How to get a smooth (non bunching) liner?

[Slickshot]

Fellas and Ladies,

I am building my Dad a 1911 holster and put a liner in it, but when I fold it like it will be sewn, it bunches up.  How does one keep this from happening?  I have a western holster made by a J.C. Stewart out of Show Low, AZ that has a liner, but his has no bunching in the curve on the inside of the holster.

What am I not doing right or not considering?

Can you all give me some advice?

Slickshot

[Slowhand Bob]

There are two methods for glueing in the liner and one is better at preventing the condition of which you speak.  When you glue the holster in flat then the fibers have no place to go when the thick lamination is rolled so it bunches, causing the wrinkles.  A method used by some is to roll the liner into the outer holster body.  The ones I have seen use this technique do it in several steps during the glue-up process.   It is a bit more time consuming and I think requires more practice than flat gluing and the extra steps do afford more possibilities for mistakes (my opinion).  The flat glueing can be seen in Bianchis GUN LEATHER video set and it shows how he pounds the wrinkles out on the inside while also forming the fold.  The HOLSTER MAKING video by George Hurst  spends as much time demonstrating the roll-in method of applying a liner as any.  One way to cheat a little is by using a heavier outer leather and going down to a real light weight 2/3oz leather for the liner.  I personally do not like to skive along the fold of a holsters main body as I want this area to remain as stiff as possible after the project is done.  I am sure others with a better way of describing things will help fill in the various steps, I might confuse you beyond reason!  Good luck.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

       I flat glue my liner in, and any wrinkles I get I try to work out with a modeling spoon after bending and sewing, I first dampen the leather liner and work the large end of the spoon to smooth it as best I can, there is no need to have it completely smooth.


              tEN wOLVES

[TN Mongo]

+1 for Ten Wolves method.  I sew my liner in flat and I use a heavy liner, 6 - 7 oz.  Not only do I bone the curve inside, but I get the fold over area pretty wet, top and bottom.  I only run into problems if I have heavy tooling and I get the leather too wet.  If I get it too wet, it can wash out the tooling.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I also glue up the liner in the flat. I laminate the liner leather to the back of the main leather piece before I even cut out the shape or tool. I wet well and mold to near finished shape then dry well before gluing the seam for sewing.
I have no wrinkles at all in the seams and some of my rigs are very stiff with the two pieces adding up to 10-11 oz or so.

I use this glue....
http://springfieldleather.com/product/7331/Cement%2CContact%2CMasters%2C4oz/

It is Water Proof Like they say. I tested samples soaked in water for several hours and you cant separate the glue joint after it has cured. The leather will tear but the bond remains.