Braided dog leashes

[AgileVs]

Hello,

I know there are multiple posts about dog leashes, but I can't find the specific problem I'm dealing with.  I'm trying to figure out a consistent/quality way to make uniform slots in the leather so that I can weave the strips together, please see attached picture.  Currently I cut the leather into 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch strips, and the hand cut the slits along the length of the stip.  It is very time consuming and inaccurate.  Then if I make a mistake the whole strip is ruined.  I'm thinking someone has a better method to make uniform sized and spaced slits along these strips of leather.  Thank you for your help!

[alpha2]

Why don't you just actually braid 4 strips of leather? No slits to cut. 

[OLDNSLOW]

look at doing the mystery braid for dog leashes it might be something else you might be interested in.

[gmace99]

I think I have a couple of videos showing braided dog leashes.   On you tube. Search for uksaddlery.   I’m on my phone so can’t post a link to them sorry 

[alpha2]

I did one from watching gmace99's video. I can recommend it.

Jeff

[TomG]

I make these all the time.

Go on eBay and look for this:

slotted straight flat tip punch.

They are Chinese made tools.  you'll probably have to sharpen and stop them, but they do the job

Tom

 

 

 

[RockyAussie]

5 hours ago, TomG said:

I make these all the time.

Go on eBay and look for this:

slotted straight flat tip punch.

They are Chinese made tools.  you'll probably have to sharpen and stop them, but they do the job

Tom

 

 

 

Further to @TomG excellent tip I will offer 1 step further in case it is any help. Firstly as I am trying to out do @Dwight at being plain lazy so I will high jack his answer to a similar sort of question. As follows.......

Now this is going to rankle some feathers , . . . and it is just too bad.  I'm just plain lazy, . . . do not like to do any extra work that I can figure a way around or to get out of.

That is why I have a Tippmann Boss sewing machine, . . . "Hands are for hamburgers, . . . sewing machines are for stitching".

But if you don't have the machine yet, . . . this is a down and dirty way to save yourself some grief.

If you have a small drill press, . . . or one of those $20 things that hold a hand drill and work like a drill press, . . . drill a 3/8 inch hole in a piece of plywood about a foot square, . . . tape it down so the hole is where the drill would be, . . . chuck up your awl blade in the press, . . . run your stitch wheel so you know where they need to be punched, . . . use the drill press to punch the holes.  Take a piece of duct tape and tape your chuck so it does not turn on you, . . . or just eyeball it every time you get ready to drop it through.

# 1:  it is a super whole bunch easier

# 2:  it is easier to see where you are punching because your hand is not in the way

# 3:  the holes are absolutely 100% straight up and down (otherwise the back looks somewhere between "not perfect" and "downright shabby")

# 4:  you can punch all the holes for a project, . . . take your awl, your needle and thread and go over to the couch, . . . turn on your favorite TV show, . . . sew and watch the boob tube at the same time.

AND, . . . it is so much easier on the hands.

Also, . . . if you want a bit of a fancy stitch, . . . turn the awl blade about 30 degrees, . . . and it gives a bit of a rope looking effect to your stitching.

May God bless,

Dwight

Me again.Thanks Dwight.  Now some pics to make maybe a bit more sense to this. The first pic is a tool as Tom suggested and note the end is round and could go

into a drill chuck.

.

The second picture is a drill press set up with a jig I made and has a hole punch in the chuck in this case.The purpose of the jig held in the 2 way vice is to allow adjustments in both directions and to keep the leather at the same distance away from the edge hole after hole or slot after slot or awl after awl etc.

In this next picture closer up you can see a little rod set into the wood and this is to move the leather onto each time a bit like a sewing machine. I drill down and it cuts the leather with very little effort and does a little burnishing as well if I want. Great idea for lacing up bags and such hey.

Last pic here shows leather being hole drilled with same distance from edge as well as same distance apart.

NOTE by moving the adjuster on the 2 way vice thingy I can set the hole distance apart at any spacing I like from the peg and get thereafter the same hole spacing time after time.

With the slot you want you would need to set in a thin nail with out a head and work it to one edge of the slot each time.(MAKE SURE THE DRILL CAN NOT BE TURNED ON WHEN SLOT PUNCHING) I might make this a separate post a bit later. Brian

 

[Dwight]

Yessir, . . . good job, . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[AgileVs]

21 hours ago, alpha2 said:

Why don't you just actually braid 4 strips of leather? No slits to cut. 

Not the look I want, and I do that for others.  But thank you!

10 hours ago, TomG said:

I make these all the time.

Go on eBay and look for this:

slotted straight flat tip punch.

They are Chinese made tools.  you'll probably have to sharpen and stop them, but they do the job

Tom

 

 

 

Thanks!!!!

20 hours ago, OLDNSLOW said:

look at doing the mystery braid for dog leashes it might be something else you might be interested in.

I do those too, but want this style as well.  Thanks!

18 hours ago, alpha2 said:

I did one from watching gmace99's video. I can recommend it.

Jeff

Can you send me a link to the video.

[AgileVs]

4 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Further to @TomG excellent tip I will offer 1 step further in case it is any help. Firstly as I am trying to out do @Dwight at being plain lazy so I will high jack his answer to a similar sort of question. As follows.......

Now this is going to rankle some feathers , . . . and it is just too bad.  I'm just plain lazy, . . . do not like to do any extra work that I can figure a way around or to get out of.

That is why I have a Tippmann Boss sewing machine, . . . "Hands are for hamburgers, . . . sewing machines are for stitching".

But if you don't have the machine yet, . . . this is a down and dirty way to save yourself some grief.

If you have a small drill press, . . . or one of those $20 things that hold a hand drill and work like a drill press, . . . drill a 3/8 inch hole in a piece of plywood about a foot square, . . . tape it down so the hole is where the drill would be, . . . chuck up your awl blade in the press, . . . run your stitch wheel so you know where they need to be punched, . . . use the drill press to punch the holes.  Take a piece of duct tape and tape your chuck so it does not turn on you, . . . or just eyeball it every time you get ready to drop it through.

# 1:  it is a super whole bunch easier

# 2:  it is easier to see where you are punching because your hand is not in the way

# 3:  the holes are absolutely 100% straight up and down (otherwise the back looks somewhere between "not perfect" and "downright shabby")

# 4:  you can punch all the holes for a project, . . . take your awl, your needle and thread and go over to the couch, . . . turn on your favorite TV show, . . . sew and watch the boob tube at the same time.

AND, . . . it is so much easier on the hands.

Also, . . . if you want a bit of a fancy stitch, . . . turn the awl blade about 30 degrees, . . . and it gives a bit of a rope looking effect to your stitching.

May God bless,

Dwight

Me again.Thanks Dwight.  Now some pics to make maybe a bit more sense to this. The first pic is a tool as Tom suggested and note the end is round and could go

into a drill chuck.

.

The second picture is a drill press set up with a jig I made and has a hole punch in the chuck in this case.The purpose of the jig held in the 2 way vice is to allow adjustments in both directions and to keep the leather at the same distance away from the edge hole after hole or slot after slot or awl after awl etc.

In this next picture closer up you can see a little rod set into the wood and this is to move the leather onto each time a bit like a sewing machine. I drill down and it cuts the leather with very little effort and does a little burnishing as well if I want. Great idea for lacing up bags and such hey.

Last pic here shows leather being hole drilled with same distance from edge as well as same distance apart.

NOTE by moving the adjuster on the 2 way vice thingy I can set the hole distance apart at any spacing I like from the peg and get thereafter the same hole spacing time after time.

With the slot you want you would need to set in a thin nail with out a head and work it to one edge of the slot each time.(MAKE SURE THE DRILL CAN NOT BE TURNED ON WHEN SLOT PUNCHING) I might make this a separate post a bit later. Brian

 

Wow, thank you!

19 hours ago, gmace99 said:

I think I have a couple of videos showing braided dog leashes.   On you tube. Search for uksaddlery.   I’m on my phone so can’t post a link to them sorry 

Thanks!  Just asked someone for your link but now I saw your reply!

[alpha2]

Have you considered this? It might not be what you're looking for. I think you are doing short slits, not the long ones this probably does. I've never used one, so not sure.

Jeff

[AgileVs]

1 hour ago, alpha2 said:

Have you considered this? It might not be what you're looking for. I think you are doing short slits, not the long ones this probably does. I've never used one, so not sure.

Jeff

Yep, have one of those and it works great for doing long cuts for the mystery braids.

[Mattsbagger]

On 3/15/2018 at 1:50 PM, gmace99 said:

I think I have a couple of videos showing braided dog leashes.   On you tube. Search for uksaddlery.   I’m on my phone so can’t post a link to them sorry