Yes, another post on my clothing purchases. Contain yourselves.
This skirt was my favorite. It was my 16th or 17th birthday, and I remember thinking that a gathered-waist, ankle-length suede skirt was sexy. It’s not like being fully covered in cowhide to attract young men. I wore it throughout college , but it seems to have shrunk. I havent been able to fit into it for 15 years (and Im not sure Id want to wear it now, anyway). It was still there, so I kept it.
Now, I’m glad I kept it. This buttery brown suede is perfect for covering vise faces, though the first cut was painful. Here’s how it is done (with thanks to Editor Chris Schwartz for the lesson, and just so you know, those are Chris’s hairy knuckles, not mine, in some of these photos)
Then measure the vise chop and cut the suede to size. It is better to go a little smaller than you think you will be able to cut it perfectly. You don’t want any suede hanging off the edges of the vise chop.
Next, take a piece of wax paper and place it opposite your chops’ faces. This will prevent glue from sticking to your leg and the top of the bench. Grab the yellow glue (though if youre not afraid to mix your cows, hide glue would work, too), and squeeze a goodly amount onto the backside of the suede, and spread it out. Make sure to pay attention to the edges. This is where it’s most important to get enough glue to form a strong bond.
Apply the sticky-backed leather directly to your chop’s face and smoothen out any wrinkles. You can tighten the vise chop so that it fits snugly against your leg and benchtop. Let it set for about an hour. If, as on my leg vise, you have a parallel guide that pivots the vise slightly toward the top edge of your bench, insert a block of wood thats as deep as the suede-covered face, cover it with waxed paper, then cinch the vise tight (that way, you ensure equal pressure along the entire suede-glued face). To keep the suede from drying out, you can use painters tape to secure it.
After about half an hour to an hour, loosen the clamp and scrape any excess glue with a dull screwdriver or other tool that won’t damage the suede. Do this before the glue dries completely , you dont want any bits of hardened glue on the vise; that could mar your work.
Now youre ready to go to work , just after you hide the evidence , and hope your mother doesnt read the blog post about your having cut up an expensive skirtfor which she probably gave you the money.
Disclaimer: This blog was not made with cows in mind. They had been harmed 25 year ago.
