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Showing results for tags 'tooling'.
Found 193 results
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Hi i am working on making leather fire helmet shields and had a few questions. Made my first one the other day but having a hard time with the beveling with it leaving alot of uneven marks. Any suggestions on how much to wet down the leather or how to start so that its more even? not sure if im wetting the leather to much or possible not cutting my lines deep enough before i bevel? Any suggestions/ tips would be great thanks!
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Hey guys, me and my husband got bit and have been hooked on leather crafting. It started as a hobby a few weeks ago but we both found a passion in it. A few of his buddies from work want some stuff for Christmas so we want to make it look more 'professional' and last better. We picked up a basic tool set and some stamps. But we are pretty clueless when it comes to how to finish our leather. We have a Tandy's about two hours away we are going to next weekend to pick stuff up, but I wanted to get some recommendations on products from Tandy's you guys like. I've seen a lot about the Clear-Lac/Neat-Lac, saddle lac, tote lac, ect. We know we want to do a lot of antique finish but according to Tandy's website you dye, use a pro resist, antique finish, then neat lac. But won't a resist keep the antique from absorbing? Also, what is the proper process? So far we follow this- cut, groove, bevel edges, sand, burnish, tool/carve, oil (let soak overnight), then sew together. Is there a better method and how to do we finish? I posted my first project I did, a sheath for my throwing knives. I did the art then colored it with regular acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby (which I'm sure you probably shouldn't use). We are looking at getting the Eco flo glue, fiebing dyes, fiebing all in one antique finish, fiebing pro resist, eco flo neat-lac, and neats foot oil. Is there anything else we should get? I'm sorry for all the questions. Just want to make sure we are on the right path
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Hi all First time posting something that isn't a big batch. This is a tooled case made as a present for a friend- I had originally sized it so it to be used as a fancy pencil case but due to some poor planning there are some gaps at the sides and i'm not sure how well it would work for that. No time left to alter but I guess it could be used for glasses or tools or as a clutch or anything really- not for me to decide but i'm sure something will fit in it... This was built over a couple of weeks worth of lunch breaks at work so didn't have the time I would've liked, but maybe i'll reuse the patterns when I'm freed up again. Technical specs- 2.5ishmm veg tan lined with thin upholstery stuff, which is also used for the side panels. Hand stitched with waxed linen. First time using bar grounders which was fun, haven't learnt all the do's and don't's with them yet but i expect it will become the go to backgrounding method from now on. I hope you like it, and any questions or critiques fire away. Thanks! Alex
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I did buy the cheap 20 piece tool set from China a couple of years ago but never used them, now looking to try tooling First tools i would like to buy is a set of bevelers maybe 3 and a set of background maybe 3 just to get started probably starting with Sheridan style designs, I understand the chinese stamps are far from ideal but at least something to start with and money is tight at present Suggestions on the beveler set (plain or textured and background set ) would be welcomed and buying from Tandy My problem with Tandy is their images give little impression of size of each stamp Thanks in advance
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Tandy keeps an on-line digital resource of thousands of their old template/patterns, tips sheets, ideas from some of their tutors eg George Hurst. They even have digital copies of some of the Al Stohlman books and other books. Prices ranged from Free and upwards, many in the 99c and $1.99 brackets Recently I was keeping a load of these patterns and tip sheets in my 'basket'. Cost was to be about $40. I was waiting on a decent $ to £ rate before buying. Last night I went to buy them and found the system had deleted the 'basket' contents. I put the patterns I wanted back in, but the Library pages were slow in loading, up to 1 minute to change a page! But I discovered as I went along the hours [literally, hours] to go thru the Library and put the ones I wanted, plus more, was well worth it. All the patterns et ectrea are FREE, ~ as of the time I write this. (15.25 BST August 10 '19) I've no idea if this a temporary offer or what. Check it out for yourself: https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/ But remember the website is running very slow right now, but after you buy the download of the pattern is as fast as your own computer allows
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Hello all! Here is a leather tote bag I finished a while ago. The handles are an 8 strand round braid and the first thing I've braided. The leather is 8oz veg-tan with soft pigskin lining on the inside. The sheridan pattern is my own work. This is also my first time using a bar grounder in my carving. Let me know what you think! Critique welcome. -Ryan -
Hi, i am new to the craft of leather and would appreciate guidance to determine what tools I should get, as well as the manufacturer. (Tandy, CraftPro, Robert Beard, Barry King?) I live in south Florida and considered purchasing swivel knife and basic tools from Tandy, but upon reading posts, I would prefer to invest a bit more money now and save in the end I am making a leather bible cover with the image found here https://cdn.tandyleather.com/media/downloads/2019-02-28-Floral-Messenger-Bag.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1LJNUlkIsgbVp1kPz8qtV-J0GwqkkvPE_KHI4guw_JFmcC_N3LBZaoOSM I would value your expertise in speaking to the specific size tool and manufacturer(s). Possibly it is important to get a higher end swivel knife and basic tools from Tandy? I just don’t know I prefer to write with thin barrel pens, and thus possibly a smaller diameter swivel is what I should get? Not sure why so many diameters are offered on Barry King’s site, nor do I know what size blade to get. I will utilize open table at Tandy and thus don’t need to buy ALL the tools listed for that design Thus I really need some assistance. Specific swivel knife, starter tools/beginner tools to get, manufacturer for each and the size (if options are given) Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with me. Abby
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with a spring vibe. The size is 25x18x5 cm, one single compartment, snap closure. Materials used: -2 mm thick vegetable tanned leather -Angelus paints for the tooling -Pink Polyester thread -
Hi all, Had some time to spend on my own stuff again, so here are some Western style wet moulded belt pouches. Hand tooled and stitched, with matching liners and sam browne stud closures. All the same except for colours, so a good exercise in batch production. Quite fun and relatively quick to make compared to a belt or bag. After a bit of reading I think that in hindsight stitching across the belt loop was not the best idea in terms of strength but as these are small and won't be taking any substantial weight I don't think it will be a problem. Cheers and I hope you like them, Alex -
I have been doing my own beadwork for a while and now want to move on to building my own belts and start tooling. The hang up is I don't know where to start and I've exhausted YouTube as well as any other resource I can find at the library, but it doesn't seem to add up to much. I have the gist as far as the general technique, but I'm lacking in the actual way in which to measure to determine hole placements, beadwork length and such. My general idea so far is this: Take beadwork two rows in all the way around to pig suede leaving a 1/4" border as well as stitching over strings at the ends to ensure they are secure. Cut out belt top with corresponding bead window and tool. Add in holes and turn around (see I don't even know the correct jargon) for buckle. I mainly work with individuals who will be wearing buckles with their belts as in rodeo buckles so I have a 4 inch give or take gap. Glue pig suede to bottom of belt. Glue top piece of belt over beads. Stitch around belt. Finish edges. And that is as far as I've managed. I have an old Chandler Dy-337 and a heavier Janome sewing machine to manage between. I have no leather tools, but I have the space the willingness to attempt and fail as needed to learn. Unfortunately, there just isn't many leather workers up here to help me on this. And I'm trying to cut out an unnecessary purchases and costly mistakes. I'm looking for guidance on what tools I need (I realize the tooling is a wide range depending on the style I will move forward with) but the basics when it comes to tooling and then finishing a project such as this. Also if there are any books that may be helpful I'm all ears. I missed the Rocky Mnt Show and now have to wait until Pendleton to get a good workshop in. Thank you all for your input!
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Hey everyone, Haven't posted for a little bit, but here it goes. I am almost finished with my recurve quiver for archery. I used 7 to 9 oz. Leather and tooled in the house stark sigil. Hand stitched with fiebings briar brown antiquing gel. I still have to burnish the edges and do the pouch that will connect to the hole you see cut. I am also going to make a custom belt to go with it. The rabbit fur is from hunting with my brother. He dyed it to a brown but not sure how he did it. Had to resize the images to fit on here. So quality is not the greatest
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6 to be precise, not really lots, but seemed like a good part 2 to 'Lots of tooled belts'... Would combine into one thread if I knew how to change the title so as not to clog up space. These are in the same style as said belts, but although the finishing touches and assembly was recent, most of the tooling was done over a year ago and so unfortunately is not at the same standard as the belts. Since making these I have imported some lovely new tools courtesy of Mr Barry King which has made life much easier, and become a little more familiar with Western patterns. They say a bad workman blames his tools but good ones sure make a difference, as well as putting more time into drawing and planning the floral design, which is where i feel these suffer most. This was early days, but maybe a good 'before' and 'after' comparison can be made between threads... Anyhow, excuses aside, moving on. These are all (obviously) built to the same pattern and were my first attempt at building up stock in lulls between jobs. Hand tooled, hand stitched, fully lined, and with double loop edge lacing. Closing pins are laquered antler, which laces through a pair of eyelets on the back. Shoulder straps not in the photos but will of course be included... Many lessons learnt with these but I hope you like them anyway. thanks, Alex
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Hi all, First time poster but have been following for quite a while now. I started leatherworking around 5 years ago and now work mostly as a junior prop maker and armourer in the UK film industry. Had a bit of a lull between jobs so decided to take the first steps in a small personal enterprise, so here is an initial batch of stock pieces. As a general rundown, these are all 38mm/1.5", lined, hand stitched, and allow for interchangeable buckles. Keepers not quite finished yet but haven't been forgotten! There are a few designs going on but most are either oak leaves, Sheridan style floral, or a zoomorphic celtic interlace taken from a 9thc manuscript. Not up to the standards of many of the artists on here, but thought i should say a big general thanks as I have found a huge amount of knowledge and answers to any questions I could think of. There isn't as much of a tradition of leather crafts over here as in the US, particularly when it comes to tooling, so reading through posts has been invaluable. Cheers all!
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I just came into some older tools from a saddle maker. There were a few home made ones mostly bevelers, quite a few old craft tools and the ones in the photo. Just curious if someone knows who may have made them.
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Here are some chink chaps I made for two of my sisters. I think they turned out pretty well and they are getting a lot of use. Let me know what you think. Critique is always welcome. Thanks for viewing! Ryan
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I had a customer ask for a custom set of suspenders. And he want it to have a holster under one arm and 2 spare mags on the other. He does not want a chest strap and wants to have the holster an mags detachable so he can have just to suspenders. I have tried to make patterns and I basically am lost. Any and all help will be deeply appreciated.
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I did some tooling the other day and it's not the best. But I decided to make a project out of it anyway. A small spiral pocket not book cover. I drew the pattern and carved it and added figer carving on the inside for fun. Always open to comment and critique. I hope you like it. Stats: 4/5 oz wickett Craig russet for body lining and pocket. Finished with dark brown wax antique by indelible leather finishes and edges done with their burnishing compound. Hand stitched with.8mm Tig thread Havana color. -
Hello! Here is a noseband I made for my horse's hackamore. Hope you like it! -Ryan P.S. I now have an Instagram page as a gallery for my work. You can see it at www.doublercustomleather.com
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Don Gonzales has just completed a 4 part series on his YouTube channel. It includes a free PDF pattern for you to download and follow along with him. He seems like a very down to earth teacher and really comes across well in his own style. I don't do any tooling yet myself, but I sure enjoyed the videos. Enjoy.
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Hi All, I have been playing with some stamps, and came up with this place mat . It's a bit of a copy of something I saw on youtube . Having said that, I am actually quite pleased with it. I want to get into more of this sort of thing as I approach retirement. It is made from 3.2mm thick veg shoulder. While I was here I also put up another one I done a while ago. What do you think ?
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Some time ago there was a young lady who did a tutorial on watch strap making. I think she was making, tooling, and painting an Apple Watch strap. I have searched the forums but can't find it anymore. Does anyone remember this? Can you point me to it?
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I would like to start off saying that i am not an artist with pencil and paper. I cannot draw to save my life. So for a lot of my tooling patterns I rely on printing them off the internet and using tracing film to transfer to leather. The problem that I am running into is that I can resize the image in Microsoft paint to make it fit on my template but it takes several try's as you cant see what size it will be until it comes out of the printer, or at least I don't know how i'm not really a tech person. is there a program that I can scan my template into, size the image to the space I have to work with and print it out and it will print the template that is the same size as my acrylic template and the image will be ready to transfer over to the leather with tracing film. I have heard of Inkscape and have played with it a little, it's a little overwhelming. I was curious if anybody else has done this and can tell me how they do it or point me in the direction of a tutorial. Thanks guys and gals for your help.
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Hey guys this is my first attempt at tooling I think if I perfected the beveling around the image it would really make the image pop out any tips would be great thanks!
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Hi Just found this excellent site. As someone wrote; "I've learned more here in one hour than days looking at Youtube". I,m a newbie in this area. Builed an Axe and a sheath a year ago and after that it become a hobby. But the more I do the more I realize that leather Craft isn't just a walk in the park. Respect to everyone here that master this nobel art. I'm going to make a cup/Dice cup/snuffbox. I read a post by "Tugadude" regading a dice cup made a long time ago and suddenly I got scared. But that's my goal... Question: How should I do to secure a flat base? If I use the original snuffbox (copy in Wood as well as the outside) as the inside mould, how should I avoid it don't become to big (it's supposed to fit a snuffbox without falling of. I will also do a lid that shall fit the outside the upper edge of the snuffbox. Of course, the dimensions are vital but if there are any tips how to do it right in the first place or if necessary expand/shrink one or both pieces, I would appriciate it very much. My last dilemma is when to tooling and when to forming. I've read alot about this question here but all are related to quite complicated items. All carving/tooling planed is on the top lid. An easy symbol made with a swivel and a bevel. Tanks in advance Best regardsBjorn
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Hello all! Here is a roper wallet (or long wallet) that I just finished for myself. Btw, my nickname is Nate in case you're confused. I needed to make myself a wallet so I could have some of my work with me when meeting potential customers. Also, my Cabela's wallet was falling apart. It is lined with Tandy's super soft pigskin. When I showed it to my dad, he said I should have stamped "A fool and his money are soon parted" on the inside flap... (I think I should have done that too considering how often I go to Tandy... ) Let me know what you think! Comments/critique always welcome. Thanks for looking! -Ryan
