Need help making a holster

[Johanna]

Wes,

Tandy stores are usually closed on Sundays because Tandy Managers are expected to work at least 9-6 Mon-Sat (54 hours a week) and, often, it's more than that. I can't begrudge them their day off, LOL not after my five years as a Tandy mgr. in Georgia.

Take a little piece (corner or something) of that hide, cut it off, and play with it. Wet it a little. Mold it over top of a potato or a carrot, just so you get the idea of how the leather will absorb the water and take shape. Use a stylus or an old pen and make some lines. Use a spoon to practice grooves and shaping. Use your imagination and see what you think. You ordered the two very best books available for what you want to do. Let us know when they arrive and you've had a chance to look them over.

Johanna

[ClayB]

Seems like I remember reading somewhere that you could use one of those vacuum type food sealers to mold leather around objects. Might have been in a LCSJ article. I don't do that type of work (yet) but it seemed like a good idea. It might be an option that you could try.

Clay

[Billsotx]

Wes,

See if this will get you over to some of my pix. There's no shoulder holster, but I wet mold & bone.

http://www.geocities.com/billmclennan@sbcg....net/index.html

later,

Bill

[Tom Katzke]

Seems like I remember reading somewhere that you could use one of those vacuum type food sealers to mold leather around objects. Might have been in a LCSJ article. I don't do that type of work (yet) but it seemed like a good idea. It might be an option that you could try.

Clay

Yep it was. I remember they were using air bags or something like that. I will look to see if I can find it. Dont yell at me if I am wrong but I think it was before 2000.

Tom Katzke

[Billsotx]

Thanks for the advice Tom on the mouse. I used Word and then cut and pasted.

Wes,

I think you’ve got some real good advice from Tom and Lindsay. First I would make a heavy poster board and duct tape pattern and actually wear that around the house/shop for a few hours. Once you cut the pattern out square up the edges. I use sandpaper. Burnish the mouth and the muzzle end, any part you can’t get to once you’ve sewn it. Casing will mess this up a bit, but later minimal burnishing with easily bring it back as you finish it. Wet the leather and wrap it around the pistol. I usually dip it in hot facet water for 1, not more than 2 minutes, then there's the wait until you see surface dryness. Don’t put the gun in plastic. If you have the leather damp it will little to no moisture on the gun. In a “one-off†(or prototype*) like you have here I wet mold twice. The first time is to establish a good tight stitch line. I wrap the leather around the pistol and secure the edges with clothespins. (Line the jaws of the pins with thin leather so they don’t mar. Oh, keep you hands clean and your fingernails short. Tom already mentioned a clean space, so heed his advice.) Use your fingers to press and shape the leather around the pistol. Don’t try to do any detail work. Use you bone folder to lay out a stitch line. Get a tight fit around the trigger guard – this is key! Then bone in around the dust cover all the way to the muzzle. Gently remove the pistol as Tom mentioned.* Let it dry. Remove the clothespin and gently open the holster and apply glue into the stitch area and then clamp. I use the white weld glue, but I’ve used to use Barge – both will work. (Watch the fumes if you use Barge.) Once the glue is set, 30 min. and hour is better, mark your stitches with an over stitch wheel and sew – follow Stohlman’s instructions in the Art of Hand Sewing – that’s the Bible on sewing as far as I’m concerned. Once it is sewn wet it again – just dip in hot water – in and out – shake off the water, blot it with a clean towel and lay it aside and watch for the surface dryness to start appearing. Put the pistol in and work the leather with your fingers. If you want a sight track you need to have made up something to attach to your pistol. I use a wooden dowel. You can tape it on in place. As little tape as possible. Mold with you fingers and then detail with you bone folder. (Bone folder is a general term here – I know guys that bone with an open end wrench, half of a pair of pliers, a ball bearing soldered in the end of a piece of copper tubing, pieces of antler. Ask them why and most can’t remember. I use the butt end on my edge beveller to shape inside the trigger guard.) Once you have it details out very gently remove the pistol and then squeeze the leather back in place ever so slightly. You want a tight fit. Let it dry for 24 hours or more. Burnish the edges. If you going to dye it do that before you burnish. If you’re going to dye it – good luck. If you want it a different color than natural I suggest you buy drum dye. It’s hard to prevent rub off. Bottle dyes don’t seem to do well. The best I’ve found is Fiebings oil dye. Watch the fumes. My experience with dye is don’t do it yourself. There’s a lot of voodoo out there. Try it on scrap. (You’ll need a big garbage can for ruined scrap.) When you try something make notes. When you find something that works stay with it. What works for one guy/gal may not work for you. You will more than likely make several trial runs before you get a good one, but the key is in your pattern. The Stohlman holster book tells you “how†to make a pattern. That’s good advice in there. There’s not much else in there for the modern holster. There is no one book that I have found. Hawk this forum and ask questions and you’ll get further than buying books. What applies to someone else’s craft may also work for you. I’ve learned a lot from the artsy fartsy folks. When I started out an old holster maker told me, “There are no good books available on holster building.†and that still applies.

*If you’re going to make more of the same holster flatten it back out and do some measuring and get the stitch line transferred onto you pattern. (There’s a bunch of those old 591s around and holsters that fit them are rare. You can buy a bag but not a good holster – bag is what I call those nylon POC … lol

Study that picture you posted. That holster is a pull through snap with a pivot, or call it swivel if you want. There’s a double band in the upper cover and it probably has metal or plastic sewn in between two pieces of leather. Gutter flashing is probably what you’ll find it there. It will work just find. You may find a plastic, but I prefer metal because you can start with it flat and then curve it to fit the specific gun. If you go polymer you’ll have to heat and shape it and then you have to work around that. Sort of like a monkey fumbling a football in my experience … lol … won’t go there.

Personally I believe you should go to 7/8 oz material for you scabbard and use your lightweight for the harness. There’s a pattern for a harness in the Stohlman book on holsters that may help you with that. Whatever, stay with double shoulders; there’s less waist in holster making. Make prototypes out of the saggy scarred stuff if there’s any.

You’ll need some tools:

Good knife. I like a round knife. I also keep a large Exacto on the bench. The Exacto will get you started. This is a learning curve, big time, to get smooth cuts. Sandpaper will make pretty what you do ugly. Keep it sharp. Learn to sharpen your tools.

Stitching groover to cut grooves – see the Stohlman book.

Hand stitching Awl with diamond-shaped blade, ditto Stohlman.

Stitching marker, overstitch wheel, whatever you want to call it: it marks the locations for the holes to be punched by the awl. These come in stitches per inch: 5, 6, 7, etc. I usually sew holsters 6 per inch.

Egg-eyed stitching needles. Blunt tipped rather large with a rounded eye, used to stitch. They come in various sizes, buy several sizes.

Stitching pony – I’d start with TLF version and then make one to you liking.

Stitching cord. Personal preference. I like waxed polyester, which is hard to find, and sometimes settle for nylon. I use white. Suit your fancy. Different colors for different jobs. Like dye and finishes you can spend a bunch – if you desire!

Snaps. Get high-grade, heavy-duty snaps, made of brass, Mil-spec bright brass, nickel plated or black as in your photo. And don’t forget the snap setting tools. Line 24 is the best all around size for a utility rig like your building. Consider One-way, Lift the Dot snaps – cost five times a Line 24 but worth it.

Edge bevellers. These are tools that cut a bevel on the edges of leather. Buy several sizes.

Border marking tool. This is an adjustable tool that marks a borderline around the edge of leather, which in places becomes part of the stitch line. This tool is mostly for appearance, but you can mark with it.

Rawhide mallet heavy 30 oz + and some punches. You need some momentum to bag punch belt slots. On punches buy the individual punch type, not the pliers type. I’ll sell you several pliers types if you want to try them … lol … ebay material for sure.

You’ll undoubtedly come up with some homegrown tools. It may be a "What’s It" there on your bench. Use whatever feels "right".

Get some miscellaneous dyes, finishes, edge finishing, and dressings and experiment. Boy can you have fun with these. That’s why I like au naturale!

Also some thin cardboard, pencils, drawing tools like compass and ruler to make your own patterns. Masking tape, duct tape, blue painters tape, and a stick of glue. Piece meal you pattern and then make a nice one after you “think†it right. Then you’ll probably make a few more. This is key to easy holster making.

I’d start off just trying to make a holster that will fit my gun. You will only learn by doing. There are no books, and no schools that I know of on holster making. Find a holster you like the look of, modify it to your liking, and make it. If you copy someone give credit.

Just jump in get started. When you realize your first isn’t perfect you’ll have joined the club. You will probably have to redesign and remake – and it never WILL be perfect. Not if you’re a true craftsman. That’s what fun about leather. I think trying to make a "perfect" holster and failing for the rest of your life … lol … is what makes a master at the craft. For the most part others will not see the flaws. They will marvel at you skill. Any you have a secret: trying to do better. … Buena suerte amigo. See you down the trail.

[wes]

One-way, Lift the Dot snaps – cost five times a Line 24 but worth it

Where may I find these snaps?

I really do not prefer the pull through snap and would rather have a stiff thumb snap release.

[Billsotx]

Where may I find these snaps?

I really do not prefer the pull through snap and would rather have a stiff thumb snap release.

Ohio Travel Bag.

[Gregory B. Moody]

"Stitching marker, overstitch wheel, whatever you want to call it:"

Those are two different tools... and the Overstitch wheel is the better one because it will accomplish the distance marking for where to punch the holes...then after you have stitched you run it over the stitching and it makes it looks like it was machine stitched... but look for an old one with good scallops and wide blade... some of the newer ones won't cover normal hand stitching thread... Greg

[Billsotx]

Hey the "Hide-tanner" is here ... lol!

Edited August 29, 2006 by Billsotx

[wes]

My book Blue Steel & Gunleather by Bianchi came in yesterday. So I read it.

I am now awaiting my two Stahlman books so that I can begin formulating a plan using your suggestions and what I can glean from the books.

I am gaining much confidence from the communications with the members of this forum. Please do not think that I have let my ardor for this project wane. It has not. Quite the contrary. Increasing confusion usually cools my enthusiasm and, so far, my understanding of my holster making process has become more clear since joining this forum.

Edited September 1, 2006 by wes