Wrapping Leather and not bunching??

[tubachris85x]

Getting really frustrated with this. I am trying to wrap leather around the grip portion of a H3 grav hammer prop.

The maker sent me the leather to do it with, however, I cannot get this to come out looking decent at all. It's constantly bunching, and the angles aren't coming out correct or even.

It's a fairly wide strip and pretty thin, so I don't understand why it's not working at all. I cannot progress until I get this done right.

Any suggestions? I've already soaked it in water, and nothing changed.

 

[exoray]

Soaking it in hot water should allow it to stretch and form it better, did you use hot water?... I'm talking boiling...

 

[tubachris85x]

Yea I haven't tried boiling water just yet. I'll give it a shot

 

[ht403685]

Depending on the type of leather you have submerging it in boiling water will cause it to harden, shrink in size, thicken, and form to whatever shape you wrap it around.

if it's thin enough that you can comfortably form it around whatever it is that you're wrapping, you can use barge on the interior of the leather and tightly wind cord or string around the outside until it dries. That should eliminate bubbling and bunching.

Good luck

 

[Interceptor6]

Hi Chris,
If you cut your starting and ending angles right,(?) it should wind and lay properly.
Throw a pic up of what you've got. I used to wrap sword / axe / spear handles for years doing med fair weapons.

 

[Cenobyte]

What Flynn said. Soak it in hot water until it stretches a bit and is pliable. Wrap your item and when it dries it will shrink back giving you a tighter fit.

 

[ht403685]

I know I've posted once already but I realized it wasn't very clear. Whoops :rolleyes

Boiling of vegetable tanned leather was a method that armor makers used to use to make scales or in larger pieces to harden scabbards or shields. You can use this method but it will be very hard and not a soft grip for your hammer.

If you don't have vegetable tanned leather, boiling will cause the leather to eventually wear out and crack.

Sword and weapon makers today do what Interceptor 6 was saying by cutting the leather at an angle at either end and wrapping it around the helm then binding it very tightly as I suggested.

I just wanted to clarify the difference in the results.

Hope that helps and it's clearer

 

[tubachris85x]

I'll post pics in a bit, waiting for the batteries to recharge. It was leather given to me with the hammer kit. One thing I'm a little concerned is that it may not be the same type of leather the maker put out with his earlier kits.

Here's a close up of the hammer's grip

I'll post a pic of the leather he sent me in a bit

 

[tubachris85x]

Kinda figured it out. The ends aren't going to be perfect, but whatever. It's supposed to be a "Brute" weapon, so imperfections will add character