Frustrated rookie trying to learn how to do leather wraps...aarrrgggg

[santeetech]

I come here in hopes of finding some help cause I am trying to learn how to put leather wrap on and am so frustrated. Screwed up the first three I tried.

I got the fixture that Pete Tonkin put together, so I am dead sure it's not the equipment. Pete's been as much help as he can be over the phone.

I used Weldwood glue 1st, switched to the thinner Weldwood (its white), cant get a good bond at the ends of the seam.

I prepped the cue to make sure there was not any residual glue from the irish linen that was on it.

The cue I used for "class" had a little bulge in the handle, sanded the bulge out.

The seam is close, but it just doesn't look A+.

Any help or direction to look for help would be so cool. Maybe I'm just one tip from getting it right.

Thanks all, either way

 

[masonh]

are you letting the contact cement tack up for about 10 minutes before you apply wrap?

 

[dave sutton]

i dont use contact cement unless i have to built the handle up with epoxy. i use elmers glue rubber cement. less mess and it rubs off with your finger. whatever you are putting on the edges of the handle the glue wont stick.

no matter what you use you need patience. if you put the wrap on too wet it will slide around and never dry. i wait extra long. atleast 20 mins . the colder the longer or if its raining moisture can affect

 

[santeetech]

are you letting the contact cement tack up for about 10 minutes before you apply wrap?

probably not... I'm trying to wait then start f.....ing with it.

OK... I'll wait

What glue do you use??

 

[santeetech]

i dont use contact cement unless i have to built the handle up with epoxy. i use elmers glue rubber cement. less mess and it rubs off with your finger. whatever you are putting on the edges of the handle the glue wont stick.

no matter what you use you need patience. if you put the wrap on too wet it will slide around and never dry. i wait extra long. atleast 20 mins . the colder the longer or if its raining moisture can affect

OK...again I will wait. May need a timer to keep my hands off it. Can you wait too long??

 

[masonh]

it is the Weldwood contact cement.not sure the name on the can,but it is tan or golden colored and gets you high as a kite if you stay in the room to long.

i put it on the center and let it set up for 10 minutes,then put the wrap on,then coat the edges and corners and the faces of the seam,let it tack up 10 minutes then finish it up.

 

[santeetech]

it is the Weldwood contact cement.not sure the name on the can,but it is tan or golden colored and gets you high as a kite if you stay in the room to long.

i put it on the center and let it set up for 10 minutes,then put the wrap on,then coat the edges and corners and the faces of the seam,let it tack up 10 minutes then finish it up.

Now I remember why I am so anxious to start working with it... in my mind the glue is going to get stiffer and any bump, stroke line, bubble is going to make a bump in the wrap. On the first one I think I got too much glue right next to the rings, making the wrap too high. I used the linen press to work it down, but seemed to raise back up,too high again. Sounds like it was still wet huh.

Anyway, should I worry about the smoothness or eveness of the coat of glue I'm gonna wait 10-15-20 minutes for or will it all smooth out?

Brush, roller... what do you use?

 

[masonh]

foam brush and just wipe it on thin.the buggers or bumps can't be felt really unless they are huge or the wrap is Kangaroo.i have a hell of time with the kangaroo wraps.they are so thin and supple that you can feel anything underneath.best feel of all of them though imo.

 

[dave sutton]

i dont think you can wait too long. the glue gets dry to the touch but bonds to itself. are you doing both sides. handle and wrap.

 

[santeetech]

foam brush and just wipe it on thin.the buggers or bumps can't be felt really unless they are huge or the wrap is Kangaroo.i have a hell of time with the kangaroo wraps.they are so thin and supple that you can feel anything underneath.best feel of all of them though imo.

OK, used the foam brush and will keep on using them.

The first one i did was lizard, easiest of the three but screwed something up and took it off, the second was pigskin and it seemed like you say about the kangaroo, soft and showed anything under it, last was cowhide and it was all going good, then glue didn't hold at end and edge to edge.

if I waited.......

Heh, thanks for all the help. It is appreciated. I'm gonna get it.

 

[santeetech]

i dont think you can wait too long. the glue gets dry to the touch but bonds to itself. are you doing both sides. handle and wrap.

Yes I am, I used to do formica and you would think I would know to wait,

I'm gonna wait.... I'm gonna wait....I'm gonna wait

Thank you for your help too. Appreciated

 

[Craig Fales]

Some tips I can give is don't stretch the leather at all...once you start a cut don't stop until you're at the other end and make sure you're all the way through both layers...

 

[Cuedog]

Here's another tip....DECAF!!!! :yikes: :grin-square:

Seriously though, I just want to reiterate what mason said about coating the edges of the leather blank so that they too, stick to themselves. Very important.

Also, I like to darken most blanks that are light colored or white on the glue side of them along the edge so that the lightness does not show at the seam or the edges.

Once you get used to the technique, you might find that all you need regarding drying time is about 5 minutes. This allows for some slight adjustment if needed. The glue will, of course, continue to dry as you work the leather and final touches can be made as you finish the process.

 

[santeetech]

Todays adventure into Wrapville was a good one. I got it :happydance:

Went to TandyLeather here in town, got a .25mm thick piece of black pigskin ($1.29/sf less 40%... $6.20 for what looks like maybe 8-9 wraps).

Cut the blank, test-fit, looked good, spread the glue...

Waited... Waited... Waited

Put it on, made the cut and... poof... Cue with leather wrap.

Really hard to even see the seam.

Thank you all sincerely for all your tips and tricks.

 

[Cuedog]

Other than not waiting long enough, where else were you going wrong? Anything?

Gene

 

[dave sutton]

Todays adventure into Wrapville was a good one. I got it :happydance:

Went to TandyLeather here in town, got a .25mm thick piece of black pigskin ($1.29/sf less 40%... $6.20 for what looks like maybe 8-9 wraps).

Cut the blank, test-fit, looked good, spread the glue...

Waited... Waited... Waited

Put it on, made the cut and... poof... Cue with leather wrap.

Really hard to even see the seam.

Thank you all sincerely for all your tips and tricks.

good job. not i hide the seem and the lips more with black paste shoe polish in the tin... paste only and only works with black. i guess you could use brown but it wouldnt match perfect. id just leave brown.

 

[santeetech]

Other than not waiting long enough, where else were you going wrong? Anything?

Gene

Took the guy at the pool hall's tip... put a piece of tape down the length of the butt and cut the tape at the rings. That piece of tape then transfered to the leather to show me the exact length.

The fixture I have is designed..... check that..... the instructions I got with the fixture had me cutting each side of the seam separately, using an alignment mark on the cue to line up each cut.

Here is the link to Pete Tonkin's fixture. My boss says it is improved/ better than the D'Angelo (sp?) http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=105742

I decided to try overlapping and cutting both sides at once. Disposable #10 scalpel, tighten the cue and over-lapped glued wrap in the fixture, one cut along straight edge of fixture and it was done.

Sum it up...

tape trick for length
glue technique
Overlapped cut

This whole job took a total of 20 minutes, with a ten minute glue set-up. Why rush it... only took 20 minutes doing it as slow as I could...

I think it must have been the 7 24oz MONSTERS THAT SCREWED UP THE FIRST THREE

 

[Craig Fales]

Took the guy at the pool hall's tip... put a piece of tape down the length of the butt and cut the tape at the rings. That piece of tape then transfered to the leather to show me the exact length.

The fixture I have is designed..... check that..... the instructions I got with the fixture had me cutting each side of the seam separately, using an alignment mark on the cue to line up each cut.

Here is the link to Pete Tonkin's fixture. My boss says it is improved/ better than the D'Angelo (sp?) http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=105742

I decided to try overlapping and cutting both sides at once. Disposable #10 scalpel, tighten the cue and over-lapped glued wrap in the fixture, one cut along straight edge of fixture and it was done.

Sum it up...

tape trick for length
glue technique
Overlapped cut

This whole job took a total of 20 minutes, with a ten minute glue set-up. Why rush it... only took 20 minutes doing it as slow as I could...

I think it must have been the 7 24oz MONSTERS THAT SCREWED UP THE FIRST THREE

When I said cut through both layers and don't stop I assumed that is what you already were doing...trying to do any other way is an exercise in futility....