Fun stuff to do with scrap leather-scales anyone?

CLANG · Post by **CLANG** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:00 am

I kept wondering what to do with all the leather scraps that I've accumulated. I figured the obvious answer was to make armor scales. I needed to light the forge for some small item a while back and decided to make a scale punch. As an amusing side note, it's made from one of the T-shaped jaws that I removed from a pair of metal-roof-seam tongs a few years ago when I turned them into some other kind of tongs.

I made up a set of cushioned press-plates with a cutting board for my 5 ton punch press, thereby turning it into a species of leather clicker press.

It's sort of a fun project to play with while I'm resting my arm (and waiting out the cold weather). It makes standard "gothic arch", or "dragon" scales, about 2-1/4 X 3". If people are interested, I can make up a die to punch holes in them. I (or you) can also heat/water harden them, bevel the edges, dye, and/or wax them.

The batch I've made up is, as I mentioned, made from scrap. There are occasional brand-marks, ball-point pen marks, and a good bit of belly leather. However, the thickness, combined with the layered nature of scale armor, should make them quite serviceable as is. If they're water/heat hardened or waxed, they would be better yet.

I divided them into 2 thicknesses. MEDIUM are approx 8-11 oz, and HEAVY are approx 11-15 oz.

As they're shown in the pic, I'd ask about $0.20 each for them (either thickness). If folks are interested in these, there will be a limited number available at that price-good until I run out of scrap leather! If I was to purposely make them from new leather, the price would jump to about $0.50 each. Punching holes, hardening, etc would add to the price, of course.

I have no clue how these prices compare with others on the market, but they reflect how much time it takes me to make them. If I don't get any interest here, I'll probably put the lot of them on ebay. Like I said, it's mostly just a fun project. Comments/suggestions are welcome.

Charles Alexander · Post by **Charles Alexander** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:57 am

At that price, I'd be interested...

I see you have a punch for the scales, but would you be able to do different shapes, such as rectangular with rounded edges? Similar to a lamellar design I suppose.

Agnarr · Post by **Agnarr** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:26 pm

I would take a ton of them at .20 a plate. let me know.

CLANG · Post by **CLANG** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:04 pm

I could make other size/shape punches. I've considered making one for kozane (Japanese scale armor plates). However, as I also mentioned in my other post, it looks like I"m going to be down and out with yet another kidney stone for a while.

The last one I had kept me out of commission for an entire month. Blug.

Charles and/or Agnarr, shoot me an email if you'd like dibs on the "scrap" batch. I don't know how long it will be before I can cut up the rest of the scrap I have, but I probably have about 200 currently. Depending on what happens with this %#*! stone, I might or might not be able to do much of anything for a while.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 6:03 pm

You should put hole punches in your punch.

Sean Powell · Post by **Sean Powell** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 6:55 pm

Mad Matt wrote:You should put hole punches in your punch.

If you add hole punches the the current punch it will be very fast at making one specific plate design. If you make one (or more) seperate punches for holes you can more slowly make a variety of designs.

If you are REALLY bored, you can make a punch with interchangible sections for all the possible hole paterns and then add or remove hole punches as desired... but then again I'm a tool geek.

Sean

Charles Alexander · Post by **Charles Alexander** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 7:46 pm

Mark, will send an email. Bummer about the kidney stone.

Have a speedy recovery my friend.