Members CLW Posted February 4, 2018 Author Members Report Posted February 4, 2018 21 hours ago, alpha2 said: I use contact cement and occasionally double sided tape, but not just any tape. It has to be tape that is designed to hold leather together. The stuff Tandy has is actually quite good for the purpose. Make sure to hammer pieces together, (with a scrap leather to protect the project). Alternatively you can just use a roller made for the purpose, or a rolling pin to do the job. This makes sure the cement has good adhesion. Remember, any cuts on the leather will accept the dye much more readily than the grain surface of veg tan. Holes, edges, slots will have dark edges as the dye gets right into the flesh of the leather at those locations. PRACTICE on some scrap to see what the piece will look like when dyed. For that matter, try your stitching chisels on some scrap first, to get your technique down. Keeping the chisel in line and vertical is the key. Hang in there! We've all been there...some still are, ask me how I know. Jeff Does this mean that you don't punch stitching holes or even make a stitching groove until after you have completed the project.. so that when you adhere front to back it is with permanent cement?? Quote
alpha2 Posted February 4, 2018 Report Posted February 4, 2018 Depending on the item, I might make a LIGHT scribe line where the stitching will go, only to establish the edge of the project so I can cut/sand the edge to an even distance from there stitch line is. I rarely cut a groove anymore. Quote So much leather...so little time.
Members CLW Posted February 4, 2018 Author Members Report Posted February 4, 2018 OK, I think I have finally figured out what i am doing wrong... Duh me! Thanks to everyone. I need to punch holes AFTER i have finished with tooling and dyeing when the pieces are attached to each other... rather than try to line up holes and punch before the project is ready to stitch. Too many prepunched Tandy Kits in my past I guess. Thanks again.... Quote
Members CLW Posted February 4, 2018 Author Members Report Posted February 4, 2018 That is a darn good question... why do i want to punch holes first.... I think it is, (now was!), because i thought that the straight edge for marking a stitching line and holes was the straightest before tooling etc. But even as I type that it doesn't really make sense. It makes sooooooo much more sense to punch through all layers of leather once they are cemented together.... Punching straight wasn't the problem, it was getting two pieces of leather punched separately to line up... Again, thanks to all! Quote
bikermutt07 Posted February 5, 2018 Report Posted February 5, 2018 41 minutes ago, CLW said: That is a darn good question... why do i want to punch holes first.... I think it is, (now was!), because i thought that the straight edge for marking a stitching line and holes was the straightest before tooling etc. But even as I type that it doesn't really make sense. It makes sooooooo much more sense to punch through all layers of leather once they are cemented together.... Punching straight wasn't the problem, it was getting two pieces of leather punched separately to line up... Again, thanks to all! No worries, we are all learning. Quote I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with. Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day. From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.
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