what to use to stiffen leather?

[Scary Leatherworks]

I am wet molding a project (bag) and want to apply something to it to stiffen it so it wont lose it's shape while being used. any ideas? was wondering about gluing a fabric liner to the inside would the glue stiffen it?

Scott

[Rayban]

I did this to a set of saddle bags about ten years ago and there are still pretty stiff....first off the leather was 10oz.....when finished with construction, but before applying any oil or conditioner....I got them good and wet with hot water, then stuffed them with crumpled up newspaper then set them out in the sun to dry.

In this case I used Tandy's Super Sheen to finish....don't use it much anymore except on black dyed stuff....and to this day they are still pretty stiff.

I would expect, however that if the bag is used regularly, it will break down some in time.

[Excell]

I know of a couple of people around here that make and sell leather masks (2-3 oz leather) that stiffen them by soaking the masks in a mixture of warm water and Elmer's (white) glue - about 1/4 cup or so for 2-3 gallons - before molding. They swear by that instead of commercial leather stiffeners. I've never tried it myself - but was planning to do so on a couple of tooled masks the kids want for next Halloween. Any leather chemists out there know if that would have detrimental long-term effects?

As an aside: Wonderful site and forums! I am coming back to leather carving after a 10+ year hiatus and this has been a wonderful resource. I can tell that many of you have forgotten more about leathercraft than I have ever known. Thank you all for your insight.

[outcast]

Soak it in water mixed with ammonia (1 gallon/1 cup), wet mould, let dry. It's worked for me before.

[1Man]

Soak it in water mixed with ammonia (1 gallon/1 cup), wet mould, let dry. It's worked for me before.

What does the Ammonia do?

My two cents...

I'll dip my piece in relatively hot water (hot enough that I can still leave my hand in it and not get scalded). I've been adding a drop of dish detergeant to my water bath since it acts as an agent to break up surface tension and allows the water to get into the leather quicker and more uniform. Depending on the type of leather you are using (and weight), you may only need to leave it in for a few seconds or it might take up to a minute. If you have the really dried out sun baked leather like the stuff called Craftsmans Grade at Tandy's, it'll take longer - better leather needs less soaking. Now mold the leather to the shape you want. At this point, this is the step that I have found to have the best effect on stiffening the leather. I place my piece in front of one of those ceramic heaters with the little fan. It seems to "temper" the leather and seems to lock in the form. I don't put it so close that it gets hot, i just set it about two feet away and let the warm air dry it out. I'll usually leave it there for 6 - 8 hours. Voila, stiffened leather. Finish as you see fit.

I have not tried drying it under the sun but, that might work too. But, if your going to dye any color other than black, you might have some issues with the UV rays darkening your leather. You're also a bit limited to working only on warm sunny days. I live near Cleveland and we don't get very many of those.

Hope this helps.

[NoahL]

Well, I am certainly no expert at anything leather related, but I made a sheath for a knife I made and I hardened it by soaking it in a bowl of hot water from the sink (I let it run hot until it started to steam) until bubbles stopped coming out, then I did my molding. It's a pretty stiff piece of leather now

[1Man]

I am wet molding a project (bag) and want to apply something to it to stiffen it so it wont lose it's shape while being used. any ideas? was wondering about gluing a fabric liner to the inside would the glue stiffen it?

Scott

So, what did you end up doing and how did it turn out?

[troop]

do any of the glues, detergents, or additives, act as a block out if dying after soaking? or is it preferred to dye prior to soaking?

thanks , tony

[1Man]

do any of the glues, detergents, or additives, act as a block out if dying after soaking? or is it preferred to dye prior to soaking?

thanks , tony

I always mold first then use a deglazer before I dye. I've never had any issues with the detergent acting like a blocker. Realistically, I'm only using a drop in about a gallon of water. Maybe it doesn't do anything at all but I started doing it the same time that I started placing my pieces in front of the heater to dry. It works for me so I'll continue to do it. It seems to make sense to me that the detergent would help. I think what's really going on is that the water is acting as an agent to relieve the oils from the leather itself and thus creating a way for the leather fibers to bind closer together. We've all seen the Dawn Dish Detergent commercial where a drop of soap disperses the grease in an instant.

Maybe someone with a chemistry background or more knowledge on this subject could chime in and tell us exactly what the wet molding process is actually doing and if any of these additives are truly necessary.

[The Leather Monkey]

Thanks to everyone for the helpful tips. I'm starting to make leather masks to sell and my first test held it's shape somewhat, but not enough to make it useful. Gonna give the water and Elmer's Glue a try to see how that works. My wife is going to decorate the masks, so maybe the glue will seal the leather well enough that she can just simply paint them. Here's a pic of my first test mask:

Arnold

Edited June 3, 2012 by The Leather Monkey