Reddit mentions of DAP 00107 107 Contact Cement

Absolutely. First I start by gluing the edges I want to stitch with contact cement, this helps keep the leather from stretching or sliding around when making a groove for the stitches.

Then, once the glue has dried, I will sand the edges to get them close to even. This allows me to get an even groove for the stitches to be laid into when I use my grooving tool. The grooving tool has a guide that runs along the edge of the leather, so having even edges for grooving both sides of the leather ensures that when you pierce it with the diamond awl the hole goes through both grooves.

Next, I use an overstitch wheel along the groove I just made to mark off where I will be pushing my diamond awl through. When using the diamond awl I make sure that the wide edge is parallel to the groove.

Then I go to town saddle stitching carefully, making sure that after I push the first needle through, the second needle always goes under the first thread and never punctures the first thread as it is going through the hole. it also makes life easier if you pull back on the first thread when pushing the second needle through.

I've read somewhere that people tamp their stitches down after they're done. I did that on my last project and I wasn't happy with how the thread flattened out, so I didn't do it on this one.

Sorry if that's too detailed, I hope it helps :D

Edit: Sorry I forgot to mention that consistently tightening each stitch is EXTREMELY important. Inconsistent tightening can result in some stitches looking smaller or larger or deeper than others. I made this mistake on my first project and have been very conscious about improving on it going forward. I still think I have some room for improvement but this is a hell of a lot better than the first wallet I made for my girlfriend.

The tandy beginner set is geared towards tooling, which certainly does require veg tan. Depending on whether or not that's the aesthetic you are going for, you may not need the swivel knife and stamps (or you may want many more stamps). But at it's core, you need:

• Something to measure with (metal ruler)
  
  
• Something very sharp to cut with (Utility knife / Rotary Cutter / Round/Head knife)
  
  
• Something to attach pieces together (Contact Cement + either Rivets or Waxed Thread/Harness Needles)
  
  And a slight step above that is something to finish edges (acrylic edge paint, water/gum tragacanth/wax etc.)
  
  I personally do not do a lot of tooling, and also usually use stitching (vs rivets), so if I were going to recommend some starting tools I would say
  
  
• Cork-backed Metal Ruler
  
• Seiwa Pricking Irons
  
  
• Ritza Tiger Thread
  
  
• John James Harness Needles
  
  
• Olfa Rotary Cutter
  
  
• Wing Divider (used to mark stitch lines)
  
  
• Contact Cement
  
• Some variety of beeswax or paraffin, I like this stuff
  
  
• Some scrap pieces of canvas and soft cotton for burnishing an edge (old jeans and t-shirts work great)
  
• Some Misc. items you probably already have like sandpaper and super glue from time to time.
  
  Edit: I didn't include an awl because the Seiwa irons are designed to punch through, but a good diamond awl from Bob Douglas/Barry King or similar would probably be my first upgrade to this set of tools.

If you have access to a laser cutter, you might be able to get it done locally (assuming you can source the leather). It's smelly and will leave slightly darkened edges (I recommend using masking tape all over the side that's being cut, to protect the leather from charring), but it's fast and precise. Alternately, if you have patience, using an X-Acto knife will do the job just fine on thin leather.

I got the applique laser-cut from chevre (goat leather) for these shoes I made, to give you an idea of what's possible: https://www.dropbox.com/s/t8x3w4dwrpz7fdq/2018-01-19%2013.18.51.jpg?dl=0

If you plan to glue them to your existing leather boots, here's some tips:

• Sand the surface of the boots where you plan to adhere the leather
  
• Paint both sides with permanent solvent-based contact cement like Weldwood (which should be available at most hardware stores, at least here in the US) or Barge. Sewing is nice but not actually necessary; contact cement is pretty tenacious. If your existing boots aren't leather, I'm not entirely sure how well it will stick, but it's worth a shot. DO NOT use hot glue; you can get Weldwood for cheap (https://www.amazon.com/00271-Weldwood-Original-Contact-Cement/dp/B0006MXRY8, or a small bottle with brush https://www.amazon.com/107-3-Ounce-Weldwood-Contact-Cement/dp/B000M2SKNU). Just be prepared to sacrifice the brush you use.
  
• Let both sides dry, stick them together, and then hammer to make it adhere firmly
  
• If the base boot is NOT suede or nubuck, you don't have to worry about getting the glue precise; you can rub excess off, just like with rubber cement.
  

glues almost anything
http://www.amazon.com/00107-3-Ounce-Weldwood-Contact-Cement/dp/B000M2SKNU

use contact adhesive, it stinks but it works. dont use too much as it doesn't look pretty either.

They changed their materials since I bought my kit, but as long as your head doesn't touch the shell you can't really fuck it up. Two products will help a ton in installation:

Goof off to remove the old glues and goop inside the mask. I highly recommend using this to prep the surface, but make sure you use it in a well-ventilated area as it's VERY strong. Wear gloves if possible.

Contact Cement to affix the padding to your mask.

Here is their new installation guide. It turns out the contact cement isn't necessary as they include glue with their padding now. I still recommend getting it as it's super cheap and useful. You can also use contact cement to attach the Velcro loops for a sweatband if you use one.

Here's the glue: http://amzn.com/B000M2SKNU

I also put a thin kapton sheet (http://amzn.com/B00JPTKFRU) on my aluminum bed so I could remove the PEI later if I absolutely needed to. The contact glue is much more permanent than the tape, so I didn't want to have to order another $30 aluminum heat spreader if my idea failed. Fortunately, it did not!

I got something more similar to this at ace hardware. I you buy a bottle like this and pretty much just need it for the strop I would get the smallest container they have because a little bit goes a long way.


Dap 00107 3-Ounce Weldwood Contact Cement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000M2SKNU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Qbhgvb0BH50KF