Leather Working Brain Fade

[Fredo]

Here's a brain fade story from last night.

I needed to finish up a order for 5 tool bags (motorcycle type). I had all of the main panels and straps cut, dyed and hardwear installed. The only thing left was to form the end caps over the wooden buck I made and give them a good heat reat in my convection oven.

Now I always treat at 115 degrees for about 15 minutes. However for whatever reason I was thinking about dinner at the same time and when I set the oven I guess I was thinking about roasted potatoes because I set that baby at 325 degrees.

That's right boys and girls, I roasted those 10 end caps at a temp designed to cook food. I can't tell you how mad I was, until the wife started to giggle at how they looked like real thick potato chips with the brown areas and wavy edges..

We had a good laugh and then I called the client and apologised for the 24 hr delay.

What are your brain fade stories...please don't tell me I'm the only one.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Fredo

[Sylvia]

I've been experimenting with wet forming. I had scanned through the tutorial here and grabbed a small bowl and some cool water and stuck it in the microwave to warm it up. Three minutes seemed like a good number.

I had skived a small piece of leather and when the microwave "dinged" I took my bowl of warm water to my work bench and plunged my leather in.

The microwaved water fizzed and bubbled. "cool" I gathered the stuff I was working with and went to get my "perfectly soaked" leather...

It had shrunk to about 1/3 of the original size!! And my water was pink. What the?

So apparently I made leather/tannin TEA.

"NEXT!!"

[radar67]

I experienced the same results the first time I tried wet forming. I stretched that piece of leather back to size over the form and the project turned out okay. I have a armor grade, hardened, miniature pirate hat though. You can literally knock someone out with it since it is so hard. I was going for a miniature pirate hat. I'll try to get a picture up tonight.