Pouch Leather
By Bruce Clark
As a conscientious rebuilder, I am seeking the best possible pouch leather for some sets of Ampico unit valves. I am _not_ anxious to do them over again! I hope to be in heaven by the time they require restoration again!
Just three years ago, I sent to a well-known supplier for a half skin of leather for this purpose. I used some, and I kept the remainder in a glass jar to exclude impurities in the air that might lead to deterioration. Much to my surprise, I found the newer leather slightly decomposed, and unsuitable for any use at all! Some very old leather stored in the same jar is in very good condition, so I doubt if could be a storage problem.
Recently one of our readers put me in touch with The Leather Supply House in South bend Indiana. In turn, they sent me a very nice catalog, and an excellent sample sheet of their finest leather. The samples shown have two different types of leather that I feel might be suitable. One: thin .008 pouch leather and Two: Chrome Pneumatic of the same thickness.
The tan is the usual kind we all have seen, but the Chrome is a very thin white leather, and I am wondering if that might hold up better than the other. Has anyone had experience with both kinds!
Original Ampico pouches were rubberized with a very very diluted coat of rubber cement, so dilute that one would not suspect anything had been put on them. Next they were powdered with talcum to absorb any stickiness and to seal them up.
I hear conflicting comments on the use of rubber cement, and would appreciate hearing from a variety of sources. I have used Elmer's rubber cement with very good results in the past. In the fifties, I used Carter's rubber cement to seal the leather of a model B sleeve pneumatic and it is still in very good condition. Now I hear that Carter's is not recommended. I'd enjoy hearing from readers in the Digest so others may benefit, or direct E-mail me at: bac4@juno.com
Bruce Clark
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(Message sent Mon 6 Jan 1997, 20:57:25 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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