Wet molding a holster

[hawkeye2]

    I'm sitting here thinking which isn't usually a good thing at this time of night but I am wondering about using rubbing alcohol to wet mold a holster.  I have done quite a few using plain water but was thinking that the alcohol might possibly do the same thing faster possibly at the expense of drying the leather but that would be acceptable as I regularly use Lexol on my leather anyway.  How do you feel about it?

[GunClick Rick]

Just don't strike a match on your pant leg   Yea but he was faster "en" blue fiare

I think it would go into the leather and dry to fast outside and leave enough inside  that would dry out your leather at some point..

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I have fitted Western and skate boots with rubbing alcohol but only if they really are hard to break in. I condition them afterwards. I had a pair of Tony Lamas that wouldn't break in at all. I poured a quart in one boot and left it for 15 seconds or so. Then I dumped it into the other boot for the same time. I wore them until they completely dried, maybe an hour or two. It was just like dunking them in a stock tank but it didn't take all day. They fit perfectly after that.

I suppose it would work with a holster but it may dry out the leather some. Of course, I thin my commercial dyes with rubbing alcohol then condition with Lexol. You could always try it on a scrap first. I've tossed around the idea myself. Never felt the need to do it faster than water does, though.

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[Slowhand Bob]

A bit off subject BUT I like hot (uncomfortably so) to do fast draw holsters.  I have often wondered of alcohol would have the same affect??  Some of what I have read by Chuck Burrows would indicate otherwise though. Heat hardins and alcohol just dries the leather?

[ChuckBurrows]

A bit off subject BUT I like hot (uncomfortably so) to do fast draw holsters.  I have often wondered of alcohol would have the same affect??  Some of what I have read by Chuck Burrows would indicate otherwise though. Heat hardins and alcohol just dries the leather?

To actually harden the leather permanently it's the heat that does it and that does not occur until it's over 140 ͦ F and does not make the change on the molecular level until 160 ͦ F. Under those temps even hot water only hardens via displacing the oils and fats in the leather as does alcohol and other solvents.

As for stretching yes alcohol will work fine but will definitely require re-conditioning, but the down side is it may over dry the leather to the point that even re-conditioning may not work without some damage - bottom for me is to use solvents including alcohol as little as possible, water while slower is generally overall the better option. albeit even that can cause damage that may be unrepairable. IMO doing leather repair is one of the best teachers I found over the last 50 years that there is for finding out what does and does not work.

[Trailrider]

Alcohol will definitely dry the leather out, and, yes, you may not be able to re-condition the leather! Sure, using water will take longer, but are you that much in a hurry?  Wet-fitting a holster shouldn't take more than a couple of day's drying time, maximum, depending on the relative humidity.

[hawkeye2]

I have wet molded a fair number of holsters with water over the years so I'm quite familiar the the process and drying times.  I was curious about the use of alcohol.  I have used shoe stretching liquids a lot over many years and though they don't state what they consist of the dry time and cool feeling I get when I wet a shoe with it leads me to believe that the primary ingredient is alcohol.  None of these have ever damaged a shoe or shortened its life and they work well.  I do understand that any solvent will carry some of the oils out of the leather but going back to shoes it hasn't hurt some that I have had for 30+ years and used shoe stretch on more than once in their life.  I suppose it would be a good idea to avoid any solvent contact,  mild or otherwise with the leather but I do go over all my skirmish gear twice a year with Lexol and it is still in excellent condition after 30 years so I do question just how much damage the alcohol would do given reasonable care over the item's life.  The holster is laying in front of me while I'm typing.  I coated the gun with chassis grease and warped it in Saran Wrap then forced it into the holster which had been soaked with warm water and spent about a half hour molding it with my thumbs.  It only has to dry for a day or so to be finished.  BTW, I did learn, years ago, never to pinch the leather between thumb and forefinger while molding as it will leave pinch marks.

Thanks to those who have replied to date.  I may try rubbing alcohol on my next project.

[ChuckBurrows]

FYI - Most commercial shoe/boot leather is chrome tanned not veg tanned and the two types react differently to solvents and water so it's not a real good comparison.....While custom shoe makers and higher quality makes often use veg tanned, chrome tanned shoe leather is the most widely produced leather of all leathers and yes most shoe stretcher liquids are mostly alcohol
here's the link for the Meltonian brand liquid shoe stretcher MSDS - it's a mix of isopropyl alcohol and propane.....
http://www.wardrobesupplies.com/spree/products/7612/safety_sheets/Meltonian%20Shoe%20Stretch%20MSDS.pdf?1344950887