The Stacked Leather Project

We've got a really nice solid block, about 3.8 inches. That's down from a dry 5.75" (6" wet before pressing). It may expand a bit from there but not much. Took it out of the press this morning and am letting it cure a bit before cutting on the bandsaw this afternoon. That will help the inside dry out.

Glad I added a few pieces from it's original 5" stack, I got nervous that it would compress too much and I'd have less than 3.5. Those extra pieces put us right where we want to be.

This is kind of dry stuff, let me know if you enjoy the details or if they're too much.
 
Redmeadow Knives said:
Made a new press for making stacked leather blocks. 1" steel top and bottom plate with 1.25" paperstone in between and 1/2 all thread. The steel should keep any flex out and the paperstone will keep the leather flat and clean. Used what I had laying around minus the all thread.

I've crumpled the frame on my cheapo hydraulic press and tweaked the threads on a Wilton vice compressing leather before. This should get us the pressure we need, my only concern is the threads stripping over time but that's easy enough to replace.

It'll make 5"x6" blocks up to a foot tall if need be lol. It should keep everything straight and even while compressing.
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Do I undertsand correctly now John that this is all you use to compress your stacked leather - this tightened up evenly with wrenches? You are no longer using a conventional mechanical press?
 
RayseM said:
Do I undertsand correctly now John that this is all you use to compress your stacked leather - this tightened up evenly with wrenches? You are no longer using a conventional mechanical press?
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This is the contraption I came up with, creates more pressure and a denser block than anything I've tried before.
20230210_165429-01.jpeg

In the past I've used a vise and a small hydraulic press, it was hard to keep straight and the pressure completely twisted the frame of the press and wore out the screw of the vise. This would need to bend a one inch steel plates and 1.25" countertops to lose pressure, not gonna happen lol. You'd be amazed how much pressure four 1/2" nuts on threaded rod can create.
 
Excellent! Thank you John. As we have talked about this before and I asked for your advice - the few times I have stacked leather (one knife at a time) I heard you in the back of my head talking about the hydraulic press but without one I could only tighten my nuts (all 4 of them). I hope that I could generate enough pressure. So far both knife handles have held up well. Glad to see you confirming my method. Works great for stacked birch bark too. My jig is just dense ply and 4 threaded rods with oversized washers but for one knife handle rather than your 12 handle jobber I am good to go.

This is my most recent. It is super humble compared to your exquisite stacked leather knives but it holds together and works great as a knife.

Leather-puukko-and-sheath.jpg
 
RayseM said:
Excellent! Thank you John. As we have talked about this before and I asked for your advice - the few times I have stacked leather (one knife at a time) I heard you in the back of my head talking about the hydraulic press but without one I could only tighten my nuts (all 4 of them). I hope that I could generate enough pressure. So far both knife handles have held up well. Glad to see you confirming my method. Works great for stacked birch bark too. My jig is just dense ply and 4 threaded rods with oversized washers but for one knife handle rather than your 12 handle jobber I am good to go.

This is my most recent. It is super humble compared to your exquisite stacked leather knives but it holds together and works great as a knife.

View attachment 2463736
Click to expand...
That looks great Ray, nice even rings! Don't be afraid to soak them with oil now and again. Mo pressure mo better in my opinion and it looks like you've got enough. After twisting my cheap hydraulic press into a pretzel, I went overkill on the new design, plus it was from materials I had laying around.
 
Perhaps a dumb question but here goes. How do you cut the blocks once they are pressed?
 
Mack - I simply rough shape with a bandsaw and/or rasps and sanding belts depending on the final shape. Most of my handles are finished to size with rasps and strips of abrasives. Not sure how John tackles the shaping.
 
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