First major project

[Leatherhips]

Hi,

I'm pretty new to leatherworking and have loads to learn, but I'm loving the journey & learning something new every time I come to this site.

Whilst I know there are issues with it I thought I'd share my first major project as I'm rather happy with it as a prototype model and I'm already gathering the stuff for the next one.

[RockyAussie]

WOW!!!! for a first major project I don't know what to expect when you become an old hand at it

[LederRudi]

Seems that you collected a lot of experience and knowledge making small items!

Marvelous!

[CazaLopez]

Great job

[cds]

Very Nice! Looks like you put a lot of time into it.

[Sofaspud]

That looks awesome.   I'd love to see more pictures. Great job! 

[ByNelson]

Yep nice work and definitely we need more pictures 

[Tugadude]

Very cool indeed!  Yes, more pictures please.  Very interesting closure.  Would like more info on that.

[LatigoAmigo]

SWEET!

[battlemunky]

Uhm....I have missed a lot of signals and nuances along the way. I've been tinkering with leather for 3 years now and my best looks like the dog chewed it up in comparison to yours. You have skills.

[nrk]

nice work.

what's inside?

what leather?

[Leatherhips]

Thank you for the kind comments, they are greatly appreciated. 

As requested a few more photos.

In terms of construction

The closure is from 3DanSupplies on etsy - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/3DANsupplies, this one is made from the 14" frame. One of my summer projects is going to be trying to make them out of brass angle iron, if I can work out a method of making the clip closures.

The leather is veg-tan (quoted as 7-9oz when I bought it) treated with neatsfoot then dyed with Feibing saddle tan pro dye and finished with resolene & good old boot polish.

The thread is 0.8mm Tiger thread and the lining is a lose fit bag made of pig skin, suede side showing.

I've used chicago screws for all the rivets fixed with the thread lock, mainly because I really like the finish they give, but also because I haven't found solid brass rivets yet. 

I'm looking forward to attempting the 16" and 18" versions assuming I can bring myself to sell them.

[LederRudi]

 

Uhm....I have missed a lot of signals and nuances along the way. I've been tinkering with leather for 3 years now and my best looks like the dog chewed it up in comparison to yours. You have skills.

Battrlemunky, I like the idea of entrusting the dog with the task of distressing the leather!

Leahterhips, the additional pics show ........... simply show perfect craftsmanship!

[plinkercases]

Just wow and thanks for the extra pics.

Cant wait to see what's next.

[DJole]

That's a stellar job for the first project! Makes me want to throw mine away! (heh!)
Where do you think there are issues with it? (Not that I doubt you, but because what you see could be valuable for me to know.)

[Leatherhips]

@DJole

Hi again,

I'll answer part of your question with one of my wife's sayings around her crafting, partly in jest but often in practice "I am not a great crafter, I'm just very good at covering up my mistakes"

From my perspective, and I'm probably not alone in this, I'm heavily critical of my own work; but once I've considered the problems I find it a great learning process as well. So my list of challenges on the bag are;

- The tuck clasp patches are out in terms of alignment by just under an 1/8", measured twice, punched once then realised afterwards the top edge wasn't true

- Edging along the ends isn't completely clean on the burnishing. My original gluing didn't take on some sections so I had to force some more in with a syringe but even after sanding as much as I dares it still showed through.

- The stitching isn't consistent enough all over, most of it has gone really well, but those odd runs really bug the hell out of me.

- The section that goes into the closure at the top needed wet shaping before I fixed it so the closure meets completely cleanly, I was too keen to get it put together. It will bend naturally over time so hopefully not the end of the world.

After having a chat with a few of my engineering friends I've started time on making a construction sequence list until things become habit.

However, issues apart it great fun making it and I finally have my own Gladstone for work trips. Now to work out the plans for the next project...............