Glueing Leather?

[g4ghb]

I have a load of thin ~1mm leather and was wondering about the feasibility of glueing 2 or 3 together to obtain a thicker / stiffer 'stock'

So has anyone tried this before? if so how succesful was it / what glue did you use / how did you do it etc.....

Any suggestions / comments greatly apreciated!

 

[Ogri the trog]

g4ghb,
Hmm laminated leather - sounds good.
I've not tried myself but the idea is getting interesting. Assuming that you want to make shaped items, kinfe sheaths for example - I'd start out with one layer to the right dimensions, then add more layers on the outside, glueing and stitching as you go. I recon the finished result would be monster strong. As for a glue, I'm no expert, perhaps something like Evostick contact adhesive.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Shewie]

I`m probably completely wrong here as I`ve never tried it myself but I would have thought if you glued multiple pieces together then the glue would make everything rigid and not very flexible - if this is the effect you want then glue on ! perhaps sticthing would be a better option for flexibility.

Just a thought

:tapedshut

 

[g4ghb]

I`m probably completely wrong here as I`ve never tried it myself but I would have thought if you glued multiple pieces together then the glue would make everything rigid and not very flexible - if this is the effect you want then glue on ! perhaps sticthing would be a better option for flexibility.

Just a thought

:tapedshut

Hmmmmm - good point! - was thinking along the lines of Ogri and using evostick. I assumesd evostic would remain slightly flexable rather than very rigid!

Having said that it could do with stiffeneing up a little as it is very soft at the moment!

think I'll try a test and see how it works......... any other sugestions / comments peeps?

 

[jdlenton]

Is the leather you have dyed and finished yet ? if its not then you can soak the leather in water and the quicker you dry it out the harder it will become i would do a few tests first so you get the right hardnes as i'm not aware of a way back.

As for laminating the leather if it's for a sheath or a larger item i wouldn't bother i'd save you rglue and your time and get some thicker stock if it was for a strap on a bag or a clasp of some sort i've seen two thinner pieces laminated together with the grain side out to give a nice finish to both sides of the strap.

James

 

[match]

I've seen knife handles that have been made by cutting lots of round disks out of leather the diameter of the required handle, and then punching a hole into the middle of each disk, and pushing these onto the tang, followed by some kind of bolt at the end to keep them well compressed.

Appraently this is quite durable, and once the disks are all squashed on into a solid handle shape, it can be cut and trimmed with a knife to the desired shape.

http://www.knives.com/stiktang.html

Don't know if this is what you're after though....

 

[Hedgehog]

Possibly worth experimenting with contact adhesive & lamination though as has been suggested if you need strength & flexability then go for thicker stock. Evostick etc will remain flexable when dry but folding will place strain on the lamination, if the item is subject to constant folding then the lamination will probably suffer in the long run.

Leather stacked handles owe a fair bit of their strenth to the epoxy resin used to glue them together.

 

[Motorbike Man]

Possibly worth experimenting with contact adhesive & lamination though as has been suggested if you need strength & flexability then go for thicker stock. Evostick etc will remain flexable when dry but folding will place strain on the lamination, if the item is subject to constant folding then the lamination will probably suffer in the long run.

Leather stacked handles owe a fair bit of their strenth to the epoxy resin used to glue them together.

I'd have to disagree with that slightly Hedgehog as I've seen leather stacked handles with no epoxy at all, it's the compression that gives the majority of the strength, if it's done properly I do however agree that laminations that are subjected to a lot of flexing will eventually come apart, or wrinkle up and not look very nice.

 

[Toddy]

I've got a stacked leather handled knife that's over thirty years old and it's still rock solid despite a tremendous amount of use. I've used it both wet and dry and it's still my most comfortable handle. I just oil it occasionally.
Why not make something like a drawstring pouch from the fine leather? It works very well at that weight.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[g4ghb]

Why not make something like a drawstring pouch from the fine leather? It works very well at that weight.

Cheers,
Toddy

I've made quite a few of those now - it was more of an idea than a means to an end...... I think the general consensus is what i thought origionally before starting the thread that it's not going to work v well.....

Having said that..... being b****y minded and and of a scientific nature I feel it my duty to have a go and see how it turns out! - after all what have i to loose other than a couple of bits of leather, some glue and my time..... (plus all those fumes )

- I'll post an update with my findings ..... I feel a trip to B&Q comming on (its a hard life being a trendsetter! )

 

[Porcupine]

you could always go for a puzzlepouch,got no link for it but googling it should give you a pattern and some examples.

my brother made one for me and ive not seen many of em yet.



porc.

 

[Hawk Hawkins]

Ive been using plain old rubber cement to glue seams on leather articles before I punch the seamline. It seems to hold up and work pretty well. It dryes and stiffens the seam so a good even stitch line can be made. Ive tried laminating thinner leathers before...and it dont look good. Most of the work I do is for knife sheaths and small possibles bags.
Hawk

 

[g4ghb]

well i tested a small offcut using evostick impact and it peeled appare reasonably easliy! - I think it was due to the dye / tanning or whatever the shing coating is.......


..... so undeturred I moved into test phase 2 and sanded well, then wiped clean with meths for the next test, need to see what that is like tommorow!

So far it looks fine for what i want, slightly stiffer and thicker leather but time will tell!

 

[lord lurcher]

I've been up to a similar project, bostick do a leather glue, £1.99 for a tube, also i've been using a carpet tile adhesive and this works v. well! good luck with the trials

 

[g4ghb]

Well the test came out ok so I ended up with a sheath at the end of the day!


As it diddn't realy cost me anything I give it a huge thumbs up!

You can see the result here!

 

[C_Claycomb]

If you use a glue on wet forming leather, be sure to test a sample with whatever oil/finish you will use. A friend used a latex-like adhesive he was sold, suposedly for leather work, but it reacted to the neatsfood and went all gummy, oozed out of joints and got on the leather. Not the end of the world, but messy.

I have heard people in the US swear by Barge Cement (Identity store carries it). I have been using Pacer Technology's Zap-a-dap-a-goo, a contact adhesive by the company that does Zap-a-Gap cyanoacrylate glues. Despite the name it is very, very good stuff, not just on leather. It is lots stronger than evostick or Bostik.