Holster question

[daddyeaux]

I have seen post in some threads mentioning gluing holsters together before sewing. Is it an advantage to glue the leather together before stitching it? Does the glue not affect the needle and thread when you start to sew the holster together?
Thanks guys........

[Chuck 100 yd]

I and (I believe) most others glue up the main seam prior to sewing. I wet mold the holster to general shape,let it thoroughly dry and then use a contact cement to glue the seam. After the glue is dry(I usually wait 24hr.) I drill the holes for the stitching using a #55 drill bit (slightly smaller than 1/16") I run a small stitching awl through the holes(easy now that there is already a hole there) and sew up using a saddle stitch and five strand linen thread.
You will end up with a nice looking and very strong seam.
Also when you slick the edge there is no gap to fill between the layers. It comes out looking professionally done.

[daddyeaux]

Thanks for that info Chuck. That is one fine looking rig you made there. Now let me get this straight. You glue the main seam and do your wet molding before you stitch? At the moment I am only making modern concealed carry holsters. I sew these with my Cobra and nylon thread. Should I wet mold the holster before I sew the main seam?

[ChuckBurrows]

For museum quality historically correct made holsters  = no glue. For CAS shooters or those not so interested in being fully PC glue is good.

As to wet molding before or after? IMO either ways is "correct" - all my molding is done after sewing (most times the only thing I do before sewing is the tooling), but I know other pros that mold then sew.....it's one of those things that should be based on what works BEST FOR YOU not on what others say is right...........

[KidTerico]

Chuck100yards love the rig. Great work and color. KT

[Chuck 100 yd]

I don't wet mold to the gun before sewing but I just wet it and fold it so I can get the seam to align well prior to gluing.
I am very careful to get glue only on the part that will be hidden inside the seam after sewing.
Glue on leather wont take die or any kind of finish well and will show like a sore thumb when you are done.

[TN Mongo]

I punch holes through the front side of the welt seam while the holster is flat.  I used to drill the holes like Chuck 100 yd, but now I use my Tippman Boss to punch the holes.  IMHO, the Tippman is not worth anything as a sewing machine, but it sure is a great hole punch.  Then I glue on a welt strip to the back side of the welt seam of the front of the holster.  I re-punch the holes again through the front of the holster and the welt strip.  

I then wet the holster, front and back, about an inch width along where I'm going to fold the holster over for the holster pocket and the fold for the holster skirt and then I fold it over.  I let the holster sit over night and then I glue the welt together and use a leather mallet on the welt seam to make sure it bonds well.  I use the Tippman again to punch the holes through the back side of the holster and then I hand sew the welt.

I used to punch through the whole finished welt with the Tippman, but sometimes the holes were not straight, or I bent or broke a needle.  I use a Juki 441 copy to sew the lining on, but I still like stitching my welts by hand.  

My next step is to sand the welt, edge it, and then burnish it.  My last step, before dyeing and finishing, is to wet fit the holster.

[daddyeaux]

Thanks for the info Mongo. Now you led to another question. What do you use for the sanding step? I have tried emery cloth and fingernail boards. Is there some type of sanding wheel I can put on a bench grinder?

[Irish Dave]

I use a sandng drum on a Dremel. Not a PC tool, I know, but it works well, IMHO.

[Boothill Bob]

I use the same metod as Dave, works great with a used sanding drum. But take it easy so u dont burnish it.

[daddyeaux]

Thanks Irish Dave and Boothill Bob, I have a dremel and sanding drums.

[TN Mongo]

I also used a dremel for a while, but now I attach a slightly larger sanding drum to a table top drill press that I lay on its side.  The dremel worked OK, but I get better results with the drill press.  I know of several other makers that use a belt sander.  I tried a belt sander, but I thought the RPMs were to high and sometimes I burned the leather.

I will often use a small sanding block with 40 grit paper to work down a rough welt seam before I use the sanding drum.  After the sanding drum, I will go over the welt and all the edges I'm going to burnish with 600 grit paper.  The 600 grit probably isn't necessary, but I feel my stuff is easier to burnish after I use it.

[Dalton Masterson]

I use an air die grinder with a sanding drum on it. I adjust the air pressure down so its not running too fast, but it can still burn the leather easily if not careful.
DM

[Drayton Calhoun]

I do the same Dalton. My final step before burnishing is using a Scotchbrite disc run lightly over the welt. I only use a Dremel sanding drum is on tight internal curves. A nice thing about the Scotchbrite disc is you can break the corners of the welt and round the edge down some.