Condition flesh side before adding liner?

[NicoleM]

Hello! You all helped me rescue my blotchy 3 ring binder album & I have one other question. It’s still pretty stiff in places & I am wondering if I can condition the flesh side before I apply the contact cement & velvet lining fabric? I want to have good adhesion for the liner.  Also, will the liner stay in place with just the glue or do I need to stitch the edges? Thanks! 

[Dwight]

Honestly . . . if you used good contact cement . . . applied properly . . . that would probably work.

However . . . and this is just a "ME" speaking . . . I'd probably stitch it with some bright white stitching just to frame it.

But in answer to your question . . . I'll sometimes take a piece of veg tan that is on the stiff side . . . lay it hair side down . . . and curl it up over a 3/4 inch wooden dowel and pulling it . . . curl it over the dowel all the way down.  With a long enough dowel . . . it can do a fairly large piece.  It loosens it up a bit . . . makes it a lot more flexible.  

I especially do that for every belt I sell that goes out of this shop.  Most are double layer . . . and just that one treatment makes it feel like a belt you have had for months.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited July 15, 2022 by Dwight

[NicoleM]

2 minutes ago, Dwight said:

Honestly . . . if you used good contact cement . . . applied properly . . . that would probably work.

However . . . and this is just a "ME" speaking . . . I'd probably stitch it with some bright white stitching just to frame it.

May God bless,

Dwight

Thanks so much!

[johnnydb]

Ok....yes you need to do some form of mechanical holding of the liner.  

This can be achieved by several methods and finishes you add.  

The customary approach for some is skiving and folding the leather over the lining and then stitching.  Others fold over the lining and then stitch.  Others will use a border of some sort stitched over the edge....this can be corded cloth, sinew edging, or even thin strips creating a sort of picture frame type covering for the cloth edge.  (Stitched into place) 

Cloth lacks rigidity.  The glues don't hold the fibers as well as you might like.  Cloth tends to fray at cut edges and cloth folded over edges has cloth unglued to the leather...creating "bubbles " in the lining edge.  Which will start a "come apart" later for you when you begin to get frustrated with this nice work you have done.   

[NicoleM]

42 minutes ago, johnnydb said:

Ok....yes you need to do some form of mechanical holding of the liner.  

This can be achieved by several methods and finishes you add.  

The customary approach for some is skiving and folding the leather over the lining and then stitching.  Others fold over the lining and then stitch.  Others will use a border of some sort stitched over the edge....this can be corded cloth, sinew edging, or even thin strips creating a sort of picture frame type covering for the cloth edge.  (Stitched into place) 

Cloth lacks rigidity.  The glues don't hold the fibers as well as you might like.  Cloth tends to fray at cut edges and cloth folded over edges has cloth unglued to the leather...creating "bubbles " in the lining edge.  Which will start a "come apart" later for you when you begin to get frustrated with this nice work you have done.   

Thanks! I appreciate the advice! I'll probably fold over the lining then stitch.

[Handstitched]

16 hours ago, NicoleM said:

before I apply the contact cement & velvet lining fabric?

Well done on the ' rescue', looks great   I have a used a velveteen type fabric as a liner on handbags, ( it was cheaper) but, when I applied  the adhesive , it came through the fabric in some parts.  So, the solution to that I found was to use a matt spray  finisher as used for  sealing drawings etc. I sprayed  a good coat on  the back of the liner, let dry, and then apply the adhesive . 

This may not happen to you at all, depending on the fabric and your adhesive.  I'm just going by my own experience/ mistakes.  Perhaps try a test piece? 

HS

[NicoleM]

On 7/15/2022 at 11:56 PM, Handstitched said:

Well done on the ' rescue', looks great   I have a used a velveteen type fabric as a liner on handbags, ( it was cheaper) but, when I applied  the adhesive , it came through the fabric in some parts.  So, the solution to that I found was to use a matt spray  finisher as used for  sealing drawings etc. I sprayed  a good coat on  the back of the liner, let dry, and then apply the adhesive . 

This may not happen to you at all, depending on the fabric and your adhesive.  I'm just going by my own experience/ mistakes.  Perhaps try a test piece? 

HS

Thanks so much!!!