Easy way to install a leather wrap???

[Graciocues]

gracio are you glueing the wrap down or is that just your way to size it to the cue and then glue it down?

The tape just holds the wrap so I can get the seam cut.

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OP
Leather wraps are a simple task that takes practice. I think you need a good 10 wraps under to get a feel and 25 to perfect it. Keep trying and you'll get it figured out.

I've never used a wrap jig so I have no idea if they help. I've been told by many that I do a great wrap so I haven't had to spend the money on one.

 

[cueman]

I did leather wraps for years without a fixture. The angle iron seaming guide with bent in corners made the long seam easy enough to run straight. The ends always had a little extra on them that made the ends harder to get perfect. Seaming through the two overlapped pieces at once left more length than needed and was a real pain with stiff leathers to get right.

I have also taped the cue up with paper, cut that and used it for a leather template. So I do have some experience with preparing the wrap to exact size before gluing it on. That was my least successful method.

But the easiest way was with Angelo's leather template to get the end radius right. Then the seaming guide on a lathe made the other half of the DeAngelo no longer needed. So having done it a few different ways, I will say the template and seaming fixture has definitely made life much easier.

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

I will say the template and seaming fixture has definitely made life much easier.

Exactly......why make the job any harder than it is?
Whether you use a Hightower, Deangalo, Unique or what ever type fixture it is, you still have to learn how to use it. It's a tool.....just because you own a lathe and have a pile of wood doesn't make you a cuemaker. You have to learn technique....you have have know what the tool is capable of and what it isn't. On the other side you have know your leather and the different types that will and will not do some things.
Many times it's the indian and not the arrow. Learn your tools and educate yourself on the medium. Only then will you install flawlessly.

 

[whammo57]

thanks

Normally this is done in the lathe but not necessary.

Nice .. easy method..... I know it would take some practice to get the technique down.

Thanks for sharing.

Kim

 

[cueman]

Exactly......why make the job any harder than it is?
Whether you use a Hightower, Deangalo, Unique or what ever type fixture it is, you still have to learn how to use it. It's a tool.....just because you own a lathe and have a pile of wood doesn't make you a cuemaker. You have to learn technique....you have have know what the tool is capable of and what it isn't. On the other side you have know your leather and the different types that will and will not do some things.
Many times it's the indian and not the arrow. Learn your tools and educate yourself on the medium. Only then will you install flawlessly.

Very good post. I once had a customer insist that my fixture was leaving his two halves of the leather too long. I suspected he was cutting through both halves at once, instead of seaming each half separately, but he insisted he was doing it just like the DVD said. So finally I took the fixture back and sold it to another guy, who calls me up after only doing a couple of wraps bragging about how perfect they were coming out. To this day I do not understand what the first customer was doing wrong, but I would guess if I could have watched him I would have figured it out pretty fast.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Very good post. I once had a customer insist that my fixture was leaving his two halves of the leather too long. I suspected he was cutting through both halves at once, instead of seaming each half separately, but he insisted he was doing it just like the DVD said. So finally I took the fixture back and sold it to another guy, who calls me up after only doing a couple of wraps bragging about how perfect they were coming out. To this day I do not understand what the first customer was doing wrong, but I would guess if I could have watched him I would have figured it out pretty fast.

I once had a fixture that made the seam cut uneven. I wasted a few leathers on it . Then it dawned on me to test it with a fine-tipped pen. I ran a tape up and down on the handle . I lined it with a fine tip on one side then the other side. True enough, the two lines were off. I then measured the face of the bar from both sides. Somehow it was some 20thou off on one side. I sent it for repair. They repaired it .
ps
Is there really an EASY way to install leather ?
Skill and practice make it easier .
Sure, you can have Ernie's jig too but he designed it .
Shown here is an old Mali cue I practiced on.
That's the seam side .

 

[scdiveteam]

I have wrap fixture (I wont mention who) that I have not been all that happy with. Wanted to try something new - before I try would like to get some input.

Why couldnt someone sand the wrap grove down to the leathers thickness and using a piece of irish linen determine the "length" of the top and bottom of the wrap (circumferences). Then measure the length of the needed wrap. Using a wrap blank you have all the measurements now - using a ruler draw a straight line down the middle of the wrap blank. At right angles mark the top and bottom of where you plan to cut (length of wrap). Now take your pieces of irish linen - fold in half and mark the length to the right and left at both the top and bottom.

It would appear you could just cut out a perfectly measured wrap and install. I am sure someone has tried this - has it worked?

Hi,

Like any skill set, experience with good results breeds confidence. Making mistakes and implementing corrective actions is the best teacher.

Trust your fixture and you will gain confidence. Do 50 wraps or so and you will learn by all of the little adjustments you have to make. Here are a few things that hung me up for awhile and might help you:

1. Use a flat edged safety razor, not the utility blade because they have a pronounced beveled edge and will screw up the precision of the 2 straight geometry range lines you have to marry. The safety razor will remain flatter on the cutting bar. This makes a huge difference, at least it did for me. Buy 100 at a time in a box and dedicate yourself to only making one cut per edge. After making 2 cuts with one blade I put them in a used blade box and reuse them for other tasks but I never cut leather twice with the same edge. If you think this is a little anal, just inspect the blade under a microscope before and after cutting one piece of leather.

2. Like Dave pointed out, wraps react and stretch differently so I would not try a Lizard for example until you are completely 100% confident in the 2 seam cuts lining up because some materials won't stretch that much.

3. Learning the final elevation tweak of the step to match the leather thickness takes practice and observation skills. Too high is no good and too low is better but still no good. It has to be perfect. It is a good idea to have lots of wraps around and mic them, then write the size on the back.

I stock about 100 wraps ranging from .019 to .026. It's easier to match a wrap than to do too much adjusting by sand or filing. This is what I call the danger zone, one little false move and you can mar the finish and have to re spray, wet sand and buff again.

4. When you glue the initial section of the wrap while lining up your pencil marks only glue up about a 3/4" section and make sure it is set before cutting the leather. By doing a smaller initial area it gives you a little wiggle room for stretching but does not hurt you if you don't have to stretch that much. After trying different glues, I prefer tight bond with a few spritz of water.

Use and master the use of the fixture. Keep up your efforts with a keen eye and question everything when you don't get the results you want. Before you know it, you will become very confident in the outcome before you even start.

Rick G

 

[Lexicologist71]

Chris Hightower has a great step-by-step method to install leather wraps in his book. If you hate using your fixture, you should get his book. It makes perfect sense.