trick or tip to keep the basket weave pattern in line??

[craftsman827]

Does anyone know the trick or tip to keep the basket weave pattern in line.

When your putting it on a belt for example, at an angle,say 35degrees ?

The IILG web site had there tip of the month last month, but I forgot to copy it.

Does anyone have access? Can tell the tip, from last month.It was open to the public.

I'm thinking of joining the IILG. Any advice about it!!!!!

All help welcome,

Peter I. aka craftsman827

[Billsotx]

If you search this forum for basketweave you'll find a similar conversation to the one on iilg. Here's a couple of links that may get you what you're looking for:

http://www.leatherworker.net/forum/index.p...17&hl=mosby

http://www.pslac.org/public/02_feb05.pdf

Hope this helps. ~Bill

[Mike Phelps]

It's pretty easy Peter.

The way that works best for me especially on belts/straps is to clamp a straight edge to the bench. It helps if it is a bit thicker than the leather, a piece of lathe works. lay the strap against the straight edged. Take one of those plastic triangles that draftsmen and use. usually a 90,60,30 and scribe a line. Place the stamp along that line and make impression. Alternate from one side to the other as in the attachment, placing the leg of stamp in the impression of last stamp. You can take it nearly to the center or barely catch the end or anywhere inbetween but do them all the same. Get both sides of line stamped all the way across belt.

Now here is where I tell you to do something the rest don't. USE A CHEATER.

To keep all subsequent rows running absolutely straight, keep belt against straight edge and everytime you place the stamp in the legs the last impressions run the triangle up to it and make sure that it is at the correct angle. Why, because unless you have the belt solidly glued don't to an immovable object the leather tries to stretch into an arc. Plus if you get even the tinyest bit off that tiny bit will be amplified with each row. I don't need that in my work.

Mike

[Alan Bell]

Tandy has a craft aid that explains this very well. Basically each size basket weave has an ideal angle. To find each stamps ideal angle; scribe a line, place three impressions below the line, place two impressions above the line, place one impression above the two. Scribe a line that intersects the original line AND touches the top left corner of each of the three rows of impressions. The angle created by the two lines is the angle for that basket weave stamp. To use it on a belt you would rotate it so that the intersecting line is the border line of your belt. This way you will not end up with any half impressions! I'm away from home (as usual) so I can't scan in the craft aid. I took a piece of scrap leather and did this for all of my basket weave stamps and then wrote down the angle for each stamp on the angle. Hope his makes sense and is helpful.

Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell

Dem belly full but we hungry, a hungry mob is an angry mob!

Bob Marley - Belly Full