the expert in that area. please standby for more responses

And who says you shouldn't do anything to the inside? I routinely treat the inside of my holsters with Aussie leather conditioner to seal the leather and prevent moisture and dye transfer from leather to steel or anything caustic (powder residue) from the leather.. I guess if you're using a block glock or other polymer gun it wouldn't be an issue.

Edited December 18, 2008 by TwinOaks

[DarbyFett]

  TwinOaks said:

I stuff the holster with twisted/wadded paper towel (shaped like the gun) to help soak up moisture and heat for about 20 minutes. That's enough to 'set' the leather, but not dry it out too much.

If you're looking at a wax impregnated holster, then it's a whole different ball game. If you're just coating it, you'll want to mix the beeswax with a light oil (probably Neatsfoot) but I'm not the expert in that area. please standby for more responses

And who says you shouldn't do anything to the inside? I routinely treat the inside of my holsters with Aussie leather conditioner to seal the leather and prevent moisture and dye transfer from leather to steel or anything caustic (powder residue) from the leather.. I guess if you're using a block glock or other polymer gun it wouldn't be an issue.

Would it be to much to put it in the oven THEN do the wax/neatsfoot(luckily I have both)?

I have just heard that finishing the inside can collect dust and grime and mar the finish of the gun.

Thanks again.

[DarbyFett]

I made a 50/50 mix of Neatsfoot and Beeswax. Came out real nice.

[TwinOaks]

Excellent news! I got to discussing this the other day with a friend and he reminded me that Aussie conditioner, one of my preferred salves, contains beeswax. Sometimes I think I need to defrag my brain.

Anyway, I'm very pleased to hear that it came out well. Now, umm, where's the pics?

Sorry I missed your previous post- re: finishing the inside of the leather.. I think that argument has validity when considering excessivly waxy finishes, or any flesh side that has a lot of knap. The fibers can collect grit/dust and the leather then becomes a polishing pad. I think this is especially possible when it's a closed holster, as anything that falls into the holster is stuck there until it's turned upside down. Sealing it, I think, would actually help prevent this, as would smoothing the fibers down to the point that you have a nearly slick surface on the inside. The portions where the gunmetal meets leather will be burnished down to 'slick' with normal use of the holster. If you have any really serious concerns, you could always just get the gun refinished in Melonite

Edited December 23, 2008 by TwinOaks

[338uwm]

  TwinOaks said:

If you have any really serious concerns, you could always just get the gun refinished in Melonite

He can always durabake it. I did one of my ARs about 3 years ago, and it takes alot to scratch it. Sorry if this is a little of topic.

[DarbyFett]

I will post some pics when I make a holster I feel is up to par with some of the stuff on here. Though I will say it turned out pretty nice...for a beginner

I am not too worried about the blueing, its not a bbq gun.