Nailed it! 😁

[Jules]

I wanted to run a quick leather project, so I thought I’d give that little Magic Braid file a try. I adjusted the tiny hole sizes for the sized brads that I bought on the 5 strand braid file and sent it to be cut.

The Glowie cut it perfectly in about a minute and a half.
So anyway, popped off the masking and got down to some serious braiding…
.
.
.
.

Nailed it!…

Decided that one could be improved on a bit so gave it another shot…
.

After a few more tries (like 12) I did finally get it looking something like a braided bracelet…

Little more smoothing and adjusting and it looks pretty good for a first shot at leather crafting.

Couple of comments about the Proofgrade leather…

Man is that stuff tough!
It held up to (no kidding) at least a dozen attempts at braiding that flipping bracelet! I should have started with the 3-strand, but no, I had to get cute…

Yes, it do stinketh when you burn it.
Kind of reminds me of the smell when I accidentally get my hair too close to a blow dryer and some gets sucked in. (It curls - it goes where it wants to.)

Oh, one thing I discovered was that masking tape can be used to stick down the thin stuff like leather directly on the grid. (It’s not going to hold up to a hurricane, but it shows potential for keeping paper stuck down.)

I need to adjust that file to make the bands thinner, I think it will make it easier to braid. And it was a little bit large for my wrists, so I could have scaled it down a lot more and not taken it right to the edge the way that I did, but eh…live and learn! It was fun! I might have to try some engraving on the next one.

Link to the shared files and instruction videos:

Braided Leather Wristbands

I’ve always liked the “Magic Braid” look on leather, so I worked up a blank for it yesterday. There are two here, one for a 3-strand braid, and the other for a more ambitious 5-strand braid. Both “should” braid down to about a 7" diameter band when they are done. I’ve left a little 1/8" marker circle for where the snaps would be placed (centered and with correct overlap) - those can either be cut or engraved to help with punching the holes for snap placement, or just omitted. Instruction Vi…

[Mike13]

My wife had a bracelet like this that she loved, but lost it a few years ago on a work trip to India. Making her a replacement should score me some extra points!

[Jules]

One other tip if you do make one…make sure you get one of the setting tools for the snaps that matches the size of the decorative snaps that you buy…apparently they don’t come included in the package for the expensive ones.

Back to Amazon we go…

[hansena]

Yeah! Awesome
You rule.
I’m going back to the CNC mill to try and figure out why when I start my program, it wants the Z to travel 15 inches up first. it’s not in the mastercam program, I’ve zeroed the damn tool 4 times, and the only thing it calls for in the code is for it to raise by 1/2 in.
can’t wait to work with a machine that does what it’s supposed to (even though it’s probably my fault somehow).

[cynd11]

@Jules

I might have to try some engraving on the next one.

Ooo, yes, do engrave one! Great project!

[jamesdhatch]

@hansena

the only thing it calls for in the code is for it to raise by 1/2 in.

Sure it’s not 1/2 m?

[martinell.jan]

@Jules

I might have to try some engraving on the next one.

Peeling the paper out of intricate leather engraves is a lot of fun, try it when you have a reserve of patience!

[Jules]

Ahhh! Good to know…thanks!

[Ryan.M]

This is great! You’re hilarious, but the end result after you persevered looks pretty darn good. Now you should dye it and finish it!

[Hirudin]

g90/g91 issue?

[Jules]

Dyeing it is probably what I’ll do with that one eventually. It’s a first shot, I know I can improve on it.

I was also thinking about raising the focal point on the laser and doing a light pattern pass across the thing while it was braided, just see what kind of abstract effect I can get.

Haven’t got a lot of leather though, so I need to be careful with it.

[palmercr]

How do you braid without free ends? My only experience is with onions!

[chrisgray1313]

Gratz Jules…great job with the leather…is the leather supple enough to mold?

[Jules]

@palmercr

ow do you braid without free ends?

Very poorly, I’m afraid!

There are links to the videos that show how to do that in the original files that I shared in the Free Files section.

(I watched the video about a dozen times.)

It’s not hard in theory, but it takes a little practice to get the feel of the material, and to figure out how tightly to braid it.

[Jules]

It was a little stiff at first for bands that wide, I need to make the file a bit narrower.

But you can loosen it up a lot by “breaking the spine” by running it back and forth along the edge of the desk before you start braiding it.

[soldiercoleman]

I love this post. You actually had me laughing before I had my first cup of coffee!

Looks like that leather will be great to work with![quote=“Jules, post:1, topic:6264”]
I should have started with the 3-strand, but no, I had to get cute…
[/quote]

How to we grow if we don’t aspire to do more?

[cynd11]

I wonder if you could “destiffen” it by using that shoe treatment that you put on leather shoes to make them not so tight. We need @morganstanfield to set us straight. Come to think of it we haven’t heard from her for awhile–she must be about due!

[Jules]

Yeah, I’m thinking it’s almost time for her as well. Fingers crossed and prayers going up that all goes well for that! (I can learn to de-stiffen leather later!)

[palmercr]

@cynd11

I wonder if you could “destiffen” it by using that shoe treatment that you put on leather shoes to make them not so tight.

I always wondered if that stuff affected the leather or my skin to make shoes comfortable.

I mean, both are skin. The leather has been treated to make it more durable, so which is more likely to be affected by snake oil?

[hansena]

nope, 4 hours of trouble shooting (program, code, and machine) last night with no success. I’m blaming it on gremlins in the machine, deleting the program, and starting over.