AEBL

Great, thanks folks! My first project is a tote bag ... and I do need to make sure that I can get my seams absolutely parallel for the straps. I'm probably going to put some miles on the machine getting better at parallel lines, and backstitching that doesn't look awful. I don't have a needle positioning system, but I think it might be possible to get one for my servo controller ... I have a Consew C3000 controller. I like the economy of reusing tooling practice leather as a roughout sheath ... very cool.

I now have a Consew 206RB-3 (driven with a servo). I'm afraid to do much to the leather I bought for a project because I pretty much know how to thread the machine and oil it. I got a couple of pair of blue jeans that I have cut up and run stitches on, topstitched open seams, and it is still sort of rough looking (machine sews great - guy running the machine is the problem). What would you guys recommend for me to try and get better?

(I'm not getting notifications for some reason) Thanks for the tips on cutting lace, @bruce johnson

@FrankHester, I'm really not a carver, but I want to be. I'm a scribbler, and I own a swivel knife ... I'd say that if you have a desire to do it, the mechanics of it can be taught. You'll probably be like the rest of us, sketching other people's work and learning bit by bit, but you absolutely can do it. Plus, this site is amazing. Plenty of people to offer advice and encouragement.

I haven't tried calling yet, I probably will shortly - but the "hidepounder@cox.net" email bounces ... so it's likely not his email anymore. The phone number does appear to be his (his company's) phone though.

I saw a couple of videos from Joe Meling ... he does good videos. I'll check out the other websites. I'm all about downloading what I can get, pattern wise and instruction wise - but like most everyone here, I don't want someone else's style, I want to develop my own.

I was getting a little frustrated looking for copies of out-of-print floral/Sheridan books and I ran across an e-Book (PDF) on the topic by Don Gonzalez. I'm about halfway through it now, and will probably read it about eighteen more times in my excitement to learn how to do this carving stuff. The book is more in the vein of "how you can *also* become a designer of floral patterns" rather than "copy my diagram" - and I love it. He helps me understand why I would use a particular design element in a place, and explains some of his design habits (keeping a sketchbook of potential new flowers, leaves, for instance). He explains "flow" and "balance" in a way that doesn't sound abstract. So, if you're like me, and are looking around for books you can't find - try a book you *can* find: https://shop.dgsaddlery.com/products/introduction-leather-floral-design (not sure if I can link it here, but if it isn't cool to do that, moderators feel free to remove) Oh, Chan Greer's book is also available, I just haven't got it in the mail yet. I bet it is also good.

Any tips on where to get it today?

If I were the holder of the book rights ... not piracy ...

@chuck123wapati no worries, enjoy Am I wrong though? If used books are selling for $700 ... would you not print another round of books to sell?

I have heard people recommend the "Sheridan Leather Carving" book ... but I can't find it anywhere. I see used copies of it being sold for obscene amounts of money. https://www.amazon.com/Sheridan-Style-Carving-Gardner-Clinton/dp/0967964709 Won't Tandy make more? Does anyone have a PDF? Good grief!

I'm not sure how fast that Grizzly tool runs, but on my buffer wheel I have it set up so that it runs up ... so that it throws tools *away* from me ... but my buffer runs pretty fast (1725 RPM). I can't quite make it out on your picture, but yours looks like 90 RPM? Yours is probably a LOT safer than mine.

Necroposting, sorry - but in case someone else was looking for the secret to sticky-backed patterns, this guy uses chloroprene contact cement. Navico leather has a couple of "how to" videos that I found very enlightening. They're in Korean, but they have enough in there that a non-Korean-speaker can get it quite easily. Sticky-backed patterns:

Oh thanks! I didn't see that video when I was looking around. I have a stamp very similar to the one in the video, but my burnishing isn't as good. I think getting a good stamp might be a future purchase - cheaper stamps are very frustrating to line up. I did make a point of marking a reference point on the stamp so that I can line it up the same way each time.

@GingerPowered, There is another thread here on the form showing latex from HobbyLobby being used to mask dyes:

It is possible to turn 70% IPA into 91% IPA using salt. Granted, you'll have *salty* 91% IPA when you're done, but it can be done at home. https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Salt-Out/

I was getting ... better ... at regular basket weave stamping and figured I'd try out the tri-weave stamp I acquired. That experiment was a mess. Do you guys have tips for laying out this stamp? https://tandyleather.com/products/craftool-tri-weave-stamp

I don't have a ceramic swivel knife blade (or even know how to use one yet), but I'm interested in trying. Amazon sells them for ~$15, other more well known vendors sell them for ~$30 ... are the $15 blades (likely of Chinese origin) comparable?

Sounds like you want something like a "leather splitter." They range in price from expensive to very expensive. If you're splitting an entire hide ... you might have to find some company to do that for you. In your case, unless you can make friends like that, you might be better off selling your hides and buying deerskin that has been processed to your desired thickness.

I don't trust people with clean workbenches, frankly.

@fredk, thank you sir! I knew someone here would have had experience with that.

I've got a cheap airbrush and I wanted to see if I could paint leather with it, but it is just model airplane acrylic paint ... Wicked colors from Hobby Lobby. Will I have adhesion problems? I know Angelus sells "leather paint" which is obviously made for leather - but is it that much better than other acrylic paints on leather?

@Tastech, it does make sense now that it would be more useful for stiffer thin leathers. The soft leather either goes over the blade or bunches in the throat. I'm able to make longer pieces, but not prettier pieces (they all vary in width). I'm probably going to abandon the soft leather and try a 2oz veg tan cowhide. The soft leather had been ruined with some sprinkles of dark stain and I was trying to put it to some good use.

I got the Australian lace strander. I have a piece of soft leather that is sort of like work-glove weight, about 2 oz or so (1.6mm with calipers). I didn't cut it into a circle for starters, I cut it into somewhat of a pear shape. I'm having a lot of trouble getting consistent width (I'm aiming for 1/8 inch or for everyone else in the world, like 3 mm). Does anyone have any tips for using this tool? I'm sure there is a bit of learning to get it working well. I also have a new razor blade in it. Cheers

I know I'm sort of resurrecting an old post - but not too old. Do you have to heat-treat those tools, or does it just not matter that much for leather?