Need A Tutorial For Making Leather Buttons For A Pair Of Chaps

[thenrie]

I am about to finish up my first pair of chaps. I have been trying to decide what to do about the buttons for the pockets. Finally decided to go with leather rolled buttons, but can't find anything that tells how to make or attach them. I would appreciate some help...and maybe a couple photos. Thanks.

[hillbilly jack]

richard black has a video on them

[camano ridge]

Here is Richards video

[thenrie]

Thanks for the replies. I've seen that video, but was hoping for something on a rolled button as well as the fold-type he shows. I'll probably just end up doing it the way Richard shows.

[camano ridge]

Not sure but you might be talking about what some people call toggle buttons. Here is a picture of some chaps with a rolled toggle button.. Also a video tha tgives one way of doing them. A togglle is formed by taking a triangular piece of leather and rolling it up. once you have secured your roll you can cut the end to even them up a little. Lets see if this is what you are reffering to. If not perhaps you can supply a picture as an exampel.

http://on.aol.com/video/how-to-make-a-leather-toggle-517261904

Edited June 12, 2014 by camano ridge

[Northmount]

Or braided buttons? See Bruce Grant's book for braided, also for toggles as shown by Camano.

Tom

[MakerUnknown]

Here's a button I've done. I'm sure I'm not the first. Rolled and glued the cylinder and then put it in the drill press and drilled out a series of holes in a line, cleaned it out with real thin Japanese wood chisel and saw.

Here's one in action on my bike lock device. It's a two sided affair that takes two U-locks. I got tired of people stealing my bike in SF and decided I needed two to thwart them. This has been out in the weather now for close to a year.

Edited June 12, 2014 by MakerUnknown

[dirtclod]

Nice button ! The next thing ya know they will be stealing your locks !

[MakerUnknown]

Ha! You're probably right. They've stolen everything else you leave on it….I've had seats, lights, wheels taken.

[camano ridge]

Cool button, I like it.

[thenrie]

Yep! The ones on the chaps are what I was looking for. Looks like they are all made pretty much the same way. Thanks for the help. I kinda like the way those chaps are done. Might try that on my next ones.

[thenrie]

Got them finished. I still need to apply a couple more coats of neatsfoot oil, then a finish, but you can see how they look, cowboy buttons and all. Looking forward to trying them out and seeing how they feel in a saddle.

[camano ridge]

thenrie, the chaps turned out well. Nice job on the buttons, they look like you stole them right off those chaps in the picture I posted above.

[thenrie]

Thanks! I've already started my second pair. They will be Arizona Shotgun chaps, based on patterns from Bob Klenda. By the way, I should credit Bob also for the batwings. They were built on his patterns.