I want to make a high quality leather piece of cabin luggage for my wife and I. I have English bridle leather for it all - 3.5mm for most parts and 2.3mm for the gussets and plan to line with a burnt orange Cordura fabric.
Looking around for plans from which I could borrow, I found nothing. Talking to Daniel at Leathercraft Patterns, he said he was working on a pattern. I've waited and now bought that pattern. As usual, the patterns and the instructions seem very good. However, despite the gussets being wider at the top than the bottom (352mm to 253mm), the finished bag's profile is quite pointed at the top - that is, not much of a curve inwards on each side. I'd like my bag to be more rounded (almost gothic arch in profile) but I dont know how to achieve that. I may, of course, just have the wrong idea but I hope not. The LCP instructions tell you to glue the outer sides to the inner sides over a slightly curved form. Perfectly logical. But, for instance, what would happen if I made the form much more curved? I did think about making the sides slightly shorter in order to force the top profile to be squarer, but I dont know.
I will make up thin cardboard patterns and see how they go together but can't see how i could replicate on those the curve of the sides (by glueing inner and outer on a form).
All you guys who have way more experience than me, please come to my aid!
Thanks
@martin In this situation I would present the above information to the designer of the pattern and ask them for advice moving forward. Potentially requesting a custom design if needs be.
Apologies, I have managed to confuse everyone. A couple more pictures attached. There is a scan of part of the plan for the gusset - marked A. There is also a picture of the finished product (not brilliant I'm afraid) also marked A. So, despite the gusset for A being wider at the top than at the bottom, the picture A would indicate that the finished side profile is very bullet-shaped; very sharp.
However, the 2 pictures marked B which show the gussets and side profile for bag B, show gussets which are rectangular (unlike A) and a much squarer finished side profile.
I want the look of B (squarer side profile) but dont understand how its achieved with a rectangular gusset whilst the gusset A, which I would expect to end up in a side profile wider (or the same) at the top as at the bottom, seems to result in a bullet-shaped side profile.
Phew!
I know that Daniel, in his excellent instructions for bag A, does have you glueing the outside and liner over a curved form so that it dries curved at the top when looked from the ends. I'm not sure if that could result in the bullet shape? Seems illogical. I am/was thinking about a much more curved form so that I would end up with a much more curved side panel when looked at from the ends.
I hope that explains much better my dilemma. I can say that it is my intention of taking photos throughout the eventual build and posting them on here.
I tried and tried to upload something on my original request. This is another go at my IT skills. Photo A is from the pattern that I have. Too arched at the top. Photos B & C are how I would like it look - squarer profile
@martin Hi Martin.
I think that a picture will speak a thousand words here. That way we will be able to picture what you mean.