Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on December 22, 2018, 02:26:58 pm
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I'm trying to put a leather handle on a bow. The kind that laces up the back. Most of my leather is recycled jackets and coats and it wants to tear out the lacing holes. Is that just a function of the crummy leather? I'm not pulling very hard but you have to get the slack out. Any hints? Links to Youtube?
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I just watched a Three Rivers Youtube on how to do this. He used Barge cement. I've never seem Barge around here (Canada). Is it just contact cement? He just coated one side and didn't let it dry. Contact cement you coat both sides and let it dry. Is this an alternate method of use?
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I've done this in the past with beavertail rawhide.Glue another layer of sounder leather on the under side along the seam before sewing it up.
I'll send you some scrap pieces of brain tan sometime for handle wraps.Gaurantee you they won't tear out.
I use the contact cement.
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Use better leather. Not only will they not teat out, it will probably feel better under your hand too.
I use deer hide and don't punch holes first, just sew it. 3M spray adhesive on the inside of the leather everywhere except where I'm sewing.
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Yep don't punch holes in this brain tan or rawhide.Just use a glover's needle to sew it.
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Barge cement is like a contact cement. I would think most leather from coats would be rather thin, so like said above,maybe double up around the seam edge. I go to a local Tandy( leather supply store) and rummage through their scrap bin and buy bundles of scraps for very cheap. Then I use the barge cement on the handle wrap, holding back from the seam edges, put a thin coat on 2 sides and belly side of bow handle, glue leather on then stitch. That way you don’t have to pull stitching quite so tight.
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Thanks guys. I just read the instructions for Barge and it's just contact cement. I guess the guy in the video found a new way to use it.
I had to look up glovers needle. What size do you recommend?
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Barge cement is like a contact cement. I would think most leather from coats would be rather thin, so like said above,maybe double up around the seam edge. I go to a local Tandy( leather supply store) and rummage through their scrap bin and buy bundles of scraps for very cheap. Then I use the barge cement on the handle wrap, holding back from the seam edges, put a thin coat on 2 sides and belly side of bow handle, glue leather on then stitch. That way you don’t have to pull stitching quite so tight.
The nearest Tandy's is over a day away and the leather shop wants an arm and a leg for the most useless scrap. I'll scout around. Do you let the glue dry as per the instructions or do you put it on wet?
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I keep a varied size selection around handy.It depends on thickness or size of your lace or string.
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I put it on both surfaces and spread thin with a toothpick, it only takes a few minutes to get tacky and I put theleather on. I use it more to hold the leather in place while I stitch, and it keeps the leather from slowly sliding around from extended use. I don’t try to put so much on to necessarily make a perminate bond in case I should ever want to remove it.
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What about wet forming the leather to your grip using large paper clamps to pull it tight until dry. That way once you trim the leather you don’t have to pull on the thread hard at all to pull it into place.
Kyle
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DC,,, punch the holes,,, then glue it on,, it will be stretched,,then sew it up,, pre stretched and glued,, it will look nice and not tear,, (f)
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I will try those. I wish I liked the Howard Hill grip. It would be easy, I think.
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X2 what Brad said.
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On my first few bows I folded the edge of the leather over a piece of piano wire, glued it and then punched the holes behind it. It worked well except for the last hole on the ends. Sometimes the wire would stick out or the hole would tear.
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Use better leather and it won’t tear. Pauly showed me a sweet method of using painters tape sticky side out, and then another layer sticky side down. Carefully cut it off and it gives a perfect template to cut the leather. Leather stretches a little more one way than the other, I like to keep the stiffer side for my stitching edge. Wet the leather, pat dry and it’ll really take on any form if you have a curvy handle.
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The cool thing about using good thicker rawhide[that is perfect fit using the tape fitting method] is that when sewn on wet[using tite bond 3 glue] you can wrap it with a masonary type string to create texture on your grip when it's dry.You can also alcohol dye that rawhide any color you want later too besides leaving it natural which is nice too.It'll slightly shrink around your handle and be tight as a drum.
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You could go online and order some better leather or go to some craft stores.
Here's how I do handles.
http://traditionalarchery101.com/leatherhandle.html
Jawge
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Here is an unstitched leather handle tutorial I made years ago. You could stitch it after you glue everything down. You get a very tight fit with your leather doing it this way. I now use a popsicle stick across the belly when I am cutting the overlapping ends. It bends to conform with the handle and is short enough to be easy to align with the centerline.
http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=108891.msg0#new
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Cool fellas...Nice demos of putting leather handles on.Both those ways are very good from my experience.
Well there ya go Don!!!Your package should arrive sometime next week.
I like the type leather handles DVS does too.
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Thanks for all the input guys. This has been a very productive thread for me. Info and BowEd is sending me a few pieces of his brain tan to try out. Very good of you Ed. I really appreciate it. I'll have to make a special bow for it. :D
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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,39604.msg527688.html#msg527688
Here's a build a long on handles I did some time ago. Double the edges about 1/2-3/4" and it will work fine
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Look for women's purses and wallets at thrift stores. Real leather ones are some of the best quality leather you can buy. My favorite brand is "fossil". I use the leather for making bow handles and shooting gloves. It's very supple and strong. The shooting gloves last for years with plenty of weekly shooting.
Great build alongs! I'll be using these suggestions in the future also!
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Jimmi, will you post pics of your shooting glove? ...and your process too if you have it.
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I wrote an article for PA several years back that was published with pictures. I may still have it in my archives. If so it's on a different computer and will have to look it up later. And I'll have to figure out how to post pictures on this site since I am basically computer illiterate!
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Cool fellas...Nice demos of putting leather handles on.Both those ways are very good from my experience.
Well there ya go Don!!!Your package should arrive sometime next week.
I like the type leather handles DVS does too.
Got the package today Ed! It's really nice. I wasn't expecting brain tanned to be that soft. That's deer hide, right? Now I just have to sort out how to cut it to get the most use out of this. Beautiful stuff, a lot of work I think. Thank you very much.
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Cool fellas...Nice demos of putting leather handles on.Both those ways are very good from my experience.
Well there ya go Don!!!Your package should arrive sometime next week.
I like the type leather handles DVS does too.
Got the package today Ed! It's really nice. I wasn't expecting brain tanned to be that soft. That's deer hide, right? Now I just have to sort out how to cut it to get the most use out of this. Beautiful stuff, a lot of work I think. Thank you very much.
Your welcome...It sounded like you were out in the boonies there for access to leather.That took longer than I thought but at least it arrived.That brain tan is kinda thin I know but enough to cover those handle splices nicely on those nice bows you've made.It'll glue and lace or sew up very easily for ya.
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Not out in the boonies, just one of those small towns where you just can't find stuff. It's quite normal for things to get hung up at the border for a few days. Thanks again :D
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You'll love that leather Don. Ed was kind enough to send me some a while back. It feels great in the hand, and I love it for arrow passes. Nice a quiet. :OK
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DC...Where I'm at here it's normal for the merchants to tell me that's all we got....Ha Ha.I just go on line and get it sent and save gas going to the big city a 1.5 hour drive 1 way....Ha Ha.