dragonhalf123 Report post Posted October 16, 2015 Okay so I'm completely new to any sort of leatherwork, but I've been thinking of doing a project that involves it in honor of my all time favorite movie and need professional advice on the names of hardware that I need as well as how to treat, cut, paint, and sew the leather to fit onto the rods that connect to a metal base that individually pivot so the tail piece can be opened and folded. I attached the screenshot from the movie that I want to replicate as well as a couple of blueprints for how I think I should go about the project. Like I said, I'm an amateur so any professional advice would be appreciated. This is a project I hope to do soon once I have more free time and money on my hands, but also want to stay on a budget while still getting the highest quality stuff possible. I hope to have a life size genuine replica of the tail (4.5 feet) long and opens at about the same length at the longest point of the tail for display at my home to hang on hooks or nails. Also if I somehow pull this off, I want to know how to keep the display looking its best so it lasts a lifetime. Right now, in terms of hardware, I need to know the names of the objects I'm hoping to build the metal framework out of. I want to find a metal flate piece that has holes where I want to attach to the metal hollow rods using some sort of pivot hinge so it moves on horizontal plan to open and close the tail to make it realistic to the one from the movie. Also in terms of the leather, I want to know the best type of leather to get. Looking for the type that isn't too rough while still being flexible and thin so its easy to work with so I can sew the two pieces together once they are cut so that there are slits between the two pieces that will be placed over each of the rods. I need to find the best way to go about painting the leather so that the paint looks roughened while still looking vibrant and want the paint to last as long as possible. I hope my blueprints help explain this a little better and maybe someone with the expertise can guide me in the best way to go about this project. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
glockanator Report post Posted October 16, 2015 This is how I would tackle your project. First I would get the metal fabrication all figured out first before trying anything with leather. I would find a local welding shop or technical school that has a welding program and see if someone there could help with the metal fab portion. Once the metal fab is complete that is when I would start with the foam from a craft store and make all your patterns and get a working prototype built before ever cutting in to leather. There is no worse feeling then thinking you are on the right path just to find out you lost time and material. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragonhalf123 Report post Posted October 16, 2015 @glockanator Thank you for taking the time to look at my post and reply with a helpful comment. I'll definitely look into following your steps. Thanks again!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
