Bob Blea

You are correct, choose the resist based on what you've already applied to the leather. I will say that I prefer lacquer based resists just because I have more experience with them and they seem to work better for me. But plenty of people on this forum use acrylic based products with success. I would oil before I painted. The Acrylic will probably block the oil from penetrating since it seals the leather pretty well. I wouldn't say you absolutely need to oil an item. I know a well respected maker that has stopped applying oil to his projects unless it will see a lot of exposure to the elements. He wants to maintain the natural light color of the leather as much as possible so he's stopped using Neatsfoot oil on his works, and so far he hasn't heard bad feedback from any of his customers about it. I feel like you should use oil anytime you are dying leather because the solvents in the dyes tend to dry out the leather and make it more brittle.

And I should have also mentioned: Whatever product you find, TRY IT ON SCRAP FIRST! Make sure it doesn't mess up your paints on a scrap piece of leather before you try it on your project. You will also want to verify that it is thick enough to resist the antique before you apply that. Bob

Hello Katariina, I can't read the red label product but the wax probably isn't going to help any. Typically you would want either a lacquer based product or an acrylic based product for a resist. I'm assuming the painting on the leather is acrylic based, so I probably wouldn't use a lacquer based resist because I would be worried that the lacquer could dissolve my paints. I would choose to go the acrylic route, something like Resolene. If you don't have a leather supplier handy (I'm assuming you don't have a local store you can go to) there are other options. Art supply stores commonly carry a product called Acrylic Matte Medium, at least here in the US. Liquitex is a well know manufacturer here in the US. It can be used like Resolene over acrylic paints, though I would want to water it down 50/50 with water and apply it in several light coats. Hope this helps, Bob

There is always Oxalic acid, also known as Barkeeper's Friend at the hardware store. I've used it (diluted in water) to clean leather, especially when it had a bit of mold spots growing on it. Also, a really good way to remove metal discoloration on leather is lemon juice, full strength.

That by itself is a sign of hope for Tandy.

Personally I don't think I would want to bring leather like that into my shop. BUT if I had to, I would probably try to clean it with Oxalic acid.

Welcome, you are off to a good start! One tip I would give you is to round your corners slightly. Pointed corners like you have will wear badly and bend back. They will round themselves with use.

Congratulations, that is a great find!

Nice work, love the colors you are getting.

Welcome, you are off to a good start! This site is definitely the best place to find answers and ways to improve, and there are lots of people here who are willing to help.

No trick of formula that I'm aware of. I just try and keep my radius of curvature much larger than the width of my stamp. If you bevel the line at the base of the border stamp it often hides any gaps between the base of the stamp and the line.

Good to hear from you again and welcome back! You were missed. Hope you are feeling better.

I am almost certain Wayne Jueschke makes a stamp like that. I would contact him. He doesn't have a website for his tools. It's best to give him a call at 775-738-4885.

I'm with the others on recommending working on your swivel knife skills. They really are the foundation on any carving. You will want to be able to make smooth flowing cuts and tight turns accurately. You will also want to be able to accurately control the depth of your cuts. From your example I suspect that your swivel knife isn't sharp enough. A well sharpened knife with a polished edge will make carving your pattern MUCH easier and give you more control.

Nice vintage Etsy shop!

There was a post in the Exotic Leather section that talked a little about using fish skins: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=44466 That might give you a nibble.

Thank you Dinah, do you have an Etsy shop too? You should post a link to it.... Glad you got the stitching horse working. You should post some pics of it.

Welcome to the forum. You have some very nice items in your Etsy shop.

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you are pretty well equipped for just about anything.

Maybe Oxalic Acid would remove some of the oil and lighten it up a bit?

grimmlin, just from reading your original post, I'd say your leather is still way too wet. I dip my leather in water like you do but not for very long. I used to wait for bubbles to lessen or stop but I decided I didn't need it that wet. Even with my very dry climate (much less humidity than where you live) I find I need to let my leather sit out in the air to dry for many hours before it starts to get back to the right moisture level for tooling. The tool can effect how the leather burnishes but you should still get some burnish with any tool if the leather is almost dry. Try dipping a scrap piece and letting it sit out for several hours and see how it takes a stamp impression then.

I wouldn't call 6-10 inches small by any means. I've used pieces of leather like that to make small notebook covers like for a 3x5 inch pocket notebook. You have even more options if you can stitch a couple of pieces together. You could use pieces that size to make wallets too. Then of course there are always key fobs and hair barrettes.

I would burnish first then paint. The rubbing will wear off some of the paint. For the times I use acrylics I spray on a top coat that is also acrylic. I use a product called Blair Matte Medium, and it's used to fix pastel chalk to a canvas once you are finished with the artwork. You should be able to do the same with Resolene. I would spray it with an airbrush if I could, but if you have to brush it on I think that would work too. Remember to thin Resolene 50/50 with water (or maybe thinner) so it doesn't make too thick a coating. You can always make multiple thin coats to get the finish you want. Hope this helps, Bob

I would do that in two separate steps. I would cut the circle first and then use a tool to bevel (skive actually) the edge.

I recently took a carving and painting class with Robert Beard. In that class he used Liquitex paints. I know he uses some higher end paints in his own work but the Liquitex did a good enough job in the class. I've used them for years (before I started in leather) and haven't had a problem with them holding up.