citrusvanilla Report post Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) yo guys, first time poster (harlem nyc what up!) i'm working on putting together a product for my sisters birthday- a strap for holding books. the leather i use- vegetable tanned- itself is not sufficient for ensuring the precious cargo does not fall out. Not that it will, but i'd like to protect against those rare circumstances when an extra layer of protection is needed. i've tried cotton webbing and while it looks nice, it cant do the job. I am thinking of petronio's-ing in some thin strips of rubber on the underside of the leather and seeing how it works, but i'm not sure what to be looking for. like leather, rubber has about 50 different parameters to choose from, probably even more so due to its inorganic production. does anyone have any clue what i should be searching for? like, even keywords such as 'sheet of rubber' would be helpful. something along these lines, but honestly i'm a bit overwhelmed. j, nyc Edited March 12, 2013 by citrusvanilla Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tree Reaper Report post Posted March 12, 2013 Canvas might be a better choice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billymac814 Report post Posted March 12, 2013 I would think the rough side of leather would be better than most fabric type materials as they would still be kinda slippy against a book. There's a material that is sometimes used in making pocket holsters that has a type of rubberized coating to it, that would probably be your best bet but I don't recall what its called. Try googling it maybe. Otherwise go find some rubber roofing material at a hardware store and glue or sew it on. Or make her a backpack. JK:-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lightningad Report post Posted March 12, 2013 would neoprene be any good? or even a craft product called "Funky Foam" - thats its name in the UK, don't know if that has other conotations in the US!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted March 12, 2013 Look up McMaster-Carr on your search enging. Enquire in their catalog for "gum rubber sheets". The hardness you want is durometer 40. It is what most folks use for their holster presses. I tried to copy/paste the link, . . . wouldn't work, . . . but the first line on the left on the first page was where your choices begin. Call them up, . . . most of the time they are really good people to deal with, . . . they may even send you a small sample, . . . but even if they don't, . . . between the product and shipping, you will only be out $20 or so. May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billymac814 Report post Posted March 12, 2013 Here you go, this is the stuff you want. Its all gone from this thread but it gives the name and link http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=26543#entry269222 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
citrusvanilla Report post Posted March 12, 2013 billy, lightningad, dwight- thanks you guys are awesome. you put me on the right track and i ordered some samples. i will follow up with results when the stuff arrives. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
citrusvanilla Report post Posted March 16, 2013 (edited) so i opted for 1/16'' gum rubber 40a duro, and a sample of toughtek standard. 1/16'' gum is probably doable, but the friction of the toughtek really can't be beat, and i'm guessing its thickness comes in somewhere between a third and a half of a millimeter. both seem to be receptive to adhesive, though i would sew in both if given the chance. thanks for the suggestions guys! Edited March 16, 2013 by citrusvanilla Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
