MagnificentHonky

Good to know. It seems, to me, that sanding smaller pieces would be preferable on projects that don't call for a lot of Nubuck or sueded material; when ordering a larger quantity, and having to wait for it to show up, just wouldn't justify the time or expense. I am delighted, in any case, to have a starting point. Now, I just need the time to play with it. Thank you to everyone who provided input; it is much appreciated.

Lol, I think that I just found my next projects; leather cases for my leather tools Considering the nature of this project, (something quick and easy to motivate you), not a bad job.

"Not too expensive" is an awfully relative term. I have zero experience with such a tool, but I note "Table Top Lace Cutter's" floating around the interwebs for about $50. That may suit your purpose/budget. I'd post a link, but I'm posting from my phone, and Google links always seem to be 3 miles long, whenever I try to share one...

Yes, I have a sleeper. I don't know that I'd much enjoy being in a hotel, every night. Were I a solo driver, I probably would have a mini-shop set up in my truck, lol. But, it would be mult-purpose, so as to serve a variety of interests. (And I'd probably get no sleep! I can get hyper-focused on a project, and lose all track of time) As it is, I share this truck cab with my wife, who is my co-driver, and my dog, who calls the shots (or, so she thinks, lmao). My wife has already turned the truck into a mini-quilting den, and crotchet cabin. I may try to bring the hobby with me, but I think that I'll likely find it frustrating, based on how frustrating it's been with other things. There is a severe lack of suitable work surface, unfortunately.

Actually, lol, I just placed an order with Brettuns Village. I stumbled upon them, in my initial trunk research, and browsing the rest of their site is what kind of sparked my interest in leather. Once I've recieved my order, and had a chance to use the stuff, I'll post an opinion. I did send them an email in regard to trunk specific topics; they were informative in their response, so I figured that I'd spend a little money with them. Thank you for the link.

@Clive: I appreciate the insight. Actually, you're last paragraph kinda mirrors what I was saying to my wife, yesterday evening. The article that was linked, a couple of posts above, suggested that Nubuck really wasn't a thing, until the 1930's. So, the notion that the material is actually "split" does make a little more sense. And, my research of trunks of the era indicates a somewhat "slapped-together" method of production, using the cheapest materials and labor available, so split would make sense, in that regard, as well. @Riem: This trunk is pretty well beat and neglected. Also, it came from a local estate sale. I see no sign that this thing has ever been apart. The folks native to my area, had they been inclined to do anything of a restorative nature, it would have been stripped of its covering, slathered in whatever paint was closest, and possibly had some metal handles bolted to it. That's just how those folks operate. As it is, until whoever owned it died, that thing probably didn't see daylight for six decades. At any rate, that leather material with its designs burned into it, is rather unique. My wife thinks that it's great, so it must be duplicated. And, too, I want to restore the thing to a period-correct appearance. Bare wood (or painted, or varnished) would not be period correct. When new, they all had some sort of covering. A cheap option would have been something akin to wall paper. Leather was a popular choice, though sueded leather was rare, apparently. The other option was a metal-clad trunk. From what I've seen, the metal cladding was similar to tin ceilings; though I imagine that a very plain and utilitarian metal clad trunk was also available. I think that Clive is right; the leather material is a split. When I get home in a few weeks, I may start another thread on the trunk, and include some pictures. ************************************** On a side note, I ordered a large leather tool kit, a pyrography kit, and a 5lb bag of medium-large leather scraps, today. So, some fun awaits, when I arrive home. (Feel like a 5 year old awaiting Christmas, I do, lol)

Thank you. I figured that the sandpaper grit would have much to do with it, along with applied pressure. I also figured that intial experimentation would probably be best done on smaller pieces; no use destroying an entire side, in finding another wrong way to do it, lol (to badly paraphrase Thomas Edison, in his quote on creating the lightbulb...) I intend to buy a package of larger leather scraps, to play with burning, stamping, and carving techniques, so sanding and buffing on those, won't be a big deal. Though, that article implied that the texturing of the nubuck was part of the tanning process, so I'm not going to be holding my breath on discovering a nubuck creation method. And, it's fine if I don't. It will be disappointing, but it won't ruin my day. After poking through this forum, and watching a bunch of YouTube how-to's, I'm pretty excited about getting into leatherwork, even if I never do discover the secrets of nubuck creation.

I truly to love comedy from that era; it's a nice reminder that one can be funny without dropping F-bombs every five seconds, without being mean, cynical, and nasty, and without being overly political. By the way, isn't Steptoe & Sons the British version of Sanford & Sons? (Or, the other way around, lol...) Usually, though, when I'm not driving, and actively watching YouTube, I'm watching How-To videos, on topics ranging from leather work to diecast car customization/restoration; from musical instrument creation to building electricity producing windmills out of scrap car parts. Some well known military officer (and I forget who) was of the opinion that a man should know how to do as many things as possible, and he didn't have much use for specialists. I'm in solid agreement with his underlying principle, which I believe was that one should be prepared for any situation that should arise. I have personally found that techniques from one type of project can translate well to another, and seemingly unrelated, type of project. And, of course, some projects (whether that project be making something for personal gratification, or building/repairing an item out of necessity) require a variety of skills. This drives my wife nuts; she finds random how-to videos to be boring, unless it involves cooking or quilting.

Hmm. So it is akin to the Coke formula and Area 51 files, lol. It's not necessarily that I'm hellbent for making my own, out of some perceived necessity. It's kind of like those guys on YouTube that build stuff, using old school hand tools (as opposed to modern power tools), or that guy who does the primitive technology channel, or the guys who crumple up a sheet of aluminium foil and transform it into a perfectly mirrored sphere. Or the people who build overly complicated machines, whose sole purpose is to unplug themselves from the wall, once plugged in. The point is less the finished project, and more the sense of accomplishment. The other thing, at least for me, is that unanswered questions just drive me nuts, lol. Were I a cat, curiosity would have killed me 9 times over, many moons ago. To duplicate the trunk covering, though, I now wonder if using Nubuck is wise; the original material has designs burned into it, and it's my understanding that burning chrome tan produces a rather toxic smoke. So maybe I'd be better off using the backside of veg-tan, or something else. Well, maybe I'll just start experimenting, or maybe not. Just depends on my available time, I suppose Thank you, both, for shedding a little light. @Biker: That's some nice looking material. It wouldn't suit for the trunk, but I could think of several projects for which it would be downright spiffy.

Wow, so no one knows, huh? That's rather disappointing...

@Wizard: Yes, that's why I did a dipole; a good groundplane is nearly impossible to obtain on modern trucks, without drilling holes. When I found out about dipoles, I was excited. Also, PM received and responded to. Thank you for the tips! @Zulu: Tony Hancock is hilarious. Thank you for that. When driving for hours through the middle of the night, a good laugh is always appreciated.

Hi Zulu, Thank you. I do love some YouTube, when it comes to tutorials. I've watched a few videos, already. I'll look for Tony Hancock; most dated comedy makes me laugh. In many cases, I prefer the older routines to the current ones. I grew up in a house, mostly free of television, and we watched old Marx Bros, Charlie Chaplin, and a variety of musicals that my parents checked out of the library. I still think that breaking into song, in the middle of a grocery store, for no apparent reason, is a perfectly normal occurrence. And, of course, punch lines delivered in a genuine British accent (or Australian, or New Zealand, Irish, Scottish, etc.) just crack me up, for some reason. So, I'll definitely check that out.

Hi Wizard! Thank you. Right now, my interest is in smaller projects. I'm a long haul trucker, so I just don't have the time for anything too intense. What sparked my interest, though, was an old trunk that my wife picked up from an estate sale. The trunk is covered in a nubuck material, with some simple designs burned into it. That material, being approximately a century and a half old, give or take a decade or two, is dry rotted and torn. Looking into restoring the trunk is what got me interested in leather (which has been on my long list of potential hobbies for 25 years or more, anyway). Amusingly, in researching that old box, I stumbled across a website for a shop in Maine that specializes in both leather and trunk restoration. Strikes me as an odd combo. Other potential projects include experimenting with leather pistol grips, and making belts. I'm insanely skinny, so it's difficult to find belts in the right length. Also, I like to wear suits to social functions, and also like big, tacky belt buckles. Belts that accomodate such buckles, don't tend to fit in suit pant belt loops. I'm sure I'll dream up other ideas; I generally do. I am not, yet, an official HAM. I tried to study for my General ticket, while on the truck, which proved to be impossible. One, I have a wife that assumes that if I am awake, I am available to talk to. She doesn't understand "study in silence". (This is also why I put aside the book that I was writing.) On top of that, available study time came at inconsistent times and lengths. I'd learn something new, couldn't study for 3 days, and forget it. I do mess around on the "Chicken Band", though. Radio theory is radio theory, so I apply HAM techniques to my CB hobby, in an effort to achieve strong and clean signal. I have been amazed at how every CB shop is wrong, on nearly everything. One guy wanted to sell me an antenna that was "pre-tuned" at the factory. He was amazed that I didn't want it. I guess they have a crystal ball at the antenna plant, so they can tune each antenna based on the intended use of the individual end user. My work truck runs a vertical dipole that I assembled from a couple of fiberglass whips. I was having a hell of a time trying to get a decent groundplane on this modern, plastic truck. Not owning the truck, I can't drill new holes, either. Radio was one of my 1st interests. I had a couple of HAMs in the family. When I was 5 or 6, I saw this contraption with gauges and lights, and a mic. And, I was told that I could use that thing to talk to people all over the world. I was amazed. Still am. To this day, some of the coolest people I know are HAMs. Many are generous, great neighbors, and useful citizens. Ha! Maybe I'll wrap my CB in leather; don't think that I've seen that done, before!

Hi, I'm new here. I've recently become interested in the concept of working with leather. I have not, yet, purchased the first relevant tool or scrap of leather, partly because I haven't been home, and partly because I'm looking at projects, tools, and techniques used by others. I kind of like to know what I'm getting into. My other interests include (but are, by no means, limited to) radio communication, theology, psychology, history, and marketing. Also, I've inherited my Grandfathers wood working tools, so an interest has developed there, as well. From time to time, I've been known to produce impressively crappy music; once, I may have even risen to the level of mediocre. I'm looking forward to exploring the forum, asking questions, and learning new things. I'm a trucker by trade, and am on the road for weeks at a time, so I probably won't be inclined to take on projects that are too intricate; at least, not at the moment. That could change, though. Other things have...

Another vote for pic restoration, if possible. Though, nearly a decade after the original post...

Thank you for the link. (I am in the U.S., incidentally) Assuming the production process is more tedious than I want to deal with, buying nubuck already done isn't necessarily out of the question. But... I still really want to know how the stuff is made. Sometimes, I like to do projects, just because I can. Or, to see IF I can. My Grandfather and his brother were the same way; they both made stuff that made you say, "Interesting project, I see the skill... But, why?" The larger project is a trunk restoration. My wife bought this old, 150 year old trunk (give or take) that's covered in what appears to be a nubuck material. The nubuck has designs burned into it. The nubuck is also dry rotted, cracked, and a panel is missing. Looking into trunks, it appears that paper, leather, and metal were all fairly common coverings, but this nubuck covering is rather unique. The coverings aside from metal tend to be destroyed over time, and many trunk restorations leave the trunk "naked"; which is probably why I haven't found a similar trunk. I want my trunk to remain period correct, and keep it's original look. Certainly, I can't be the only one that's ever wanted to take a piece of leather, and turn it into a piece of nubuck. I'm beginning to get the impression that this is some big secret, and the Area 51 file on nubuck creation hasn't been declassified, yet.

I have recently developed an interest in leather working. Outside of researching various things, though, I haven't actually begun to persue the interest, yet. (I generally start all new hobbies with a research phase, before I spend the first cent. Easier on the wallet, that way.) Anyway, a project that I'm looking to do, involves nubuck, which I understand to be top grain leather that has been treated to resemble suede. I've gone digging through the interwebs, trying to find out the process for creating nubuck, but all I've found is the vague statement that nubuck is "sanded and buffed to create a suede like appearance". Anything after that is diverted to instructions on making homemade cleaner for boots... Not what I was looking for. So the questions are: Is the sanding and buffing done pre-tan or post tan? Is a special tanning process required? What grits of sandpaper would be used for the sanding? What is the buffing process? And what tools and buffing compounds (if any) are used? If all this is done pre-tan, I'm not much interested in doing it, at the moment. I'm a trucker, and am away from home for weeks at a time, so tanning is not something that I have time for. Also, I don't have convenient access to a cow, or a place for an entire cows worth of meat. However, I would still be interested in the knowledge. I collect random knowledge, anyway. On the other hand, if the nubucking process is a post-tan exercise, I would be interested in trying it out. It would be personally gratifying. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Have a great weekend!