How to keep leather/Patterns flat while cutting.

[Littlef]

5 hours ago, Klara said:

A cheap source of lead is your tire shop (assuming they mount the tires): Mine was more than willing to give me old wheel balancing weights.

yea, I tried that a long time ago.  The tire shops in my area are all corporate owned.  Discount tire, Big O, firestone, etc.  They all have contracts with scrapping companies, and they hold on to every last weight.  They probably also have epa requirements to account for the lead disposal.  When I first started reloading, I hit every shop in my area, and every shop told me no.  So, I buy my lead for reloading.

[Frodo]

I am going to give up a little secret

if you want to use lead and you are going to buy it

find a plumbing supply store near you. Not a hardware store

diddy bop into the store and ask for lead wool, now you can shape it any way you wish without using heat

if they do not have in-stock tell them to order it from the warehouse

 

[Littlef]

3 hours ago, Frodo said:

I am going to give up a little secret

if you want to use lead and you are going to buy it

find a plumbing supply store near you. Not a hardware store

diddy bop into the store and ask for lead wool, now you can shape it any way you wish without using heat

if they do not have in-stock tell them to order it from the warehouse

 

Thats interesting.  I'll have to check around and see what I can find.  Thanks!

[RockyAussie]

Depends on the size and the thickness you want to cut really. 90% of what I use I spray the card pattern or masonite or printed plastic with contact glue then let it tack off for a few hours. This stops the pattern from moving around while I push the knife along the edge. This post I did awhile back shows both where I used cardstock with a spray glued back and plastic patterns I made with a spray glued back as well -

 

[Littlef]

1 minute ago, RockyAussie said:

Depends on the size and the thickness you want to cut really. 90% of what I use I spray the card pattern or masonite or printed plastic with contact glue then let it tack off for a few hours. This stops the pattern from moving around while I push the knife along the edge. This post I did awhile back shows both where I used cardstock with a spray glued back and plastic patterns I made with a spray glued back as well -

 

Wow, that's cool.  There's a lot of intricate stuff going on in that jewelry box.    I'm mainly working in thicker leathers.  Gun holsters, mainly.

[fredk]

Another scource for lead is aquarium shops. Lead strips are used to hold plants down

Edited March 18, 2023 by fredk

[chuck123wapati]

another really cheap idea, painted rocks.

[Littlef]

1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said:

another really cheap idea, painted rocks.

yea, that's low tech and cheap.  Plenty of riverstone to be found around Denver! Thanks

[chuck123wapati]

41 minutes ago, Littlef said:

yea, that's low tech and cheap.  Plenty of riverstone to be found around Denver! Thanks

yea and they are sustainable, environmentally friendly and all the other new buzz words. lol

[Littlef]

3 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

yea and they are sustainable, environmentally friendly and all the other new buzz words. lol

...and Gluten free, lol.

[Frodo]

3 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

another really cheap idea, painted rocks.

Pet Rocks!!!!!!!

do they have names?  
 

ABSA.  Nice looking art work!!

Denver area???

Do you know how to river surf? 
ya wanna know?

[Littlef]

14 minutes ago, Frodo said:

Pet Rocks!!!!!!!

do they have names?  
 

ABSA.  Nice looking art work!!

Denver area???

Do you know how to river surf? 
ya wanna know?

Can't say I've ever tried to river surf, nor have I seen anyone actually do it person.  That seems like a recipe for death in a boulder filled rapid.  I prefer to keep my feet on the riverbed and do some fly fishing.

[chuck123wapati]

33 minutes ago, Frodo said:

Pet Rocks!!!!!!!

do they have names?  
 

ABSA.  Nice looking art work!!

Denver area???

Do you know how to river surf? 
ya wanna know?

i dunno i just took the pic off the net. had the brain fart about rocks and when the snow melts I'm going to go get some of em too.

16 minutes ago, Littlef said:

Can't say I've ever tried to river surf, nor have I seen anyone actually do it person.  That seems like a recipe for death in a boulder filled rapid.  I prefer to keep my feet on the riverbed and do some fly fishing.

I've river surfed with my kayak years ago, its a kick in the ass and my helmet did come in handy a few times.

But yea now I just fish too, sometimes lol, sometimes i just tie on a sinker and set and drink beer and watch the wife fish.

[Littlef]

2 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

i dunno i just took the pic off the net. had the brain fart about rocks and when the snow melts I'm going to go get some of em too.

I've river surfed with my kayak years ago, its a kick in the ass and my helmet did come in handy a few times.

But yea now I just fish too, sometimes lol, sometimes i just tie on a sinker and set and drink beer and watch the wife fish.

I get bored regular fishing from the shore real fast.  I love fly fishing.  You have to stalk the fish and present the fly where they don't realize its coming from you.  I like that its a far more active hunt.

[chuck123wapati]

38 minutes ago, Littlef said:

I get bored regular fishing from the shore real fast.  I love fly fishing.  You have to stalk the fish and present the fly where they don't realize its coming from you.  I like that its a far more active hunt.

oh heck yea bank fishing is booooring  unless you are catching of course. i fly fish too, mostly nymphs. My love however is brookie fishing in the mountains with just a hook and a worm.  We go out to the lake to catch smoking size trout and walleyes for the winter. When I'm not using a sinker for bait i use my canoe and throw spoons or jig for walleys.

[Littlef]

2 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

oh heck yea bank fishing is booooring  unless you are catching of course. i fly fish too, mostly nymphs. My love however is brookie fishing in the mountains with just a hook and a worm.  We go out to the lake to catch smoking size trout and walleyes for the winter. When I'm not using a sinker for bait i use my canoe and throw spoons or jig for walleys.

That sounds like a real good time.  I mostly nymph fish too, although dry flying is spectacular during a hatch.  The waters around me are mostly regulated for artificial flies only.  Which is fine, since the rivers can be crowded and the fish pressured.  I see mainly rainbow and browns, with brookies depending where you are at.  Sometimes I go up into Rock Mountain National Park for Greenback cutthroats which are beautiful.  Those are endangered, so catch and release only.

[Frodo]

Back on track

in all honesty,  I have only used a weight to hold my pattern a few times

I hold it down with my hand or hand and arm

i have used regular cheapest you can buy

masking tape, I do this for 2 reasons it works and it keeps my leather from stretching out and being “off” makes it easier to see a line to cut . I do not work on the finished side, I mark and cut on the back side

[Littlef]

2 hours ago, Frodo said:

Back on track

in all honesty,  I have only used a weight to hold my pattern a few times

I hold it down with my hand or hand and arm

i have used regular cheapest you can buy

masking tape, I do this for 2 reasons it works and it keeps my leather from stretching out and being “off” makes it easier to see a line to cut . I do not work on the finished side, I mark and cut on the back side

I can see that.  Mask down the rough side, then mark and cut.  I think the leather itself is flexing while I'm marking.  Its not bad, but I'm just trying to refine how I'm approaching it to get more precision.  Good idea.  

[Ole South]

Iron pipe caps(or nipples) work well (comes in brass, copper &  pvc too).  They come in various diameters too. If you need more weight, fill with fishing sinkers or BB shot and melt hot glue or paraffin to hold in place and some self-stick cork sheet cut to size, to make the iron ones non-marking.

Southland 2 in. Galvanized Malleable Iron Cap Fitting 511-408HN - The Home Depot Kinda pricey to buy new in iron but you may find some in Pop's junk bin.

I use copper heat transfer billets cut from old school aluminum computer CPU heatsinks.  About 1.25inch diameter and 1.5in tall, weigh from 6-10oz each.  

[Littlef]

On 3/20/2023 at 1:26 PM, Ole South said:

Iron pipe caps(or nipples) work well (comes in brass, copper &  pvc too).  They come in various diameters too. If you need more weight, fill with fishing sinkers or BB shot and melt hot glue or paraffin to hold in place and some self-stick cork sheet cut to size, to make the iron ones non-marking.

Southland 2 in. Galvanized Malleable Iron Cap Fitting 511-408HN - The Home Depot Kinda pricey to buy new in iron but you may find some in Pop's junk bin.

I use copper heat transfer billets cut from old school aluminum computer CPU heatsinks.  About 1.25inch diameter and 1.5in tall, weigh from 6-10oz each.  

Good Idea, I'll swing through plumbing next time I'm at the hardware store and see what I can find.  Thanks!!

[Metalhorseman]

Just sew up some small sandbags 4x4 or whatever size you need …

[dcv]

I make pattern weights from dumbbell weights that I pick up from thrift stores. Pictured are 2 that were $0.99 each at Goodwill. Scrap leather and some saddle stitching. These are about 5"/13cm and weigh 1.25#/.5KG.

[Littlef]

8 minutes ago, dcv said:

I make pattern weights from dumbbell weights that I pick up from thrift stores. Pictured are 2 that were $0.99 each at Goodwill. Scrap leather and some saddle stitching. These are about 5"/13cm and weigh 1.25#/.5KG.

That would do the job great, once they are protected in leather!

[Pan5N3]

On 3/16/2023 at 1:50 PM, chuck123wapati said:

there was a guy on here that made these really cool hockey puck looking weights, if you search you may find it. he was from Europe, maybe  Greece i think.

I use actual hockey pucks.  They aren't heavy (6 oz) but you should be able to find them in sports stores for cheap.  Prices have doubled during pandemic, but they are still cheap - $2..  There are 10oz pucks but they are not a common. Can find them in a lot of sports stores or on-line.

Hockey pucks also make good punch blocks. Solid vulcanized rubber.  Hard enough to hammer on but soft enough to not dull tools. Also useful for setting up decorative rivets.  Easy to drill / carve out the shape you need.  Hard enough to set the rivet but soft enough to not damage.

Up here in Canada, hockey pucks are wonder tools.  even used them for body work on cars  :-)

 

[Littlef]

A quick little project, putting suggestions to use.  1 old pair of jeans, and a pile of pennies.  That did the job.  Appreciate the suggestions!.