Leather Tool Tote

Trying to get myself organized so I designed a leather tool tote. All pieces can be cut on a Basic - no pass-through needed. It’s designed for strength using both thread and rivets. It has plenty of pockets to keep my leathercrafting tools organized. Pretty straight forward to make and the pattern is available.



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That’s really nice. you should try selling the files on etsy, maybe even offer kits where the buyer assembles

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That is really great!

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That is a great tool bag. I’m a big fan of lots of pockets.

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This is fabulous - and your entire Etsy store is drool-worthy!

I’m gonna need to pick up more leather…

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Thanks!

Very nice, your design?

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Thanks and yes! The pattern is available in my Etsy shop- ProfesoraLeather

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That is an amazing tool pouch! (And that’s coming from an industrial controls electrician) Do you mind me asking where you get your leather for the glowforge? I want to venture more into leather but the PG leather is just too thin for the ideas I have.

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Thanks! I get my leather from several places. This 5-6 oz vegetable tanned leather I purchased from Tandy Leather. I also buy it from Frogjelly Leather, Springfield Leather and Maverick Leather. I’m always looking to see who has the best sale going on! I buy whole sides and cut them down to fit in my GF. It’s the only way to get the best price per square foot.

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Excellent workmanship!!

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If your just looking to play around with leather you can get bags of remnants from Hobby Lobby and Michaels. It would be a good place to get some scraps to play with, a good variety of thicknesses. Just a thought.

Just make sure they’re only veg tanned leather scraps. Otherwise you’ll damage your machine and endanger your lungs over time.

As arh2 said, I’d be worried that the wrong treatment was used…

Could you point out the source of that information? The latter part is patently untrue as long as the GF is properly vented and if it’s not, there are lots of other things people laser that are more likely to cause lung damage.

However, the first part may be a reference to chrome-tanned leather although it could also be brain-tanned or a handful of other rare tanning methods. Could you elaborate on what exactly lasering any non-veg tanned leather will do to the laser and point to the source of that information?

I’ve taught laser operations for years and have been unable to find any references for those claims but if they actually exist I would like to update my training materials.

TIA

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Really nice.

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Just referring to this page:

Leather Leather is sometimes prepared with toxic heavy metals that can be released in the air during the printing process that could harm you or your Glowforge.

Okay. Fair enough. Although like most statements of its kind, it lacks any data. It also doesn’t say just what kind of leather (except presumably PG) is okay. There’s no mention of any specific tanning process. Likely just the FNLs but as far as your GF goes, apparently anything except PG could be treated in such a way as to be hazardous at least in the minds of GF. Probably should also avoid dyeing your leather before cutting unless you have the SDS on the dye as there are potentially all sorts of metals and exotic chemicals used in dyes.

You will likely find though that if you go to a makerspace with a laser you’ll be allowed to use just about any kind of leather. While chrome tanned leather has other characteristics that make it sometimes less suitable for a project, it can be lasered (with a CO2 laser) safely as long as the machine is well vented and you don’t have your nose in the exhaust. Brain tanned leather (a type of fat/oil tanning) is also occasionally found in niche markets (or self-tanners). Semi-chrome, synthetic and oil tanned leathers are out there as well. By & large about 80% of leather is chrome tanned.
But, hexavalent chromium isn’t used in leather tanning which is where there is possibly a potential machine/electronics concern. Chrome tanned uses chromium sulfate which forms polychromium compounds bound to the collagen in the skin. When lasered, this gives off a bit of trace chromium but mostly just carbon compounds along water vapor or constituent elements (like hydrogen, oxygen and carbon).

Almost all leather for bags, purses, shoes, clothing, etc is chromium tanned as is most leather that is colored when you buy it.

So for your GF stick with PG leather. Everything else should be avoided per the article you referenced. For other lasers you might have access to, other tanning methods are acceptable and the owner or operator probably has a list of tested alternatives that you can reliably & safely use.

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I believe this whole thing started by me suggesting using remnants you can get from craft stores, it was merely a suggestion to toy around with leather, it was not intending for the suggestion to become a big debate or criticism to me or anyone else or to take on an elaborate project of said material. It was merely a suggestion to “play around with leather”. I have cut a couple of small pieces from this material for some key fobs but should I decide to use more leather I would definitely look into it more. Thank you jamesdhatch, I found what you have said most informative and will keep it in mind moving forward.

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Thanks for weighing in. You obviously know a lot most about this.