Wet Forming

[dadam38]

I want to make a Multi tool belt sheath and I'm having trouble wet forming the bottom of the sheath. On the corners the leather bunches up making a mound. The only thing I can think to do would be to cut it but I've seen some online where there is no cut. I havent done much wet forming so are there some techniques that i dont know of? Any help would be appreciated. I am not going to use that peice of leather FYI.

Thanks

[jackd942]

You have to dart the leather out past the edge and stitch line. A series of "v" shaped cuts around the corners and you should be able to tuck it in and smooth it out. All of the ones I have made have had more of a rounded bottom, but the same principle should apply. It will take some finesse.

As far as doing it with no cut, sometimes I make a form out of wood mounted on a base piece. I then have another piece of wood with a negative cutout of the form (with a little extra room for the leather. You can use this to slowly clamp down on the leather and accomplish it without cuts. Look up Ian Atkinson on youtube. He has a video where he wet forms a pouch like I'm talking about.

Here is an example form and then a leather piece it produces...

Edited November 26, 2013 by jackd942

[Dwight]

Jack showed one of the best ways to do this, . . . it is one way I make my magazine pouches for hand guns.

One thing to keep in mind though, . . . the corners cannot be abrupt, hard angles. Soften the end of that multitool blank you used, . . . round it on the corners both horizontally and vertically, . . . then use Jack's method, . . . you will probably really like the result.

May God bless,

Dwight