Crisp Fold In Thick Leather?

[lightningad]

I'm making a wet moulded pouch with a wet moulded lid that fits snuggly over the top.

The lid has enough flat material still attached so that when its trimmed it will also form the back panel of the pouch.

My question is how do i put a fold or crease into the thick veg-tan leather (approx 3mm) to allow the lid to sit correctly, and to behave as the hinge point when opening ? My one previous attempt at a pouch had a flap type lid which curves too much and i want to avoid that on this one.

I have tried carving a v-groove on the rough side, but the result is poor at best.

I also tried casing the leather and then lightly scoring a line on the rough side, then using a bevel stamp hammer along the line then turn the leather around and go back along the opposite side of the line. This seems to work okay, but i'm convinced there must be a better and more effective method.

I'd appreciate any advice about how best to add this detail

thanks

Adam

[Dwight]

Without a picture, I am not sure what you are talking about, . . . but I can share a couple of things I've done for sharp folds.

One is using a "V" groover on the flesh side, . . . going about 1/2 way through the leather, . . . skive some of the excess away from the cut on that flesh side, . . . wet the leather down, . . . fold it over a straight edge, . . . both ways, . . . that usually works well for a "hinge" piece for me.

If the leather was thinner, . . . I'd just take a dull knife blade (so dull it WILL NOT CUT), . . . and score/crease both sides, . . . again wet, . . . and fold back and forth.

When it dries, you will have a good hinge joint.

May God bless,

Dwight

[lightningad]

thanks Dwight - if i had a v cutter thats exactly what i would do.

I have just done the fold, and apart from cutting a groove, i found by stamping a groove in the wetted leather with the bevel stamp, then using a ball model tool to compress it even more, wet the outside of the fold and just worked it a bit manually, its pretty close to what i needed.

regards

Adam

[azrider]

What I used to do before I got a grover was to make the fold over the sharp edge of my stamping stone, and then use a #2 edger to make a grove. Once wetted and formed, this seemed to work well.

[lightningad]

What I used to do before I got a grover was to make the fold over the sharp edge of my stamping stone, and then use a #2 edger to make a grove. Once wetted and formed, this seemed to work well.

Thanks Azrider, could you be a little more specific?

when folding over the stone would you fold so the flesh side was against the stone or would you reverse the leather so the smooth was on the stone.

I ask because the quote about then making the groove with an edger seemed odd, unless you either removed it from the stone or had folded the leather flesh side out, and then grooved along the crease.

regards

Adam

[thecapgunkid]

The best I've ever come up with is to cut not one, but two or three deep grooves as pone of your replies suggested. I also had to wet form the bend area to get it tight.

What I did learn, though, through mostly cartridge boxes and gun leather, is that no fold will stay perfect on anything medium or large size. It is not as reliable as, say, a similar project with a wood lid.

The other thing I learned was to keep an eye on my work after I sold it.

Going up to a re-enactor or another cowboy, for example, during an event, eyeballing something I sold a while ago, and doing a little re-finishing of an edge or oiling a surface went one whale of a long way for customer service and repeat business.

Don't shoot yore eye out, kid,

The Capgun Kid

[azrider]

If you fold it over the sharp edge of the stone, you fold it the oppisite way of how it will be going when its done. So for a case, I would put the grain side on the stone, and fold it over, then when you use the edger, you would be remvoing leather from the flesh side. I can't take credit for the idea. Its in one of the Leather Cases books by Stohlman.

[lightningad]

thanks for clarifying that Azrider - thats what i thought you meant, just wasn't sure!

Good point about about following up on the customer service Capgun....i suppose you have to watch your timing though if they're wandering being cowboys!

adam