Members chestercheeto Posted March 17, 2009 Members Report Posted March 17, 2009 Thanks everyone for the tips.I will try a camera case this way someday! Quote
Contributing Member Jordan Posted March 17, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted March 17, 2009 I have also used cutting board plastic or whatever it is called. Easy to cut and form curves etc. As long as you remember that no part of the item can be larger than the mouth it has to exit through you should be fine. I really like the 3 part wedge type of mold that is in that book used for the belt pouch. Quote
Contributing Member UKRay Posted March 18, 2009 Author Contributing Member Report Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) The big thing about leatherwork for me is doing stuff the way you want to. It doesn't really matter a damn what anyone else says you can still ignore everything and do it your own way. That is what I mean about your way of working rdb. You just do it your way and the results speak for themselves. (I was going to edit this sentence but laughed so much when I read it again that I have decided to leave it in - what I was meaning to say, rdb, was that your work is original, interesting and practical - nothing derogatory at all! LOL) This business of moulding is really a hands on, practical, go and do it sort of thing isn't it? No amount of telling can beat the sheer volume of learning you'll get from an hour spent making a mould and using it. I like the three piece mould idea too. It seems to add a bit of technical wizardry to a process that is otherwise quite mundane. Designing and making a complex shaped bit of wood or plastic (I liked the idea of using cutting board too - I have several hacked up boards that need re-cycling so I'll give them a go) that really works and does a good job gives me far more pleasure than it should... I'm going to enjoy mould making. Thanks for all the help guys. A quick question on the subject of materials, would you varnish a wooden mould or just leave it plain? Would the varnish help the leather to slide more easily or would it be better to allow the wood to soak up the moisture from the leather? Edited March 18, 2009 by UKRay Quote "Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps" Ray Hatley www.barefootleather.co.uk
gtwister09 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Posted March 18, 2009 Ray, I have used birch plywood for some molds and I use polyurethane on it to keep the moisture out of the layers of plywood. When I first used those molds, I did not apply a finish to them and they started to delaminate over time. All the later ones definitely had a finish on them. I also use a lot of used plastic cutting boards. I used to go around and pick up the used ones from various thrift shops and I used them for molds and our initial maul heads (no longer use these for maul heads but I do use stock poly rod for them now). Now a lot of people around give me their used ones and I get a care package every so often of delrin and other plastic cutoffs. If I have a special shape I generally rough cut it on the bandsaw and then use power tools to shape it to its final shape. Nice thing about these is that they don't absorb moisture. You can make an inner and outer mold quite quickly. Regards, Ben P.S. My son broke the keyring portion of his alarm system and we made a piece mold for this one (inner and outer). Total time for mold making , drying, hand stitching, edging and finishing was a hair over three hours. Drying time was the longest factor (almost 1/2 the time). A heat gun would have helped to dry it. He could have spent a little more time on the cutouts but....... Quote
Contributing Member rdb Posted March 18, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted March 18, 2009 UK, don't worry bout my feelings, they're numb from old age anyways...lol I know wood patterns and mold/moulds have been used in Leathersmithing forever, but because I can't think normal, I often have alternative ideas. What seems like a long time ago, in a land far away...I was doing a lot of pottery. The one thing about wet clay, is its forgiveness. I have made many two, and more piece molds from it. It shapes up easier than wood, and can be altered quickly. You can let it dry, throw something over it, and then pack the negative space up with more clay...2 days or so later, you have a mold. Fire it up for a more permanent one. You can take the clay and mold over things for a shape you like...you get the picture. If you make a mistake in the mold, just add more clay. For certain projects, this type of thing is more suitable than spending a long time shaping wood. Matter of fact, I just might make one up later this week... Ps, you could use concrete, or paper mache in the same manner... And now, back to your regular programming... Quote Web page Facebook
gtwister09 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Posted March 18, 2009 rdb, We have used some of the polymer clay for very weird shaped molds several times and you are correct it works quite well. I haven't tried paper mache but would think that applying a finish over it after it was dry would keep out the moisture. I never would have considered concrete. When we do concrete countertops and such we build molds or forms for them rather than using them to create a mold....different thought...Uh-oh. Regards, Ben Quote
Members Trevor Posted March 18, 2009 Members Report Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) Hey guys, I have been making moulded stuff for years now and have managed to sell all of it. It really and simply comes down to the mould itself as to how good your project will turn out. I use some plastic and some wood. When I say wood i mean some cheap almost firewood say pine or any sturdy wood you can lay your hands on and the other is some good sturdy plywood. The plywood is great because it will handle the stress of being pressed or squashed. I will include some photos of the hand made moulds that I use. I have moulded light chrome and heavy Veg tanned leather. The difference being how much care you take of it during the drying prosess. anyway to start we take the shape of the item that you need to make a pouch for. This can be anything from a watch pouch to a pocket knife ir a small handgun etc etc. It alwys pays to have the item on hand also. This will make life very easy. Lets start with a pocket knife pouch which is simple and easy to make. Firstly make a shape that is simple and with rounded edges the same size and just bigger than your item. cut and shape the wood (made easier with a sander of some kind) this can be longer than required but must be high enough and wide enouh to house the object. see photo. You will want the edges to be rounded but not by too much. The base should be flat. Secondly make the top of the mould. Just look at the picture and you will see what I mean. Now I have used some cutting Nylon board but plywood is the best. Say about Half and inch thick is ideal. The thinner it is the more likely it could break. The sharp edges that will touch the leather (ie around the inside of the top) need to be smooth because they will mark the leather when pressed. Will post the rest soon. T Edited March 19, 2009 by Trevor Quote "Every Day Above Ground Is Good"
Members tonyc1 Posted March 19, 2009 Members Report Posted March 19, 2009 Many years ago I saw some moulds made from liquid acrylic or such that a hardener was added to to make forms. I never tried it but the bloke reckoned it worked and went hard quick. Tony. Quote
Contributing Member UKRay Posted March 19, 2009 Author Contributing Member Report Posted March 19, 2009 You know that feeling when the light suddenly comes on... Looking at your pictures, Trevor, the whole moulding making process suddenly became easier. Using cutting board to make an external former (because it doesn't flex too much and is easy to shape) makes perfect sense. Building the 'plug' from pine or some other easy to work softwood is a no-brainer. Sealing the plug makes sense - as does sealing a plywood former to stop de-lamination. Now what about clamping the bits together? I've seen all kinds of clamp in my local hardware store - what sort do I need to get? Pictures would really help here as I have a feeling the trans-atlantic tool naming thing might be different - and the brand names aren't the same. Quote "Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps" Ray Hatley www.barefootleather.co.uk
Contributing Member Jordan Posted March 19, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted March 19, 2009 (edited) "C" clamps of a suitable throat size should work fine, for a larger form, extra blocks of wood spanning the distance between the clamps will equalize the pressure. Wax will work to ease removal of leather from the mold. Also those screw in hooks like a cup hook, mounted on an interior block of a mold would help by giving you something to grab onto with pliers to pull it out of a molded item.Quick release carpenters bar clamps will also work. Edited March 19, 2009 by Jordan Quote
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