Cutting leather with laser

[Ferg]

Anyone laser cut layered leather when using latex (water based) contact cement?  

 

[Dwight]

What are you looking to do Ferg?  So far I haven't found a need to cut something with my laser after I've glued it together.

Hmm . . . you down Cincinnati way?

May God bless,

Dwight

[Ferg]

I am in Beavercreek about 50ish miles north of Cincy.  
I have been making chocolate dipped candy during the cold weather and decided I needed a change of pace.  Wife’s and my cell phones need new covers, I have made all of them. Always cut them by hand normally the outside layer to exact shape and inside liner larger, glue them together and trim to fit. Hands aren’t very steady anymore so edges don’t suit me. 
I drew a design with computer with all necessary snap holes and camera hole. I want to glue inside and outside together as an oversized platform then use the laser with its precision to cut everything. We used latex contact cement by the five gallons to laminate thousands of feet of Formica to substrate. That glue has little to no smell and may not give me a sick headache. Since it is water based it shouldn’t catch fire in the laser. Also, I have two exhaust fans connected to my CO2 laser

[Dwight]

I'd say go for it . . . the only thing I don't like about cutting leather with my lasers is the stink.  I pretty well have that fixed . . . but there is always a tad bit that sneaks into the shop as soon as I lift the lid.  

I'd be interested to see what it looks like when you get them done.

May God bless,

Dwight

PS:  I'm 25 miles N of Columbus . . . Waldo area . . . 

[dikman]

I reckon it should work ok, Ferg, but there's only one way to find out - then we'll all know.

[Ferg]

OK!

I had two pieces of leather similar to what I want to use glued together with Contact cement.

When I lase leather I always make a jig with double backed tape so the little bit of air I have blowing on it won't dislodge or allow the leather piece to move. 

I am getting vey little to no smoke residue on the face of the leather so I may not use film to protect it. I have a new cleaner that takes care of the smoke residue on the edges and no burned leather smell at all.

Will cut a final for wife's phone tomorrow and send some pics.

BTW: No sign of flame! Also: I am not going to stitch these. I am using a very thin .6mm calf skin and same thickness of Kangaroo for the inside liner. Tried it last time and after 3 years I have no edges coming apart.

When I get these done I am going to make my son a welding apron from a beautiful piece of leather I didn't sell.

I know, I was going to quit this leather business. I have two hospital/doctor visits for this month. We will see if this bunch thinks I have Congestive Heart Failure, a clogged artery, or just getting too doggone old. I also had half of my lungs filled with blood clots. Getting old is such a fun time!!!!!!!!

Ferg

 

Edited 13 hours ago by Ferg

[Bert03241]

Getting old sucks plain and simple, the sad part is your mind is still 20 something. I gave up my big laser and bought a small diode which is fine. I am having a little learning curve but I'll get it figured out.The other thing about getting old is all the dam dr and hospital bills. SS and Insur don't cover it all.

Edited 9 hours ago by Bert03241

[Dwight]

13 minutes ago, Bert03241 said:

.......................................The other thing about getting old is all the dam dr and hospital bills. SS and Insur don't cover it all.

I am fortunate that the company I retired from also gave us pretty darn good health insurance.  I have it . . . Medicare . . . and the VA . . . so I kind of ease out from under a bunch of that garbage . . . and at 81 + . . . that's a good deal.

The meds alone for my peripheral neuropathy are probably in the neighborhood of 500 a month . . .  VA will not recognize it as caused by agent orange and give me any disability on it . . . but they do provide the meds for less then 25 bucks a month.   Something is better than zero.

What was your big laser there Bert . . . I've got a vanilla 3000 milli watt baby that I really have fun with . . . and a 10 watt Ortur . . . that is my work horse when I need bigger stuff done.  I'm thinking about buying a 40 or 50 watt head for it to do some extra pattern cutting on my holsters . . . but I haven't stepped up to the plate for sure.  May just keep what I've got.

I really want to see Ferg's phone cover . . . I've tried to sort it all out in my head . . . haven't done much with it.  Waiting on the pics . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[kgg]

11 hours ago, Ferg said:

I have two hospital/doctor visits for this month.

Hope you get good news.

kgg