Attaching Magnets For Purse Closure

[artycpt]

I am in the process of completing a purse project and want to put magnets under the lining on the inside of the front and back, as a closure device.

I have the magnets and they are the really strong kind.

Ho do I go about securing the magnets to the leather underneath the lining (pigskin)?

Can I glue them on?

My only concern is that if I don't secure them well enough they will pull away when the purse is opened and pull on the lining rather than staying put against the actual exterior leather.

all help and recommendations are appreciated!!

[Ed in Tx]

Have you considered making a small enclosure of some thin cloth and stitching it to the liner? I did a purse for my wife a few year ago from a hair on hide and upholstrey leather and I lined it with fabric. For the magnetic closure I .made a small pouch with enough material on the edges to be able to sew it to the lining. When I stitched the lining to the leather I also used some glue on the pouch with the magnet. I made sure the glue I used was suitable for cloth and leather, it is called "Crafters Pick", I bought it at Hobby Lobby but I am sure you could find something similar elsewhere.

Probably makes no sense the way I explained it but it worked.

[Northmount]

There should be a piece of leather, sort of like a welt, between the outside and the lining leather. It should be the same thickness as the magnets. Punch a hole for the magnet to rest in. Glue the magnet plus welt to the outside layer. You can use a layer of strong cloth over the magnet to the welt. Then glue the lining in place over all of it.

Depending on where your folds and stitching lines are, you could do some decorative stitching to provide some more strength. And you may need to skive the edges of the welt to help it blend in.

Mount the magnets in a welt in the purse body as well. Won't likely need any extra reinforcement so no cloth.

Make sure your magnets are placed with the right polarity before you glue up.

As a side note, I tried using just a thin roughly 24 AWG piece of sheet steel in the flap to keep the bulk down. It doesn't hold as well as using magnets in both pieces. If you do use a steel plate in the flap, use several magnets, and larger diameters, like 3/4 inch to get enough holding power. Do a mock up to see if it has the strength you want.

Tom