Work Order

[Russ498]

What order do you complete your work in when making holsters and sheaths?   It seems like I'm always undoing work that I've already done. I just completed my first holster. I had it stamped and dyed and it looked good until I wet formed it.  All of the dye came off and it looked a mess.   Also, some of the stamping just about disappeared where the creases were and from getting wet generally.   I guess what I'm looking for is actually a list of I do this first then that then this etc. etc. etc.Etc. etc. etc. Thanks all

[Ragingstallion]

when doing wet form, dying is always my last job. but I usually do dying last on any project minus stitching (in case I want to get the inside of a project) and slicking the edges.

as for stamping, I have never tried stamping or tooling a project I planned on wet forming, as I fear that same problem you are having.

[Dwight]

First thing you need to understand, . . . you can wet form a holster, . . . OR, . . . you can cut /tool/stamp a holster, . . . but unless you are Santa Claus or the Lone Ranger, . . . you cannot do both.

Let your customer determine which he/she wants, . . . and provide it.

Generally, . . . the list of how I do things goes something like this, . . . it would be for a pancake or "sort of" pancake type holster:

• Lay out pattern and cut the back of the holster.  It will very seldom have anything seriously done to it, . . . so it is first, . . . to get it out of the way.
• Lay out front pattern, . . . I generally use a process where the "leading edge" of the holster is seriously cut out first.  The trailing edge is always cut a tad big.
• Look at the front and back, . . . where do I need to dress the edge (makes it easier to do now than later), . . . do that edge beveling
• Cut out, . . . bevel, . . . and sew on any "accent" pieces, such as a piece of ostrich, buffalo, elephant, . . . a panel with a LEO shield stamped, . . . a stiffening panel, . . . etc.
• Contact cement the "leading edge" of the front and back, . . . sand the edges, . . . sew that leading edge completely.
• This is where I wet form my holster, . . . laying the front over the weapon as it lays in position on the back, . . . generally, I use a vacuum forming process, . . . easy and very good results come from it.
• Let the thing dry, . . . COMPLETELY, . . . I often use a drying box, . . . 130 deg F, . . . for an hour or so.
• Sew the back edge, . . . but first, . . . apply contact cement to both pieces, . . . put the gun in the holster, . . . make sure it is properly positioned, . . . stick the pieces together.
• Here is why I cut the trailing edge a tad bigger, . . . just in case there is something goofy going on, . . . I now trim that so it matches the back, . . . then sand the edges, . . . and finish sewing the holster together.
• Finish beveling all edges, . . . and I then use a Dremel tool to dress the edges, . . . make em shine real good is the goal.
• Apply a light coat of neatsfoot oil here, . . . with a cheap bristle brush type paint brush, . . . this is a "have to" step if you generally are playing around with any light or medium brown colors, . . . tans as well.  I went for a LOOOOOOONG time trying to figure what I was doing wrong, . . . and got mottled and blotchy tans and light browns.  The neatsfoot oil is the one thing I found that all but eliminates that problem altogether.
• NEXT :  all my holsters are dip dyed, . . . and after the dip dying is done, . . . it goes to the arbor press where my maker's stamp is applied.
• AGAIN:  Let the thing dry, . . . COMPLETELY, . . . I often use a drying box, . . . 130 deg F, . . . for an hour or so, . . . then let it hang for the next 24 hours.
• After it is dried, . . . belt loops are applied, . . . or punched out, . . . as appropriate.
• Final step is one or more coats of Resolene, . . . basically the only finish I use.

Hope this helps, . . . holler back if you have any questions.

May God bless,

Dwight

[LatigoAmigo]

1 hour ago, Dwight said:

• AGAIN:  Let the thing dry, . . . COMPLETELY, . . . I often use a drying box, . . . 130 deg F, . . . for an hour or so, . . . then let it hang for the next 24 hours.

Dwight, you are a saint to provide us all with such specific steps to success. For a "drying box" I have found that using the "sweater rack" in our gas clothes dryer works very well.

[Russ498]

Thanks, guys. I learned more from this post than I did from several hundred hours of YouTube videos and several books.

 

 Dwight;  I printed your workflow list and I'm going to post it at my workbench. I think it will be invaluable.

 

ragingstallion   Do you think it's possible or practical to do stamping on areas that will not be stretched or worked during wet forming?

[JLSleather]

If you gonna STRESS and STRETCH leather when it's wet, it's going to lose some tooling definition -- that is the IDEA behind tooling leather- get it wet and you can change its shape.

That said, you CAN form objects - including holsters - after they are tooled.  Keep in mind that the WETTER it is and the SHARPER THE TURNS / GREATER THE STRETCH the more the tooling is likely to be altered. 

 

This one was tooled, allowed to dry MOSTLY, then glued to liner and rough shaped at the same time.  Once dry, it was sewn and edged, and after that it was wet AGAIN (wet, not soaked) and molded around the form.  Note this is not formed to the extent that it's basically a replica of the gun, though the outside edges are pretty crisp.

 

[Russ498]

On 8/2/2018 at 6:49 PM, Dwight said:

First thing you need to understand, . . . you can wet form a holster, . . . OR, . . . you can cut /tool/stamp a holster, . . . but unless you are Santa Claus or the Lone Ranger, . . . you cannot do both.

Let your customer determine which he/she wants, . . . and provide it.

Generally, . . . the list of how I do things goes something like this, . . . it would be for a pancake or "sort of" pancake type holster:

• Lay out pattern and cut the back of the holster.  It will very seldom have anything seriously done to it, . . . so it is first, . . . to get it out of the way.
• Lay out front pattern, . . . I generally use a process where the "leading edge" of the holster is seriously cut out first.  The trailing edge is always cut a tad big.
• Look at the front and back, . . . where do I need to dress the edge (makes it easier to do now than later), . . . do that edge beveling
• Cut out, . . . bevel, . . . and sew on any "accent" pieces, such as a piece of ostrich, buffalo, elephant, . . . a panel with a LEO shield stamped, . . . a stiffening panel, . . . etc.
• Contact cement the "leading edge" of the front and back, . . . sand the edges, . . . sew that leading edge completely.
• This is where I wet form my holster, . . . laying the front over the weapon as it lays in position on the back, . . . generally, I use a vacuum forming process, . . . easy and very good results come from it.
• Let the thing dry, . . . COMPLETELY, . . . I often use a drying box, . . . 130 deg F, . . . for an hour or so.
• Sew the back edge, . . . but first, . . . apply contact cement to both pieces, . . . put the gun in the holster, . . . make sure it is properly positioned, . . . stick the pieces together.
• Here is why I cut the trailing edge a tad bigger, . . . just in case there is something goofy going on, . . . I now trim that so it matches the back, . . . then sand the edges, . . . and finish sewing the holster together.
• Finish beveling all edges, . . . and I then use a Dremel tool to dress the edges, . . . make em shine real good is the goal.
• Apply a light coat of neatsfoot oil here, . . . with a cheap bristle brush type paint brush, . . . this is a "have to" step if you generally are playing around with any light or medium brown colors, . . . tans as well.  I went for a LOOOOOOONG time trying to figure what I was doing wrong, . . . and got mottled and blotchy tans and light browns.  The neatsfoot oil is the one thing I found that all but eliminates that problem altogether.
• NEXT :  all my holsters are dip dyed, . . . and after the dip dying is done, . . . it goes to the arbor press where my maker's stamp is applied.
• AGAIN:  Let the thing dry, . . . COMPLETELY, . . . I often use a drying box, . . . 130 deg F, . . . for an hour or so, . . . then let it hang for the next 24 hours.
• After it is dried, . . . belt loops are applied, . . . or punched out, . . . as appropriate.
• Final step is one or more coats of Resolene, . . . basically the only finish I use.

Hope this helps, . . . holler back if you have any questions.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

Just For clarification:

What exactly are you calling the leading edge versus the trailing edge?   I'm guessing it is the front versus the back as you are wearing the holster, but just want to make sure.

What do you use for vacuum forming? Is it a fancy store-bought machine or something you can make on your own?

 What kind of attachment do you use on your Dremel tool for burnishing?

[Dwight]

Leading edge is the front of the holster, . . . the top of the barrel side.

Trailing edge is the rear edge of the holster, . . . traditionally it surrounds the trigger guard, . . . or at least that side of the weapon.

My vacuum forming rig is a vinyl bag, hose, and a vacuum pump.  Take a look at it here:  

The dremel tool burnisher is a 1/2 inch diameter piece of dowel that has a 1/8 inch drill bit glued into it's center, . . . put the drill in the Dremel tool end, . . . use various files to create the burnishing tool you want, . . . I have several I've made, . . . they work really well.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Lobo]

Dwight has done the OP a great service with the advice given. I have been retired for about 3 years now, but I would like to add a few comments.

1. The most basic mistake many craftsmen make is in trying to hurry through a project. Many steps in the holster making process require time in between those steps. Drying time, time for adhesives, dyes, and finishes to completely set up, etc. When we try to move through the steps too rapidly we are inviting failure.

2. Dyes can be a challenge. Selection of the proper type (oil-based, spirit-based) for specific projects and desired results is the first step in a successful job. Ambient temperature and humidity within the work space can affect results. Temperature of the dye solution can affect results. Absolute cleanliness of the leather surfaces is essential. As Dwight pointed out, many dyes benefit from some type of moisture applied to the leather prior to the dye, a process which can greatly enhance the dye's ability to penetrate the leather fibers. A very light application of neatsfoot oil can help oil-based dyes penetrate evenly and deeply; a very light application of clear water can help some spirit-based dyes penetrate evenly and deeply; a very light application of isolpropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol, about $1 per quart at your nearest discount store) will help either type of dye penetrate evenly and deeply, with the advantage of very rapid evaporation with no residue left behind. One of my most frequently used tools was a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol kept at the dye station. AGAIN, I WILL STRESS THE NEED TO ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME FOLLOWING DYE APPLICATION FOR THE DYE TO COMPLETELY SET UP; I always allowed 24 hours at room temperature before going on to another step.

3. For quite a few years my shop turned out an average of 40 pieces per week. This was done by completing multiple items (holsters, belts, pouches, etc) as a batch, typically 10 to 12 pieces at a time. Cutting, dye, assembly (cementing, clamping), stitching, edge dressing, final dye, wet-forming, edge burnishing, oiling. Three or four batches per week, then one day for final dye, oiling, edge burnishing, finishes, hardware. Then 24 hours or more for everything to set up completely so it could be packaged and shipped out. Options like holster linings, tooling, carving work, etc, have to be worked into the process as appropriate, so those items were typically handled as a separate "batch".

By managing the work flow in this way I was able (with an assistant) to average one finished piece for every 47 minutes of shop time, done over the course of a week's time. As most of us are aware, doing one holster at a time can take hours of effort over the course of several days, most of that time being consumed in setting up (cutting work, assembly/cementing, stitching, forming, edges, dyes, finishes, etc). My point is that once a work station has been set up (all tools, supplies, materials, etc, ready at hand) it takes very little more time to do 2 pieces than it takes to do 1 piece, and a dozen pieces go pretty quickly, then we can break down that station, clean everything up, and put everything away one time instead of a dozen times.

So, avoid rushing forward without adequate time for everything to set up properly, essentially staying focused on each step of the process so you get it right instead of getting it fast, work smart rather than work hard.

Best regards.

[plinkercases]

Thanks Dwight and thanks Lobo as always.

Its the folks like you and the others who take the time to share you years of hard earned experience with us newer folk that make this forum a true resource and not just a place to hang out swap leather pictures.

This should be pinned if it isn't already...?

[eglideride]

3 hours ago, plinkercases said:

Thanks Dwight and thanks Lobo as always.

AGREE!!

> printing out!

> dedicating a spray bottle to alcohol!

Outstanding information....

Thanks! 

[dikman]

As is often the case there is always more than one way to achieve something. I've found that I often change the order that I make a leather item with, depending on what I'm making and what I want to achieve.

Sometimes it works, sometimes not so good.