Leather water bag : How I make mine for the Black powder hunt

**BBT** · 04-03-2019, 10:43

Gert, you are to me a combination of MacGyver and the Mad scientist

**BBT** · 04-03-2019, 10:44

I love seeing all your projects

**Gert Odendaal** · 04-03-2019, 18:40

Originally Posted by BBT

Gert, you are to me a combination of MacGyver and the Mad scientist

BBT this is the greatest compliment I ever got from a person, my appreciation is boundless..

Wait until I commence , with the guidance naturally of Johan Greyling my great mentor to build the canon...we will have a lot of fun I can assure you..please keep on watching ..it is much, much appreciated...

**Krokodil** · 04-03-2019, 19:34

Excellent job!

**Gert Odendaal** · 04-03-2019, 19:50

Originally Posted by Krokodil

Excellent job!

Thank you Krokodil, I will be completing the stitching work probably in the next two days. Then it will be time to bulge out the leather water bottle by submersing the leather bottle in hot warm to enable the leather to stretch to its maximum by stuffing it full of rice until there is no space left anymore...I will upload a few photos of this process as well..

**Gert Odendaal** · 05-03-2019, 15:46

Commenced today with stitching work on the second seem, the inside seem , I am sure the double seems will assist in better water proofing of the leather water bottle.

I noticed that on the right hand side of the bottle along the outer stitched seem the wood glue is visible ..I will see what effect it has when I complete the water bottle...next one I need to be more careful to ensure the glue is removed before it sets so that it will not be visible ...

When completed the bottle I will sand down the whole bottle , it will give a softer appearance and coloring it as well will make sure there are no visible marks on the leather...

**Gert Odendaal** · 06-03-2019, 21:22

I nearly succeed in completing the second line of stitching around the circumference of the water bottel ....I am sure I wil be able to complete all stitching work tomorrow...then it is moving on to the third step...stuffing the leather water bottle with rice or popcorn seed to get a nice bulge out of it...will upload photos...

**Gert Odendaal** · 07-03-2019, 19:55

Good, had some time today to work on the leather water bottle..all stitching is done....I saw fit to take beeswax and smeared it over the stitching on both sides..my idea being it will penetrate the stitching from the outside and assist in water proofing any holes I stitched outside the markings, I used a hair dryer that works great by heating the wax so it can penetrating deep into the thread and stitching work..

...here are some photos:

**DaavG** · 08-03-2019, 10:19

Well done Gert. On the stitching you've improved! Can one actually hand stitch in a straight line?

**Gert Odendaal** · 08-03-2019, 17:41

Originally Posted by DaavG

Well done Gert. On the stitching you've improved! Can one actually hand stitch in a straight line?

Daan, thank you, what I noticed help me in stitching more neatly is the scribe I use to scribe on both sides, so when you push the awl through you have a guide and can feel when the sharp point of the awl starts coming through..It will take a long time before I will be able to do very neat and straight stitching work ...but, it will come, I do not know when..but it will..