custom tool wrap

[Pip]

Hi folks

I have been asked to make a tool wrap for a friend, for his new bike, which he gets for his birthday. I know this is probably overstepping the boundaries of politeness (but I am new to leatherwork, with very limited skills, but not new to the friendship and would really like to do it) what I am asking for is .......

Has anyone got a pattern for a cylindrical tool roll for said motorcycle (triumph America 861)?

Would some kind person let me have a copy?

Please

[wolvenstien]

Making the tool bag is simple.... the only thing is getting the straps correct for the mount... I suggest you wait until you can get measurements from his new Triumph.... Or go to the triumph site and search their pix for a food closeup to see how it would mount.... Are you intending for this to mount to the forks below the headlights?

From the looks of it, you would have to mount to the fork tubes above the stabilizer.

Also.... He might be getting the light bar attachment that would allow you to mount the bag to the light bar like I did on my Maggie...

Edited September 9, 2007 by wolvenstien

[Pip]

Yeah, mounting onto forks below the headlights, I quizzed him about the bike and he is getting from a local shop about forty miles away, so I have made an appointment with the guys there and am going to go and measure it up.

I didn't know about the light bar and didn't ask so i may have a second mounting position possibility hmmm.

Thanks for your help.

[Jordan]

The one I made was a 11" wide roll that over laps in the front, with 3 1/2" oval shaped gussets on the ends. Tops of the ovals fold into the bag. 1/2" straps thru slots in the back with buckles on the inside so as not to scratch anything.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Jordan

[Roger]

i haven't made a round bag yet but, generally the bag should be 11" wide

[Nixon66]

I was discussing a similar project with one of my biker bros this last weekend. He has a version that is rather nice except now that it is old and comfortably broke in his tools fall out. In talking looking at it we both realized it was because the ovals (in his case circles) at the end of the bag did not have "ears" that folded in over the tools and the result was a hole that the tools could fall out of.

I don't have a pattern, but I would absolutely not build one without the ears or flaps that could fold in over the tools.

[Pip]

thanks nixon, i figured that maybe the case so I have now included ears on mine.

[steveb]

advice: if you mount a toolbag under the "lower triple tree" you will wind up denting

your friends fender if the front end compresses

and he actually has tools, meaning some weight (and not his cellphone) in it.

Because my work winds up on bikes that get ridden long and hard, by guys who tend to be demanding (and much bigger than me)

I have to make stuff that will endure and is really designed with a high mileage, long time riders insight.

[Nixon66]

advice: if you mount a toolbag under the "lower triple tree" you will wind up denting

your friends fender if the front end compresses

and he actually has tools, meaning some weight (and not his cellphone) in it.

Because my work winds up on bikes that get ridden long and hard, by guys who tend to be demanding (and much bigger than me)

I have to make stuff that will endure and is really designed with a high mileage, long time riders insight.

Pip, Steve B is right. At the very least, with sag it will glaze the clear coat on the fender. Could even rub all the way through the paint over time. Denting is the worst case scenario but I have seen that happen too.

Steve, that is such a great idea for a tool bag. I think I might do a similar one for my electraglide.

[Pip]

steveb and Nixon 66 thanks for your help I think I know what you mean, alas I am just putting the finishing on. I am quite pleased as a first attempt but for some reason the project has become unbalanced/twisted slightly I decided on rivetting the seams (something I will never do again) I prefer stitching it is easier to fix. I need to sort the back I made a careless slip and it is now bugging me....

I will post a pic as soon as I get the camera sorted.

[Pip]

well rivets were a bad Idea, i pulled the hole damn peice apart, redid the gussetts and back to lacing/stitching I think.... I am at an all time low .....hmmm

[steveb]

well hey now - getting bummed because something didnt work is par for the course - this is all about trial and error....

you will make mistakes and you will turn material into scrap - this will happen - guaranteed...if it doesnt it means your not trying to advance your knowledge

I have a box full of humbling reminders of the steep learning curve I am still slipping and sliding around on...lots of "well I know not to do that again" reminders

and remember....that is the only way your going to learn - consider it the cost of entry...IMSHO

you are going to have problems, challenges and outright disasters...

lucky for you, all you need to do is get some more material

learn to enjoy the mistakes and give yourself "permission to fail"

- thats why your doing it in the first place, to have fun- right?

steveb

[Pip]

Yep, steveb you are of course right, got snagged in the momenet of failure.... The weird thing is I tell my learners exactly that kind of thing, and I get frustrated telling them its ok to fail and seeing them only half accept it, hmm next time ..... maybe its cause I don't take my own advice, I might share this experience, to help them, thanks for the wake up call.... I needed that.

[Pip]

Lacing is a new skill and quite therapeutic.

today is a new day and I am relatively happy with the results of my first lacing attempts (after a lot of playing, to get it right - i think).

here is the finished piece and the piece before rivet failure, i still like the rivets but the lacing looks fine too.

what do you think, I can't seem to get decent pics of my work, I need to learn how to use a camera.

Thanks everyone!

[Roger]

well rivets were a bad Idea, i pulled the hole damn peice apart, redid the gussetts and back to lacing/stitching I think.... I am at an all time low .....hmmm

i repaired an old tood bag for a good customer of mine this summer.

i was hoping a had a pipc of it but, i didn't take any since it was a repair job.

the gussets were riveted on so what i ended up doing was making a mould and wet forming the gussets.

it came out great! just something to think about for the next one

[steveb]

pip - yeah lacing is so damn therapeutic I try to avoid it...lol!

re: photography-> you need, IMSHO:

more light

a camera with a Macro adjustment

a tripod (or a mono pod like I favor in the shop)...

your shots are blurry and those three components should help

Your camera probably has an autofocus setting, make sure your giving it enough time to lock on,

especially in low light situations

regarding how you assemble cases and affix holding devices like chapes, straps and design parts like gussets

i recoo a Stohlman book series for you: Making Cases

This series of books really helped me get a grip (i think i have one anyway..hmmm)

on building better toolbags that could take the beating they need to, look good and be sturdy

as always YMMV - but i think youve got the train back on the tracks by the look of the case above

b/r

steveb

[Pip]

thanks guys, you been really helpful.

Steve

I intend to get the stohlman books once I earn enough to cover the leather cost, I got his small projects book off ebay and its great but I am not good at chargin' for stuff, and prefer a barter system, but it don't make you rich! Thanks for the camera info too, I think that my fuji is great for mid to long shots but even with timer shots rubbish at medium to close, I will use more light next time, and a tripod!

Bezzachopper

I wet formed the original gussetts when rivetting, i encountered a problem with the stretch to the design edges, I got the stages of the thing wrong i think and ended with a crooked bag, because of a stretched corner/curve/hole punch combination... I guess I'll learn when to do stuff in time. I had to stitch the strap protectors in place on a finished bag cause I forgot before I laced it up d'oh. Any general rules for putting stuff together....... ie sequences

[gearsmithy]

I was discussing a similar project with one of my biker bros this last weekend. He has a version that is rather nice except now that it is old and comfortably broke in his tools fall out. In talking looking at it we both realized it was because the ovals (in his case circles) at the end of the bag did not have "ears" that folded in over the tools and the result was a hole that the tools could fall out of.

I don't have a pattern, but I would absolutely not build one without the ears or flaps that could fold in over the tools.

I had the whole distortion problem too. Eventually I started making plastic shells for my toolbags. Now I put them on everything that needs structural support. a lot of my customers tell me that my pieces feel like "a piece of armor" because of the shell. Look into high density polyethylene. You can fabricate it just like steel and all you need is an exacto knife and a soldering iron. shells will keep the bag in shape and prevent distortion.

[Pip]

Thats not a bad idea, can you get it anywhere or is it a specialist product?

Embarassingly i got the rivetting in the wrong sequence and had not cut the curves correctly, i had a fraction of a corner on one which threw out all the rivets, nightmare. Lacing was easier to fix.

[gearsmithy]

you can find it all over the place on line. I get mine from small parts (http://www.smallparts.com/)

[Pip]

thanks gearsmithy