Raise your hand if you've done this...

[bikermutt07]

Well, I was needing a new wallet. I wanted to recreate my old wallet. So, I took it apart, measured my pieces and got after it. It was going to be a front pocket wallet with a leather money clip. Pretty sweet set up. 

I laminated some pretty sheepskin to some w&c chestnut. I had a hard time cutting the leather straight. No worries, I made everything extra big. I glued it all together. Took it to work and sanded everything down real even. I brought it home and burnished the edges. 

I spent a lot of time on those edges. Ok, here's where it goes bad.

My money clip part wasn't going to fly. So, I just cut it off and decided "ok, well I'll at least have a 2 pocket wallet for now". 

Away I went, no looking back. I spent about three hours sewing it up. The back was pretty rough. The leather and sheepskin flexed a lot in the pony and made for poor stitching on the back. I can still live with that for a temporary wallet. 

I get all the way finished and low and behold, it won't fit so much as a business card in it.

Color me deflated.  

Edited August 12, 2016 by bikermutt07

[JLSleather]

Yeah.. what you said.  We learn from our mistakes.  I'm learning all the time

 

Edited August 13, 2016 by JLSleather

[bikermutt07]

Glad it's not just me. I will use a pattern next time.

[plinkercases]

Yupper... so I soaked it and JAMMED them in!!! not the correct answer but at least I could put a card in it. In the drawer, In the dark.

I am often under estimating the tolerances and mystical "shrink factor"

As for stitching thinner material I learned to make some thin wood pieces of various dimensions to sandwich the thinner work. and longer bits for doing straps and belts etc. Necessity (or really frustration)  is the mother of invention.

Cool looking laminated edges though.

[bikermutt07]

Thanks. I just cut out a wuta wallet pattern I have been wanting to make and review. I will also be doing some of jls' simple wallets, eventually. But I need a wallet like yesterday.

[plinkercases]

I needed one fast so just did a real down and dirty folded rectangle out of pig skin with a pass of NFO.

And am still carrying it a year later!

[Boriqua]

4 hours ago, plinkercases said:

Yupper... so I soaked it and JAMMED them in!!! not the correct answer but at least I could put a card in it. In the drawer, In the dark.

lol .. I was going to suggest the same thing. Dunk it in water get some old cards and jam jam jam. All good 

[bikermutt07]

8 hours ago, plinkercases said:

I needed one fast so just did a real down and dirty folded rectangle out of pig skin with a pass of NFO.

And am still carrying it a year later!

Sweet.

5 hours ago, Boriqua said:

lol .. I was going to suggest the same thing. Dunk it in water get some old cards and jam jam jam. All good 

Stitches just aren't far enough apart.

[Dwight]

I just finished this one for a new customer, . . . he needed a space for 9 cards.  I cut a piece of pine, . . . after I measured out 7 cards from my "stash", . . . made the board that thickness.

Like was said, . . . wet and stuff, . . . wet and stuff.  Got it to fit, . . . sent him a folded piece of manila folder so he can put another one in, . . . leave it overnight, . . . and add one every day, . . . until it stretches out where he wants it.

Billfolds are a pain, . . . but I really like the finished product, . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[plinkercases]

2 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

 

Stitches just aren't far enough apart.

This one barely fit 3 cards per side off the bench with no stuffing required and has slowly front in capacity as I added a card or two over time and it relaxed. Now it holds all I need plus some crap I dump every week or so. Holds then snug but still easy to get them out even from behind each other. Mind you it is not veg tan but pig skin road side couch hide.

Here are 2 veg tan card holders which were to small and for sure due to the stitches being way too close until wet and stuffed and now they are very much like card holders versus wallet.

 

Edited August 13, 2016 by plinkercases

[bikermutt07]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

[cjartist]

I'll raise my hand.  It has happened to me more than once. The one I remember was a tablet case I made for my father for Christmas.  It has loosened up some over time but was a really tight fit off the bench.

[Boriqua]

I think a better question might have been "how MANY times have you done this"  Yup my wife's cell phone case spent some time with a plastic block in it before it was road worthy and you would think I had some of this stuff figured out!

[immiketoo]

Almost everyone makes these kind of errors.  Its what we call EXPERIENCE  You just got some!

[zuludog]

My main interest in leatherwork is to make sheaths for knives

Once, I made up a pattern for an unusually shaped knife from plain paper; then transferred it to leather and made it up. Found out that the resulting sheath was left handed, or a mirror image, or however you want to describe it. Now if I make a pattern I make sure I use patterned 'one sided' paper or mark which is to be the grain or the flesh side.

An expert is someone who has made more mistakes than you have

 

[bikermutt07]

Ha, cheers guys.

[JLSleather]

We could make a blog out of just this one thread.  I could post something about twice a week ... wouldn't always include blood, though. ...

 

[Michael Sheldon]

Oooh, like the card wallet I made for my wife, where I glued the wrong edges.

That was a bit embarrasing, since she noticed before I did. Usually I get to bury my mistakes in the bottom of the trash can where nobody sees them.

[bikermutt07]

I have a drawer. One day I will look in there and see all the lessons I have learned.

[bikermutt07]

Here is my new wallet I can actually use.

My 3 year old picked out the turtle.

Three usable pockets. Yay!