So, over on the /r/leathercraft subreddit they're having their clutch bag challenge, and in my submission for it I decided to experiment a bit. Figured I'd post my results here too.
I modeled the molds in Solid Edge and printed them on my Printrbot Simple Metal 2015. There's 1mm of clearance all around between the cope and the drag, which was just about perfect for the .8mm veg tan I used in the bag. I just used Inland PLA from Microcenter, printed at 20% infill, with a nice solid surface.
After printing I cut out two sections of 2-3oz Veg tan with a .5" allowance on either side of the non-wrapped dimensions. I wet the leather thoroughly and forced the mold over it. Above you can see the cope and drag of the mold, along with the first test piece which wound up being scrapped, and a dry piece yet to go in.
Wetted down and in the mold I vacuum packed it for about an hour. I'm not really sure if this step was necessary, but I did it anyway, gave me an opportunity to cook dinner.
After an hour in the bag I pulled it out and clamped it with harbor freights cheapest clamps, and allowed it to dry for 24 hours before I did anything with it.
After it had dried there was some transfer of the pattern from 3D printing onto the leather, but this disappeared as I dyed, sealed, and worked the leather. In the end I was very happy with how it came out, if only stitching the second cap had been that easy.
