Do it yourself leather yoke

[scottfromiowa]

$500 for Aero-Comfort...Awesome looking yokes. I am saving my pennies and wrapping with tennis grip 'cause they are "nice", but there is "do it yourself" and...Awesome. I choose awesome.

[rob47v]

Gee something else to add to my wish list. Very nice!!!!

[isaacpr7]

Anyone knows what type of string or thread is used to hand stitch this project?

[DonMuncy]

Try your friendly leather store. Here in Texas we have Tandy Leather outlets. I don't know where you are.

[isaacpr7]

Thought I'd give it a try - Tandy Leather, total spent $35.00

 

First layer of tape wrapped sticky side out - second layer sticky side in

 

Cut tape off of the yoke, tape it in place on the leather and cut out the pattern

 

Punch holes along the perimeter and start to sew it on....

Mike,

 

I tried to make this project work but somewere along the line I feel that I did something wrong. Can you take a look at my pictures and let me know what you think. Any suggestions as to what I could have done better? Any tips on cutting the outline for the pattern?

 

[DrBill]

Looks to me like you cut it off in too many pieces. There should be only one piece of tape. Cut the tape along the back of the yoke so there is only one seam, you will also have a Y in the middle and large C's on the top of each yoke where the PTT buttons would be.

BILL

[isaacpr7]

Looks to me like you cut it off in too many pieces. There should be only one piece of tape. Cut the tape along the back of the yoke so there is only one seam, you will also have a Y in the middle and large C's on the top of each yoke where the PTT buttons would be.

BILL

DrBill,

 

That is exactly how I cut it initially; however, when I tried to lay the tape flat on the fabric it would not lay flat due to the curves on the pattern. The only thing I could think at the time was to cut along the line where the curve started so that I could lay the tape flat on the material (and you can see how well that went for me). Do you or anyone have detailed pics for all the seams or maybe a pattern (scanned) already cut that I can use for this project?

[DonMuncy]

If you don't mind the extra work, I would get some cheap imitation leather and make the pattern the way Dr. Bill suggested. The pattern doesn't have to lay down flat, as both the leatherette and the leather will stretch a little. The "two pattern" system will assure it will lace up properly with the stretch accommodated for.

[isaacpr7]

If you don't mind the extra work, I would get some cheap imitation leather and make the pattern the way Dr. Bill suggested. The pattern doesn't have to lay down flat, as both the leatherette and the leather will stretch a little. The "two pattern" system will assure it will lace up properly with the stretch accommodated for.

Don,

The material you see in my picture is the cheap imitation leather; however, I am not understanding how to cut the leather from the tape pattern when the tape will not lay flat without cutting it into multiple pieces. Perhaps, if anyone has pics of when they created theirs, that would help

[DonMuncy]

This is the reason you do it twice. You lay it out and mark it as best you can, leaving it big anywhere you are in doubt. Then you wrap it around the yoke and remark it where the overlaps are. Then recut and refit.

Mine is a K model, so I don't have anything that would help with yours.

Good luck.

[MARZ]

Bill is correct - on the right yoke I had a single piece of leather and sewed it up - the issue with the pattern not laying flat is resolved with notching the tape to give a relief.  The did the pilot yoke with six pieces because of the odd shape of the clock enclosure. 

[PTK]

Watching the Wold Cup all day and covering my yokes with leather!

Life is good!

[DonMuncy]

Looks nice.

[Marauder]

When you going to do mine Pete?!

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[scottfromiowa]

Is that a kit? What is the details on that...minus the World Cup. Looks really good. REALLY GOOD.

[PTK]

No kit! That's from scratch by yours truly!

Spinneybeck aviation certified full grain leather and some quality time!

[PTK]

When you going to do mine Pete?!

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For you Chris anytime!

[Marauder]

I have always wanted them, just not that talented. If I bought the materials, could you walk me through it?

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[scottfromiowa]

I will mail you my Cub Scout Merit Badge for Leatherwork. That is really nice work.

[PTK]

I will mail you my Cub Scout Merit Badge for Leatherwork. That is really nice work.

Thank you Scott, but it's your badge and you should keep it!

Thank you for your compliments. I'm glad you like my leatherwork on my yokes.

[PTK]

I have always wanted them, just not that talented. If I bought the materials, could you walk me through it? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yes of course Chris. Speak to me first before you buy the leather.

[carusoam]

Wow....!

Peter has some leather skills.

Best regards,

-a-

[Marauder]

Yes of course Chris. Speak to me first before you buy the leather.

Peter -- I got an idea. How long does it take to wrap a set? Thinking maybe you could host a fly-in and show us how to wrap a set. I would be more than happy to remove my yokes and bring them over You will need to tell me where to get the leather. Since I am hide ignorant. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Bob_Belville]

Peter -- I got an idea. How long takes it take to wrap a set? Thinking maybe you could host a fly-in and show us how to wrap a set. I would be more than happy to remove my yokes and bring them over

You will need to tell me where to get the leather. Since I am hide ignorant.

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Chris, for upholstery weight cowhide I would check with custom auto trim shops nearby. You sure don't need a whole hide/side so if you can accept one of the colors he should have left over pieces from someones Forty Ford project. I had to buy 2 hides to do my plane, seats plus a lot of the vertical surfaces including baggage area. I suspect I have enough grey left over to cover the yokes to match if I wanted to, which I don't. Bare plastic feels better to me... but I don't like a golf glove either... to each his own.

[Hank]

I like the look and feel of leather steering wheels, and leather yokes look pretty good, too. Mine are powder coated. The way the push-to-talk buttons were added on separate stalks on the inside of the yokes, and my desire to preserve the clock in the center of mine, mean that covering them will be difficult. So I will continue to pass on the option, I think.

 

Any suggestions for how to work around these?