rpfkov

Hi, Thank you all for your suggestions. I was thinking belly first, but then it does seem like it could be embossed. I've never seen a belly like that but I am not very experienced. I appreciate the help very much.

Thank you very much for responding, I'll try my local Tandy.

I'd be so grateful if anyone had an idea. Trying to figure out the crinkly leather on the top, I've been doing a lot of searching on the web with no luck.

Hello all, I would like to make this cuff for my daughter as part of a costume of her favourite Star Wars character for a convention she is going to in the spring. I am trying to identify the type of leather used. It looks like two types have been glued back to back? I am really stumped by the crinkly leather on the top. It looks like a project that will be ok for a leather newbie like me, if anyone could help with the leather ID, I would be very grateful.

Thanks for helping. It is a rounded fold if that makes any sense. Should there be several grooves? How close together should they be? It is approx 3 oz leather, there is not much to groove.

Thank you all for taking the time to answer. If I cut the inside slightly smaller and glue and stitch it when partially closed, will the inside leather stretch to allow it to lay flat when finished?

Hi, I am trying to make as exact a duplicate as I can. If the original folds well and lays flat, I assume there must be a way to achieve this that I am just not experienced enough to figure out. Thanks

Let me recap what I think I can try. I have to use the same leather for both pieces due to the fact I am duplicating an existing journal that uses the same thickness for both. I can groove the flesh side of the cover where I needs it to bend: How many grooves and how close together? I assume I only groove the outside piece's flesh side? Then: - I cut the outside piece to shape and apply glue. (I have the problem here in that I can only apply the glue to the full area on one side of the rings and just around the edges to the part to the right of the rings.) - Apply glue to the inside piece, which is cut larger, to allow for trimming later. Keeping it half closed (45º?), start gluing the inside piece to the outside piece starting from the center and working out. - Let the glue set in this 45º position. - Do my punching and stitching. Trim excess from inside piece to match outside piece. Finish edges etc. At this point, will the inside stretch to allow the journal to lay flat? How long would that take? Can I help along the stretching at all? It needs to be able to lay flat as it is being written in every day as a Day-Timer. Is there a way to calculate how much shorter length wise the inside piece needs to be for the purpose of making a pattern? Thanks!

Thank you very much for taking the time to give such a detailed reply. Unfortunately, as I am duplicating an existing journal, I need the same leather to be on the inside and outside. Both pieces are approx. 3oz. If I fold the cover about half way closed and let the glue set before opening or closing the cover, should I be using a slightly shorter (lengthwise) piece of leather on the inside? If yes, what happens when it is opened fully. Will it lay flat? Should it be glued? Thanks

Hi, I am a very green leather worker, making lots of mistakes but learning and enjoying my new hobby. I am reading and watching videos and I am making progress. However I would like to ask a question related to the first thing I made from leather. I made this journal for my son for his birthday. It's too not bad and it looks quite good closed. When it is open, however, it has some buckling, particularly in the back. It is two pieces of leather back to back with two extra flaps in the front acting as pockets. The main layers to the left of the rings are glued together, but the layers to the right of the rings are glued only around the edges as there is a slit cut in the leather to accommodate a small clipboard that can be inserted. When the clipboard is in there is no buckling, when it is out there is. I know I have done something wrong in not allowing for folding. I could not leave an un-stitched area at the bottom (like a wallet) as I was copying an existing journal and there was no area not sewn. I made the two main pieces of leather the same size which I also assume is not correct. But as I said, it was my first project. I would like to try again and do it right this time. Could anyone shed some light on why it is buckling and how to avoid it in the future? - I can not leave an un-stitched area. - I can not glue the entire area of the two pieces. - I can forgo the glue completely if that would solve the problem Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi, That sounds exactly like what I do to water colour paper before I paint on it. I have a board that I attach the water colour paper to (there is a special paper tape for this), paint the painting, let it dry and then cut it to size. Thanks

Sorry for the continued questions, but I have one other issue. My leather was stored in a roll in the store and unpon unrolling, it does not lay completely flat. There is some curl, which I assume will go away with time, but also a bit of wavyness throughout the entire hide. Will that relax when my pieces are cut out or is there a trick to getting rid of that? Thanks

Thank you for the suggestions. Should I oil the back as well as the front? If I apply a sealer, will the leather (if I don't dye it), still darken and pick up the oils from being handled? I am hoping for it to get a nice patina (over time) like this wallet:

No, I will be just stitching it together as a journal cover. I may dye it or leave it natural, that is the part I have not decided on. What I am concerned about most is that the leather will be supple enough to fold well into the journal shape yet have enough stiffness to hold it's shape. I don't want to have any wavyness or buckling after the pieces are sewn together. And if I do dye it, that I have prepared it for both the sewing and the dyeing the best way possible. Thanks

I have a couple of other questions if that's OK. Can anyone recommend how to prepare the pieces before I attempt to dye them? I have read that it is good to roll the pieces in damp towels and leave them over night for example. Should the pieces be damp before dyeing? Should I apply oil after dyeing or is a conditioner enough? If I leave the leather un-dyed and apply conditioner, will the leather still pick up the oils from my hands and age naturally? Thanks!

Hello oltoot, Thank you for your helpful comments. Yes, indeed my artwork was not to scale. Below is my actual side with one of my pattern pieces in scale. I need to cut two of such pieces and place them back to back as well as two small pockets on the inside. It needs to fold in half along the long edge, giving me a journal cover that is 9.5" tall by 8" across when closed. The pattern piece in the photo is just placed for scale. I have the entire side so any suggestions for optimal placement would be very much appreciated.

Yes please Chief, would you please share your reasoning? This side was a big financial outlay for me and I don't want to make a mistake. Thanks!

Hmmm... two different answers . Thank you both for your suggestions, I think I'll go with the natural curve of the animal.

I hope you won't mind one more newbie question. I am making something similar to the notebook cover in the second photo. I need to cut two pieces from the bend area that will be stitched back to back and have to fold over. May I ask, which direction in the hide is it better to cut the pieces if they are going to fold? Perpendicular to where the spine of the cow would be, or parallel?

Hi, Thanks for taking the time to answer. I have the nice bend area for my actual project, I just took this piece from the belly for experimenting with the sun and oil etc. I just hate to waste anything so I was wondering if I was missing anything in getting it to "behave". I'm sure I won't have the same problem with the bend area. Thanks

Hi, I did take it fromt he belly as I was experimenting with sun and oil etc. and I did not want to use the premium part of the side for that. Is there any way to save the piece or will it keep it's shape no matter what? Thanks

Thanks, I tried that. It worked while it was wet but then it came back once it was completely dry.

Hello, I am new to leatherwork. I am working on a small project for which I purchased a 2-3 oz vegetable tanned side. I am making what is basically a large wallet with two extra flaps that act as pockets. I cut out a small piece for the first pocket to experiment with and have suntanned it, used pure neatsfoot oil to darken it further and then applied Tandy conditioner. It is feeling quite supple, but I am having a problem with it. When I cut the piece, it was not perfectly flat. It had a bit of slight wavyness so would not lay exactly flat. I assumed that when I had finished with the sun, oil and conditioner it would behave. I put it under a stack of books and when I took it out it appeared flat, but the next day is was slightly wavy again. Not as much, but it was still there. Help?

Hi, Yes, I watched that video, it was very useful. He does not dampen the leather in the video before applying the stain. I have seen posts where dampening the leather is recommended, even soaking it all the way through before application. Any recommendations on this? Thanks