Shoutout to the old guy at the 2018 ABANA conference in Atlanta

He showed me how to use a piece of scrap leather to hold hot work instead of always reaching for tongs. Anyone else pick up a simple trick like that that just stuck?

3 comments

3 Comments

clark.alex3d ago

Tbh that's a solid trick, but calling it scrap leather is selling it short. You really want a decent piece of belt leather or something similar that won't just burn through. The good stuff lets you get a real grip without cooking your fingers. It's one of those things that seems small but changes how you handle a lot of smaller pieces.

jamie7703d ago

My buddy tried the scrap leather thing last year. Grabbed some thin stuff from a craft bin. It basically melted onto his soldering iron handle. Had to peel it off with pliers. He upgraded to an old belt piece and said it was like night and day. Could actually hold the small board steady without dropping it.

beth_reed3d ago

Ever try using an old baseball glove? Clark.alex is totally right about needing thick leather... I cut a square from my dad's old mitt and it works perfect, doesn't even smell burnt after a whole afternoon of tinkering. That cheap craft store stuff just turns into a sticky mess.