leather wet molding

[Dustin76]

I'm thinking of making multi-tool pouches, first for myself and eventually for some buddies in case I successfully make one. I've been reading and saw that I would need leather wet molding technique so I can reproduce my little DIY project. I have so many questions running through my mind. What's the most suitable leather for wet molding? Should I also use a brace, a clamp, etc and where do I find them?

 

[Artificer]

Do you want to make roll up tool pouches or a pouch meant to hang from your work belt?

Gus

 

[Artificer]

I'm thinking of making multi-tool pouches, first for myself and eventually for some buddies in case I successfully make one. I've been reading and saw that I would need leather wet molding technique so I can reproduce my little DIY project. I have so many questions running through my mind. What's the most suitable leather for wet molding? Should I also use a brace, a clamp, etc and where do I find them?

I should have asked questions above by a reply like this, in case you are waiting to get a notification.

 

[Leatherman89]

I'm thinking of making multi-tool pouches, first for myself and eventually for some buddies in case I successfully make one. I've been reading and saw that I would need leather wet molding technique so I can reproduce my little DIY project. I have so many questions running through my mind. What's the most suitable leather for wet molding? Should I also use a brace, a clamp, etc and where do I find them?

Curious as to what you're working on too.but you can use those vegetable tanned leather, this is good for wet molding since it holds water well and stays in shape when dry

 

[photographXYZ]

Curious as to what you're working on too.but you can use those vegetable tanned leather, this is good for wet molding since it holds water well and stays in shape when dry

Oh, I almost forgot about this vegetable-tanned leather thing. Thanks for this. Imma use it for my project. Up for a separate post.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'm thinking of making multi-tool pouches, first for myself and eventually for some buddies in case I successfully make one. I've been reading and saw that I would need leather wet molding technique so I can reproduce my little DIY project. I have so many questions running through my mind. What's the most suitable leather for wet molding? Should I also use a brace, a clamp, etc and where do I find them?

When I've done it the biggest problem is the item being molded. I used veg tanned leather, and when it gets wet, a corrosive solution is formed. IF you don't protect the tool/firearm/knife from direct contact with the leather, you end up with a rusty mess.

I've done a repro .44 Navy revolver holster, a knife where the sheath came half way up the handle, and a couple modern handgun holsters.

I used some pretty thick veg tanned leather. I made the leather item but it wasn't form fitted. I soaked the leather in water, then inserted the object from which I wanted the leather to take the impression. Then I pressed the leather holding the object between two pieces of closed cell foam in a vice. Outside of the foam I had two pieces of scrap plywood to keep the pressure uniform. When I compressed the plywood in the vice, it evenly applied force over the closed cell foam, compressing the leather against the object. I left this in the vice for 24 hours to dry.

SO it worked, and adding some additional stitching reinforced it keeping it's shape BUT I messed up the finish on the .44 Navy, and had to redo that. The modern handguns were easy as one was a polymer and the other was stainless. The knife was carbon steel, but I wrapped it in a thin layer of foil, and got only a small amount of rust.

LD

 

[Rolland Gust]

I'm thinking of making multi-tool pouches, first for myself and eventually for some buddies in case I successfully make one. I've been reading and saw that I would need leather wet molding technique so I can reproduce my little DIY project. I have so many questions running through my mind. What's the most suitable leather for wet molding? Should I also use a brace, a clamp, etc and where do I find them?

May not work for you, but I use 90 percent alcohol for molding leather. Dries fast and no rust on items used.

 

[Matthew Williams]

Weaver makes some stuff they call "leather firmer" ... i'll post the results once i get a chance to use it ... i am given to understand that if you try to something other than veg tanned, you're in for an unpleasant surprise ... this might be complete b.s. - i don't know

wish me luck

 

[Greg Looney - L]

Many years ago, I saw an article (somewhere) that said to wrap metal objects such as knives or guns with Saran Wrap before starting the wet molding. This should keep your knife or gun dry during the molding process. It could/should be oiled before applying the Saran. A couple additional ideas: 1) if it's a knife, it could be wrapped with tape, like the blue or green painters tape prior to molding; and, 2) a knife or gun could be covered with shrink wrap, you know, using a heat gun or hair drier to shrink the plastic wrap.

 

[Rebel Dave]

I just put a couple of plastic bags over guns and knives. Never had any problems with using bags.

Dave

 

[sheidabkh]

Hey everyone
just chiming in here with some wet-molding experience and thoughts from my own leather journey:


I’ve tried wet molding a few times, and here’s what worked

• Use vegetable-tanned leather — it soaks up water nicely, becomes flexible, and then firms up well when it dries.
• When molding, soak the leather thoroughly (but don’t overdo it to where it’s dripping), then press it tight against your mold.
• Leave it clamped while drying — 24 hours is common .
• One trap I ran into: if your tool or the object you're molding against is metal and not protected, you might get corrosion or rust stains from water interacting with the leather. One workaround: wrap the metal piece in foil or plastic just enough to block direct contact.