32 replies to this topic

[Black Wrath]

NOTE: This topic can be moved to another forum if needed.

Hey guys, I thought it was about time to post this for you. I received a PM from GrOOvE asking for information on how I created the Ln'L holster seen in various pictures including this one:



This is a full write-up with 45 pictures detailing all the steps and processes into making this holster:



As you can see, it's not the same one as first pictured; I made a new one just for you guys. This holster costs about $9.00 in tapes, glue, cardboard, brass, and copper wire.

This holster can be adapted to the Ln'L, the NF, the SSII, the TTG, the Scout, and the Maverick. These are the guns that are most easily molded around, but you can try to make a version of the holster for any pistol that you want to.

A major note is that you may not have all the parts and materials availible that I do, so I would suggest skimming this write-up first, before you dive into making the holster.

Another note that I'd like to make is that I'll have to make a few posts to get all of the pictures in this topic. I think there's a 10 picture limit for posts, so I'll be making 5 posts; I hope this isn't a problem.

The pictures will be fully captioned, and the steps will be explained to the best of my ability. I hope you guys enjoy this Write-up.

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MATERIALS

- 3' copper wire (coat hanger)
- Duct Tape
- Hockey Tape
- Hot glue
- 2" 17/32 brass
- Old shirt or cloth material
- Old pop can box or other THIN cardboard
- Toilet paper roll without toilet paper
- 2.5' FBR
- An old back pack
> Clips and straps
- Utility knife
- Hot Glue Gun
- Dremel
- Patience

NOTE: Try to organize your materials all at the same time to avoid forgetting things.

STEP 1 FOLLOWS IN NEXT POST

Edited by Black Wrath, 10 April 2005 - 05:57 PM.

[Black Wrath]

STEP 1: COPPER FRAMEING



Take your coat hanger and unwrap it, fixing all the bends along the way. Cut off the twisted part, and then flatten the wire on a sturdy surface. Bend the wire into an arch, where the midpoint of the arch is in the middle of the wire, dividing it in half.



Take the coat hanger and fit it around the top part of the blaster; in this write-up, we're using a Ln'L. Make sure you fit it around the TOP so that the wire runs parallel to the back of the grip as seen.



Make your second and third bends in the wire, making sure that you're keeping the bends relativly symmetrical. I used my hands, and a pair of needle nose pliers.



Make the next bends, contouring to the gun's shape, making sure you leave some void space; we don't want this to be a second skin. Follow the pictures and you'll be fine.



Make these next bends, using the same methods.



Finish up the bends, and try to make the frame stand on it's own. By doing this, you've ensured relative symmetry. Constant bending and manipulation of the wire is key to making it work and fit right around the gun; just keep trying until it's right.



Bend the two ends together, and then hot glue them in place. Hold the two parts together with pliers so that they don't pull apart. Once the glue is hardened, you'll be good to go. Wrap some duct tape around it afterwards.



Try fitting your gun inside to make sure that everything is going alright. Make adjustments as you go.



Your frame should look something like this when it's done up to this point. It should stand on it's own, have all the bends, and should be joined together. Your gun should fit inside relatively well at this point.

Edited by Black Wrath, 10 April 2005 - 01:00 PM.

[Black Wrath]

STEP 2: SKELETON AND CLOTH SKIN



Start by taking duct tape, about 1.5', and cutting it down the center. You'll have two 1.5' long pieces. Stick them together, so that neither side is sticky, and then wrap it around the wire, top to bottom, to create a strip as shown. Use more duct tape to secure it as one looped piece. The loop of tape should be free to slide around the wire.



Do the above step for the other side, and the front of the holster. Put the gun inside to check it's fit. It should be "hugged" by the tape, but not squeezed. This isn't to be a tight fit yet.



This is the front loop of tape in place.



On the back, just under the handle, attach tape loops as shown above.



Take an old shirt, or other large cloth, and set a square of it under the base of your holster skeleton. Make the necessary cuts, and then pull a rectangle shape up the back and tape it as shown.



Wrap more cloth around the skeleton as shown, layering the cloth material over itself. Use duct tape to secure the cloth in place, using the duct tape loops as anchor points.



The basic wrapping should look like this when done. Tape should be used like you'll never run out; the more tape the better.



The inside should like something like this one you're done wrapping in cloth.



Shown here, I have placed two 3" pieces of FBR, that are hidden under tape. They are glued and taped in place on each side of the gun's handle. You may be able to see the bump or not. This FBR will just act as a shock absorber, and buffer to impact. It will also make the gun's drop into the holster less abrasive.

NOTE: I ASK THAT NO ONE POST AS I WRITE THE NEXT POSTS!

Edited by Black Wrath, 10 April 2005 - 12:59 PM.

[Black Wrath]

STEP 3: CARDBOARD SHELL



Take some thin cardboard, like a pop can box, and roll it so it's malleable. Wrap the cardboard around the skeleton in three parts: Bottom, Middle and top. The middle and top portions will have to be cut down the middle to allow for the handle of the gun to come out. The cardboard should be taped relentlessly to the frame.



Here you can see the cardboard shell in it's three parts. If you want a more rigid shell, use more than one layer of cardboard; I only used one.



On the bottom, arrange and glue FBR to the bottom of the shell, to act as a shock absorber. When you put on the bottom cardboard wrap, leave a 1/2" coming off the bottom to act as a sort of wall that the FBR can stay inside.



The relatively finished shell.



The finished shell, with gun inside for fitting. Adjustments can still be made by bending the wire frame.



The first stage of hockey taping. The hockey tape was just a cheap alternative to electrical tape for me, and I just generally liked the grip it had. Follow the pictures as always for good taping technique.



Holster after taping is done.



The back of the holster after taping.



The gun inside, fitted, and the holster taped up.

[Black Wrath]

STEP 4: BARREL RESEVOIR

NOTE: This is only for nested and removabled barrel modded blasters.



Take a toilet paper roll and make a cut down the middle. Take your barrel (mine is 9/16ths brass in 3/4" PVC) And wrap the roll around and tape it closed in it's new diametre. Continue to tape it until it is rigid.



Make a V cut down the front so that the barrel is easily removed with force. The fit was so tight on mine that it wouldn't fall out during running, but it woudl come out relatively easily when tugged on. Glue the new roll onto the holster's front, after taping it in hockey tape.



Turn the holster over, and add FBR to the bottom of the barrel resevoir as shown above.

STEP 5: HANDLE STRAP



This is where the backpack comes in handy. I cut off the neck strap from mine, as well as a few other pieces that you'll need later on.



Take the belt, clipped together, and lay it on the back of the handle as shown.



Glue it to the shell and then tape over it to secure it in place. This belt will prevent the gun from bouncing during a run or fall.



Assorted belts and clips to be used for this holster build. A backpack will include all of these parts and pieces.



Attach bigger clips to the holster's side as shown. Attach them to the side that you want to have the gun on when it rests on your leg.



The belt to be worn on your waist is shown here. It has clip recievers glued in place. To get the spacing right, hold the holster to your hip, and make sure that you can clip and unclip the holster from the belt.



The holster's clips taped up and finished.

Edited by Black Wrath, 10 April 2005 - 05:59 PM.

[Black Wrath]

STEP 6: FINISHING TOUCHES

Add brass rings, atleast 5 to the outside of the holster. Put them on the side opposite to the straps.

Following are the finished pictures of my holster. I hope that you enjoyed this write-up, and that you can be successful in making your own.


Me wearing it. Self pictures suck.









I'd like to ask if Cx could maybe make this a sticky or something, so that people can always find this.

All of the hard work is worth it,

- Cam

[nerfspecialforces]

WOW!!! That is the best holster I've ever seen in nerf. I'm making alot now. Thanks!

[Groove]

Wow, that has to be the coolest holster I've seen, not to mention one of the best write-ups I've ever seen. A lot more steps than I would have ever imagined! Thanks dude, we really owe you one.

-Groove out.

[duce]

Dude that's dead sexy. I will definately make one for my Mav, NF, TTG, and Monoblast. Thank you so much.

[Half Newb Half Nerfer]

Good job man. You must be in touch with your feminin side or something...
~Halfling

[Black Wrath]

Thank you guys, it means alot. The whole write up was made on the spot, which would explain the long waits inbetween posts. I never thought resizing 45 pictures could take more than 30 minutes, but it did.

I hope to update this with a few pictures of me modeling the holster and belt; I just need to teach my sister how to operate the camera. I'm sorry about the other picture not turning out so great, you can hardly see the bloody thing in the mirror.

One thing that I failed to mention is that if you don't have the backpack lying around, you could always try just string or rope with a slip-knot to act as the handle strap.

I want to see pictures of all of your holsters when you're done! Feel free to do the PMing thing if you need help and the pictures don't suffice.

- Cam

EDIT: Random spellchecks and such made to the above write-up. I changed the FBR length from 1' to 2.5' after realizing my math sucked.

Expect a few picture edits in the future.

Edited by Black Wrath, 10 April 2005 - 06:02 PM.

[AirApache]

Umm...my comment is that I hope this counts as a contribution...

Jesus Christ...alright thanks, I've been trying to make something similar recently, so this will help. Good job BW!

[LiKnSmAkScOmIn]

Very nice, thanks for taking the time in writing this up.

[Black Wrath]

Hey guys, this is an update.

I've been out of the loop for three months due to an unfortunate event, but I've been working on new holsters, and I've participated in a war using them.

The new model is my NF holster. It holds a cut-down Brass barreled NF, with 2 interchangable barrels.

Pictures tomorrow, but no tutorial; I used the same techniques as with the Ln'L holster.

-Cam

[Davis]

Hey guys, this is an update.

I've been out of the loop for three months due to an unfortunate event, but I've been working on new holsters, and I've participated in a war using them.

The new model is my NF holster. It holds a cut-down Brass barreled NF, with 2 interchangable barrels.

Pictures tomorrow, but no tutorial; I used the same techniques as with the Ln'L holster.

-Cam

Sweet.

Also good that you posted, I wasn't aware of this topic until you brought it back to life.

Edited by Davis, 05 July 2005 - 10:51 AM.

[duce]

It's great to have you back dude, I'll try to get pics of my Mav holster up soon.

[Black Wrath]

Alright, this is my NF holster, 8 pictures follow.

I made this using the same steps that you can find in this topic's write-up.

















So yeah, it's not hockey taped like the other one, due to lack of hockey tape. I'll get around to finishing it later. As you can see, I made it adaptable to the same belt that my Ln'L uses, making them actually interchangeable between rounds, or in the heat of a battle.

You may notice it doesn't have all the fine details the other holster had, mostly due to lack of 17/32nds brass, and no more backpack straps; I'll get around to finishing this sometime too.

So what do you guys think? That's 2 down, and I plan on making either a SSII holster or an SF Holster next.

If you guys, like Duce, have your own to share, please do.

-Cam

[Lukeinator]

That's crazy. i have definitely got to make my own. Awesome job Black Wrath.

[Ash]

I suppose I am one of the few that remember the Stealthblade holsters... they were pretty much the exact same design only minus the foam and about 10 years ago.

[Black Wrath]

I suppose I am one of the few that remember the Stealthblade holsters... they were pretty much the exact same design only minus the foam and about 10 years ago.

Thank you, Ash. You've posted that comment a few times, and it's quite alright.

I never claimed a patent on my holster design, and didn't give you all a fake copywrite. I don't care if the core design concept is the same as one concieved 10 years ago.

The fact remains that I have written a rather detailed and large write-up teaching you all how to make your own Nerf pistol holder. This definitely isn't for my own benefit, and I don't want it to be. I'll never sell the holsters, or sell the plans; they're in plain public view on this forum.

Just let it go Ash, I really wish you didn't have a problem with this topic.

Can we continue on the topic of Nerf holsters now?

[ompa]

Well, here's the one I made for my tri-barreled SS1, following BW's instructions. It works great, although I opted for a belt clip. A few suggestions to BW:

-I used foam instead of cardboard, so you get a less box-y look to your holster, since when you go over with the final layer of hockey/e-tape, you get a smoother look in general.

-Since the SS1 has that little dart holder that sticks up, I simply measured how long the gun was from the dart holder to the front end, and cut foam, wrapped it up, and stuck it around the inside of the holder to make a smaller section that would fit the front section of my SS1 better, as you can see in the pictures.

The foam also seems to conform around the gun more, which allows it to "stick" better in the holster.

If you do make another, and try my suggestions, AND they work, feel free to add them to your ridiculously comprehensive review. Congrats though, the writeup was excellent.







~ompa

Edited by ompa, 06 July 2005 - 11:06 AM.

[Black Wrath]

Wow, nice work Ompa! That holster looks pretty shiny with all of that electrical tape on it.

As for the foam you used, I'm guessing its 1/8th craft foam? I have tons of that around the house, and I may try that technique later. The reason I used the cardboard is because I personally like the box look, and I like the rigidity of the overall structure. Impact from the side, like running into a tree, can be greatly dampened by the cardboard shell.

I find that my pistols fit fine inside the holsters, but maybe yours do hold better due to the "hug" of the craft foam.

Great idea, and thank you for sharing it.

-Cam

[ompa]

Since I have an inner layer and an outer layer of foam, it actually is rather durable. But each person has his/her preferences, so it's whichever is more available to the person at the moment I suppose.

~ompa

[navy seal]

Black Wrath, very nice write up but why don't you put one of the barrels on the gun in the holster so you can quickly draw it and fire? Also why would you run into a tree?

I have made a holster for the nite finder, tech target and spitfire. I don't have a digital camera so no pictures. They are made like yours but I only use one layer of thick card board and I bend it to fit around the gun. They have a wire frame and are covered in duct tape. On the back I put a belt loop to keep it on my belt and on the other side there is a small loop to hold a ramrod.

[Black Wrath]

Black Wrath, very nice write up but why don't you put one of the barrels on the gun in the holster so you can quickly draw it and fire? Also why would you run into a tree?

I have made a holster for the nite finder, tech target and spitfire. I don't have a digital camera so no pictures. They are made like yours but I only use one layer of thick card board and I bend it to fit around the gun. They have a wire frame and are covered in duct tape. On the back I put a belt loop to keep it on my belt and on the other side there is a small loop to hold a ramrod.

Well, your first question is easy to answer; space. The holster would be huge, and rather ugly to have to incorperate a barrel into it. I solved this problem with having barrel sleeves on the front of the holster. I can quick draw and attach the barrel faster than you can pump an AT2k, so I'm good.

Second question. I've run into my share of trees running from Tony in the forest with a BBB up my ass. It's very possible.

Thirdly, your holsters sound nice, I'm glad I could provide guidance for you with my write-up. I'm hearing alot about belt loops, but I prefer my clip method for changing between holsters, and for just taking it off when I don't need it, rather than take off my belt too.

To each his own.

-Cam