How to keep leather/Patterns flat while cutting.

[Littlef]

5 hours ago, Hags said:

I have a couple of denim bags filled with BB's I use for carving and tooling. And I found 4 old sad irons at a garage sale for 3 bucks each. I hit them with a wire wheel and glued some scrap on bottom for patterns.

 - yea, demin would work well.  I got some old jeans in the back of the closet that could be used.  Thanks!!  I keep a look out for an old Iron.

3 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

This is pretty much what I use. I'm a scuba diver so I have a couple 3lb weights laying around. I put 4 of those litte felt furniture feet on them and they work well.

that would do the job, thanks!!

[Littlef]

16 minutes ago, Burkhardt said:

A really cheap and easy one to get is if you have somewhere near you that does stone countertops and get the cut outs from the holes for faucet and water handles.

I've been mean to stop by a granite shops, looking for a cut out to use for stamping, etc.   - The hole cut out are a good idea too.  Thanks!

[Littlef]

4 hours ago, fredk said:

I use; glass paper weights, lead blocks of various sizes/weights made of slavaged lead (car wheel balance weights mostly) two 2kg bar-bell weights I was given, a couple of iron /steel bars. Never use iron directly on the leather, theres a chance of staining, my bars are painted

I think I have an old paperweight in a box - good call.  I don't have a source of scrap lead.  Tire shops around me are all corporate.  They collect and sell back all the lead.  I tried to find lead when I started reloading. Good call on the painted or covered iron.  

[Handstitched]

Depending on the pattern , I have used drawing pins in the leather where its not going to be seen, dyed  or its going to be ' stamped out ' .

HS

[Klara]

A cheap source of lead is your tire shop (assuming they mount the tires): Mine was more than willing to give me old wheel balancing weights.

[Littlef]

5 hours ago, Klara said:

A cheap source of lead is your tire shop (assuming they mount the tires): Mine was more than willing to give me old wheel balancing weights.

yea, I tried that a long time ago.  The tire shops in my area are all corporate owned.  Discount tire, Big O, firestone, etc.  They all have contracts with scrapping companies, and they hold on to every last weight.  They probably also have epa requirements to account for the lead disposal.  When I first started reloading, I hit every shop in my area, and every shop told me no.  So, I buy my lead for reloading.

[Frodo]

I am going to give up a little secret

if you want to use lead and you are going to buy it

find a plumbing supply store near you. Not a hardware store

diddy bop into the store and ask for lead wool, now you can shape it any way you wish without using heat

if they do not have in-stock tell them to order it from the warehouse

 

[Littlef]

3 hours ago, Frodo said:

I am going to give up a little secret

if you want to use lead and you are going to buy it

find a plumbing supply store near you. Not a hardware store

diddy bop into the store and ask for lead wool, now you can shape it any way you wish without using heat

if they do not have in-stock tell them to order it from the warehouse

 

Thats interesting.  I'll have to check around and see what I can find.  Thanks!

[RockyAussie]

Depends on the size and the thickness you want to cut really. 90% of what I use I spray the card pattern or masonite or printed plastic with contact glue then let it tack off for a few hours. This stops the pattern from moving around while I push the knife along the edge. This post I did awhile back shows both where I used cardstock with a spray glued back and plastic patterns I made with a spray glued back as well -

 

[Littlef]

1 minute ago, RockyAussie said:

Depends on the size and the thickness you want to cut really. 90% of what I use I spray the card pattern or masonite or printed plastic with contact glue then let it tack off for a few hours. This stops the pattern from moving around while I push the knife along the edge. This post I did awhile back shows both where I used cardstock with a spray glued back and plastic patterns I made with a spray glued back as well -

 

Wow, that's cool.  There's a lot of intricate stuff going on in that jewelry box.    I'm mainly working in thicker leathers.  Gun holsters, mainly.