attempting leather wrap

[BHQ]

i made this conversion cue for myself. this is my second attempt at doing leather wrap. 1st attempt, was disastrous. 2nd attempt, not quite so disastrous but still ugly.
a few guys on az have given me some advice, but easier said than done for me. i've never seen one done, but i'll keep trying,
provided there are enough cows around!!!

 

[Regulator1956]

i made this conversion cue for myself. this is my second attempt at doing leather wrap. 1st attempt, was disastrous. 2nd attempt, not quite so disastrous but still ugly.
a few guys on az have given me some advice, but easier said than done for me. i've never seen one done, but i'll keep trying,
provided there are enough cows around!!!

Try posting in the "Ask the Cuemakers" section for some tips and advice.

 

[bruin70]

it's always going to be messy when you start out. have you tried slightly overlapping the ends and the cutting through both AT AN ANGLE with an exacto blade. take away the excess, and theN burnish down the overlapping leather.

 

[cuesmith]

it's always going to be messy when you start out. have you tried slightly overlapping the ends and the cutting through both AT AN ANGLE with an exacto blade. take away the excess, and theN burnish down the overlapping leather.

No disrespect meant to bruin70, but that's exactly what you don't want to do. By overlapping the leather and cutting, the leather is too long. The fact that it's raised up on top of the lower piece when you make the cut, causes problems. You need a jig that allows you to cut each end individually and with a few thousands gap. There are a few people making these jigs but they are not cheap. I made my own, but the ones I've seen for sale to cuemakers were in the $500-600 range. If you do enough leather wraps, it's a bargain. Also invest in as many of the lesser expensive wraps, to get your chops down, as you can, before you get into the exotic skins. There's definately a learning curve to doing leather wraps, but once you get the hang of it, they're not too bad. David Kersenbrock was one of my mentors. On a visit to his shop many years ago, he told me that it takes him less time to do a leather wrap than it does an irish linen one. I can't say that myself, because I just don't do that many and I take my time, but I can see how someone who did them regularly could get very fast at it.

Brent, stop by the shop again and I'll give you a couple of pointers on how to make a jig and show you a couple of tricks to doing leather wraps.


just more hot air!
Sherm

 

[BHQ]

leather wrap

sherm, i was hoping you would jump in here. i didn't want to bother you, i know you're busy.

that's the first mistake i made, overlapping it, then cutting seam. it was too long exactly as you say. my second mistake is my wrap groove isn't squared off with a clean crisp edge. i can't cut a groove with my lathe, i sanded the wrap groove in.
i've got two more wraps coming this week from atlas and then i'll hook up with ya.
what'd ya think of the conversion cue me & dale did?
he says he still owes you two cheese coneys.
with the accumulated interest on that bet, i'd ask for five!!!! at least!!

 

[shakes]

To square up the edges of the groove without a metal lathe, try a file. That's what one of the manufacturer's of one of the jigs Sherm suggested tells you to do.

~Shakes

 

[bruin70]

No disrespect meant to bruin70, but that's exactly what you don't want to do. By overlapping the leather and cutting, the leather is too long. The fact that it's raised up on top of the lower piece when you make the cut, causes problems.

just more hot air!
Sherm

ok...well you know what the purpose of the overlap/angle cut is, right? so you could burnish the top into the bottom better. because there is less "meat" , the edge being thinner,,,is a soft blend. the more the angle, the finer the top piece, the finer the blend. as in the attached pic.

i understand what you are saying but, aren't the leather wraps everyone is using today too thin for any minor discrepency in length? also, when you burnish, the top leather gets smoothed down even to the bottom

that's the way i wallpaper to get a "seamless" join.

anyway, i guess modern technology has eliminated the need. what an age we live in