What Type of Leather Should I Use for Striking Buttons on Chisels?

[Tom LaRussa]

I went looking for leather scraps today to make striking buttons for the chisel hands I'm working on.

What I found is a rather bewildering variety of stuff, all called leather:

different thicknesses
different processing
different animals
different parts of the same animal
raw vs tanned hides
etc.
I assume I need to use something that's relatively hard, but I can't even figure that out.

HELP!

[Mike Chrest]

Tom,

What I've done in the past is go to Goodwill or Amvets and look for a big leather shoulder bag. You want something with full grain leather. It will be thick so you don't have to make a zillion washers:D . I used a big punch to cut the washers and carpenters glue. A $2.00 bag should fix up all your chisels. Well mabe not all the chisels you have;) .
Good luck,
Mike

[Bob Smalser]

You can use anything.

But the best results come from vegetable-tanned tooling leather available on Ebay and from Tandy Leather.

It glues the best and finishes the best.

Old belts and shoes are usually chrome-tanned leather which is so full of salts it doesn't hold up as well to glue or finish.

And next time, you'll find it a whole lot easier to glue on your leather before you finish your handles on the lathe. Turns and sands just dandy right along with the wood.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=11538&highlight=chisels

[Jerry Crawford]

how about non-traditional material? Why does it HAVE to be leather? Try something like nylon. Or an iron cap like a large spike head inset into the end. :D

[Tom Scott]

how about non-traditional material? Why does it HAVE to be leather? Try something like nylon. Or an iron cap like a large spike head inset into the end. :D

Jerry...Jerry...Jerry...
Are you really proposing to take a nice 50+ year old chisel that has been lovingly restored with a custom turned cocbolo handle, and then nail a piece of neon orange plastic to the end? :eek:

Would you do this? I didn't think so...

Tom

[Dan Gill]

I use only genuine Saskatchewan seal skin. :D

[John Dingman]

Tom,

I'm with Bob on this one. Get it from Tandy Leather Company (http://www.tandyleather.com/)

John

[Jerry Crawford]

Jerry...Jerry...Jerry...
Are you really proposing to take a nice 50+ year old chisel that has been lovingly restored with a custom turned cocbolo handle, and then nail a piece of neon orange plastic to the end? :eek:

Would you do this? I didn't think so...

Tom

:D OK Tom,.... I accept this as a challenge to my imagination .... and a "design opportunity" ;)

Given: an old flea market pickup chisle and the tools and materials found in your own wood shop;

Task: rehandle that chisel in a manner demonstrating an understanding of non-traditional design and cresative use of the materials;

Conditions: as set down by the chalanger & modified by the original thought; cocobolo (or similar), a nail, neon orange plastic and/or nylon ;

Standards: bring the tool back to an acceptable lever of usefulness for which it was originally intended.

:p
BTW - Tom L, PM me your address and i"ll send you a piece of heavy cowhide to make your buttons from

[Tom Scott]

I use only genuine Saskatchewan seal skin. :D

I know there are lots of those Saskatchewan seals over at Eagle Mountain Lake, eh Dan? ;)

Tom

[Dan Gill]

Yeah. They actually swim around the east coast, into the gulf, and up the Trinity.

Doesn't anyone remember Super Dave? He always used only genuine Saskatchewan seal skin bindings. I always loved the one where he was going to bungee jump off the world's tallest radio tower and got knocked off without the cords.

[Tom LaRussa]

:D OK Tom,.... I accept this as a challenge to my imagination .... and a "design opportunity" ;)

Given: an old flea market pickup chisle and the tools and materials found in your own wood shop;

Task: rehandle that chisel in a manner demonstrating an understanding of non-traditional design and cresative use of the materials;

Conditions: as set down by the chalanger & modified by the original thought; cocobolo (or similar), a nail, neon orange plastic and/or nylon ;

Standards: bring the tool back to an acceptable lever of usefulness for which it was originally intended.

Jerry,

I'm confused. (Nothing new, I know.) Are you going to make this Franken-Chisel -- :eek: :p -- or are you challenging me to do it?



BTW - Tom L, PM me your address and i"ll send you a piece of heavy cowhide to make your buttons from
That would be awesome! :D :D :D

[Tom LaRussa]

And next time, you'll find it a whole lot easier to glue on your leather before you finish your handles on the lathe. Turns and sands just dandy right along with the wood.
DOH!

I have that firmly in mind now. In fact, I applied the same principal to the ferruled Swan I did the other day. Put the ferrule on before cutting the end to length, then put the chisel back on the lathe to polish the ferrule.

WORKS GREAT!

[Jerry Crawford]

Jerry,

I'm confused. (Nothing new, I know.) Are you going to make this Franken-Chisel -- :eek: :p -- or are you challenging me to do it?


Tom, that reply was directed to Tom Scott who was gently (& tongue-in-cheek I hope:p) chiding me for suggesting the use of mixed media. ;) I was just doing a fools over elaboration of the possibilities for coming up with the answer. Although, I do have an old Witherby and that piece of Snakewood :rolleyes: hmmmm?

[Tom Scott]

Tom, that reply was directed to Tom Scott who was gently (& tongue-in-cheek I hope:p) chiding me for suggesting the use of mixed media. ;) I was just doing a fools over elaboration of the possibilities for coming up with the answer. Although, I do have an old Witherby and that piece of Snakewood :rolleyes: hmmmm?

Jerry,
Don't worry...definitely tongue-in-cheek prodding on my part.
Snakewood seems appropriate for a nice Witherby. I would suggest clear plastic and a bronze nail, though, instead of the neon orange. Just seems more fitting.

Tom Scott

[Jerry Crawford]

I'll consider it Tom, but acquiring bronze is a bit hard this time of year. :p