Moulds for veg bags - wood or steel?

[LottyAfrica]

Hello,

I would like to make moulded bags from veg tanned leather.
In one of my books, I've seen a method of having a wooden block mounted on a plank. Wet leather, fold over block on plank and then another plank with a hole the size of the block, slots over. Clamp it - mould it.

From another leather worker, I've heard the bit of info that this does not work, and the only way to properly mould is with steel moulds?

Can someone here share their experience with moulds & veg bags, whether the mould was wood/steel/any other material?

I would like to become more educated on the subject :-)

Many thanks

Lotty

[Aven]

Lotty, I have used wood moulds to make small bags with out any problems.  If you are using a board, you have to be careful of the grain.  Plywood works better

John Welling has a good video on the process. 

 

[fredk]

1 hour ago, LottyAfrica said:

. . .  I would like to make moulded bags from veg tanned leather.
In one of my books, I've seen a method of having a wooden block mounted on a plank. Wet leather, fold over block on plank and then another plank with a hole the size of the block, slots over. Clamp it - mould it . . .

Can someone here share their experience with moulds & veg bags, whether the mould was wood/steel/any other material?

I use MDF board. Its easy to carve with a heavy duty craft knife and rasps. Layers of thin MDF can be built up using just PVA glue. The 'frame' plank is not necessary.

On some bags, I mark roughly where the sewing line will be then staple the wet leather to the base, the holes made by the staples are taken up in the holes for sewing. On small bags I use bulldog clamps and lolly sticks to hold the leather in place.

With one set of pouches I had to do the leather was wrapped round to the back of the pouch and stapled to the MDF block - the sewing on these was to be hidden at the back, not visible on the front sides and bottom.

MDF has no grain to worry about, is cheap and often odd sized off cuts can be obtained at DIY or builders stores or even from building sites.

[bermudahwin]

I do the same as creek,

I have seen industrial systems using steel moulds, but not many hand crafters.

H

[zuludog]

Search YouTube for 'Making a Wet Moulded Possibles Bag'  There are several videos

I haven't watched every one, but all those I have use a wooden mould or former

[billybopp]

For a hobbyist, steel molds would be more trouble than they are worth.  Hard to make, and easy to rust without proper care.  Rust would stain the leather.   The only advantage I can think of for using steel would be that they might be able to be heated to speed the drying process a bit.

I've seen people using wood, plastic, foam and just about everything else to make a mold.  As long as it's somewhat sturdy and not damaged by water it should work!  Whatever you use, you may want to seal the surface, such as a polyurethane varnish on wood, to protect from moisture.  That should do the trick just fine!

Here are a couple of videos that might help ....

Making a mold for wet molding leather  

and making a molded bag .

 

- Bill

[Handstitched]

I use MDF molds on just about every case I need to make . Easy to work with, sand,  grind, shape etc. and  its cheap.  Glue two bits together to make a bigger mold if you want. Very versatile .

HS 

[RockyAussie]

19 hours ago, LottyAfrica said:

Hello,

I would like to make moulded bags from veg tanned leather.
In one of my books, I've seen a method of having a wooden block mounted on a plank. Wet leather, fold over block on plank and then another plank with a hole the size of the block, slots over. Clamp it - mould it.

From another leather worker, I've heard the bit of info that this does not work, and the only way to properly mould is with steel moulds?

Can someone here share their experience with moulds & veg bags, whether the mould was wood/steel/any other material?

I would like to become more educated on the subject :-)

Many thanks

Lotty

A post I did awhile back may be worth a look at if you go through to where I show how I made up some moulds for handcuff pouches. The advantage of going this way is you can get exactly the same duplicate mould made as many times as you want, with out having to spend any time much on making them. The method shown also allows minimal waste of leather unlike many I have seen on the tube.

 

[Samalan]

Wood works just fine if it's a one off make the mold don't even bother finishing it, if you plan on using it over and over sand to 220 grit and finish with boat varnish three coats , it will last a long time. 

[fredk]

This is the MDF buck I made recently for to wet mould a holster case for my new mobile [aka cell] phone. Its not even neatly carved and not sealed. The leather was bulldog clamped to the base part.

The finished holster case;

 

[Handstitched]

G'Day LottyAfrica ,

This is just a  very small cross section of the molds that I use, some with pencil marks, measurements etc.. Some are 'one off's ' ( but never go to waste), but the majority I use all the time. I also have some much larger molds as well. 

The ones on the far left, are made of pine, mostly  from off cuts and scraps. The remainder are made from MDF. Both woods are easy to shape  and cheap.  I do sometimes slide the molds out during drying , hence the shiny packing tape.   I also use a  scrap layer of leather to help with sizing etc. 

You can also see how phone cases have changed in size over the years.

The one next to the axe/ multi-tool mold , bottom right, is how they use to be, ( like the one I have now ) compared to the " paving slab" on the top right.

Sure wish phone companies make their minds up  Ha ha !!  

So I guess you have to be a bit of a wood worker as well, ( something I'm not) . It comes with practice I'm sure  

HS 

Edited January 22, 2019 by Handstitched

[Mattsbagger]

Scrap veg tan glued together to get your thickness work well also. Easy to cut and shape.

[LottyAfrica]

On 22/01/2019 at 1:42 PM, Handstitched said:

G'Day LottyAfrica ,

This is just a  very small cross section of the molds that I use, some with pencil marks, measurements etc.. Some are 'one off's ' ( but never go to waste), but the majority I use all the time. I also have some much larger molds as well. 

The ones on the far left, are made of pine, mostly  from off cuts and scraps. The remainder are made from MDF. Both woods are easy to shape  and cheap.  I do sometimes slide the molds out during drying , hence the shiny packing tape.   I also use a  scrap layer of leather to help with sizing etc. 

You can also see how phone cases have changed in size over the years.

The one next to the axe/ multi-tool mold , bottom right, is how they use to be, ( like the one I have now ) compared to the " paving slab" on the top right.

Sure wish phone companies make their minds up  Ha ha !!  

So I guess you have to be a bit of a wood worker as well, ( something I'm not) . It comes with practice I'm sure  

HS 

This is so fun to see! Thanks very much for sharing :-) What about the board you use it on? I've looked at plywood the other day but here in South Africa it's super expensive. 

Doesn't pine warp and stuff once it gets wet?

[Handstitched]

G'Day ,

When I mold the leather around these, I pin it down onto some pieces of pine , or whatever scrap  I have lying around,  approx 4" x 1" ) 100mm x 25mm)  just as an example .It needs to be  bigger than the mold , to give me enough room to mold, shape etc.  I find pine is easy to hammer into because its soft. Ply wood may be a bit hard to nail into .   I haven't experienced any of the wood warping  or being affected by damp leather. 

HS