Do you use leather in your shop and for what purpose?

[matt_isserstedt]

I made a custom seal for a 5 gallon pail pump for motor oil. Oil was leaking out the rod on every stroke (wasting and causing a big mess) and there's probably a component missing somewhere. Tried o-rings and no-va. Turned an ID punch on the lathe for a .005" interference to the rod OD,, trimmed the leather OD with scissors and put it under the "packing nut" and hola-no-more leaks. I was super happy.

I have it in my mind to sew a pocket protector for the rear pocket on my work pants. I carry either a 6" or 8" adjustable and eventually it wears out the denim. Thinking something like 1mm leather is good enough to give it some chafe resistance.

 

[ripperj]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[ChipSplitter]

Wait, do you have a concealed carry pemit?

 

[bhigdog]

Guy I know needed cup washers for a vacuum cylinder on a 20's something car he's working on. Nothing available in the correct size. He tried O rings, plastic, no joy. I made a dozen for him from the backs of old worn out work gloves. Says they work perfectly.

 

[metalmagpie]

I just riveted up a shopmade strap for my Biax scraper. Yes, I used leather.

 

[dana gear]

Rawhide coils in all our Garland hammers, best nonmarring hammer ever made.

 

[CalG]

Vise pads, strop , chamois for clean metal, tires on the vert band saw, leather GLOVES. there is a reason ;-)
I've got a bag of leather scraps in the shop always. Useful stuff

 

[true temper]

Guy I know needed cup washers for a vacuum cylinder on a 20's something car he's working on. Nothing available in the correct size. He tried O rings, plastic, no joy. I made a dozen for him from the backs of old worn out work gloves. Says they work perfectly.View attachment 284152

How did you make them cups? I have seen them many times. Might need to make some one day.

 

[crossthread]

True temper...I'm not sure howbhigdog made his but I have made piston cups before for water pumps. If you soak leather it becomes quite pliable and then when it dries it pretty much stays in any shape you put it in while wet. The last time I made a cup piston I used the "female" part of a Greenlee punch for the die and a wooden dowel as the punch. Just jam it down in there while wet and let it dry.

 

[bhigdog]

How did you make them cups? I have seen them many times. Might need to make some one day.

Made a punch and die out of aluminum. The die ID is the exact size of the cup OD. and the depth is the hight you need for the cup. The punch is sized to be tight fit with the thickness of your leather. Pre-punch the hole in your leather. The punch has a pin on the bottom to center the hole. Die needs a relief hole on the bottom for the pin.
Wet the leather with spray silicone and press into die. Heat punch/die to maybe 300F. I used a propane torch. A little flare up from the silicone but no biggie. Silicone evaporates off pretty quick. Trim excess leather with a razor blade while cup is still pressed in the die.
Punch the hole in the leather under sized to what you need. The holes in the cups shown started as 3/8 and grew to 1/2 under pressure in forming......Bob

 

[Sharps1874]

Guy I know needed cup washers for a vacuum cylinder on a 20's something car he's working on. Nothing available in the correct size. He tried O rings, plastic, no joy. I made a dozen for him from the backs of old worn out work gloves. Says they work perfectly.View attachment 284152

I need one of those! May I ask how you formed the cup?

 

[Limy Sami]

''Do you use leather in your shop and for what purpose? ''

Well, my mistress ………….

 

[DDoug]

Guy I know needed cup washers for a vacuum cylinder on a 20's something car he's working on. Nothing available in the correct size. He tried O rings, plastic, no joy. I made a dozen for him from the backs of old worn out work gloves. Says they work perfectly.View attachment 284152

I went to an auction maybe 10 years ago in nearby Corry, Pa.

This was a small shop in a neighborhood (built up around it)

Long out of business, they made leather cup packing, there was allot of oil wells around here, so I can see the need.
Anyhow, it looks like they made all manner of sizes.

 

[bhigdog]

I need one of those! May I ask how you formed the cup?

See post #30 above............Bob

 

[M.B. Naegle]

All the time. Lots of non-marring clamp/vise applications, occasional tool pouches, screwing a loop to the back of a bench to hold a tool, way wipers and cylinder seals (only as quick temporary repairs, unless the age of the application dictates otherwise), and of course flat belts.

I feel we have an unfair advantage though since we make and service leatherworking machinery, so we always have it on hand and scraps from testing/demo are everywhere.