How to make a waxed leather water bottle (Photo tutorial)

[RonW]

And I have to say that I now own one of Eric's end products and it looks great!
Very craftsmanlike made and very neatly finished. Just the inspiration I needed to want and make one of my own and with this visual tutorial I can't go wrong.
I will test it's waterholding capabilities tomorrow.

 

[mrcairney]

I'm bookmarking this as I was only saying last week I'd love to have a flagon. Isn't that what you'd call this? Thanks Eric, very informative.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I'm bookmarking this as I was only saying last week I'd love to have a flagon. Isn't that what you'd call this? Thanks Eric, very informative.

No, this is just a drinking flask. A flagon is more like a wide bottle with a flat bottom that will allow it to stand on its own and have a carrying/pouring handle attached on one side. It may also have a pouring spout formed into the top.

 

[mrcairney]

Thanks Eric, you learn something new every day!

 

[Lou]

You can get beeswax from eBay. So good to see this tutorial here Eric. thanks.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Brill.
Me thinks another pdf may be called for

 

[Eric_Methven]

Brill.
Me thinks another pdf may be called for

Are you asking me to make this into a downloadable PDF file Kev? I will if there is interest.

Eric

 

[RonW]

More interest here!!

 

[Whittler Kev]

Already added to my collection thanks

 

[tomongoose]

Great tutorial!

 

[Eric_Methven]

Thanks guys. I'll be making more flasks and some tankards in the next couple of weeks, so I'll try and find time to do a tankard tutorial next.

Eric

 

[lannyman8]

thanks Eric, leather is not my thing and you make it look so easy too....

regards.

chris.

 

[hairyhippy]

A tankard tutorial would be amazing. Thank you for spreading your knowledge so freely.

 

[Eric_Methven]

A tankard tutorial would be amazing. Thank you for spreading your knowledge so freely.

No problem. I've already started it this afternoon. Gimme about a week to complete it though as I am making a bunch of them, some more flasks and a couple dozen shot cups. Those will take a while to stitch, then I wax them all together in one all night session.

 

[Springheeljack1]

I enjoyed that a lot, thanks for passing on your knowledge to the rest of us.

 

[durulz]

I made myself a leather water bottle some time ago.
But I have found that after a couple of hours the water inside starts discolouring.
I didn't dye the leather, so it's not the dye leeching into the water.
Anyone got any idea what's causing it? Maybe it needs more wax (or maybe the wax is discolouring it - I doubt it, since the water is more like the colour the water turns when you immerse leather in water. Which makes me think the discoloration is coming from the leather. But it doesn't leak, so surely the leather is sealed?)?

 

[Eric_Methven]

I made myself a leather water bottle some time ago.
But I have found that after a couple of hours the water inside starts discolouring.
I didn't dye the leather, so it's not the dye leeching into the water.
Anyone got any idea what's causing it? Maybe it needs more wax (or maybe the wax is discolouring it - I doubt it, since the water is more like the colour the water turns when you immerse leather in water. Which makes me think the discoloration is coming from the leather. But it doesn't leak, so surely the leather is sealed?)?

It very much depends on how you waxed it (oven versus hot dipping for example). It can be sealed on the outside OK and not leak, but if insufficient wax is on the inside, or if a section was missed, the leather there will be in direct contact with the liquid. It also depends on the quality and tanning method of the leather, and whether it readily absorbs molten wax into its fibres. Not all leathers do. You say you didn't dye the leather, but was it pre-dyed? Tell me a bit more (veg or chrome tanned, oriiginal colour, thickness of leather etc,.) and I'll see if I can shed any more light on the problem.

Eric

 

[durulz]

Thanks for your help, Eric.
It was natural veg tanned leather.
I dipped the bottle in molten wax rather than using the oven. I did it very much as you described.
I wonder if I may not have had it in the wax long enough - I had made a previous bottle and it went like crispy bacon, so I was concerned that the second one didn't go the same way. It could have been that I had the wax too hot and didn't leave the bottle in long enough for the wax to penetrate all the way through.
In future I will not have the wax so hot (I like your bain marie idea) and leave it in a little longer.
Maybe that was it?
Cheers, once again.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Thanks for your help, Eric.
It was natural veg tanned leather.
I dipped the bottle in molten wax rather than using the oven. I did it very much as you described.
I wonder if I may not have had it in the wax long enough - I had made a previous bottle and it went like crispy bacon, so I was concerned that the second one didn't go the same way. It could have been that I had the wax too hot and didn't leave the bottle in long enough for the wax to penetrate all the way through.
In future I will not have the wax so hot (I like your bain marie idea) and leave it in a little longer.
Maybe that was it?
Cheers, once again.

OK, that sounds like it could be the problem. Honestly, a double bath is essential. You want to melt the wax but keep it at the boiling point of water, and no hotter. As a guide to how long to keep it in the wax, the best indication is the bubbles that come to the surface.

The hot wax will expel the air in the leather. When there are no more bubbles, the leather is saturated with wax. For a flask, or tankard this can take four or five minutes. many people just dunk it in and whip it back out. It doesn't work that quick.

In fact, because you are controlling the temperature of the wax with a bain marie (double boiler), you can leave the leather in there for ages without fear of it "cooking".

I dropped a shot cup off the old wire chip scoop I use to imerse these and it sank to the bottom. I left it there while I dipped all the rest, did three tankards and some leather tablet weaving cards. I fished it out about forty minutes later and it was perfectly fine. When they were all wiped, dried and polished I couldn't tell which one had been in there the longest.

Eric

 

[Indoorsout]

Man I really want to have a go at that! Money and materials lol, they get me all the time. I'm more focused on carving right now though. Great tutorial Eric, you are the king of leather!