Double welt cord with leather

[gene]

I need to make double welt cord with ostrich leather. It is very stiff.

Is there an easy way to get the leather pliable? Is there a chemical that I can use that will make the sewing easier?

I do not have a skive.

Is using my belt sander with a vacuum the best way to go for me?

I steamed a piece and it got more pliable but was stiff by the time I sat down at my sewing machine.

By the way, the leather is tanned a weird orange/yellow color. I've tested my sewing with mono filament thread and the color comes through the thread and looks pretty good.

Thanks,

Gene

[MinUph]

You  might try soaking it in cold water. If you run it through the machine clean it well after. You can also spray wd40 on the machine. It will keep water from sticking to parts. But clean it real well afterwards.

[Darren Henry]

If you want to skive the leather get a Tina knife and a slab of marble or plate glass. It is much faster than sanding the edge down. if you want to thin out the leather a belt sander clamped into your workmate is your best choice or a large diameter drum sander (like 3") mounted on a horizontal shaft. You have much more control moving the leather past a fixed sanding device than doing it other way around [unless you're doing the whole hide LOL]. Set it up so that the belt is traveling down and support the leather with a leather half sole or a piece of wall paneling etc... and draw it up against the motion of the sander. Don't go for the home run!! Make several light passes.[wink]

Rather than soaking in cold water I would run it under warm water till it stops bubbling and then let it sit until it feels damp.

[gene]

I made my double welt cord out of ostrage hide today.

I used a belt sander to thin out the leather. I took your advise and made several passes. I did not have extra leather so any burn through holes would have done me in.

It was much easier to handle being thinner.

I was afraid to get it wet because I had to deliver it today and i was not sure if the wetness would mess up the gluing onto the chair.

gene

[Darren Henry]

Glad that worked out for you. Did you clamp the leather or the belt sander? just curious. After all those years making and repairing shoes it's second nature for me to hold the leather and work it against the sander like I'm using an finisher* again. Wondered if you found it easier that way. I have a picture in my mind of someone reading this and then trying to thin out a 3X3" piece for a patch somewhere.

*Finisher"---big noisy sander/trimmer used in the shoe business.