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Offline GRIMJIM

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leatherwork question
« on: April 27, 2011, 05:31:42 AM »

I have no leatherworking experience at all but.............I want to make a leather pouch type thing. The peice I want to put in it is rectangular and I need to be able to remove it. The pouch I want to make is only out of a few leather strips with snaps to close it. Kind of like a cell phone case but with strips only instead of an actual pouch.

My question is, if I wet the leather straps will they hold their shape and stiffen when dry? And also should I make the strips before installing the snaps? I don't want them to rust.
Thanks,
JIm
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Offline AtlLaw

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Re: leatherwork question
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2011, 05:48:51 AM »
Ah James me lad!  Do you hear the crickets chirping!?   ;D  Leatherwork is great fun.  I'm a rank amateur at it myself, but at least I can maybe help a bit.   ;)

I'm not sure what you mean by "strips."  Or at least I can't visualize what you are saying.  So I'll just ignore that for the time being.  But as far as forming leather goes, yes; when the leather drys it will hold the shape it was moulded into and be hard.

I just finished the sheath for my latest knife project last night.  It's a full pouch type and the knife's bone handle doesn't fit the pouch exactly enough for my taste.  So I'm going to do some minor remoulding tonight.

My next project will be a pistol cartridge box for my C&B revolver belt.  The top will be formed on a wooden mould then stitched to the back/flap.  I would expect it to hold it's shape indefinitely.

I would think that a man with your hands-on talent would find leatherwork very rewarding!   :D
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Offline RockinW

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Re: leatherwork question
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2011, 06:30:33 PM »
if it is  vegetable tanned (like saddle leather), it will hold its shape to a point, depending on how heavy it is and the particular peice of leather. if it is more of a garment, upholstery, boot, chap type leather, then it wont form much if any. and the snaps should be at least plated in a non-ferrous type metal, if not made completely of it, so should not rust easily
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Offline GRIMJIM

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Re: leatherwork question
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2011, 05:45:10 PM »
It came out pretty good. The leather is too thin to hold the shape well I think. It is a pouch to hold a wireless transmitter for a guitar. It has a clip on the back but kept falling off the strap so I came up with this.







I just used rivets to hold the parts together, I didn't have anything else.
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Offline AtlLaw

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Re: leatherwork question
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2011, 05:54:45 PM »
Well how cool is that!?   ;D

Didja have fun?   ;)
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Richard
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Offline GRIMJIM

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Re: leatherwork question
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2011, 04:10:17 AM »
I'm glad I tried it. I don't think I have a leather bug or anything. I could see how something a little more involved would be a cool winter time project like a holster or knife sheath. And I would definitely have to dress it up with some kind of tooling pattern.

I do wish I had stitched it together also but I don't even know how to do that. ::)
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Offline oldandslow

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Re: leatherwork question
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2011, 05:37:31 AM »
Quote from: GRIMJIM on May 14, 2011, 04:10:17 AM
I'm glad I tried it. I don't think I have a leather bug or anything. I could see how something a little more involved would be a cool winter time project like a holster or knife sheath. And I would definitely have to dress it up with some kind of tooling pattern.

I do wish I had stitched it together also but I don't even know how to do that. ::)

Tandy Leather Co. stocks a wide range of how-to books on every facet of leatherworking. Anything by Al Stholman is especially good. So does Hidecrafter's. If you do get the bug, check them out. I don't really care for Tandy's tooling leather.
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