New project...petite clutch

[motocouture]

New project in the works.  Have a croc skin I want to make into a purse, but figured the smart thing to do is to make a prototype first out of some rather less expensive pebbled calf, lined with dark chocolate HAAS calf leather (thanks @nstarleather!). I’m heavily inspired by an, ahem, certain luxury goods brand, with hardware from Ohio Bag Supply (through hardware elf). Stitching irons are KS 3.0mm, thread is 532 light brown Lin Cable, and trying out the Renia Aquilim glue for the first time. Bag width is approx. 24cm. Will post more photos as I progress.

[motocouture]

Btw, the seam along the top flap is to mimic the size of the pieces I can cut out of the croc hide. 

The gussets will have two oval slots for the straps to pass through (will be stitched to the back of the clutch, and fasten at the front)

[Mokerson]

Moto, would be interested to read your review of the Renia glue.

- John

[bikermutt07]

It's looking good. 

[motocouture]

21 hours ago, Mokerson said:

Moto, would be interested to read your review of the Renia glue.

- John

Hi John, no worries, will post a detailed review as I progress through the project

 

21 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

It's looking good. 

Can only go downhill from here 

[motocouture]

Some progress pics from work this week.  First two shots are the interior pocket, out of calf with a strip of the embossed calf as trim. The third photo shows the pre-stitched gussets (realized I will have stitched around 8 of those oval slots by the time I’m done with the body of the clutch...sigh...), along with the initial work on the straps. 

[bikermutt07]

Your stitches look fantastic. And I love how the thread looks against both colors. Great choices.

[motocouture]

1 hour ago, bikermutt07 said:

Your stitches look fantastic. And I love how the thread looks against both colors. Great choices.

Thanks mate! I really like this color combo, especially the almost cigar shades of the embossed calf against the dark chocolate....been experimenting with mixing custom colors for the edge paint, will see how it goes. 

[motocouture]

@Mokerson I promised a glue review...I’m lovin’ the Renia glue. Was using Barge, but I found it evaporated quickly to a gooey mess, and was scaring my family out of the basement. I’m using two different glues, the temporary bond and the Aquilim 315 permanent contact cement. 

For storage, I decided to give the TS Boy glue pots a go. They’re obviously made out of something impressive, as my sharpie wouldn’t even stay put when trying to write on them. Despite looking like small toilets, they work really well. Bought a couple of brushes, but don’t use them.  Make do with small offcuts of my thin kitchen cutting boards (use them as bag stiffeners), and just wipe them off after use.

I’ve posted a couple of pics that show the 315 glue when first applied, then after about 20 mins.  I’m a complete novice with this glue, but from my initial experimentation, it seems to works best if you apply to both sides, then let it dry to fully clear before sticking together. After placing the pieces together, I hammer, then press.  Found that it’s a little stickier on needles than the Barge, if hypothetically you’re impatient and try to stitch too soon...once it’s dry though, very easy to stitch through, and remove from edges of a little spills over. 

And, as always, it sticks reaaaaallly well to fingers, too. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by motocouture

[Stetson912]

Is the aquilim expensive? Its water based right? How's the bond?

While I do enjoy the fragrant aromatic stench that effervesces from my bottle of weldwood or barge, ahem... I don't like the idea of sucking down carcinogens. I find myself lacking ventilation and should really find some...or maybe try this stuff? 20 mins seems like a long time but, id rather wait the 20 mins than choke on my fun sized jar of caustic super stick. 

PS, I like the tiny toilets... Perhaps teflon?

[Dun]

21 hours ago, motocouture said:

@Mokerson I promised a glue review...I’m lovin’ the Renia glue. Was using Barge, but I found it evaporated quickly to a gooey mess, and was scaring my family out of the basement.

this project is looking really good. Really nice edges on those pockets!

Did you try the barge in this particular keeper and it still became a gooey mess on you or in  the original container?

Edited January 27, 2018 by Dun

[alpha2]

I've found with my new Renia that sanding is important for the glue to stick, and it doesn't stick to pig-suede unless you don't want it to. Then you can't get it off. Haven't tried the contact version yet. I'd need another glue pot for that. Also, the temps here caused a bit of a delay for shipping so the stuff didn't freeze en-route.

Veg-tan to veg-tan, flesh to flesh was an instant bond while wet, with pressure. 

Oh! And, nice clutch!

[Rockoboy]

On ‎22‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 0:00 PM, motocouture said:

Have a croc skin I want to make into a purse, but figured the smart thing to do is to make a prototype first out of some rather less expensive

I know this feeling! I was at my local?(60kms away) leather supplier last week. They had a croc skin ... I think it was $400 or thereabouts for a nice 3 footer. Too rich for my blood!

[motocouture]

22 hours ago, Stetson912 said:

Is the aquilim expensive? Its water based right? How's the bond?

While I do enjoy the fragrant aromatic stench that effervesces from my bottle of weldwood or barge, ahem... I don't like the idea of sucking down carcinogens. I find myself lacking ventilation and should really find some...or maybe try this stuff? 20 mins seems like a long time but, id rather wait the 20 mins than choke on my fun sized jar of caustic super stick. 

PS, I like the tiny toilets... Perhaps teflon?

Not too expensive.  I sourced mine from Sorrell’s Notions and Findings (slight delay for shipping, since it was %£$!@ cold here for a while), and from memory it was around $30 for an amount I think I’ll struggle to go through in a year. It’s water-based, but not water-soluble once dry.

The bond is good, although I think mine got a little frozen (no names, no pack drill, but someone didn’t bring the package inside straight away while I was away on business travel..... ), which I’m pretty sure doesn’t help it any. That said, it’s been fine on straps etc, with holding right to the edge when edge finishing. 

And worlds better than sacrificing neurons (the few I have left) to the aromatic presence of Barge.  

I think you’re right about the Teflon!

[motocouture]

3 hours ago, Dun said:

this project is looking really good. Really nice edges on those pockets!

Did you try the barge in this particular keeper and it still became a gooey mess on you or in  the original container?

Thank you! Been playing with my Xmas present to myself, a fileteuse. Edges still frustrate me enormously; I suspect that will be a lifelong process....

i didn’t try the Barge in this keeper, although I believe you can. I would decant some into a small, metal lid screw top jar to store. Bought two of these new containers with the intent on using one for Barge, then was so happy with the Renia that I sent the Barge back to the laundry to sit with the other random household chemicals that we seem to collect.

[motocouture]

2 hours ago, alpha2 said:

I've found with my new Renia that sanding is important for the glue to stick, and it doesn't stick to pig-suede unless you don't want it to. Then you can't get it off. Haven't tried the contact version yet. I'd need another glue pot for that. Also, the temps here caused a bit of a delay for shipping so the stuff didn't freeze en-route.

Veg-tan to veg-tan, flesh to flesh was an instant bond while wet, with pressure. 

Oh! And, nice clutch!

Thank you! Yes, the sanding definitely seems important. I tried just scratching the surface with an awl, and it didn’t bond nearly as well.

[Fire88]

Project looks good!

[motocouture]

1 hour ago, Rockoboy said:

I know this feeling! I was at my local?(60kms away) leather supplier last week. They had a croc skin ... I think it was $400 or thereabouts for a nice 3 footer. Too rich for my blood!

Eeesh! Not cheap. I was really lucky, managed to pick up a couple of hides at a very decent price and great quality from a forum member. Still enough to make me think twice before carving them up, though. 

[motocouture]

1 minute ago, Fire88 said:

Project looks good!

Thanks! It’s fun to work on something smaller than a travel bag, can see the progress faster 

[bikermutt07]

Ok maybe I'm just dumb. How is that glue not seeking it's own level? To me it looks like it would just spill right over the dispensing side?

[motocouture]

Just now, bikermutt07 said:

Ok maybe I'm just dumb. How is that glue not seeking it's own level? To me it looks like it would just spill right over the dispensing side?

I hear you on that. I must admit, I was skeptical at first and filled it in the kitchen over the sink. I’m sure someone with a far better knowledge of plumbing and physics will chime in, but I can confirm that it stays exactly at the same ~1/2 in deep level. German engineering....

[Stetson912]

@bikermutt07I believe they work the same way as the self filling water bowls you can get for your fur-buddy. 

The reservoir is upside down and a little higher than the smaller bowl/dish that fills with glue. (This height determines the fill level of the glue in the smaller bowl section) When the smaller area fills to the point where it's level meets the bottom of the reservoir it becomes an airtight system. The air inside the reservoir is pushing down on the glue with equal pressure to the atmospheric pressure pushing down on the glue/fluid in the smaller vessel. The system will stay at equilibrium until glue is used, then air is allowed to travel into the reservoir displacing glue until the system balances again. 

Just don't poke a hole in the  reservoir....(not that out would) You'll get glue everywhere! Haha.

[bikermutt07]

So, the big round spot on the reservoir isn't an open hole? That's what it looks like in the pictures. And you fill it where you dip your brush?

[alpha2]

The big round spot is a placed to put the "cap" when you're dipping into the glue. Stetson the physicist is right.

[motocouture]

Thanks @Stetson912, figured there was someone out there who could explain it better than me!