Introduction: Wooden Purse

About: Both my grandfather and my father were craftsmen which led to me being exposed to tools and impressed by craftsmanship of the people around me from the earliest age. That surrounding definitely triggered and e…

If You need an idea what to make for someone as a present, here is my litle sugestion. Wooden purse is made from walnut tree and genuine leather. Dimensions are: 173×92 x 32 mm (6,81×3,62×1,26 inch). The pages are connected by wooden hinges, and the wooden purse is closed by 4 magnets.The inside of the wooden purse is designed to hold 4 payment cards, paper money and a mobile phone.

Step 1: Material Processing and Cutting to Measure

We start the production by choosing the appropriate piece of wood and cutting it to the required measurements.

Step 2: Processing of the Sides

Using a table router, we gradually hollow out the insides of the sides. Then, using a band saw or a hand saw we cut the frames for hinges into which a 4 mm thick wooden tile is placed. Into these frames we are placing the hinge plates and pierce holes 6mm in diameter. Then, round the edges of the sides around the holes so that they do not cling during opening / closing. After that, we remove the layer of wood in height equal to the thickness outer parts of the selected leather (in the illustrated case it is 1.2 mm), so that when the leather is placed, it is at the level of the wooden pages.

Step 3: Binding the Sides

Linking the pages is done by inserting 4 mm thick wooden plates into cut openings, drilling a hole of 6 mm in diameter and inserting wooden wedges into drilled holes. The diameter of the wedge should be reduced by about 1 mm in the part that will be inside the wooden tiles, which ensures easier opening and closing of the purse. Wooden wedges, before full insertion, should be greased with wood glue so that the wedge is glued only to the sides of the purse, and not to the wooden plate inside the hinges, as this would prevent the opening and closing of the purse.

After the forming of the hinges, the holes are made for 4 roller magnets with a diameter of 4 mm and a length of 6 mm. Magnets are held in their holes using two-component polyurethane glue. Make sure that the opposite magnet poles are placed facing each other :-).

After forming the pouch as a whole, the external dimension should be adjusted to make the joint smooth.

Step 4: Now the Leather...

We measure the space for the skin and cut off the corresponding piece. At the edge of the cut off piece of leather, we mark the point where the thread will go and through that line we make openings. I used a thread with a thickness of 1.5 mm and the distance between the openings of 6 mm. After threading the leather, using the same tool and following the holes in the leather we mark through the openings the places on the wooden sides that need to be drilled with the appropriate drill for the thread to pass.

Step 5: Inside of the Purse

The leather parts are cut to the dimensions shown in the picture. Bending places are marked, and openings for cards are cut out.

Card pockets are made out of 140 x 70 mm canvas and are glued on to the slits, as shown in the pictures. The first card does not have a pocket, because it is held by the case of the purse. After gluing the pockets, a piece of canvas measuring 150 x 80 mm is glued, which prevents paper money from jamming.

Step 6: Assembly and Final Finish

The cell phone case is glued on the inside of the purse and is stitched with a thread. The skin is then glued to the wooden sides so that the holes on the skin allign to the holes on the purse sides, after which it is threaded.

The type of finish the is a matter of personal preference, I used tung oil and natural wax.

How I made the purse, look at the video :

That`s all.
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Homemade Gifts Contest 2017

Participated in the
Homemade Gifts Contest 2017