Making leather ' Cup ' washers

Charles in Aus.

Well-known Member
The type of ' Cup ' washer used in water pumps and sprayers made from leather is becoming harder to find in some sizes, they range from a half inch right up to two and a half inches . The sort that looks a little like an upturned bottle screw cap . Even when I can get them they are hideously expensive . I have some small water pumps and a number of brass garden and fire sprayers that use them .

A few questions , just how is the ' cup ' shape formed ?
Is it a feasible prospect to make them yourself ?
And what type of leather are they made from ?
 
Hello Charles in Aus,

Good question, I have no answer for you. But it sounds as if
you could make your own? May be cow hide? I will be watching
the thread,

Guido.
 
Charles: I've made several for old pumps over the years, using whatever I had around for scrap leather that was the same thickness as the original. The video below shows the basic technique--it shows how it's done in rural Africa, so obviously being able to do it with a minimum of equipment is necessary, but you can vary the technique to suit whatever you've got available. Typically, vegetable tanned leather will form easier than chrome tanned leather, and I assume it would be safer to use vegetable tanned leather on the off chance the tanning solution would leach into the water (this is assuming it's potable water) over time, but that's just conjecture and I've never heard of it being an issue.
making pump leathers
 
Thank you !
Here's an idea of just how much money you have saved me :D

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2051541.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpump+bucket+leathers.TRS0&_nkw=pump+bucket+leathers&_sacat=0
 

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