Leatherwork for summer camp

[QueenyT]

Hello Leather Workers, 

I am the crafts buyer and Crafts Shack Guardian for Camp Unalayee, a wilderness backpacking camp in the Trinity Alps Wilderness in Northern California. As a wilderness camp, we have no electricity.

https://unalayee-summer-camp.com/

We have a supply of leather left over from a donation from a tannery near Santa Cruz CA which closed > 25 years ago. Leather has not been done much for years because the pieces were very small and our tools limited. Last summer we discovered a huge garbage can full of bigger useable scraps. We sorted them into usable pieces, put them out where they could be used and there was huge interest. The pieces are mid weight and big enough to make small pouches, knife sheaths, bracelets, tassels etc. There is also a xerox paper box of suede in beautiful colors that are recycled from suede clothing. We have a Leather tool box with nice sharp leather scissors, rotary punches x 2 but they are dull, "Speedy Stitcher" Sewing awl with extra needles x2, regular awl, a number of stamps including an alphabet, a variety of waxed linen, waxed nylon and fake sinew to stitch with and a few other tools I have no idea what they are used for. I can't access them now as they are stored for the season. We have excellent general crafts supplies including X-acto knives, utility knives, self healing cutting matts, markers, pencils, various craft glues, metal rulers, scissors etc.

I have a few questions for you leather workers.

• What types of projects are appropriate for 10-17 year old kids to make in one or maximum two, 2-3 hour activity periods. Any free pattern sources would be appreciated. 
• Once our leather is gone, what is the best, most cost efficient way to get more? Are there any tanneries or outlets that might donate leather scraps to a non profit camp?
• What types of tools should we have on hand? Our budget is small, so I would appreciate ideas on essential tools to get. I have started a list with my meager knowledge obtained from watching various YouTube videos. Is this a good place to start? Anything I have listed, not needed? Other suggestions? 
  • 1/8" chisel set (1 or 2 so more than one kid can make holes at the same time???)
  • hole punch, either a new rotary one or 2-3 sizes of individual punches
  • a leather cement
  • a mallet( suggestions on what type)
  • snaps and snap setter (2 sizes? )
  • grommets and grommet setter (2 sizes? )
  • a chopping board for pounding on.
  • An edge rounder for bracelet/choker ends(3/4" or 5/8"?)
  • a right angle metal ruler (x2?)
  • Leather needles (size?) and appropriately sized thread
  • Something sturdy to make patterns out of that can stand up to multiple kid use.
  • a piece of marble for grommet/snap setting?
  • Other essentials???
• Last question. Is there a place to look for used tools? Kids are hard on tools even with supervision. If there is a place to buy used gear for a reasonable price it might be the way for us to go. 

Thanks so much to anyone who has made it this far and many many thanks to anyone who can offer suggestions and/or resources. QueenyT

[TomE]

A braided leather project, like a lanyard, would be easy to complete with few tools.  This can be simple or rather fancy with multiple colors of lace, more strands, etc.  You could also make a simple leather pendant for the lanyard decorated by carving or branding/burning a design in the leather.  This name tag was my Dad's from a dude ranch vacation in the 1960s.  The symbols correspond to activities that he participated in at the ranch.  I think the "$" was the important one.   I recall they used a soldering iron to make the designs, but a branding iron or other heated tool could be used to decorate leather.  The leather pendants could be a precut shape purchased from a vendor.

[DJole]

21 hours ago, QueenyT said:

Hello Leather Workers, 

I am the crafts buyer and Crafts Shack Guardian for Camp Unalayee, a wilderness backpacking camp in the Trinity Alps Wilderness in Northern California. As a wilderness camp, we have no electricity.

https://unalayee-summer-camp.com/

We have a supply of leather left over from a donation from a tannery near Santa Cruz CA which closed > 25 years ago. Leather has not been done much for years because the pieces were very small and our tools limited. Last summer we discovered a huge garbage can full of bigger useable scraps. We sorted them into usable pieces, put them out where they could be used and there was huge interest. The pieces are mid weight and big enough to make small pouches, knife sheaths, bracelets, tassels etc. There is also a xerox paper box of suede in beautiful colors that are recycled from suede clothing. 

 

Thanks so much to anyone who has made it this far and many many thanks to anyone who can offer suggestions and/or resources. QueenyT

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We have a Leather tool box with nice sharp leather scissors, rotary punches x 2 but they are dull, "Speedy Stitcher" Sewing awl with extra needles x2, regular awl, a number of stamps including an alphabet, a variety of waxed linen, waxed nylon and fake sinew to stitch with and a few other tools I have no idea what they are used for. I can't access them now as they are stored for the season. We have excellent general crafts supplies including X-acto knives, utility knives, self healing cutting matts, markers, pencils, various craft glues, metal rulers, scissors etc.

1) Sharp leather scissors are a good find! Make sure they're only used on leather, and make sure people use them safely.
2) Those rotary punches should have replaceable tube punches. If you contact a Tandy Leather in your area, they should be able to supply you with new, sharp tube punches.
3) The regular awl may need sharpening and stropping, or else it will not work correctly (and actually be more dangerous!)
4) If you've got a number of stamps, are there also mallets (rawhide or nylon) for them? 
5) For best results, the variety of threads you mention need to have needles that match them in size and tools to make holes in the correct sizes. Holes, needles and thread that don't match in size are going to be very frustrating. 
6) If you have X-acto knives and utility knives, you'll need a supply of fresh, sharp blades. Self healing cutting mats and the metal rulers are the correct accompanying tools. 
7) The markers, if they are permanent ink (like Sharpie brand markers) are a quick and easy way to color leather. Much less complicated and messy than bottles of dye. Of course, someone will have to go through and test all those markers to see if any need replacing. 
8) If the glues are too old, they'll need to be replaced. 

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I have a few questions for you leather workers.

• What types of projects are appropriate for 10-17 year old kids to make in one or maximum two, 2-3 hour activity periods. Any free pattern sources would be appreciated. 
• Once our leather is gone, what is the best, most cost efficient way to get more? Are there any tanneries or outlets that might donate leather scraps to a non profit camp?

1) Quick projects for the time frame you mention = bracelets, bookmarks, luggage/backpack tags. A search online will show a number of patterns available.
2) I can't help with your question about getting leather donations. 

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What types of tools should we have on hand? Our budget is small, so I would appreciate ideas on essential tools to get. I have started a list with my meager knowledge obtained from watching various YouTube videos. Is this a good place to start? Anything I have listed, not needed? Other suggestions?

I recommend looking at Ian Atkinson's YouTube videos. He runs Leodis Leather over in the UK, and he has a very useful set of videos. One in particular lists what tools he recommends for beginners, which are NOT specialized leather tools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1pAMZQpYFA He also sells patterns, if any of them strike your fancy.

3) Tool set list:

• I guess you are referring to stitching irons. It gets a bit complicated, though, since there are different kinds for different purposes, and for best results they have to match the project size, needle size and thread size. Also, for short simple projects they might require more time and expertise than you have available. They are for what is termed "saddle stitching," which is a whole other rabbit hole!
• 2 sets of rotary punches is good. The individual punches usually come in sets, with 5 or so tubes available. But to use them, you must have mallets and a good striking surface underneath them.
• leather cement is complicated -- the GOOD ones (like Barge brand, which are quick to set, hold strong) have various warnings with them due to their chemical natures. They might not work in your camp setting. Rubber cement is also used by many for leather work, but that's another one with warnings. Other glues take a while to set, which might be frustrating in the time frame you indicate for the activity.
• Mallets: don't get the very cheap wooden ones-- they aren't worth the money you save. The yellow nylon mallets will work fine, and they come in two different sizes, a smaller and a larger. Two of each size would probably work. 
• Snaps and snap setters -- that depends on the project. Having a few different sizes is a good idea, and make sure that you have a lot of snaps -- they'll get mis-set a lot, and used up quickly.
• Grommets with a setter might not be a tool you need. Many leather projects don't use them at all.
• If you're pounding holes, you want a heavy stone topped with something resilient and self-healing. Don't let anybody punch holes directly over the stone!  The stone is what you want for stamping, setting, and so on. The good news is that you can frequently get this for free or cheaply -- Find a place with sells and installs stone cabinet tops, and ask for scraps. 
• I think by "edge rounder" you are referring to a belt or strap end punch. They come in either round or pointed shapes. They also come in different sizes, depending on the width of the strap, and they need to be kept sharp. Also, because they are sharp, they need to be carefully handled and stored. You might be safer off with a set of acrylic templates which you use to trace the shape on the leather and then cut with a knife or scissors. 
• Right angle rulers are useful, for measuring, getting straight lines, and getting perpendicular lines. A couple of those would be good. 
• Leather needles and thread -- Leather sewing is another art in itself. I myself have 5 different sets of John James harness needles (pretty much the industry standard for hand sewing), which are different sizes and lengths, with different sized eyes, to match the size of thread and size of hole for different projects. Same thing with the thread -- there are a dizzying variety of materials and colors and sizes available --
  • It's all complicated and expensive! For most camp-age kids, it will be a struggle to set a straight stitching line, use an iron to make the holes, and by that time, the class time is all gone!
  • In fact, most of the projects which are realistic for your camp setting (wallets, for example, need more time than what  you list) won't need a lot of sewing at all. Many ready-made kits already have holes punched, needle and thread included with the kit, to speed up and simplify the process. Most of the kits actually have round pre-punched holes, rather than the slanted or diamond-shaped holes that stitching irons make. This also means that needle and thread size are less important.
  • Traditionally, stitching holes are made with awls, but that's a learned skill which you won't have enough time for at camp.
  •  Also, to do leather stitching well and faster, a stitching pony or horse really helps. I don't think you'll want a stitching pony for each camper...
• For sturdy patterns, acrylic will be durable. Just make sure nobody CUTS using the templates!
• Other essentials:
  • wing dividers -- have 2 or 3. Very useful for making circles, straight lines along edges, and so on.
  • edge beveler tools, to round the edges. Which ones to get depends on the leather thicknesses you'll be using.
  • A strop -- stropping all the sharp edged tools will make a big difference in how smoothly they cut. Even X-acto blades can benefit.

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Last question. Is there a place to look for used tools? Kids are hard on tools even with supervision. If there is a place to buy used gear for a reasonable price it might be the way for us to go. 

I don't have any information on this. Sorry I can't help!