|
HELP
Jun 2, 2008 20:11:39 GMT -5
Post by Buckskin Billy on Jun 2, 2008 20:11:39 GMT -5
i'm trying to put brass tacks on some buckskin and am haveing a devil of a time at it. my problem is bending the shank of the tack. i can't seem to bend it enough to keep them from coming out. i'm using single shank tacks as thats all i can ever find. i've had this problem before and got the red ass and said to hell with it. but this is a project that i REALLY want to finish and have turn out right. i'm using furniture nails cuz they are bigger than the brass tacks that they sell at the craft store. i'm also using escutcheon pins. the packages that they come in say they are brass. i've tried using needle nose pliers, chanell locks a hammer and a even bigger hammer, and alot of cuss words and i still can't get them to bend where it looks nice. is there a special skill or technique used to bend these blassed things. i've seen pictures of leather with tack work on it and the back side looks real good. i've got friends that got gun belts with tack work on it and the tacks stay in place. can some one help me pleeeeeeease
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 2, 2008 21:03:15 GMT -5
Post by oregondoc on Jun 2, 2008 21:03:15 GMT -5
Well, Billy, I wish I could apeak from experience, but I cant ,and I will own up to it, rather than talkin bull. Just to put a easy{?} idea to try would be to anneal the back of the tack, the post as it were. A little heat might take the temper out of it enough for you to get a good bend to it. I would guess a torch would be to hot but a soldering iron might do the trick
Hope this might help ya! Jon
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 2, 2008 21:34:36 GMT -5
Post by caretaker on Jun 2, 2008 21:34:36 GMT -5
Billy, you might try lookin in one of the hobby craft shops like Hobby Lobby. I think there is a special gun/tool you can use like a rivit gun. A friend of mine use to do tacs and sequins and other things with hers in all kinds if material ,even leather.
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 3, 2008 4:28:25 GMT -5
Post by beaudro on Jun 3, 2008 4:28:25 GMT -5
I lay mine down on a board, bend it the best I can with needle nose pliers, then do the rest with a hammer , sometimes a flat punch comes in handy sometimes.
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 3, 2008 5:19:26 GMT -5
Post by randyt on Jun 3, 2008 5:19:26 GMT -5
you may need to anneal the shank as mentioned earlier. for brass heat to a dull red and dump in water. to set the rivets, drill a shallow hole in a chunk of hardwood. keep the hole shallow enough that the backside flat of the rivet is flush. make a rivet set from a piece of dowel, drill a hole slightly larger than the shank. when ya set the rivet put the head in the large hole for support and tap the leather up tight against with the dowel. then take a small square chunk of steel like a horseshoe nail and hold this up aginst the shank with a small hammer bend the shank over and at the end of the shank have another bend. the nail will help with this. then hammer the the shank down. basically ya just made a clinch back fastener. good luck
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 3, 2008 18:06:13 GMT -5
Post by Buckskin Billy on Jun 3, 2008 18:06:13 GMT -5
thanks for the help yall. i have a small torch that would be perfect for heating up the tacks. i may have to practice with a piece of scrap buckskin before trying, so i wont burn my good buckskin
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 3, 2008 20:38:50 GMT -5
Post by randyt on Jun 3, 2008 20:38:50 GMT -5
you probably don't need to heat the rivets as they are installed. you can anneal the posts first. brass is the opposite of steel. steel is heated red and dunked into water it'll be hard. brass is heated dull red and dunked it'll be soft. i did get to thinking about this today. maybe a small brass washer could be used and the post could be peened. kinda like a copper harness rivet. might be easier and less monkeying around. i also got to thinking,if i remember correctly original brass rivets from years ago had a steel post. this probably clinched down tighter than a brass post. good luck and have fun.
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 7, 2008 14:30:14 GMT -5
Post by Buckskin Billy on Jun 7, 2008 14:30:14 GMT -5
the tacks i'm using are brass coated. i touched them to a magnet and they stuck. armed with that knowledge i took them to the shop and heated them until red with my propane torch,and allowed them to cool. that soften the metal so they are easier to bend. still a little green with this but i believe i might be able to come out sucessful on my tacking projects. just finished a knife sheath that i posted else wheres and it turned out preaty good. it should work. still is room for improvement though
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 10, 2008 22:38:01 GMT -5
Post by longtrail on Jun 10, 2008 22:38:01 GMT -5
Hey Shady Bill, I have several items that are tacked leather. Three knife sheaths and a mountain man style belt. I saw one of the knife sheaths made and the guy, working with latigo, shaped the leather, drove the brass tacks through, cut off the excess and then the metal, hammered straight on, mushroomed out and flattened down onto the leather. I'll get some photos tomorrow and of the backs too.
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 10, 2008 22:53:36 GMT -5
Post by longtrail on Jun 10, 2008 22:53:36 GMT -5
Let me rephrase that..... worked with latigo, shaped the leather, drove the tacks until they stuck throught the back of the leather about 1/4" cut off excess. Then mushroom the cut ends using a ballpeen hammer. better.
|
|
|
HELP
Jun 11, 2008 14:40:00 GMT -5
Post by longtrail on Jun 11, 2008 14:40:00 GMT -5
Took some photos, but after re-reading your letter I see you are using buckskin and not a thick leather like latigo. Might post photos anyway. Sorry I could not be of any help to ya BB. Dlt
|
|