Free Leather

[whinewine]

As a side note, it is now illegal to leave an upholstered couch on the streets of Morgantown, WV. The reason is that couch-burning has become a regional sport after WVU football games.

[Saffo]

There you go, then.

Step one: Sell your services as a couch de-upholsterer in West Virginia.

Step two: Use the couch hides for leathercraft.

Step three: ???

Step four: Profit.

Seriously, though -- nothing wrong with skinning couches from Craigslist. I did that quite a bit when I was just starting out and was just dying for any old scrap of leather I could get my hands on to practice with. I'd also hit the Salvation Army type stores in town when I had time just to nab the leather coats (leather longcoats/dusters in the summer are the best -- real cheap, and they yield lots of material), belts, chairs, purses, whatever.

Everyone here knows that leatherwork is an expensive hobby, but not everyone here knows what it's like to poor but inspired. It doesn't help any when you try to learn how to do something, and the answer is "Throw away that $15 tool [that you skipped eating for two days to afford] from Tandy and buy this $140 benchtop machine [for a bench you don't have] and each of the $60 accessories that go with it." Or "Don't even bother using anything but the very best leather."

But screw 'em. I made a lot of my own tools from the cheap wood and metal frames on those couches, and made enough money to buy better leather off the sundries I made from the material. Gotta start somewhere. Also, whoever said that foam padding ain't cheap, they were right. You can cut that padding into squares and sell that on Craigslist.

Edited August 1, 2012 by Saffo

[needles]

hi guys

new on here and reading through, i repair leather sofa's for a living. generally speaking a 'Leather couch' is made with the hard wear areas, ie. seating pads being made from the better quality leather, (that is, it is cut from the upper portion of the hides), and the sides, back being from the the lower split of the hides over here, often known as split leather.

there are 'bicast' type leathers which are made as said by gluing a sheet of platic type substance to the back of a lower quality split. like leather backed vinyl

there are lots of different cuts made from the hide nowdays and with techniques getting better it is sometimes extremely hard to tell the difference unless you can look through a microscope, i use one every time i visit a customer to assess damage.

al

oh great forum. hope to be able to learn some of your craft one day

[Sylvia]

..... not everyone here knows what it's like to poor but inspired. It doesn't help any when you try to learn how to do something, and the answer is "Throw away that $15 tool [that you skipped eating for two days to afford] from Tandy and buy this $140 benchtop machine [for a bench you don't have] and each of the $60 accessories that go with it." Or "Don't even bother using anything but the very best leather."

But screw 'em. I made a lot of my own tools from the cheap wood and metal frames on those couches, and made enough money to buy better leather off the sundries I made from the material. Gotta start somewhere. Also, whoever said that foam padding ain't cheap, they were right. You can cut that padding into squares and sell that on Craigslist.

Well, said...

You are my kind of gal, Saffo.... Necessity IS the mother of invention... and boy-howdy, have I done some inventing in my time. Also, if you have a wood heat an old couch can provide some nice dry kindling for the winter.

[Colt Hammerless]

Saffo, what's step three?

Does this make you a couch gnome?

Paul

[DoubleC]

Everyone here knows that leatherwork is an expensive hobby, but not everyone here knows what it's like to poor but inspired. It doesn't help any when you try to learn how to do something, and the answer is "Throw away that $15 tool [that you skipped eating for two days to afford] from Tandy and buy this $140 benchtop machine [for a bench you don't have] and each of the $60 accessories that go with it." Or "Don't even bother using anything but the very best leather."

a lot of us are right there with you and I go to the mission, salvation army, etc to nab the leather purses and even other materials for the hardware. I'd take couches anytime except hard to do when ya don't drive. Uh anything, LOL.

[Saffo]

Well, said...

You are my kind of gal, Saffo.... Necessity IS the mother of invention... and boy-howdy, have I done some inventing in my time. Also, if you have a wood heat an old couch can provide some nice dry kindling for the winter.

I don't think the landlady would be too happy about me converting my apartment to wood heat, if her reaction to my drop-forging lead shot off the balcony is anything to go by, but I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Saffo, what's step three?

Does this make you a couch gnome?

Paul

You sayin' I'm short? *fistshake*

a lot of us are right there with you and I go to the mission, salvation army, etc to nab the leather purses and even other materials for the hardware. I'd take couches anytime except hard to do when ya don't drive. Uh anything, LOL.

Solution: Bring a skinning knife.

[Sylvia]

I don't think the landlady would be too happy about me converting my apartment to wood heat, if her reaction to my drop-forging lead shot off the balcony is anything to go by, but I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Ok then... box up the wood and take it to your local community action network... where folks who do have wood heat can take it home and use it. (might want to call them first)

[stitchwizzard]

Hmmmmm..... That must explain this..

[LNLeather]

Hmmmmm..... That must explain this..

Verry Clever Wanted Poster!