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Trying to get a clean headband on a leather cover took me three days
I was binding a gift book with some nice calfskin and wanted a simple headband for a clean look. The first try, my glue was too thin and it bled through the fabric. The second try, I cut the leather too short by a quarter inch. On the third day, I finally got it right by using a thicker paste and pre-shaping the leather strip around a dowel for an hour before putting it on the book. Has anyone found a better way to keep the leather from shrinking when you glue it down?
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charles6401mo ago
Three days of fighting with a headband? Man, I feel your pain. @karencampbell might be right that most leather settles in but when you want it perfect from the jump, that kind of fussing is just brutal.
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jordanmartinez3mo ago
Pre-wetting the leather a little bit can help stop that annoying shrinkage.
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karencampbell3mo ago
That trick from @jordanmartinez seems like a lot of work for a small problem. Most leather goods shrink a tiny bit and then settle in fine. I've never bothered and my stuff turns out okay.
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