AndreasB

Hi all, I have a question regarding cutting and stamping of molded cases/pouches. I did some folding knife pouches and ammunition cases that were molded with cased leather. I would like to apply a basket weave stamping to these pieces but don't know how to do it. When I mold the leather it gets stretched in all different directions. I usually cut the leather before molding but then the straight lines are all crooked, so I have to cut again. That's no problem at the edges that lay flat down to the table, but I have trouble cutting the other areas where I would have to cut the leather while it's "in the air". The second problem is the stamping. If I stamp before the molding the basket weave will get crooked, too. But if I stamp after the molding I don't have a proper flat surface to put under the leather. Also the leather isn't flat anymore but three dimensional so I would have to stamp around the corners. Any suggestions on these two issues? Thanks for your ideas. Andreas

OK, I already have that big bottle of EcoFlo Antique gel. Any recommendations on what I can use with that?

Thanks for the welcome and the quick responses to my questions. I think I used the antique gel the wrong way but got that straightened out now. I applied it after tooling the leather but not only to highlight the tooled area but also to "dye" the whole project. Thus I was asking why to dye it before if you can dye the leather with the antique gel. That's also why I asked about the black color. If I used it my way I would just dye the whole project black without emphasizing the tooled area. I guess dyeing before antiquing allows for a more even color since the antique gel also darkens all the scratches. Here are pictures of my last two projects that I dyed with the antique gel: What exactly do you use to prevent the dyed area being penetrated by the antique gel? I couldn't find the neat lac on the tandy web page. Do they offer something I could use for that? How do you apply this stuff? I guess you have to make sure it doesn't get into the cuts so the gel can get into there. What is the purpose of the olive oil treatment before dying? I will definitely go with the thinner. That was a good idea.

Hi all, I'm from Germany and new to the forum. I just started leatherworking and did some knife sheaths and ammunition cases so far. I wanted to place an order of cement. Does anybody know if I can keep the cement for a long time or does it dry quickly over time thus I should buy a smaller quantity? (I need to order the supplies in the US because they aren't available in Germany so I want to order larger amounts to save shipping costs) My next question is about the antique gels. I used it so far to color the leather and the carvings. I read that some people first dye the leather and then apply the antique gel. What is the benefit of this? Also you can get antique gel in black. What is the effect of the black antique? The background can't get any darker than black, can it? Thanks for your help. Andreas