Mould making and a kite case

[AndrewWR]

Back in January I took delivery of a handheld CNC router and it's kind of displaced leatherwork for a few months but now it's got a place in my leatherworking tools too.

It's fabulous for mould making. 

I needed some end caps for a 100mm (4") carbon fibre tube, to turn it into a kite case for my stunt kites. Like the poster tubes that archer repurpose as arrow cases. Sure, I could have bough one of those poster tubes from Rainforest Retail or Big River Supplies but where's the fun in that?

No, my friends, Carbon fibre and black bridle hide is a much classier combo.

 

The other end is almost identical, lacking only the 'handle' I made out of a footman loop. 

I  considered press studs but a Sam Brown makes for a simple, and low profile fastener.. By the way, that carbon  tube is 1 metre long with 1mm walls and weighs under 500 grams. 

So I needed to wet mold leather for those caps. Wet moulding is easy but making accurate moulds isn't. 

Enter the Shaper Origin handheld CNC router. and, in less than ten minutes a sheet of 10mm acrylic sheet became this:

 

A 100mm circular mould (with a 2.5mm roundover) and a plug with 3mm clearance all round.

That and some clamps made the two moulded ends.

I reinforced the end caps with some 1mm carbon also cut with the CNC. 

... and it cuts EVA foam beautifully to cover the carbon in the caps and give anything dropped in the tube a soft landing.

 

The leather tabs that hold the D rinds and sam browns are sewn right through the carbon tube. I punched the stitching holes in the leather before gluing it to the tube then ran a 1.2mm drill through the holes to puncture the tube. The risk with this is that the carbon could eventually cut the stitches (even though the holes were deburred with 600 grit wet and dry) My solution, which has worked on other projects wher I use carbon and leather together, is to paint a coat of epoxy resin over the stitching inside the tube. 

Now it just nees a shoulder strap (boring!)

I'll definitely be making more wet moulds for leather now I can do then more accurately. Perhaps a cigar case mould would be a nice challenge.

 

 

Andrew W-R

 

[chuck123wapati]

very classy looking!! 

[Hags]

Very cool! 

[Wepster]

I sewed some stunt kites, goodness that was nearly 30 years ago. Bought a couple too. I sewed up a bag with pack type nylon. Worked, but boy not nearly as classy as your case. Beautiful.

[Scoutmom103]

Very nice.  Must have taken a steady hand for the CNC

 

[AndrewWR]

20 hours ago, Scoutmom103 said:

Very nice.  Must have taken a steady hand for the CNC

 

Funny! 

For those who don't get it, CNC is an acronym for Computer Numerical Control and is a way to remove human frailty from the process of cutting stuff out. Its a practiacally skill-free technique but quick and accurate. 

As a hand stitcher, I feel I'm allowed a little mechanical help in the tool /jig/pattern making stagres. It's not like I'm using a sewing machine ;-)

[Heartless]

On 7/11/2023 at 2:17 PM, AndrewWR said:

Back in January I took delivery of a handheld CNC router......

and i bet the comment about needing a steady hand was because of this in the very first post.. first sentence even..

[akguy59]

I love the way that turned out. It looks great. As an avid flyfisherman, I could see that making a beautiful rod case.

[SteveOz]

@AndrewWR That's beautiful work! 

[Basically Bob]

Wow!  That is beautiful work!

[AndrewWR]

On 7/15/2023 at 6:16 PM, akguy59 said:

I love the way that turned out. It looks great. As an avid flyfisherman, I could see that making a beautiful rod case.

A rod case would be amazing. I use an old aluminium one t osafely store all my thinner carbon strips, rods and tubes, and a bundle of piano wire in different gauges for spring making. My carbon supplier does big-bore tubes up to 2000mm (call it 80") long.

All the IRL feedback so far has been variations on the theme of 'Ooh! Pretty!'.  Except for a pal who shoots English longbow responded to my arrow case suggestion with one of his own that I decline to try, on the advice of my proctologist. Apparently, traditional archers prefer traditional materials.  Got to say, the fly fishing community might be of a similar opinion. 

I've decided I need another, smaller version for just one small kite. A case that will fit in my suitcase for travelling with. This time, I've ordered some tube in that marbled carbon that's become popular. I think the matt marbled tube and black bridle hide combination will be good. I'll show you guys when it's done.

Thanks for all the feedback and support, guys.