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#1 ·
Leather splitter - make your own

Leather splitter
make your own.

As some of you know, I enjoy making sheaths for my tools and when ever I need to make leather thinner, it has been a challenge, I have used knifes and sometimes my thickness sander attachment for my oscillating sander. The other day I stumbled across a picture of a small splitter, that a guy called Miro had made and figured that I needed to make one my self, so I searched the gigantic world wide web, found out there were loads of models, but most of them were too much DIY for my taste.


This is what it ended up looking like.

First step was to try and figure out how it worked, sketch it up on paper, decide on some dimensions, find scraps of wood that could be used, also I took the decision to make it a project anyone with basic woodworking skills and a table saw could build, so no metal parts or fancy details, finally it was just to get going.

Here a video of how the splitter worked after I build it.
(I'm still struggling when I need to put videos in LJ, now the picture stays small).
Press HERE to go to Youtube.


Lets start building:
Starting with the lever mechanism, that sets how thick the leather will be.
Sawing some 9mm plywood into 33mm wide strips.


Decided to go for 120mm long just because I liked the number, at this point I had only a sketch of the concept, so I had to wing it.


Three pieces cut to same length.


Since I had now decided the inside width of the splitters case, I could cut some 15mm plywood, for the base and sides of the case, took a decision to make it 20cm long, as this was a nice round number…


Main parts made, we have a case and a lever.


To make it stronger, I also made a cross bar, wanted to make sure the lever was rigid, so the leather will be thinned equally.


This should be rigid.


I could have used hard wood dowel, for the levers leather support, but I had a piece of aluminium rood so that was cut to size with a hack saw.


Also found some wood dowel for the case, where it will push the leather down, to make it cut even.


A piece od hardwood, to make a blade support.


App 30° split on the table saw.


This should be sturdy enough to hold the blade firmly in place.


Gluing the lever.


Brat nails and screws.


We got a lever thingy…


A small jig.


Made to fit the lever, to drill holes on the sides for the aluminium leather support rod.


Marking position.


Now possible to drill down the center, with out the drill bit is walking off.


Dead center.


Same for the other side.


Quite pleased.


Marking the aluminium rod.


With a punch, for drilling.


A ride in the drill press.


Drill and countersink.


Pre drill holes in lever arm and screw it in place.


Next step was to attach the lever, to the case.
The challenge was to figure out where the pivot point should be… After some thoughts, a cup of coffee, trying to imagine and making small tests, I went for it.


80mm in from the end.


Placed the lever in the center, so there were 40mm in each end.


Back end.


To find the position, it was put on some ply scraps, here 12mm, but these were too low in my tast.
So they were replaced with 15mm, before drilling.


So I opted for a wee higher, 30mm again a nice round number.


Found my cabinet joining screws.


Sanded two of them a wee down in length, so they would fit in the project.
Just a little under 9+15mm.


Drilling through case and lever, on the pivot point.


Here you can see the 15mm spacers and the lever screws are being mounted.


Then screwed in from the outside.


The lever can now pivot.


Up, to make leather thinner.


Down, to make it thicker.


This makes it possible to find the position for the blade holder.


The blade is straight over the center of the rod, at the thickness I expect to use most.


Cutting some rabbets to give the blade holder a fixed sturdy position.


Like this.


Blade holder can be screwed in place, but not yet glued.


Like this.


Blade position.
But I might need something better that painters tape to hold it…


Yes, hardwood.


Cut down to a thickness I liked.


45° cut.


That looks fair and solid.


Yeps that's fine.


Marking up for screws.


Just went for the same as the lever rod screws.


Routing long holes for the screws.


Marking.


Drilling with 5mm drill bit.


Giving the hole a 6mm thread.
This will make it stronger.


Countersink on the underside.


6mm bolt screwed and glued with epoxy.


That should stay for ever.


Blade holder back in place.


Blade clamp on top.
Washers and wingnuts.


This was where I discovered, that there were a small difference between the to sides….


So a small washer was put under the left side of the lever aluminium rod, to even out.


Now totally even.
A happy monkey here.
Notice I made a small cut in the sides of the blade clamp, so it can move forward to give maximum support to the blade.


Open up.


All open…


Let's test it, before we go on.


Pulling.


Works like a charm, easy as noting…


To control the lever arms position I made a star knob on my star knob jig.


I kind of like these.


Drilling a hole…


And a bigger one to hold a bolt in place…


Figuring out the length of the bolt.


Sawing it to length.
I love my new MFT3 vice holder.


The bolt also got a washer and a nut.


Adjusted all the way down to lowest setting.


Where the mouth is closed up on the cutter.


As you screw the star knob, the mouth opens up.


Adding a pair of springs, to hold it down.
The fact that it's springy makes it possible to start the cut.


Sprigs attached to lever.


Last step is to drill holes for the hold down rod.


And put in the rod.
This will feed the leather so the cut becomes even and the blade can't dig in.


Less is more.


Time to test it.
Opening lever and feeding a leather strop.


Close it up to the thickness you want, using the star knob.


Pull from the back.
Sexy shavings will occur…


Woodworking nerd doing leather shavings.


T finish it up, you turn the strap around and feed other end.


Close up.


Pull.


Sexy shavings.


Thinned leather and shaving.


This was where I made a video recording arm, to hold my mobile, so I could make the video, laugh.


Less really is more.


Writing the info.


Job done, I'm now the happy owner of a leather splitter, this will make life easier and give new opportunities, when working in leather.
Hmmmmm perhaps it's time to put up some of all the leather sheath making stuff I have on the hard drive.
Too many projects, too little time to get it posted. Big smile.


I decided to share this one in a more easy way, so I made a drawing of it, with all the measures you will need to build one your self, like this I can contribute a wee bit, to Miro who gave the inspiration for me to build it.

A special thank you to Miro, who ever you are out there on the gigantic www.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, or even better some tools.

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
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#7 ·
That's a amazing tool Mads. Never would of thought you could split leather that way. I'm trying to think what else this could be used for. A have a variety of different leather and usually find what I need but this is great to work in a pinch. I have just the blades to try making one. Good idea.
 
#9 ·
Well yesterday I made my first leather tool sheaths. But the leater i have is way to thick. 5 mm + . The Sheaths come out at 15 mm thick and thus look thick and clunky. Have you tried your splitter on wider leather strips, say 50 mm to 100 mm?
 
#11 ·
Hi hi ho ho ho,
Merry Christmas.
Lew, big smile thank you, I usually don't like making videos, but as long as it's only my hands I find it more easy. In this case I thought it would be needed to really understand, so it was actually kind of fun and I even got to build a phone holder arm, laugh. Thank you also for the comment on Youtube.
TopamaxSurvivor, thank you, yeas this one is worth the build I think.
Dave Polaschek, wonderful, I was trying to make it a easy to follow blog, also the reason I decided to make drawing with measures. Thanks.
pintodeluxe, thank you, we can thank the Miro guy for most of the creativity, I am also impressed with the idea.
Combo Prof, yes you should. Smiles. When I make sheaths I often make thinning, for straps and other items, so I feel sure it will come in handy from now. It's a fun build.
doubleDD, I had only seen some too primitive or too expensive proff splitters, so when I saw this one, I had to make it, thought it was worth to make it shareable too. Smiles. When making straps, belt loops and other, it can be nice to thin down the overlapping parts, this is one of the puroses I will get to use it a lot for. Hmmmmm good queistion, what else can it be used for.
woodshaver Tony C, Thank you Tony, the blog work and the build was app the same work, smiles, but if one or two build it, I will find it worth the time and honestly enjoy making these blogs, it has become a natural part of my working to take pictures, so I often do it, even I never get the project posted. Laugh. Big smile thank you.
Combo Prof, I just build it so no I have not tried the maximum width, but it should be no problem, as you can just take thinner passes at the time… I usually buy a double shoulder piece, hard pressed or raw, 2,6 til 2,8 mm and cut it up to the sizes I need, I like to have it when ever I need it.
GR8HUNTER, thank you a lot, for those kind words. I usually buy a big piece and choose the thickest I need, the thin it to my need. Sheaths are in full thickness, strops often thinner, also for overlaps you often want to thin it, so there are quite a few places it comes in handy.
Happy to see I am not the only one, who thought this one was interesting.
As always my biggest wish is that we can all share our knowledge.
Best thoughts and Merry ChristMads,
Mads
 
#12 ·
Leather strap cutter - make your own.

Leather strap cutter
make your own.

This is basic leather tool you can buy, but so easy to make, that anyone can make one, so I decided I wanted to make my own.

This blog is a mess, as I don't have all the pictures, I made mistakes and I did not take pictures to make a how to, but just for joy.


I'm sorry but we start here…
I can't find the pictures of me drilling two 5,5mm holes into a piece of ash (scrap from my workshop floor) and then making a saw cut app. 2/3 down the one side…
So start by imagine this, you will see the position of the holes as we go. Smiles.
Then mount a piece of threaded rod in your drill and drive it in to the wood.


Like this and now on the side.
Notice the outer hole is drilled larger in the part with the saw cut, just the part that are able to spring.


Mix epoxy, unscrew them, fill epoxy in the holes and screw them back in.


Hmmmmm my side hole were a wee too big… So I drilled through the side and trough the bolt. (The truth is I made the block of wood months ago and were laying on my workshop table, so I forgot the hole size I drilled back then were 6mm for some reason).


Then a bamboo stick through and it's fixed.
You might also note other stuff happened, we will get back to this.


Here we are on the top.
Where I drilled a hole next to the threaded rod hole and put in a loose dovel.


Without dovel.


With another small piece of ash, where I routed a long hole / slot, so the strap width can be set.


A washer.


Wing nut, so it can be fast and easy adjusted.


Also washer and wing nut on the side, that will hold the blade.


Rounding the edges for comfort.


Using a small size standard Stanley blade.


Unscrew the wing nut.


Put in blade and tighten.
It will now be easy to break of blades to get a sharp fresh blade.


We have a tool.


You can hold it by hand.


Or mount it on your table.
Here starting a cut.


Then pulling the leather through.


A strap is made.


That's it, another tool born and ready to use.
You can choose the width of the top, after the strap widths you need, I am planning to make a wider version also, so I have up to 15cm in width.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, or even some straps.

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
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