Should I cook this to harden it?

[Gonnate]

Hi.

I've just got round to finishing a case to hold my low D whistle (If any of you play low whistles you'll maybe have met Phil Bleazey's and know how superb they are!)

I learned a few more things about making mistakes on it... so that was useful! (Like fitting an oval end-piece to a tube. I'm still not sure how I ought to have done it, so I'm not showing you the slight waggle in the shape of the base, but the top went better!)

It's got my own all-leather fastening on the side, so there aren't any buckles or hard bits to damage other instruments if it goes in the shared case.

But I'd like to know if it's worth doing anything to make it more firm. I see from the tutorial on mask-making that you can "cook" the leather prior to moulding it, but I didn't have anything firm to mould it round at the time, so I just made it in fresh air.

If I were to give it a bit of cooking in water then hot-dry it quickly, would it just ruin it, or make it more rigid?

I think it would be right to then put some neatsfoot oil or something onto the top strap so it stayed flexible.

With thanks for any comments,

Richard.

[TwinOaks]

Seeing the edges of the leather, it looks a lot like chrome-tan.

If that's the case, then wetting and cooking won't do much for it. If the leather is stiff enough to stand upright like that, then I think you're done. Maybe a little edge dressing with a marker, maybe not.

[Gonnate]

Seeing the edges of the leather, it looks a lot like chrome-tan.

If that's the case, then wetting and cooking won't do much for it. If the leather is stiff enough to stand upright like that, then I think you're done. Maybe a little edge dressing with a marker, maybe not.

I believe it's veg-tan - it was certainly sold to me as veg, and other bits have reacted well to being wetted & worked, so I hope it is!

For the edges I've used only bone & saliva, as recommended elsewhere in these pages... plus not much experience of boning yet!

It is indeed moderately stiff - I just wondered if I could get a bit more squash-proofing for my instrument.

Best wishes,

Richard.

[TwinOaks]

Well, if it's vegtan, you can slightly harden it by wetting and then letting it dry. A little harder if you heat dry it- I read somewhere that the leather 'sets' at about 140F. For things that'll fit in it, I use a convection oven. If it doesn't fit in the over, a hairdryer.

You can go for 'pretty hard' by using one of several methods for 'cuir boulie' (search that term and hardened leather).

If you want 'good and hard', go to the hardware store and pick up some thin walled PVC. Heat and mold to the desired roundness. If you're after real crush resistance, get some pvc with an exterior diameter matching the various parts of the whistle. Make a hollow blank in the shape of what you want to make. Lubricate the PVC and fill the remaining space with expanding polyurethane foam. Allow it to set, remove the PVC, square off the ends, and wrap it with leather. Make top and bottom plates out of some firm material padded with closed cell foam. When you're done, you should be able to throw it across a parking lot, kick it back to the starting line, and have no damage to the contents.

Or, if you have a drill press/lathe, you can just cut the holes out of a solid block of polyfoam.

[Shorts]

Don't cook it. My rule of thumb on wet molding my leather, if its too hot for your hand, its too hot for the leather. Otherwise you run the risk of scalding it, making it a pork rind, and while it make be hard, once it does encounter a force enough to crush it, it will crack and tear like overdone jerky. <-- like all the food references?

Assuming there is no seal on it and the dye is set (if not, you'll have to redye), as Mike said, wet it (warm water) and let it dry. If it were me, I'd wet it and insert the cylinder in it for the mold, then put the lid on (so they both dry to the same size). Set it in a ventilated area with moving air, preferably warm air.

[Gonnate]

Thanks for the advice - this really is one of the most helpful forums I've ever found!

Best wishes to all,

Richard.