I am new to leather working and would like to know if anybody knows how to make leather hard? I have made a leather holster following the instructions in making a bag pouch sheath by Bruce Evans, but found after I dipped it in the wax mixture the wax is inside and out, which isn't good for the gun and the leather isn't as hard as store bought holsters. I found your forum through Google look for hardening leather. So far the only info that was useful was from here.I know this has nothing to do with knifes but any information would be of great help.

Black Cloud, welcome to these forums. Got a picture of your holster?

Did you use vegetable tanned leather for your holster?

If you get the leather wet and let it dry and do it again and maybe again, the leather will harden. Don't work the leather when it is wet. Do this before you oil and wax it.
Some guys use acetone for this kind of operation because it is faster but acetone scares me so I don't touch it. I keep thinking I will try some methyl alcohol but have not done it yet.

With the oil and wax hot dip, the best thing is to drain the inside while everything is still warm. If you were to put the holster in the oven at a low heat, you could probably get most of the wax out of the holster. I would go about 180 degrees and not leave it in very long.

The wax won't hurt the gun.

ghostdog

ghostdog:
I have a picture but I couldn't figure out how to upload it to this posting, so I emailed it to you. Hope you don't mind. I used vegetable tanned hide but I did wet form the leather. It worked great but didn't get hard. I even kept it in the oven for 2 hours at 250 degrees hoping it would get hard but no luck. I wet formed it because the only information I have on forming leather is from an article on leather armor, till I found this forum. They said the only to stretch the leather over a form was to do this while wet. I know this forum is for knifes but I thought the methods would be the same for holsters. I'm going to try wetting and drying quite a few times before I form the next one and see if that works.

Black Cloud

Black Cloud, thanks for mailing the pic. The holster looks pretty good to me.

I am wondering though if as well as succesive wetting/drying of the leather you may want to bump up one weight level or two? At least fot the back.


ghostdog

Not sure if this will help you,but I recently used some shoe polish (the one for repairs of scuffs and such) on a sheath and it had it made the leather fairly stiff. Multiply applications just increase this effect.

Try adding some carnuba wax and pine pitch to your mix. Works for me, not alot is needed.
KEN (WWJD)

Don't mean to second guess what you are doing but I have been building things out of leather for 20 years and think you might need a new approach. Here is a quick outline of how I build my holsters, take it for what it's worth. Start by using a good veg tanned hide. Cut your pattern while it is still dry. Dip your leather in warm water for about a minute. Place the leather in a plastic bag, work out as much air and water as possible and let it "case" overnight. Store your leather in this fashion until the project is completed. You may find you need to re-wet after a day or two but work the leather as dry as possible. Stay away from the oven...the evaporation is what makes the leather stiff. If it dries too quick the leather will become limp. Working the leather will also break down the fibers. Do what you need to do with as little bending as possible. Let air dry and dye. The water may stain but if you are going black it won't matter. If you are staying natural use a leather acid wash, availiable at most leather outlets. Good luck.