Wuta wallet pattern, build, review.

[bikermutt07]

I am making a new wallet from a wuta pattern. This particular pattern is a card holder/coin purse. These are acrylic patterns available on Amazon. I'm not associated with the company. I'm pretty sure they are out of China. 

Please keep in mind I am a newbie just trying to help other newbies. My next post will include assembly. Enjoy.

Initial impression:

1. Acrylic seems to be non flexible.

2. Appears to be laser cut.

3. No instructions.

4. Plenty affordable.

5. Patterns seem pretty unique (and I like that).

Here is what we get.

Here are the pieces cut out of w&c 4-5 ounce chestnut.

Here are how the pieces line up.

Edited August 13, 2016 by bikermutt07

[bikermutt07]

 

EDIT: You may find it easier to bevel your edges before you skive.

We are all learning this together.

 

Ok, now we are moving on to step 2.

We are going to make a gouge in our main body.

Notice when lining up with our reference template, the template is longer than the main body. 

Now we mark the line of the fold. See picture one.

If you have not run a gouge yet, never fear because I haven't either.

Use a test piece to set your depth. Also, figure out how to sharpen the thing. Took me a minute but I got it.

Edited August 16, 2016 by bikermutt07

[bikermutt07]

Now we will skive.

Haven't ever tried it? Well, don't feel like the lone ranger. I haven't done it either. So let's get going.

This is the only skiver I own. Is it the right one? I don't know but let's try it. I believe this one is a French skiver.

Before I started practicing I grabbed my sandpapers and sharpened it up.

It seems to work a little better if you don't try starting at the very end of your piece. Just work it up one way and then turn it around and clean up the end.

I had to hit the strop a few times during this part.

Now we will mark the main body for skiving. Notice the provided reference template is longer than the main body. I marked the 2 card slots as x and o. 

You don't want to skive past where I have my awl sitting on the main body. I'm pretty sure it will show if you do.

And here are all the pieces skived on the flesh side. Next we will burnish our edges of our pockets.

Edited August 16, 2016 by bikermutt07

[billybopp]

You might find that a skiving knife works better and easier for what you're doing than a French edger does.  But no matter what tool, skiving takes some practice.  

Bill

[bikermutt07]

It didn't seem like it was very hard to do. What is a French skiver normally used for?

[billybopp]

First off, I want to say thanks for posting this.  It's awesome to see a project progress from beginning to end, and can't wait to see the end product!

Whatever you use to skive with has to be really REALLY sharp, probably moreso than with any other thing you do in leatherwork.  It becomes even more important when skiving thin or stretchy leather.  

There are a lot of different tools that you can use to skive, and they each have their advantages and disadvantages.

The "safety skivers" that you get that use razor blades have the advantage of being really cheap and possibly a bit safer than an exposed cutting edge.  That's about it.

 The French skiver works well for many things, but it's advantage AND disadvantage is with the lip at the edge.  That lip helps to make it easier to follow the edge of the leather, but at the same time it makes it very difficult to get that edge really thin since it holds the cutting edge up off of the surface some distance.  That makes a bit more bulk at the edge than you might want.  For some things that IS what you want, but on a wallet it could make the edge a bit bulkier than you'd like.  What I've done with my cheap little Tandy French skiver is to take the right side lip mostly off so that there is now a much smaller lip there to let me get much thinner at the edge.  I don't mind modifying that skiver, but I ain't touching the antique ones!

Some folks like to use a round knife to skive with, but I find them pretty hard to use that way.  They work best for heavier leather as far as I can tell.

There are a number of types of skiving knives, but I find that a knife that has the cutting edge at the tip easiest to use and best for getting a thin edge.  Mine are straight ended and single beveled with a very long bevel, and are SHARP!  They work well on both thick and thin leather allowing me to get down to a really thin edge.  I also like the end-edged skiving knives that are angled and single beveled, but find that I need one a righty and lefty for different situations with those since they seem easier to use with the beveled side down.  I don't have any that are double-beveled, but they would be usable right or left.

Check out these videos to find a little more info:

LWN member gmace99 showing the use of a French skiver.

LWN sponsor Lisa Sorrell shows using a skiving knife.

 

Hope that helps!

Bill

 

[bikermutt07]

Thanks, I'll look into getting a better one down the road. I was able to get my pieces down to around a 16th so that should be ok. I think.

[bikermutt07]

On to sanding and burnishing.

First, I beveled the outsides of the tops of my pockets. For now we only want to finish the edges that we won't be able to get at once we assemble everything. Make sure and spend ample effort on them now, because once we start sewing we can't get to these spots. 

If you have some brown or tan sandpaper, use that. I used grey automotive paper and it turned my edges grey. I sanded from 400 to 1000 grit.

Now, you can feel free to burnish how ever you see fit. It's not something that has only one working procedure. 

For this project, for myself, I am going to use the gum trag. I paint very thin layers like this.

Notice how I am using the desk as a guide.

 

 

 

Now wait a good 5 minutes or so. This was revealed to me the other day in a post. No matter the method if you attack the edge to early it will mushroom like this.

 

 

After waiting 5 minutes I attacked at full speed.

I am really liking this tool over the Tandy wooden burnisher. Now remember you have to create enough heat to slick the edge. It takes some pressure and lots of speed. Did I mention wanting to get a burnisher for my electric motor yet? I am using the edge of the desk and my off hand to hold the piece from buckling.

 

[bikermutt07]

Alright, I think we are ready to start the assembly.

If you line up card panel "x" and "o" you will notice an offset where they stitch together.

I'm assuming this offset helps the main body wrap around the card pockets. But, I digress. So, line the templates up with the pieces and mark your stitching holes.

As a side note you can change the stitching up. More holes, smaller holes, whatever. Figuring out the right combination of stitch length, thread size, to needle size is practically a sub culture here. I tend to grab what I think will Work and do a test piece.

We need to put a line at this spot so we can glue it up.

I never see this glue mentioned here but I like it. It seems to be farely well set in a short amount of time. I resembles hot glue once it cures. I paint this on both sides. Very thin coat.

Just put it on between the line and the stitch marks. Just give it a few seconds and then line up the pieces. I like to love on these for a second with my hammer.

[bikermutt07]

Now that we have glued our first piece lets try to stitch a line. What's great about this first line? No one will ever see it. 

This is the first time I haven't used my chisel. In the spirit of staying in the pattern, none of my chisel sizes fit the pattern. 

So, the way to make the diamond awl work with out the premarked diamond holes is like this..... Keep a flat edge of your awl parallel to the edge of the leather.

You can see I messed up a bit at the beginning, but no one will see it in the end.

Always make sure and tap your stitches flat with your hammer.

Next step:

Mark your holes on your main body.

Do Not glue your little pockets to the main body before you mark the holes on the main body (only an imbicel living Louisiana would do that).

After, and only after, you mark the holes in the main body may you glue the tabs of your top pocket to the main body.