Leather covered wallplates

[rustyriggin]

I'm looking for the best way to mold tooled leather to light switch covers, and plug-ins. It looks easy enough, but it's hard to sew with a "BOSS", for me anyway. I hope someone can give me an easy way to do it. All suggestions appreciated. Rus

[Kowboyboots]

You members are going to start wondering about me and some of my toys I have. Believe me I have a machine for everything.

For molding the leather around things I got to playing around with my vacuum sealer for food the other day. By gosh it did a good job, just sucked it right around the flask I was molding the leather around.

I was a little worried about mold, but it didn't have to stay in there that long. I left it sealed for about 24 hours, it held its shape then finished drying.

I was wondering if my vulcanizer would work, but hadn't time to try it it yet.

Give it a try!

Kathy

[bruce johnson]

Russ,

I haven't done any for several years, but used a Boss when I did. I used the metal switch plates and outlet covers so they were thinner and stronger to start with. It relieved some of the thickness the leather added. I made my patterns so they overlapped about 1/2" all the way around for a sewing lip. I probably used mostly 3-4 oz on the front to tool on. I used 2 oz stiff vegtan (Siegel's commercial oak) on the backside. I had patterns made up so they just overlapped the edges about a scant 1/2" inside the back of the plate.

After the fronts were stamped and still cased I just kind of pressed them to the plate to mold them and established the edge impressions on the back side and then let them dry. I oiled them up and let it even out. I used Barge to stick them to the front of the plates, and had the edge markings already pressed into the back side to align them. Slather a little glue on the lining piece and stuck them on. I used a deer spike to press the two pieces together and sandwich the plate. A bone folder or tickler run around the edge of the plate impression will establish a tight sew line. I used a right toe foot and sewed away. I really don't recall any issues sewing them. I might have used a stirrup plate to raise them up and angle the plate down and away slightly to get the center needle guide right in the channel. I don't remember that for sure. After they were sewn, I trimmed the excess off an even distance away from the stitch line and edged and slicked them.

[Dale]

For those who do it, I must ask....why line a switch plate cover to begin with? Seems like a lot of work for no benefit. Why not just skive the edges and glue it down?

[bruce johnson]

Dale,

Good point. I was doing these for a wholesale account. They had been stocking some that were just glued down. Two factors - one was that the other suppliers were using plastic plates and the glue would sometimes let go on the edges and curl over time. They were getting customer complaints and returns about that. Also the plastic plates plus just the leather on the front were sometimes too thick for the switches to flip properly or the plugs to pull out flush depending on the electrical installation to start with. That is why I suggested the metal plates to thin them down. The glues I was using wouldn't reliably bond to metal in use without the sandwiching to hold it.

[rustyriggin]

Thanks everyone for the info, and Bruce you told me exactly what I was wanting to know as usual. I wouldn't mess with it normally, but the wife wants some, so it shall be done.