Duke Gavin's Glue Method

[Oswyn_de_Wulferton]

I am recreating this from memory. If anyone else has it written down, or His Grace would like to step in and correct (hint, hint), please do.

1. Soak the piece of leather in room temp. water until saturated (all the bubbles stop coming out).

2. Let sit overnight (called "Casing the leather"). This allows it to dry somewhat, while still leaving the core of the leather wet.

3. Do all necessary tooling, shaping, etc. during this step. The outside of the leather will appear to be slightly damp, to fully dry (color-wise) but will still be decently limp (as wet leather is).

4. Soak in a mixture of 1part Titebond III to 10 parts water until all visible bubbles stop coming up (about 5-15 min). Take out of solution, and wipe off extra glue with your hands, to prevent buildup on dried piece. I typically find I need to have the glue slightly warm to allow the most glue to mix in with the water, and swirl several times with my hand before dipping the piece in.

5. Place in an oven at between 180-200deg. Place on wax paper, or a piece of wood to prevent charring from cookie sheet or grate. Check on the piece every 5-15 min, as it will sometimes sag. Gently adjust shaping with your hands. Pull out when the ends of the piece seem to be completely dry. Allowing all of the piece to dry in the oven will cause the ends to char and overcook.

6. Leave out in room temperature for a couple of days. The leather will continue to harden slightly.

7. After a few days, seal with your preferred method.

Dying and painting can be done before or after baking the leather. I personally have done it after the baking, with good results.