fredk

I'm thinking it sounds like water/moisture evaporation shrinkage in an exceptionally dry environment. The boards, before covering, and the leather might have needed a week, or even more, in that environment for them to shrink and stabilise. In they way even dry timber needs to be in its end use environment to stabilise

May I join in? Here in N.I. 'Game of Thrones' has been a big employer for about 10 years. Its also flooded the market with 'medieval' leather goods - items supplied to the extras on the movies, they get several new issues during the filming, so they sell off their 'old' stuff. Problem is, those 'medieval' style leather items from GoT are fantasy designs. I used to make leather goods for the local re-enactors. I have a library full of books written by archaeologists and museums. The items I made were made according to actual period finds - but, more and more, people started telling me my stuff was historically wrong as it was so different to the 'Game of Thrones' items - people insisted that GoT was historically correct and I was wrong, even after I showed them the find example in a museum publication. It wasn't just the style and designs, it was in the quality of the leather, the way the items are sewn together. People would rather believe that medieval people could not make nice looking, robust and well put together leather goods. The buyers of GoT items would rather pay 4x for a 'correct' piece than my modest price for a better constructed item. I stopped doing the 'medieval' fairs and such after a bit too much of this thank you ~ rant mode off

I suppose I should make something fit for purpose rather than cobbling together a stright piece of MDF, supported by the blocks on a Black & Decker workmate thingy, or using a the side of a block of granite for short straps

Problem with bags of 'scrap', you just don't know what you are getting. With larger pieces bought specially, belly leather stretches the most, with back and shoulder stretching the least, ususually none at all. But you need to know what you've bought. With 'scraps', take a piece, cut a long thin piece [5mm x 100mm minimum length] off a bit and pull it in your hands, you'll soon see how much belly will stretch The 'fix' mentioned above is a good one. You can sitll do a 'wet mould' on it. Either with the items for it, wrapped in ceran food wrap, or wood blocks. Soak in warm, but not hot, water and dry quickly using a warm air flow, like from a hair dryer. The leather will shrink a bit and tighten up. But this is risky and should only be done with experience or as a desperate measure. I tighted up the holder on this knife sheath doing the warm water method. It tightened it up so tight that the sheath could not be removed from it, which was required.

gottcha, understand how it fits now. Well thought out then so it is

They look nicely moulded and sewn but wot he asks, its not the tang tho - its the finger guard *the tang is the part of the knife metal which runs up into the handle/grip

I have to 'import' everything, with its associated s&h costs. My nearest Tandy is about 150 miles away, but there is a big bit of water between me and them, its called the Irish Sea. Minimum ferry cost is about £260. So Tandy's s&h of £8 per order is very reasonable. Even Le Prevo's fee of £15.50 per large parcel is reasonable. I factor both into my costs breakdown; ie if I get an order of buckles and hardware from Le Prevo s&h is about £6.50, rolls of leather are £15.50, this is broken down at a pro-rata rate and added to each buckle or square foot of useable leather As a lot of hardware, especially the likes of rapid rivets, are made in China I order from there directly. Some times an order from China has arrived before an order out of England. S&h for a China order is usually £0 or at most £0.99 Most UK sellers changed their wording of 'Free' on their goods after a TV comedian did a skit where he went into a shop and consumed the 'free' portion of packs of biscuits, comfectionery and drinks. This skit prompted other ordinary people to do the same. Most companies now put 'extra ~ % for the same price' I suppose the belt seller should have been saying; 'the buckle of your choice at no extra cost when you buy a belt' ~ but thats kinda long winded, aint it?

This may have something; https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/product/1411/leather-flowers

This. It should - will, have a guarantee. Send them back and ask for good ones. Also ask for repayment of your p&p [s&h] This is a duplicate thread on this subject

Sorry friend but I cannot find the cameras. I may have disposed of them.

You're lucky the 2-tooth makes holes. Very often these tools need sharpening and the edges 'polished'. An afternoon, or evening, doing the sharpening and polishing will transform them

Wrong hammer; a rubber head mallet, a very small one should be sufficient

I may have a couple of these but if so they are in my storage unit which I can't get to until Tuesday. If I have them I'll post up and we can take it from there - OK?

Water based does not always mean water soluble. Most acrylic paints are water based but will not be soluble in water once dry and cured, same for many glues. I use a water based PVA glue which is water and weather resistant when dry.

I'm contrary. I did new bonnet and boot belts for my vintage cars. On the old belts the round holes had ripped the leather into an oval hole and distressed the strap. On the new ones I punched oval holes and after many, many months of use the holes are/were the same shape with no distress to the leather belt strap

All my books are packed away until late spring/summer time. Check out some of the 14th century Books of Hours and Psalters There is a Leatherwork museum in the Midlands of England. Have you contacted them?

yup, thats wot I do, just cut lightly around it and the soft rivet metal soon separates. I got fed up just cutting the rivet shaft then spending ages rounding it again so it'd fit into the head part Depends how many you need to cut but another way is to get some thick copper wire, stuff it into the shaft and cut both the wire and shaft in one, then shake out the short bit of wire

The OP does say he'll be sewing them, the glue is just to hold them whilst he does so

I do hope all you guys do not suffer to much from this unusual adverse cold weather. I live in a very mild weather place and a heavy frost is enough to cause consternation!

I've certainly seen illustrations dating from the 13th century depicting leather workers and shoe makers using clams, both attached to a bench and between the workers knees.

About 25% to 50% should do as overlap - just depends on how long you want your oval. Use a smaller size hole punch [individual bar type] as a bar to burnish and smooth the hole sides. Even with a single oval hole punch you should do this. Oval hole punches are not very expensive. Heres a link to one of 6 x 4mm. just about right for belt holes; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4mm-Leather-Craft-Oval-Rectangle-Punch-Hole-Hollow-Tools-Strap-Belt-Square-Hole/253632650535?hash=item3b0daf1d27:m:mOKIZkFkSuQ00-e1dRVDpxA:rk:4:pf:0&var=552864877734

Ordinary contact adhesive should do the job. If sticking to the grain side of leather, roughen up the glueing area with 60 grade sand paper first

It doesn't sound like a packing - in delivery, damage to me but a manufacturing problem. Even tho you say they are 2 different burnishers; if they are the same type and look its possible they came from the same factory It sounds like the drive shaft is not mounted into the burnisher correctly and true. You might be able to take the shaft out and refit it after true-ing up the mounting hole. Without an image of the burnisher I/we can only guess at a fix for it.

Nope. My boxes are stout see-thru plastic with clip on lids. Not exactly the same type but close; https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3594740 A ballistic nylon bag with oddments goes on top of a couple of these boxes [sometimes, its usually under the bench, in the hall, generally under my feet somewhere!]

For any beginner; you can't go wrong having some of Al Stohlman's books handy. He did some on making cases, on making bags, on making wallets and purses. He teaches the basics in a very easy to understand way. Once you know those basics they can be applied to other projects. Also, having read his books and seeing his instructions helps you to understand what people are doing in some youtube videos