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I'm looking for someone with experience sandblasting leather for production work. Specifically, I need some 3 oz analine tanned upholstery hides sandblasted with stenciled patterns. I've done a few small tests and it seems possible, but I'm not a sandblaster and don't have the means or setup available. I'll pay for further experimentation and production set up, I'm just looking for someone who is already familiar with the medium and has the facilities to do production work.

A couple weeks after I started this leather working thing, I was standing in the local Tandy store. You know, like you do, not wanting to spend $1000 but also wanting to as well. Another man was stopped in and was asking about custom stamps. I didn't say anything but my mind got to working. I deep carve marble all the time. That might work. A few days later, I'm making some carved glass for someone, and I try an piece of granite I had laying around. FAIL. The porosity of the granite did not leave a smooth carved surface. If it would contact the leather it would leave a pebbled imprint. DANG IT. Having previously re tiled some in my bathroom I have a fair number of 1x1 and 1x2 inch glass tiles. Glass used for tiles is about as tough as glass gets. The key is to supporting the glass fully on the back side. Solution, 2 part epoxy tiles onto wood dowels larger than the tile. I epoxied, created a pattern or 9, and deep carved the pattern onto the glass tile. My 1st stamps (pictures) were using a standard leather making mallet, striking it quite hard. I've since started using a 1/2 ton Arbor Press from Harbor Freight. As long as the stamp is against moist leather I doubt one would be able to break it. The only problem one might have is if they dropped it or dropped something else into it.. say a normal metal stamp. For as easy as they are to make, even if one did break it, just whip up a new one. I've made 12 some stamps without having to buy anything. When you are ready and want to expand into making your own I can go deeper into what it takes to make the high detailed patterns. You could always wrap in electrical tape and hand cut your pattern for that matter.