Leather gluing question.

[Eriksen]

Does the quality and strength of the contact glue matter when gluing the sheath together before sewing, or should it just be an aid in order to keep the leather in place during sewing?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Your glue is very important, but you don't want contact glue. Use Eco-Flo Leather Weld. It basically makes the welt one solid piece of leather.

 

[Horsewright]

Yes it is very important and so is the bond. On a sheath you are trying to make the multiple layers look like one. Some glues make more of a "glueline" than others. On this sheath I made for one of Nathan's knives ya can see the welt edge. There is three layers of leather here, see no glue lines and ya can't really see the layers of the leather even. Thats what a guy is looking for.

With the stitched line back from the edge say 1/4" or so, you rely on the glue to keep the pieces together. I tried the Leather Weld when it first came out some years back and didn't like it. Didn't work for me and how I work. Doesn't mean it won't for you.

The leather industry standard is Barge Contact Cement. I quit that about 15 years ago, for several reasons. Lots of fumes that get ya high. Bad stuff. Haz Mat so expensive to ship. Ya need it and a special thinner. Messy and it didn't do a very good job on a lot of the oily chap leathers I work with making leggings. I was ripe for a change. A friend of mine, who is also a professional leather worker, turned me onto this. He found it because he and his wife had a new baby. He was at home doing leather work so he did the childcare while his wife had a job in town. Problem was because of the fumes of the Barge, his wife wouldn't let him take the baby out into the shop so he wasn't getting anything done. This is what he turned me onto:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Weldwood-128-fl-oz-Nonflammable-Contact-Cement-25336/100158175

I buy it by the gal at the local Depot and pour it into a squeeze ketchup bottle from the dollar store for application. I spread it out with those cheap foamy brushes and toss when done. No fumes, works on all leathers, thins and cleans up with water and an incredible bond and minimal glue lines. The only thing I've found it won't glue is a zipper ribbon so I do keep a very small bottle of regular contact cement on hand for the occasional zipper I might do on a travel bag or a pair of shotgun chaps. Here I'm gluing up a rifle scabbard. I will often use a Dixie cup if I don't want to go directly from the ketchup bottle to the project.

The water buffalo leather used on these leggings is pretty oily and some glues would have trouble with it but not this stuff.

I will also use this water buffalo as an overlay on sheaths. This stuff just works:

This is the only leather glue we use in our shop and we make a very wide variety of items with lots of different leathers. I mentioned the zippers already and the only other time is when the wife is making her Horseshoe Coasters. She uses clear Gorilla glue for that but she is glueing an iron horse shoe to leather.

 

[john april]

i think the glue quality is important. i know its not supposed to "hold the sheath together" but it can keep the blade edge from accidentally slipping in between the welt and outer layer and cutting the threads when sheathing/resheathing the knife.

 

[Tom Lewis]

Horsewright, I always enjoy your pictures. I also use the Weldwood contact cement.

 

[Eriksen]

I couldn´t find the weldwood contact cement for sale here in Norway, but I found another thin transparent contact cement called Pattex. Any experiences with that?

 

[Scaniaman]

I use Klebfest for leather. Great stuff, most leather suppliers have it. I'm in Sweden.

 

[Jrmysell]

Horsewright, I always enjoy your pictures. I also use the Weldwood contact cement.

Same! His posts are always great and I also use Weldwood (off his recommendation). I tried to make a belt with a bead inlay (think native american bead patterns) and it wouldn't hold that (probably similar to the zipper liners).

 

[Horsewright]

Horsewright, I always enjoy your pictures. I also use the Weldwood contact cement.

Thanks Tom!

Same! His posts are always great and I also use Weldwood (off his recommendation). I tried to make a belt with a bead inlay (think native american bead patterns) and it wouldn't hold that (probably similar to the zipper liners).

Good deal glad thats working for ya. Was your bead inlay on a synthetic material like a zipper ribbon? Travel bags:

Shotgun chaps, the zipper runs the full length of the leg under the fringe on the outside:

But nowadays I've found something different for the zippers and use basting tape. Works great on the travel bags and the shotgun chaps where the zipper line is pretty straight. I'm thinking it might work for your bead inlay too. My daughter in law sticking the zippers on the basting tape on a pair of shotguns we were making her:

Then sew:

And use:

These are really the only two projects that I use zippers on and I don't make an awful lot of those. I do keep a little bottle of this stuff around for those occasional projects. Mostly because the last pair of shotguns I made back in Oct I completely forgot about the basting tape and went old school and used this stuff on the zipper ribbons:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Weldwood-3-fl-oz-Original-Contact-Cement-00107/100195615

While I make many different types of leggings/chaps and only the shotguns have the zipper. Everything else is buckles:

 

[SS369]

Mr. Ferry, I can see why you stay busy!

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Horsewright,
I'm starting to suspect it isn't the fine leatherwork you enjoy photographing.

 

[Horsewright]

Horsewright,
I'm starting to suspect it isn't the fine leatherwork you enjoy photographing.

I only took one of those pics. Question is which one? Answer the dark brown shotgun chaps. I use to make a lot of shotguns but quit and this pair was really the straw that broke the camel's back. The other type of leggins with the buckles there is plenty of adjustment. Shotguns not so much obviously. The guy that ordered those missed the circumference of his own thigh by 4 inches. He gave me a measurement of 24" which is pretty common so no red flags. He was really a 28" thigh which is kinda hell for stout. But no fixing that. Took that pic and put em on the website and sold them overnight. A gal in Fl bought them and wore em out and I've since made her another pair. Sure there is a knife making lesson in there somewhere!

 

[Sam Wilson]

Horsewright Just to be clear, you are referring to the waterborne version of the DAP contact cement here? I have never used that for leather, but am not opposed to trying. Before putting it on some sheaths I just wanted to be sure. I much prefer waterborne products when the performance is there. Also, what is the tack up time, roughly? Thank you.

Sam

Yes it is very important and so is the bond. On a sheath you are trying to make the multiple layers look like one. Some glues make more of a "glueline" than others. On this sheath I made for one of Nathan's knives ya can see the welt edge. There is three layers of leather here, see no glue lines and ya can't really see the layers of the leather even. Thats what a guy is looking for.

With the stitched line back from the edge say 1/4" or so, you rely on the glue to keep the pieces together. I tried the Leather Weld when it first came out some years back and didn't like it. Didn't work for me and how I work. Doesn't mean it won't for you.

The leather industry standard is Barge Contact Cement. I quit that about 15 years ago, for several reasons. Lots of fumes that get ya high. Bad stuff. Haz Mat so expensive to ship. Ya need it and a special thinner. Messy and it didn't do a very good job on a lot of the oily chap leathers I work with making leggings. I was ripe for a change. A friend of mine, who is also a professional leather worker, turned me onto this. He found it because he and his wife had a new baby. He was at home doing leather work so he did the childcare while his wife had a job in town. Problem was because of the fumes of the Barge, his wife wouldn't let him take the baby out into the shop so he wasn't getting anything done. This is what he turned me onto:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Weldwood-128-fl-oz-Nonflammable-Contact-Cement-25336/100158175

I buy it by the gal at the local Depot and pour it into a squeeze ketchup bottle from the dollar store for application. I spread it out with those cheap foamy brushes and toss when done. No fumes, works on all leathers, thins and cleans up with water and an incredible bond and minimal glue lines. The only thing I've found it won't glue is a zipper ribbon so I do keep a very small bottle of regular contact cement on hand for the occasional zipper I might do on a travel bag or a pair of shotgun chaps. Here I'm gluing up a rifle scabbard. I will often use a Dixie cup if I don't want to go directly from the ketchup bottle to the project.

The water buffalo leather used on these leggings is pretty oily and some glues would have trouble with it but not this stuff.

I will also use this water buffalo as an overlay on sheaths. This stuff just works:

This is the only leather glue we use in our shop and we make a very wide variety of items with lots of different leathers. I mentioned the zippers already and the only other time is when the wife is making her Horseshoe Coasters. She uses clear Gorilla glue for that but she is glueing an iron horse shoe to leather.

 

[tim37a]

Stacy, I was starting to wonder the same thing.

 

[Horsewright]

Horsewright Just to be clear, you are referring to the waterborne version of the DAP contact cement here? I have never used that for leather, but am not opposed to trying. Before putting it on some sheaths I just wanted to be sure. I much prefer waterborne products when the performance is there. Also, what is the tack up time, roughly? Thank you.

Sam

Yeah Sam the stuff in the green can not the red can.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Weldwood-128-fl-oz-Nonflammable-Contact-Cement-25336/100158175

This is what I use.

Here we go equal opportunity:

Cowboys not cowboygirls:

 

[noseoil]

Tack time is a function of temperature & humidity. I use a heat gun when necessary. Work cleanly & keep dust out of the bond. The only time there's a problem with contact cement is either improper drying or dust settling in the bond, prior to sticking the surfaces. Otherwise the stuff just works.

For aircraft interior work we had a room with a sign reading "Simulated dust-free environment" which seemed to have worked well enough on headliners & upholstery...

 

[Cushing H.]

Stacy, I was starting to wonder the same thing.

My wife would have a conniption / seizure if she read this thread......

 

[Horsewright]

My wife would have a conniption / seizure if she read this thread......

Here we go, a few scenery shots:

We even tip toe through the tulips or whatever flower they are:

 

[Horsewright]

Sorry Sam forgot to address the tack up time. Just a few minutes really, pretty darn quick. If I glue up the front of the sheath its usually ready by the time I've got the glue on the back side. I spread it pretty thin too. if its drying white ya have it on too thick.

 

[Sam Wilson]

noseoil Yes of course, but it is also impacted greatly by which solvents are used, due to volatility. This is also true of waterborne versions as well, which contain a variety of solvents. That is what I was curious about.

Tack time is a function of temperature & humidity. I use a heat gun when necessary. Work cleanly & keep dust out of the bond. The only time there's a problem with contact cement is either improper drying or dust settling in the bond, prior to sticking the surfaces. Otherwise the stuff just works.

Horsewright Thank you very much, I appreciate it. I will give it a whirl and see how it works for me.


Sam

Sorry Sam forgot to address the tack up time. Just a few minutes really, pretty darn quick. If I glue up the front of the sheath its usually ready by the time I've got the glue on the back side. I spread it pretty thin too. if its drying white ya have it on too thick.