New leather cutting jig

[JamesR]

This is my new jig for cutting and squaring off pieces. It was made of plywood and aluminum extrusions. The cutting end was part of a mat cutting device. I removed the grey blade holder and mounted it on block of polyethylene material. The block was routed to fit tightly in the aluminum extrusion so it slides smoothly with no side play. The extrusion can be tightened down to hold the piece in place while cutting. The fixed top piece is at 90 degrees to the piece that holds down the leather which gives me square corners. The mat cutting blades are quite sharp and give clean cuts. There is a groove beneath the blade so it clears the plywood surface with no drag.

[chrisash]

Great idea

[kgg]

Nice simple functional design.

kgg

[Hopup]

Great idea and will have to make one

[mike02130]

Hmm, I just use a framing square and knife.

 

[tsunkasapa]

4 hours ago, mike02130 said:

Hmm, I just use a framing square and knife.

 

^^^What he said^^^

[Grumpymann]

2 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

^^^What he said^^^

Framing square.....?

Fancy .....

Edited December 21, 2020 by Grumpymann

[maxdaddy]

That's a great idea and I can see where it would speed up straps as well as wider cuts. I would think that the wood channel in the base could be a problem with thinner leather. Like the leather would be pressed into the channel instead of lying on a flat surface.

I have a paper cutter around here that works similarly and it's quicker than breaking out a square every time I need to cut paper.

[JamesR]

maxdaddy,

Yeah, when the leather is thin (under 5oz) it can be a problem. I just put a second piece of scrap under it.

[fredk]

me - roofers framing square for large pieces, woodworkers framing square for smaller. Rotary knife for thin leather, eg anything under 1.4mm or approx 3.5 oz

[Handstitched]

Thats very well made. Have you thought about marketing that in kit form?  Might be worth thinking about. 

I just use a folding knife and a  steel ruler, ........and pray to God that I miss my fingers  

HS 

[fredk]

On 11/12/2019 at 3:04 PM, JamesR said:

This is my new jig for cutting and squaring off pieces. It was made of plywood and aluminum extrusions. . . . 

My sincere apologies.

I jumped in on the tail end of this thread and never really read the start

This is indeed clever and well thought out.

T'is a shame I do not have access to the sort of tools needed to make somat like it.

[chuck123wapati]

sweet indeed! reminds me of a matting cutter for picture framing.

[JamesR]

Thanks for the comments,

I realize a framing square or straight edge can give you the same result. I did it that ways for years. 

Every once in a while the edge slipped and the cut angled off. I am mainly a furniture builder and wanted to  jig up my work to give me accuracy and repeatability.

The fixed top piece makes it easy to line up the leather edge for square cuts, the guide rail clamps down on the leather preventing it from slipping. The cutter block travels in a straight line with the blade perpendicular to the leather at all times. Woodworkers build jigs like this all the time. Here are a couple others.

[toxo]

I don't want to teach my Grandmother to suck eggs and I hope I'm teaching somebody something. Especially for large pieces of leather. Just remember 3-4-5

Scribe a line along the longest side and measure 4 of whatever you want to work with, it doesn't matter. We'll say 4 feet. Put a mark.

Then, using string or a couple of straight edges, mark one at 3 feet and one at 5 feet. When you have a triangle where every mark is touch the other marks you will have a perfect line that is absolutely square to start your measurements from. 

Try it on a piece of papert in front of you. It doesn't matter if you use inches, millimeters or cubits as the Egyptians did when they built the pyramids.