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OdinUK

Lining Leather With Suede

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Hi All, I would like to line guitar straps and belts with suede. This is how I think it may be done, please can you offer advice or tell me if my method is correct or not?

Cut strap over-wide.

Use Impact adhesive on both flesh side of leather and suede, bring both into contact and rub down so that the whole surface if wach are in good contact.

Cut strap to desired width and shape with the suede now firmly in place.

Make sewing groove and sew the leather to the suede.

Edge, dye and burnish edges.

Tool leather if required.

Dye leather and apply finish, fixing hardware etc

I have not actually tried this on an actual project but Im about to do it to a scrap. Would you do it differently? Id be grateful for any advice.

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Hello OdinUK,

Greetings from Switzerland, first.

The way you would follow to line a guitar strap with suede sounds quite reasonable to me, although I cannot remember having done such project in the past. However, I think to remember that among the tutorials here, there might be the one and other dealing with this issue. However, what I would put ahead of glueing the strap to the suede, is the tooling of the leather (carving, stamping), as the strap first has to be made wet (I prefer to do that on the fleshside of the leather as well as on the grain side). It's wise to do it on scrap first, you save yourself a lot of frustration that you would have otherwise.

Now, I hope that somebody here chimes in that can give you even better advise on how to do your project.

Have a nice Sunday afternoon and good luck with your project.

Mark, the leatherthresher.

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Hi Mark,

Thanks for that. Yes, I forgot about the tooling being done before lining the leather. I just tried making a sample length of what would be a guitar strap, and it seems fine. Ill post pictures when I get them from my camera.

Next I shall try to practice the tooling what I would like to go onto my first guitar strap that I'm making for a friend.

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Hello OdinUK,

I am quite glad that pointer was helpful to you. Now, I am curious to see the pictures of it.

All the best in bringing the work ahead.

Mark, the leatherthresher.

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Hi OdinUK,

Aside from Mark's advice, I would suggest holding off on the edge finishing until after I had tooled and finished the leather. I always do mine last so that the front of the piece is finished and sealed before I finish the edges. That way I can't make a mess on the tooling...most of the time!

Good luck!

Dave

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I line my rifle slings with suede, belts I do with vegtan but very similar to how I do it.

1) First cut your strap or belt

2) Tool and finish the strap till you get to the point you want to stitch it.

3) Add any padding if you are going to do that. I add the padding the same way as the suede. Any thin leathers I use Super 77 spray adhesive. Spray both sides being joined together. Let it sit till tacky then carefully press together and go over with a roller or slicker. Make sure to press all the areas down really good.

4) Now once it is padded I cut out the lining leather bigger then the strap or belt. Spray like I mentioned above, carefully apply the strap to the lining leather. Make sure to press it all over to get good contact.

5) Let it sit to the side to dry for a good while. I usually wait atleast a few hours.

6) Cut the lining leather pretty close to the strap. I use my head knife but a razor knife works great or your shears.

7) Stitch your project stitching everywhere there is lining leather.

8) I usually use a good sharp knife to trim it right up next to the strap. Then edge bevel like normal.

9) Finish your edges how you normally would.

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Dave and MadMax, Thank you both for your advice, it's very much appreciated.

I hadn't thought of using padding, but I may try it. I always assumed that passing was some kind of thin foam, not leather. I can't seem to find my camera USB cable, when I do Ill post a picture of the first sample piece that I made.

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When I'm making a guitar strap (or a belt) I either use two pieces of material that I just now cut with the same strap cutter, at the same setting, . . . or try to match up previous pairs.

Cover both pieces with contact cement, . . . let em dry, . . . put them together. I usually take a strap that is not as wide as my product, . . . lay it under the project, . . . and use my fingers to guide the pieces together, . . . without looking. I find my fingers do a better job of this than my eyes do :)

Then I take the same rolling pin I use for apple pies, . . . roll the pieces together, . . . take it to my belt sander (its a Harbor Freight 20 x 1) and do any necessary dressing of the edges.

Tooling, . . . edging, . . . sewing, . . . final finish, . . . in that order.

This works the best for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

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Wanted to add the reason I make the lining leather wider then the main piece is that I have a heck of a time getting them lined up correctly before the glue catches. That is just my way of making sure it doesnt get screwed up. Plus with things like pig and what not its pretty stretchy so you kind of gotta do that. With vegtan like Dwight said you can cut them the same. Just be careful on assembly.

For padding I order some neoprene from the foam factory. Cut it about 1/8' smaller and put a bevel on it. Works great.

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Thanks all, you guys have been so helpful. I have quite a lot to try so I can see what works best for me.

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Here are the pictures of my first sample strap. They didnt turn out very well with the flash but you can see the detail.

post-11335-094097300 1317040972_thumb.jp

post-11335-031749300 1317041060_thumb.jp

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Here are the pictures of my first sample strap. They didnt turn out very well with the flash but you can see the detail.

Hi OdinUK,

Thank you for the pictures. What I can see from them you have done quite well. Congratulations.

Mark, the leatherthresher.

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Thanks Mark:)

@Madmax, Does the neoprene come in suitable thicknesses? I would guess about 3mm would be suitable. Do you have any recommended thickness? Thanks.

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Just out of curiosity, could you possibly post a pic of your edges? I've been wanting to try lining a belt and a strap with some suede, but I wasn't sure how the edges would burnish/hold together... :)

Thanks,

Chris of WV

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Hi Chris,

Here are some closeups of the sample strap. I burnished the edges like usual but didnt spend the time to get a glossy edge, just a rounded edge. It blended with the purple quite well but if the suede was black it would look better. Hope this helps. I now look forward to making some nice tooled guitar straps (and belts).

post-11335-065460800 1317151632_thumb.jp

post-11335-013474500 1317151670_thumb.jp

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An update to this, I tried doing the same with a thin neoprene lining, its about 1.5 - 2 mm thick. Im quite pleased with the results and will post pictures when I return home after the holidays.

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He must of never made it home from the holidays...

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On ‎6‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 1:58 PM, Spect said:

He must of never made it home from the holidays...

Maybe he missed his train ... be home in a couple of days ...and eight years! :whistle:

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