Leather splitter

Anything related to gloves (pre-1970) you can post here.

Leather splitter

Postby theglovester » June 21st, 2013, 1:28 pm

ImageImageImageImageIt works!! you may have to fiddle with it a little but for $2 it beats the heck out of $2-300 tool that gets dull and then you don't know how to resharpen it, this works. I have made two, one with big 3/8 inch bolts for modern gloves as the lace is usually thicker on one end than the other. The shoulder leather is thicker than the wither leather as cows push their heads through barbwire etc.. and it thickens. Never seen a cow back into a fence butt first. This makes the top of the web lace on an HOH or A2 look more uniform. The other splitter has 1/4 bolts that has finer threads and thinner washers for thinner laces. Used in the early gloves on the heel etc. You all know how hard it is to get laces to big through those little tiny grommets on 1920's gloves. Yep, I have pulled many grommets out with to big of laces and have had a time on doubling the lace through a grommet at the end of the heel lace. Not any more, just punch a hole, wire a paper clip to the lace and sew it up. wha-la.

I used a leather "Skiver" to thin the lace about 2-3 inches at an end to get the lace started. yeah it looks like the carpet knife razor blade (CKRB) will fall out and you are using it backward but you are not!! Just tighten it up good and tight. On the other splitter I made, I just used PVC pipe and did away with the block of wood. The space between the PVC pipe and CKRB determines the thickness. The CKRB goes between two washers and is locked between the threads of each bolt. Single edge razor blades don't work as they are to flimsly. I use a pair of needlenose pliars to get the leather started and not cut my fingers. OOPS!! I fasten the splitter in my vice so it frees up both hands. The lace follows along the curvature of the pipe and you should pull downward on both the back and front of the splitter. If you pull upwards you will cut the lace into. It seems that if I soften the leather it works easier than just grabbing a dry lace and having at it, and you can use any piece of pipe or anything that gives you a radius to pull the leather against. I haven't tried different radius pipe, a smaller or larger pipe may work better, Don't know, but what I got works for me..

In the Dimaggio Rolled web I have pictured on the forum, the laces are brand spankin new just used my staining tricks, I know you guys have tricks, so do I, Baby oil is my usual solvent and I use any thing that is miscible in a covalent solvent. Meltonian shoe polish dissolves, coffee, A pug of chewing tobacco also works, (Red Coon, Bull of the Woods, Bloodhound if you want really dark stain) and any natural pigments {walnut hulls (jugulan) , oak leaves(tannin) etc. all work, to extract the oils just put them in a mason jar not used for moonshine and let it steep in the sun like you are making sun tea. the oil will absorb the oils and stains in the tobacco, leaves etc and there you go. If you want to extract the stain (Pigment) quicker use rubbing alcohol as the solvent, let some of the alcohol evaporate to concentrate the dye, and then pour it into the baby oil. You can also use the dirty rags you cleaned a glove with as you wipe the excess oil off to add some glove grime you extracted with elbow grease. Hey never thought of it, but you could add some of the stains to a small jar of vasoline and stir it up in a hot water bath.. Hey I may try that, and have different shades for what I want.. Neat Idea. take care and hope this helps when you guys have to tuck a lace through the same grommet twice. Yours in gloves

P.S. Now since I have saved all you guys on here about $200 each on a splitter and made relacing an early glove a bunch easier. Please feel free to mail any spare Crescent gloves, white sewn webs, a Pepper Martin PM, Dizzy Dean DD or KB Goldsmith to the Glovester in good old Piney Flats, oh, any Wright Ditson with patch on the inside of heel, sweet, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR OUR YANKEE FOR THE ALL STAR GAME!! He looks like he could go bear hunting with a switch, AND WIN!
theglovester
Gold Glove Poster
 
Posts: 303
Joined: February 16th, 2013, 5:53 pm

Re: Leather splitter

Postby mikesglove » June 21st, 2013, 2:10 pm

I have been using a hand skiver to thin out laces but not very practical for long lengths. Your PVC device looks like it does the job, thanks. Do you use another tool to make a narrow cut from wide lacing? Your staining ideas are interesting. Sounds like you have really experimented with that.
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 3693
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Leather splitter

Postby theglovester » June 21st, 2013, 2:34 pm

on leather width, I just get laces from tanners, 3/16th and use boot laces for the thinner width, just shave them to the correct thickness, good to go. I'm sure you save all your used laces from gloves that you relace for laced webs like a Doak or grommet webbers, saves aging and a use for small pieces.

My Mrs. drags me to Michaels (A female craft store :( :cry: ) I usually have to stop at the Home Depot next door and look at power tools to recover from the experience, BUT I spied some leather supplies there and they had ROUND glove laces. serious, I think there is a use for them in maybe the Ken Wel Dazzy vance models or an early laced finger glove of the 20's-30's? Neat! check it out if you ever need a round rawhide lace in an early type glove. Take care. glad to help
theglovester
Gold Glove Poster
 
Posts: 303
Joined: February 16th, 2013, 5:53 pm

Re: Leather splitter

Postby mikesglove » April 15th, 2014, 3:48 am

here is a leather splitter I made up from some alder kindling I had laying around. I liked Don's design but I am a woodworker and went this route. I was inspired by a version I saw on YouTube. Like Don's, this one incorporates a screwed down utility knife blade. The photo shows the lace and trimmings.
Image


The lace is fed across a ramped slot and through a hole in the bottom section.
Image


The top part with the blade attached is clamped on and the lace is pulled from underneath. it worked great. You can see the left over trimmings beside the lace. The only problem was the 45 degree angle of the blade seemed too upright and the cut wasn't as clean as possible.
Image


I used the other end of the top part that has a more acute 60 degree angle and the cut was much smoother. The trimmed off piece on the left was more consistent and the lace to the right looked better.
Image

I find a lot odd ball lace at flea markets and thrift stores that isn't that perfect 3/16" X 3/32" flat lace for vintage gloves. Sometimes the stuff I find is 1/4" and 1/2' wide and at least 1/8" thick. There is also a lot of the newer rawhide square lace that looks crappy on a vintage glove. Don's and my device are good for making up flat lacing from those pieces. I live in wine country and it is also horse country so I find a lot of old bridles at flea markets. That leather is so tough and thick that my device doesn't really work well and Don's device is a better design. His splitter built from a half round gives better hold down potential on the lace and his blade being close to parallel with the cut seems a better idea. I need to work on those two aspect of my design.


The cheap Tandy lace makers are pretty good for making a narrow lacing if a 3/16 wide lace isn't available. I took this black 1/4" X 1/8" lace and using both the home made splitter and Tandy lace maker, I was able to make a really nice usable 3/16" black lace.
Image

I fed the 1/4" lace through one of the lace maker slots and trimmed the black lace down fairly easily. You can see both the lace and the trimmings as it is pulled through. One little trick is the angle the lace maker away as shown so the lace is draped away from the lace maker blade. I found that lacing can be pretty easily and inadvertently cut off and wasted by not paying attention with this cheap little Tandy device.
Image
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 3693
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Leather splitter

Postby vintagebrett » April 15th, 2014, 9:14 am

I've used the little Tandy tool many times and I agree with Mike that you need to be careful when pulling the leather through. It is a nice, cheap little product to help you if you need to reduce the width of a lace though.
User avatar
vintagebrett
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3150
Joined: April 17th, 2006, 3:57 pm
Location: East Granby, CT

Re: Leather splitter

Postby theglovester » April 15th, 2014, 9:54 am

Thanks for the kind words Mike, I tried yours made of wood and agree 45degrees is to steep. the pipe makes the cutting angle as small as I think is possible, as you are pulling along the curvature of the pipe and downward.

I simplified and just used the pipe with out the wooden block and didn't saw it in half. just bolt the blade to the end of a foot long piece of pipe, put in a vice and let the blade end dangle in free space. You still need the little skiver knife to get it started, and be careful getting the lace started!! Needle nose pliars are a must! but after that, 5 seconds and you are done.

Sure makes relacing fun easier and safer!! and now Holdster holes, rolled webs and heel laces for 1920's gloves with the Munchkin eyelets are a breeze.

Will be putting some glove pics on the gallery page soon, why I only have ONE on there is beyond me, there won't be the common Doaks, MM Mantles everyone has seen, just my dandies.

Many thanks goes out to JD, Robbie L and a special thanks to Eric S, Eric did me more than fair in our latest dealings, Great Guy!!

May the Easter Bunny not get caught by "The Wild Hoss of the Osage" and deliver a PM Pepper Martin
Happy Easter to all!!!
theglovester
Gold Glove Poster
 
Posts: 303
Joined: February 16th, 2013, 5:53 pm

Re: Leather splitter

Postby glovejunkie » April 15th, 2014, 5:29 pm

Cool splitter there Mike, easy to make and very useful if skilled and brave enough like Don to take a glove apart and get it back together properly;) lol

No problem Don, my pleasure!! I know you wanted that one, it's not the elusive PM, but please enjoy it. I told JD to switch it over to your name so that you could have a glove up on the site:)

Don did a great job replacing the liner in this W&D patent pending adjustable web. Thanks it looks awesome!! Never seen another W&D with this adjustable web configuration, think it pretty rare, seen a few reachs, and maybe some spaldings that are similar, but not a W&D yet. Wonder if it could possibly be the precursor to this VWD Del Pratt adjustable web I have, also pictured.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Sorry Mike this got off topic.
glovejunkie
Veteran Glove Poster
 
Posts: 115
Joined: August 7th, 2013, 1:15 pm

Re: Leather splitter

Postby theglovester » April 15th, 2014, 8:54 pm

Yep, Eric is as likable Yankee as I have ever met! and glad to call him a glover friend. Ol Eric has some top line stuff, kinda envious of his and most of the other forum members collections on here. BUT.. I'm holding my own in the hills of Tennessee!!

Was fun to replace the lining in the glove for him, been a long time since I had tackled one and everything fell into place, kinda spooky good!! kept the original piping which was something that I try to do if at all possible!! The glove feels great on the hand and I have to say I kinda wanted to keep it!!! Gotta add a model that has that unique web design at some time.

Thanks glovers for putting up with my ramblings.

Presently the farmhouse is under attack by the great times 10 grandchildren of an endangered species woodpecker that my grandfather shot years ago. flock of the red headed devils everywhere. They migrated from the North...Figures.

Happy Easter all!!!

P.S. My dear wife is molding me a solid chocolate PM pepper martin replica for my easter basket!!! come on guys, I'll name a calf after ya!!
theglovester
Gold Glove Poster
 
Posts: 303
Joined: February 16th, 2013, 5:53 pm


Return to Vintage Glove Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 42 guests

cron