If one were to look for a good source of soft leather straps, preferably in a few different widths and lengths where would one start looking?
The only thing I’ve found online so far has been stuff like Tandy leather, which only sells the hard cowhide stuff that digs into your flesh as you play. I’ve seen and used the softer varieties of leather (chrome tanned maybe??) and found them to be much more to my liking.
In a prefect world, I’d like to find a couple of straps: one at 7/8" wide, and one at about 5/8" wide. I like the look of black, and I guess I could dye it if needed but would prefer this to be done already. Pre punched belt holes too much to wish for too??
I would check locally before trying to shop on-line. The quantites you want are very small. Probably luggage grade leather would be soft enough for what you want. Perhaps you could try some of the people in your area who make custom leatherwork for horse or motorcycle saddelry, custom footwear, or crafty leather belt makers. These people have tons of scraps of different types, thicknesses, colours, etc. They can also put you in contact with suppliers in your area if they don’t have what you want on hand.
Have tried many of the local outfitters and supply shops with no luck - but I think the suggestion to try and track down local individuals may be a good route to go. Thanks. I’ll give it a shot.
Seriously, though, I know a local leatherworker’s shop that throws out garbage bags full of scraps every week. The guy who runs it says he can barely get the bags out to the curb before people are rummaging through them. Any straps or small belts I got from him were only a few bucks, with buckles, not the prices on these web sites.
Brian, are there any craft fairs or rennaissance festivals out your way? These events are usually thick with leather workers and their wares. I’m sure you might be able to pick up some of their scrap leather pretty cheap. I used to do a lot of leather work, and still have a box of scraps laying around somewhere…though I got rid of most of them when I moved to Florida 4 years ago. If you like, I can rummage through what I have left and see what I can find for you. What is it in particular that you are looking for?
Specifically, I’m looking for black, ‘chrome tanned’ belt blanks between 5/8" and 7/8" wide. I’ve got the buckles here easy enough. It’s not so much the belt that I’m having trouble finding - it’s the ‘chrome tanned’ stuff. No one seems to carry that.
Looks like Tony’s got you well covered here. I checked my scraps and I do no thave anything that is long enough for a belt blank. Thanks for the links Tony, that buffalo hide is great stuff, I may have to avail myself of some.
The blanks from Tandy, aka the Leather Factory, are usable if you don’t mind working with them a bit. Dyed and properly treated, with neatsfoot oil or other leather softener, they make excellent belts for bellows. The attached picture of one of my bellows uses 3/4" belts. The leather is soft and doesn’t dig in. The brass belt buckels and rivets used on the belts all came from Tandy.
I’m lucky enough to have a Tandy/Leather Factory Store location in my home town, Harrisburg, PA. While their retail prices are high, they do have scrap bins loaded with belt blanks. You may not get a full 72" or 60" piece as sold in the retail package, but you can usually get enough to make a proper belt at a cheaper price. If you are close to any of their stores it may be worth a look. Their stores are listed on their web site. http://www.leatherfactory.com/
BTW, I get a very nice leather there for bellows, it’s a heavy weight used to make motorcycle chaps. It comes in black and a dark brown. I’ve never had to seal a set of bellows with this stuff.
It’s approximately 3/32". I have a couple of gussets cut out. I’ll measure the exact thickness tonight and post the number in inches and mm. The leather is thicker than that on the bellows that came with my Lynch 1/2 set, but it is soft and flexibale enoughfor this application. I’ve used thinner pieces, but on those bellow, the leather would balloon first before the air got pushed out. It wasn’t as efficient as the bellows I’m making now.
There’s a saddle shop here in Ogden that will cut anything you want and add the buckles, etc. I bought stuff to make a sword scabbard for daughter-Eowyn’s Halloween costume, and it was quite reasonable. They don’t always have black leather in, but I could check before I come down on Saturday for ye Scottish Games.
The leather I am presently using is about 1.8mm or 0.071". I was trying to find leather a little thicker. If you leather is 3/32" it is 0.094" or 2.4mm. It is flexible and it isn’t stretchy though.
You definitely want a thick leather for the hinge, in my opinion, to reduce twisting.
Also, What glue do you use? I was using one glue that I found dries quite stiff. I have switched to a flexible glue, which I think is needed for the back part of the bellows where the pieces over-lap.
Pre-punched holes? Just get a leather hole punch. They carry those at the local hardware store, probably, but I use an old one my Dad used making harness stuff for his ponies, horses and mules back in the late 40’s. I inherited his old toolbox.
Doug,
I measured the thickness of one of the gussets I have cut out. It is at least 3/32 - 2.5mm.
One the hinge, I’m using a piece of leather that is 3/16 -5mm thick. The way I cut my gussets, there is not much leather folding back into the bellow. I think this is giving me more internal volume and the thick hinge absorbs all the stress. At least I hope so. It’s been in use for a year now and I haven’t had any problems.
I use pure silicone caulking (smells like vinegar) to glue the gusset ends together. I also saddle stitch the ends and rub in some more caulking into the stitches.
I use the same silcone to glue the gusset to the wood. I use 1/2 cherry for the clappers. After it dries, I use 1/2 staples all around. The silcone secures the leather to the wood very well, but I wouldn’t use it w/o the staples or some type of tack. BTW, you can really glob on the silicone, as the excess rubs of the wood and finished side of the leather very easily.
Jim
Ya, make mine with studs! 