Covering handles for crops and other items

[Drac]

TOOL LIST

Template

24" straight edge

Small hammer

Kite string (yes. Kite string)

Scratch awl

Pneumatic stapler (with 18 ga. x 1" staples) or you can use 1 1/4" x 16 nails

65mm rolling cutter

Leather shears

Exacto knife

6" metal molded ruler

45 degree corner line placer for 2x4s

Small curved forceps

Needle nose pliers

Pencil, pen, silver ink pen

13" straight edge

Lacing needle (not pictured)

Small fib (not pictured)

Something to cut the dowel (I use a miter saw) (not pictured)

Pick what leather you want to use for your tails, your handle braid, your Turks heads, the handle base (1" OAK dowel), leather glue (not pictured), gel super glue (not pictured), ½" x 19 nails, and some tacks.

Edited January 25, 2008 by Johanna

[Drac]

Pick your handle braid style.

Cut your handle braid leather (½ " x 13" or 14" for most handle braids)

Take the 2x4 corner angle tool and use it to draw a line on the end of the dowel after cutting it to the length you want. I use 7". Turn the dowel 90 degrees and do the same thing again so you have an "X".

Take the pencil, set it on top of one of the straight edges, place the end of the dowel you made the "X" mark on against the edge and the pencil and spin it so you have a line all the way around it about 1/8" from the end.

Line a tack up with the lines and make a hole with it at all 4 points.

Edited January 18, 2008 by Drac

[Drac]

Now take a tack and put a hole at one end of each handle braid strip.

Now put a ½" x 19 nail through 2 strips according to what pattern you picked.

Use the needle nose pliers to hold the nail in the starter hole you made in the dowel and hammer it in with the small hammer. Make sure you don't set the nail completely yet since it needs to rotate some.

The end should like about like this.

[Drac]

Cut the end of the top strips at an angle. About 30 degrees.

Now start wrapping the lower strips around the handle with them lined up right next to each other. Try to keep them a little snug, but too snug. It'll take some practice to find the right bit of snugness.

When you get to the end use tacks to tack the ends of the strips to the dowel. Make sure you push the tacks in really well.

Now take the curved forceps and go under a wrapped strip, grab the end of a top strip and pull it through.

Keep going all the way down the handle making sure your braid lines are running straight.

Edited January 18, 2008 by Drac

[Drac]

When you get to the end nail 'em down with the ½" x 19 nails, trim the excess, and finish setting the nails at the other end so both ends look like this.

Now take a bit of the leather you're using for your tails and cut a strip that's as long as your tail section will be wide and 1" or 1 1/8" wide. Use 1' for thicker, heavier leather and 1 1/8" for lighter leather (suede, deer tanned, deer, etc). use this chart for figuring your tail section. W = tail width, X = number of tails, plus ½".My usual is 25 tails that are ½" wide, so I have ½" x 25 + ½" = 13". (WxX+½"=T)

Now attach the strip to one end of the handle (I use gel super glue) and wrap it around making sure it's lined up with the end.

[Drac]

I use more super glue to stick the end in place until it's stapled down.

Now use the pneumatic stapler to attach the leather. 2 at the end, then 3 more around the handle at 3, 6, and 9 (think of a clock with the first 2 being 12 when looking at the handle from the end).

Now glue a piece of scrap of the same leather as the tails to the end. I use Leather Weld for this bit.

When the glue's dry trim it down with either the leather shears (easier for us lefties) or the exacto knife

[Drac]

Turkshead! I'll let you decide what kind you want to use. Mine are always this one (the only one I figured out) and are made using 3/16" beveled lacing and the end is super glued when finished and tucked.

Now cut your tail blank. (W = tail width, X = number of tails, plus ½". My usual is 25 tails that are ½" wide, so I have ½" x 25 + ½" = 13". (WxX+½"=T)). for length whatever length you want plus 1". my tails are 20" long so my blank is 21" on the long side and 13" on the short. Take a scratch awl or pen and mark a line 1" from one of the short edges. For darker leathers I use the silver ink pen, for lighter leathers the black ink pen, and for suedes the scratch awl. You can see the line I made on this piece.

[Drac]

Take the long straight edge and place it on the leather lengthwise, and use the metal ruler to measure your tail width. Cut towards the line to prevent stretch. Get close to the line but don't go past it.

When you get to the end cut off that bit of excess. Now take the exacto and finish the cuts right to the line. This way you don't end up with strays when it's used.

Make a line one inch from the end all the way around on the end opposite the Turkshead on the handle.

Now attach the tails to the handle the same way the other end was done making sure the edge lines up with the line.

Edited January 18, 2008 by Drac

[Drac]

Use the kite string to gather the tails tightly together about ¼" from the ends at the base. 4 or 5 wraps is usually enough. pull is snug as you're wrapping it then tie a square knot.

Do your Turkshead, remove the kite string, make sure you know how to use it and voila! Spankies all around!

[leatheroo]

Drac, these are wonderful instructions and so clear, thank you for taking the time and effort to do this.

This is a very GENEROUS thing to do.

Many many thanks.