Very Newbie Question

[Irish Pipemaker]

Hi folks.....I need to cut 12mm wide strips 500mm long in 0.5mm thick leather. Any help and guidance with respect to tools and technique will be very welcome. Many thanks in advance.

[Thor]

Either a strap cutter or a draw gauge would be the right tool.

[Irish Pipemaker]

Hi Thor,

Thanks for the reply. I do not know about leatherwork but have been looking at this for a few weeks now and a strap cutter seems to work fine on belt thick leather but not so good on very thin leather (22 gauge in engineering terms). I have not heard of a draw gauge, van you suggest a link/ many thanks Martin

[thekid77]

Hi folks.....I need to cut 12mm wide strips 500mm long in 0.5mm thick leather. Any help and guidance with respect to tools and technique will be very welcome. Many thanks in advance.

cutting leather that thin can tend to stretch if you're using a utility knife/razor blade.....I'd use a rotary cutter with a fresh blade....

for your strips, just measure out the width and lay a straight edge down over the leather on a large flat surface....you can clamp the straight edge down over the leather with a couple of C clamps and make your cuts

[Irish Pipemaker]

Hi the kid77,

Thanks a million for the reply. You spotted the problem right away. I do have a straight edge set at the width and my two kids standing on it but the leather still moves when making the cut with a rotary cutter .....I am also attempting to make the cuts at about 12mm (1/2") at a time but the leather refuses to co-operate....FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!! Any other pointers you have will be very welcome. Best

[thekid77]

Hi the kid77,

Thanks a million for the reply. You spotted the problem right away. I do have a straight edge set at the width and my two kids standing on it but the leather still moves when making the cut with a rotary cutter .....I am also attempting to make the cuts at about 12mm (1/2") at a time but the leather refuses to co-operate....FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!! Any other pointers you have will be very welcome. Best

a while back i had to cut pigskin very precisely....doesn't get much more stretchy than that stuff.....I took some masking tape and backed the pigskin where I was gunna cut it.......you can try fixing some masking tape to the back of the leather then cut it....it wont stretch

[JAZZMAN]

I assume this is for lining something, can you not glue it to the piece first and then trim it to size after, sorry if it is not for lining something.

[Irish Pipemaker]

Hi the kid77,

You are a star....I'd never have thought of that. I am in Ireland about 6 hours ahead of the

States so I'll try that out fist thing am and get back to you. Thanks a million.

[Irish Pipemaker]

Hi Jazzman...no it isn't for lining but for covering tacks around a bellows.....a picture paints a 1000 words as they say and I'll take a few pics when back in the shop tomorrow....in the meantime here is a link to my site so you can see what I do.....www.martinpreshaw.com

[gmace99]

Have you tried scissors? If your near Kilkenny look up porters saddlery. I am sure Simon Porter will show you how to do it is a really nice guy.

Edited April 27, 2015 by gmace99