I’m a complete beginner who’s just about to start the journey into leathercraft. I have a few questions about tools and my first project. Please excuse any misuse of terminology—I’m still learning and doing my best to explain what I mean.
Tools
From what I’ve learned so far, to start I’ll need the following: a burnisher, edge beveler, wing divider, metal ruler, self-healing mat, stitching chisels, rubber mallet, stitching needles, scratch awl, and craft knife. Is this a good basic setup or am I missing something important?
Project
My first project will be a motorcycle seat cover made from sheepskin hide. I know this might be too ambitious for a beginner, but it’s something I actually need and it motivates me to learn properly. That’s why I’m carefully planning each step to avoid mistakes. Here’s how I imagine the process:
Cut the hide to fit the seat area I need.
On the back side, glue a nylon strap (in 2-3 places) with a stretch (elastic) strap sewn in the middle. The goal is to have enough slack to go under the seat. Basically, I want to create small “waves” in the nylon strap and sew it onto a straight stretch strap—so the nylon will limit how much the elastic can stretch, just enough to go over the seat. The nylon strap will go between the sheepskin and the outer layer (next step). Or will just use a side release buckle.
Here I’ve hit a problem. The sheepskin is quite stretchy, thin, and soft. I’m worried it might tear. I’d like to glue something to the back that repels water (to protect the skin from moisture) but still allows it to breathe. A bit of padding would be fine too. Do you have recommendations for what material and glue would work best?
I also plan to leave a few centimetres of material as a “flap” around the edge of the bottom layer from step 3 (except at the front and back). How should I treat or finish the underside of the skin? I’ve read that Tokonole can be used to burnish edges—can it also be used to protect the bottom surface from the elements? And finally, what should I use to clean and maintain the sheepskin over time?
Any other advice or suggestions are warmly welcomed! Photos as examples, not exactly how I see it, but somewhat similar.
I’m a complete beginner who’s just about to start the journey into leathercraft. I have a few questions about tools and my first project. Please excuse any misuse of terminology—I’m still learning and doing my best to explain what I mean. Tools From what I’ve learned so far, to start I’ll need the following: a burnisher, edge beveler, wing divider, metal ruler, self-healing mat, stitching chisels, rubber mallet, stitching needles, scratch awl, and craft knife. Is this a good basic setup or am I missing something important? Project My first project will be a motorcycle seat cover made from sheepskin hide. I know this might be too ambitious for a beginner, but it’s something I actually need and it motivates me to learn properly. That’s why I’m carefully planning each step to avoid mistakes. Here’s how I imagine the process: Cut the hide to fit the seat area I need. On the back side, glue a nylon strap (in 2-3 places) with a stretch (elastic) strap sewn in the middle. The goal is to have enough slack to go under the seat. Basically, I want to create small “waves” in the nylon strap and sew it onto a straight stretch strap—so the nylon will limit how much the elastic can stretch, just enough to go over the seat. The nylon strap will go between the sheepskin and the outer layer (next step). Or will just use a side release buckle. Here I’ve hit a problem. The sheepskin is quite stretchy, thin, and soft. I’m worried it might tear. I’d like to glue something to the back that repels water (to protect the skin from moisture) but still allows it to breathe. A bit of padding would be fine too. Do you have recommendations for what material and glue would work best? I also plan to leave a few centimetres of material as a “flap” around the edge of the bottom layer from step 3 (except at the front and back). How should I treat or finish the underside of the skin? I’ve read that Tokonole can be used to burnish edges—can it also be used to protect the bottom surface from the elements? And finally, what should I use to clean and maintain the sheepskin over time? Any other advice or suggestions are warmly welcomed! Photos as examples, not exactly how I see it, but somewhat similar.