leather forming question


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Cahlan

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Can already used and soft leather like that on a tool belt pouch be wet formed and stiffened for use as a sheath or is it stuck the way it is?
 
Depends on the pouch I guess,but usually soft leather stays soft. Different tanning process. You could try boiling it though...Jon
 
Everytime I try to reform leather like that it ends up having ripples in the leather where the original turns and folds where in the first place. If you boiled it it might flatten out but Im just not sure. Let us know how it goes.
 
Hard to say at a distance, but as it has been said above:
it may get stiffer for awhile, but probably will not stay that way.
I would try to find some better leather if it was me.
 
I recently found a book binding press. I've been trying to think of a use for it. I'm going to try clamping some used leather in it to see if it will flatten and then see if it will form differently.
 
If you make a good wooden or plastic model of what you're trying to sheath with the soft leather and maybe double up the layers with a good leather glue, you could try wet forming the item using lots of clamps or plenty of weight and thick padding like folded towels to press it. Let it dry completely, then wax it heavily. It should stiffen up a bit.

You could also try wet forming it flat with lots of weight before forming it. It will probably have surface blemishes and discolorations from the previous shape, but dyeing and waxing should cover most of that up.

Use the snot out of it and everything should blend together into a well loved piece of gear!
 
yeah that was my secondary idea then all i have to do is lace through some pull cords.
 
Cahlan said:
Can already used and soft leather like that on a tool belt pouch be wet formed and stiffened for use as a sheath or is it stuck the way it is?
Click to expand...

I've done it using vacumme forming (Food Saver) to get the shape the way I wanted it, then letting it dry... REALLY Dry, then submerging in in beeswax that had been heated to 180 degrees or so and letting it soak until all the bubbles stopped... I don't have the sheath any longer, but last time I saw it, it was still doing well.
-dhs
 
Veg tanned leather can be boiled and stiffened. It probably wont work if it has a lot of oil in it. upholstery leather will pretty much stay soft no matter what you do.

Bob
 
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