Page 3 of 4

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:43 pm
by Greg
I'd lean towards silicone for what you're doing. Brewer's pitch is a mess to deal with.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:04 pm
by Manveruon
I mean that was certainly my first inclination. But I’m just kinda’ paranoid now since every single time I look up whether a given brand of silicone sealant is food-safe I get a totally different answer.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 4:22 pm
by ForgeCorvus
Buy some waxed cheese like Edam or Gouda, eat the cheese and use the wax.

It has the edge on Brewer's pitch as its soft below room temperature.

I remember being told by a Bagpiper (EM not Highland) that was what he used to bed his reeds in with.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 4:21 am
by Manveruon
ForgeCorvus wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 4:22 pm Buy some waxed cheese like Edam or Gouda, eat the cheese and use the wax.

It has the edge on Brewer's pitch as its soft below room temperature.

I remember being told by a Bagpiper (EM not Highland) that was what he used to bed his reeds in with.
Hah! That’s a fascinating idea! Would never have thought of it! I did consider beeswax, since I’ve already got quite a lot of that, but it certainly isn’t quite that soft, and I fear it would eventually crack and fail.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 5:38 pm
by ForgeCorvus
Manveruon wrote: Sun Dec 05, 2021 4:21 am
ForgeCorvus wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 4:22 pm Buy some waxed cheese like Edam or Gouda, eat the cheese and use the wax.

It has the edge on Brewer's pitch as its soft below room temperature.

I remember being told by a Bagpiper (EM not Highland) that was what he used to bed his reeds in with.
Hah! That’s a fascinating idea! Would never have thought of it! I did consider beeswax, since I’ve already got quite a lot of that, but it certainly isn’t quite that soft, and I fear it would eventually crack and fail.
I thought if it can plug air leaks in an instrument, it should work for you.
I've seen it used for all sorts of jobs, plugging leaks in buckets and water bottles, stopping up holes in doors or walls, leather repairs (on the thread) and once for emergency dental use (lost crown left behind a metal post that kept catching the tongue).
Why does everyone throw it away??

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 8:01 pm
by Manveruon
Wow! That’s an impressive array of uses!
I admit I’m tempted now. My only real concern would be permanence.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:35 pm
by ForgeCorvus
Am I right that the bottom groove is where you'll bind on the inner bladder and the top groove is for the cover?

I'd fill the bladder groove with cheese wax and put a layer around the lowermost bead, then bind the bladder on and (using the heat of my hands to soften it) squish the wax 'gasket' as hard into the joint as possible.

You're more likely to get leaks from around the stopple, but you're obviously a 'belt & braces' kind of a guy.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:11 pm
by Peter Remling

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:09 pm
by Manveruon
ForgeCorvus wrote: Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:35 pm Am I right that the bottom groove is where you'll bind on the inner bladder and the top groove is for the cover?

I'd fill the bladder groove with cheese wax and put a layer around the lowermost bead, then bind the bladder on and (using the heat of my hands to soften it) squish the wax 'gasket' as hard into the joint as possible.

You're more likely to get leaks from around the stopple, but you're obviously a 'belt & braces' kind of a guy.
I believe that’s correct, yeah. And yeah, “belt & braces” is just about right, I’d say! :lol:

After a little more research I ended up grabbing some JB Water Weld at the local hardware store. It’s specifically designed for sealing and repairing things that will come into constant contact with water, and it’s also apparently NSF certified drinking-water-safe, so it’s supposed to be totally fine for using on just about anything that will be used for potable water.

That being said, if this method fails, I may indeed try the wax!

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2022 3:00 am
by Manveruon
WELLLLLLLL my project was going extremely well and I was very excited to show what I had done here on the forums, but tonight I had 2 catastrophic failures occur, and now the entire thing needs to be thrown into the garbage, mouthpiece, bladder, leather covering - all of it. First the leather tore as I was turning the outer covering right-side in after sewing it, and then I pierced the bladder with a sewing needle as I was trying to repair it and close the leather up properly. I am SPITTING MAD about it. Just absolutely livid. It was entirely my own fault and there’s absolutely no reason this should have happened. It was stupid and careless. I’m probably going to just throw it all in the trash and figure the money and time I spent on it was completely wasted. Not. Pleased.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2022 5:09 pm
by ForgeCorvus
Ungood

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:11 pm
by Elleth
Oh no!!!


... even the mouthpiece was damaged? Or is it just a "I don't ever want to see any of this again" thing?

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2022 9:33 pm
by Manveruon
Elleth wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:11 pm Oh no!!!


... even the mouthpiece was damaged? Or is it just a "I don't ever want to see any of this again" thing?
I used a heavy-duty sealant putty to seal the mouthpiece onto the bladder, and because I didn’t know how much to use I ended up putting a lot more on than I probably needed. I don’t think I can remove it at this point. It wouldn’t have been a problem if I hadn’t punctured the frigging bladder. Ugh. I’m still just so angry about it all.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 1:00 pm
by Eofor
Sorry mate. It happens, I know that's not going to make it any easier but it does.

You're an amazing craftsman Manv and your leatherwork is out of sight, this is just a setback. Sit it aside and once you're calmer see if you can salvage the mouthpiece.

Otherwise it's just one of those projects the gods have claimed in tribute and you get to start over again. You'll make the next one better from what you learned this time anyway.

Re: A proper Dúnedain waterskin..

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2022 1:09 pm
by Elleth
What Eofor said. Your craftsmanship is exquisite - stuff is always hairy at the leading edge of figuring things out.
I'm sure the next revision - be it in a month or a decade - will be amazing. :mrgreen: