I was given some nice used leather straps that are 2.5x42x1/8" that were used as a part of a saddle that I would like to use for stropping material. The problem is that it is bent here and there, and has some slight curling. I want to make it flat for mounting to some nice oak I have, but I am not sure what is the best way to go about it. Does anyone have some advice on straightening leather? Thanks!
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Straightening leather for strops
- Thread starter Neeshac
- Start date
I've found 2 way to do it. The first and my recommendation is get some neatsfoot oil and apply it. This will soften the leather, then attach a small weight to one end and hang it. Over a day or two it should straighten it. The other way I found it get it wet and then put books or something to weigh the whole thing down while it drys with no extra heat. You will then need to apply neatsfoot oil or another oil that is ok for leather as it will be extremely dry.
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I use water as well but I take 2 planed boards 2.5"x2.5"x3' (mother-in-law's SO works at a mill and made them out of some hardwood so they wouldn't warp). I get it wet and use two little dabs of rubber cement at the ends to hold it in line in the bottom piece of wood then set the other piece on top and the. Take that sandwich and smash it in the vise.
Edited to add- Welcome to BLADEforums!
Edited to add- Welcome to BLADEforums!
That's a good idea. I think I have some hardwood scraps that I can use. Did you also use rubber cement to bond your leather to the wood? I was considering Gorilla Glue because it has bonded everything else I have ever tried it on.
BTW-thanks for the welcome!
Use ordinary 'contact cement' that you can find in an glue rack. Apply a thin layer to each side, let dry for 15 minutes or so until the surface is just tacky but not wet, then press together and either roll over it or tap it down with a rubber mallet. Contact cement is the ONLY glue used by professional leather workers, most using 'Barge' brand but these days most any brand will do. Gorilla Glue will work but you need to clamp it as it tends to expand when drying and might leave a somewhat bumpy surface. Even Elmer's white glue or Yellow woodworkers glue 'will work.' So will epoxy or ordinary Duco craft glue. But contact cement works best. Go over to the 'Sheaths and Such' sub-forum and ask there... The unanimous answer will be contact cement.
Stitchawl
Your answer is good enough for me sir. I will use contact cement. Thanks!
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On my leather strops I use gorilla glue (don't use to much!!), on my denim strops I use contact [rubber] cement. The gorilla glue you can apply and put the leather on the wood right away, with the contact cement make sure you let it "off gas" for 5 minutes after brushing it on. It'll keep the pieces from walking.
ETA: I clamp the freshly glued strop in the same way I do the leather to keep it perfect. From reading stitchawl's posts that's probably why I've never had an issue with bumps. As for the denim/contact cement its funny cause I use the head of a rubber mallet san's handle as a rolling pin to press the denim on.
My two personal strops (I've made many more to give away). That's a 6" DMT plate there for size
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On my leather strops I use gorilla glue (don't use to much!!), on my denim strops I use contact [rubber] cement. The gorilla glue you can apply and put the leather on the wood right away, with the contact cement make sure you let it "off gas" for 5 minutes after brushing it on. It'll keep the pieces from walking.
ETA: I clamp the freshly glued strop in the same way I do the leather to keep it perfect. From reading stitchawl's posts that's probably why I've never had an issue with bumps. As for the denim/contact cement its funny cause I use the head of a rubber mallet san's handle as a rolling pin to press the denim on.
My two personal strops (I've made many more to give away). That's a 6" DMT plate there for size
You know it did not hit me to use paint sticks. I can grab a few from Lowes. I have enough leather to do about 5 if I use paint sticks. Great idea!
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That's pretty much my method but using a little of my own flair with clamps. Fromm dressing is the ticket for me.
The edge will be riding on the surface of what ever you apply. If you put on a thick layer, it will ride on the surface. If you put on a thin layer, it will ride on the surface... No matter what you do, that edge is ONLY going to ride on the surface.
But some folks like to put on a thick coating, like some circus clown putting on grease paint. Nothing wrong with that. The stuff is cheap enough so that using more than you need won't cost more than a few pennies. They say that they can refresh the compound by just dipping a finger in oil and rubbing the surface. I guess if you like to dip your fingers in oil, that's as good a way as any to bring up more compound.
Others just apply enough to give a hint of color to the strop. And that's OK too... Remember, the edge is only going to ride on that surface.
To me, if you can still see some leather under/through the compound that's about the right amount. It doesn't even need to be a consistently even coating so long as it's smooth rather than chunky. (A bit bumpy is OK... The stropping action will smooth it out quickly or you can rub it smooth with the heel of your hand or a piece of cloth.)
When using a wax-based block of compound, I'll use it like a crayon and draw several strips or zigzags over the strop, then rub it for a minute to distribute the grit across the strop. I can still see plenty of leather, but as everything is going on at the micron level, I know that there is more than enough compound to get the job done. I might add a few more compound zigzags every few months, assuming I'm stropping several times a week. I prefer liquid or paste-based compounds only because I've found the grit size to be more consistent.
Experiment. Find out what works for you. You almost can't go wrong... unless you try using peanut butter for compound. (Actually, peanut butter DOES work as a polishing compound - for scratched DVDs! Smooth, not chunky.)
Stitchawl
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I use two 5-gal stir sticks (free at home improvement stores) gorilla glued together and then sand/shape the edge so they're really nice and won't give you splinters.