Using A Band Saw To Cut Leather

[whiteeugene]

Anyone ever used a band saw to cut 8\9 oz leather; my hands have been hurting so I gave this a try. I cut some leather small enough to fit in a Ziploc bag, cased the leather then put it in the Ziploc bag and then into the freezer for an hour until it was stiff. I put a scroll blade on my band saw and cut my patterns out. With the leather stiff the scroll blade easily cut through the leather, I was able to make sharp turns with little effort.

My question is does freezing the leather hurt it ?

Please comment.

Doug

[Tree Reaper]

You don't have to freeze it, use a scrap piece of wood under it.

[equiss]

I do it all the time, I don't wet it, don't freeze it - just go to the saw like it is....I am sure the older leather crafters wouldn't like the idea, but my wrists are not strong enough to use a blade well without cutting myself, so this is the method I use a lot...

[Tree Reaper]

You should have zero clearance where the blade runs through the table otherwise the leather can get pulled down inside the table causing the blade to break or the leather damaged or both.

[Art]

Yes, I use the band saw, usually on sole leather and anything that got short changed in the tanning vat. Usually not for anything 6oz and down.

Art

[Dwight]

I have not done it yet, . . . but I did talk to a company rep from down in Florida a couple of years back.

They make custom band saw blades.

I asked him if they could make me one without any teeth, . . . sort of like one endless razor blade.

He laughed and said no problem, . . . something less than $30 for a 62 1/2 inch blade.

Again, . . . I didn't do it yet, . . . but if my arthritis gets much worse, . . . the knives are going into the drawer, . . .

I'll be getting a band saw knife to do my work.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Ferg]

Dwight,

That isn't a special order blade. We used to buy bulk blade, I have a blade welder.

Remember the width of the blade determines how short the radius you can cut.

Check this: http://www.doallsawing.com/products_detail.aspx?idcategory=saw%20blades&idsubcategory=knife%20edge&idproduct=DOALL030

ferg

1344288434[/url]' post='259528']

I have not done it yet, . . . but I did talk to a company rep from down in Florida a couple of years back.

They make custom band saw blades.

I asked him if they could make me one without any teeth, . . . sort of like one endless razor blade.

He laughed and said no problem, . . . something less than $30 for a 62 1/2 inch blade.

Again, . . . I didn't do it yet, . . . but if my arthritis gets much worse, . . . the knives are going into the drawer, . . .

I'll be getting a band saw knife to do my work.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited August 6, 2012 by 50 years leather

[whiteeugene]

You don't have to freeze it, use a scrap piece of wood under it.

It seems that the blade does not bite the leather as much when its frozen kinda like cutting jerky from steaks its easier to control when it's stiff. When i cut spur straps with it I wet the leather and put the flesh sides against each other put it in the freezer with a block on them when I take them out they are frozen together I cut the right and left strap at the same time.

[KAYAK45]

PS Not all bad for cutting round steak into thin slices for china steaks. Not a bad use for a skiver.either ehye? Just clean and oil after. Real slim beef.

[Iron Pounder]

Never thought about using a bandsaw, great idea. Shop right down the street makes blades super cheap. I think the last blade cost me 6 bucks,lol. I don't see how they do anything for that but I guess they are happy.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

You can check with any industrial supply house like MSC, J&L, ENCO,etc for band saw blades like you want. You can get straight knife, or wavy edge. For metal I always prefer bi-metal blades. Those have a softer back, and a harder edge welded on. For leather a good all carbon steel blade should suffice. A knife edge will make less dust due to the slicing action, as opposed to the stock removal the toothed blades create.

Edited August 7, 2012 by BIGGUNDOCTOR

[whiteeugene]

Band saw work setup

I can cut 3 or 4 like items out at once using the freezer and band saw.

Here I’m going to cut to cut out 3 bronc halters, all I do is cut 3 strips of leather just a little wider and longer than I need using a utility knife strait cuts don’t bather my wrist to bad. Wet them real good and stack them one on top of the other. I use a template on the top one to trace my design. Put them in a bag and place them on the freezer rack with something heavy to keep them flat a couple of roasts or chicken will work.

For the spur straps I cut two pieces of leather just a little bit larger than the outside strap, using a template I trace the outside strap pattern on one. I trace the inside strap pattern on any free space I usually make a few extra not wanting to waste material. I wet both pieces and place the flesh sides together that will give you the right and left sides. Put them in a bag and place them on the freezer rack with something heavy to keep them flat.

For multiple layered items I leave them in the freezer for an hour, single items a half an hour seems to work ok they don’t need to be rock hard just stiff if you are doing multiple layered items you can test them to see if they are ready by trying to pry them apart if they are frozen together good then they are ready if not leave them in a little longer.

I use a 1/8 inch scroll blade in my band saw and it seems to work well, the nice thing with it being frozen is it keeps the dust down.

[Iron Pounder]

Would just using a scroll saw work better? One of the boys has been wanting a scroll saw for awhile and maybe this would help justify picking one up.

[Ferg]

Blade on scroll saw has an up and down motion. It would lift your leather off the table unless it was held down plus you would get a rough edge on up stroke.

ferg

1344478543[/url]' post='259834']

Would just using a scroll saw work better? One of the boys has been wanting a scroll saw for awhile and maybe this would help justify picking one up.

[Iron Pounder]

Blade on scroll saw has an up and down motion. It would lift your leather off the table unless it was held down plus you would get a rough edge on up stroke.

ferg

Ha yep I didn't think that through.