shoulder rig

[txclas]

I'm new at leatherwork, and have some friends interested in shoulder rigs. I intend to use 6/7 for the majority of the build.

My question is what to do with the flesh side of the leather strips.  If I dye the flesh side, what do I put on it to keep the dye off shirts,  that I don't want to buy.  If I burnish the flesh side, with water and a piece of glass, won't that stretch the leather?

One final separate question..on another topic, pigskin for lining of holsters.

Would you line them, and if so, with what?

  

[chiefjason]

I did not line my holster.  I also did not dye or burnish the inside of the straps.  But the natural goes well with the brown.  Not so much with a black.  If you do dye it just apply a couple coats of finish on the flesh side.  Also, 6-7 will work for the straps but it's going to be a bit heavy.  You could go lighter.  It's what mine is made with and it's probably over kill.  

[Bayou Bengal]

The ones that I’ve dyed, I’ve just put a few coats of resolene on them.  They’re doing just fine. 

[buzzardbait]

I have used pig skin for a lot of lining. It's thin it is tough and it dies well

[bikermutt07]

I would bet slicking it with tokonole after dying (and buffing really good) would probably be fine. Then some resolene.

[Dwight]

Just about any straps, . . . but especially should holster straps, . . . get the full dip dye treatment, . . . a light oiling, . . . then Resolene.  The trick is to get back to the straps before the Resolene dries completely, . . . roll it and stretch it to make it pliable.  

I roll the straps over a 3/4 inch piece of round stock steel, . . . both ways, . . . hang em up, . . . maybe come back in a half hour and hit em again.  Softens em right up, . . . the resolene keeps the dye from bleeding, . . . only way I will make em other than just plain oiled leather.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Carson]

I think to use tan kote and that’s what I use on my belts and it works great. But being new u also could use Aussie from fiebings( sold at Tandy) or I make a concoction of beeswax and neetsfoot oil melted and blended together also works good.     Good luck

[robs456]

On 2018/1/23 at 0:32 PM, Carson said:

I think to use tan kote and that’s what I use on my belts and it works great. But being new u also could use Aussie from fiebings( sold at Tandy) or I make a concoction of beeswax and neetsfoot oil melted and blended together also works good.     Good luck

Wax and oil sounds like they would mess up any garment in contact with it. What's your experience, or do you finish with something else as well on top of that?  But I thought using wax would make that quite difficult.

 

[Dwight]

1 hour ago, robs456 said:

Wax and oil sounds like they would mess up any garment in contact with it. What's your experience, or do you finish with something else as well on top of that?  But I thought using wax would make that quite difficult.

 

It doesn't do that.  I mix virgin beeswax from my own hive, . . . and an equal weight of neetsfoot oil (NOT neetsfoot oil compound, . . . there is a difference), . . . put em in a jar in a crock pot, . . . it all melts together making a somewhat greasy and slippery paste, . . . I pour it out into cupcake papers in a muffin pan.  

Rub it on the project, . . . and don't be especially sparing, . . . run a heat gun over it to melt it into the pores, . . . get a rag and when it cools a bit, . . . begin to buff.  Use your strong hand, . . . just because you gotta put some "work" into buffing it out real even. 

It makes a beautiful finish in my opinion, . . . and I have never had any bad experience with it at all, . . . ever.

It is THE old fashioned recipe used by the frontiersmen of days past.  There were others, . . . but this was one of the most common, . . . so I am told.

May God bless,

Dwight

[robs456]

Thanks Dwight, I'm making a smart phone shoulder rig(!) for a buddy and this is good to know.

 

[chiefjason]

9 hours ago, robs456 said:

Wax and oil sounds like they would mess up any garment in contact with it. What's your experience, or do you finish with something else as well on top of that?  But I thought using wax would make that quite difficult.

 

I use the same type of finish Dwight does, but I use U82 Saddlers oil in it instead of Neatsfoot.  Melt it together in a crock put then pour it in a dedicated container.  

You can either buff it well like Dwight does.  Or I put a light coat of Atom Wax on it and buff that out.  Gives it a nice shine without being plastic looking.  

Technically my process is oil/wax mix with heat gun, Mop & Glo (one coat on the whole holster and another coat on the inside and edges), then Atom Wax and buff.  Yeah, I'm sure it's overkill.    But I've never had a complaint and never had a problem with my stuff.  

[dikman]

I was curious what U82 Saddlers oil is, it's just under 100%  Solvent naptha (petroleum) heavy aliphatic, the rest being alcohol! I'm sure it works, but I think I'll stick to neatsfoot oil, beeswax, tallow etc.

[chiefjason]

3 hours ago, dikman said:

I was curious what U82 Saddlers oil is, it's just under 100%  Solvent naptha (petroleum) heavy aliphatic, the rest being alcohol! I'm sure it works, but I think I'll stick to neatsfoot oil, beeswax, tallow etc.

I'm not an expert on safety sheets, but my reading is that the Naphtha is the bulk of the ingredients they label as dangerous.  So most of that is Naphtha.  But I can tell you that most of the product is certainly not naphtha.  It's a light oil.  Pretty much smells, looks, and acts like any other light oil used on leather.  I'm not going to drink it, but I don't drink any of the others either.  What I like about it is that you don't get any residue if you get a little too much.  Neatsfoot can be a bit oily if you are not careful.  

But use whatever works for you.  

[dikman]

I wouldn't drink it either . I just wanted to point out that it's made from crude oil, rather than being a natural product. (When I saw the name "Saddler's Oil" for some reason I just assumed it would be a natural product).

As you say, the important thing is whatever works, and you're obviously getting good results from it.