How do you fold leather straps?

[Anubis78]

I have the OMAC Star3000. It’s a good machine, however it’s folding options are limited unless you get them to make a special folder for you.   I was quoted about $300 fir a custom made folder. 

[sbrownn]

The dies look 3D printed, were they?

[RockyAussie]

14 hours ago, sbrownn said:

The dies look 3D printed, were they?

Yes they are and they work great once you get all of the design specs worked out. Video's coming soon.

 

19 hours ago, Anubis78 said:

I have the OMAC Star3000. It’s a good machine, however it’s folding options are limited unless you get them to make a special folder for you.   I was quoted about $300 fir a custom made folder. 

I am working on a range for the Cowboy strap cutter and folder combo machine at the moment and hope to get a few vids done shortly. The basic design is pretty easy to adapt to any machine and if you want to give me the width of strap and the thickness once folded I could make you them up for about $25 US dollars plus post (about $15 dollars to the states I think). Should be able to do quite a few sizes for the same postage cost. I would need the diameter of the rollers and the distance from the centre of the rollers to where you screw the folder plate down and the spacing between screws. Give me a week to get these video's done and I think you will be quite impressed.

Edited June 23, 2021 by RockyAussie

[sbrownn]

9 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Yes they are and they work great once you get all of the design specs worked out. Video's coming soon.

 

I am working on a range for the Cowboy strap cutter and folder combo machine at the moment and hope to get a few vids done shortly. The basic design is pretty easy to adapt to any machine and if you want to give me the width of strap and the thickness once folded I could make you them up for about $25 US dollars plus post (about $15 dollars to the states I think). Should be able to do quite a few sizes for the same postage cost. I would need the diameter of the rollers and the distance from the centre of the rollers to where you screw the folder plate down and the spacing between screws. Give me a week to get these video's done and I think you will be quite impressed.

You should just print and sell the dies.  I would imagine it took some trial and error to get the folding geometry worked out?

[RockyAussie]

5 hours ago, sbrownn said:

You should just print and sell the dies.  I would imagine it took some trial and error to get the folding geometry worked out?

I am working towards that but I am way quicker at designing stuff like this than I am at doing up video's to show case them unfortunately.

[Rahere]

This is the equivalent in cloth, if it helps: it shows how to make the binder material and then apply it.
In the case of a handle, you may use a rope filler in place of the cloth being bound. There's also a video out there somewhere showing how to skive the ends down to form an opened-out sewing tab.

[RockyAussie]

10 hours ago, Rahere said:

This is the equivalent in cloth, if it helps: it shows how to make the binder material and then apply it.
In the case of a handle, you may use a rope filler in place of the cloth being bound. There's also a video out there somewhere showing how to skive the ends down to form an opened-out sewing tab.

Thanks for the info on that @Rahere .that folding devise looks pretty good in action. Not video's yet but here are a couple pics showing some strap folding with my folding tools.

[Rahere]

There's another technique not shown, butt-joining fabric strips. If you do something like that in leather, you'll probably skive the edge to a feather along the line of the join, so you can fold and glue it back after sewing, maybe even stitching again on either side of the join to hold everything flat. It's still wise to join on the diagonal though as it spreads the weakness along the strap.

The issue of fabric thickness also happens in your jig, bringing the edges completely together in the centre doesn't allow for the thickness of the leather or any core when you fold it in half again. The middle has to stretch across two buried thicknesses within, so the edges should be that much apart, maybe more if using a core.

Edited June 25, 2021 by Rahere

[chrisash]

There are some nice looking double belt folders at College sewing at reasonable price and quite adjustable  https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/folders-attachments/suisei-folders-attachments/suisei-straight-folders/suisei-belt-loop-folders.html  

Edited June 25, 2021 by chrisash

[Rahere]

The thread on rolled handles just woke up, it's here. You'll find the video on there.