first carving

[Chris B]

Hey all. Well here is my first carving. Im sorry its so big, I dont have a clue on how to resize them. But this is my first leather carving, could you please help me and tell me how to make it look better? Thanks!

[CitizenKate]

welder, that's a great first carving. Your knife cuts are unusually smooth and clean for a first try, so you appear to already have some comfort with the swivel knife.

It looks like you may be struggling a bit with the beveler, though. Not a problem, that's what everyone struggles with at the beginning - Lord knows, I sure did! (I'll post a couple of photos later to show you what I mean.) Two things I think will make it easier for you...

- Make your "walking" beveler impressions closer together.

- Make two lighter passes, instead of one heavier pass.

Two things to try if you would like more defined, smoother backgrounds...

- Try running a beveler around the inside of your backgrounded areas after backgrounding.

- After beveling an area, hold the work at an angle to your work light and rotate it, looking for uneven areas, then tap them lightly down with your backgrounder as you spot them. Sometimes it's hard to see the uneven areas when light is at a more direct angle while you're working. Turning them at a sharper angle to the light helps you to spot those areas more easily.

Hope this helps, and definitly do keep posting your work - you're off to a great start!

Kate

[Chris B]

Thanks kate, for thinking it looks good! And with the beveler, you mean to just overlap them more? And how deep (i guess is the right word) do you usualy go with the beveler? And im sorry here, but are you saying to turn the beveler around and go over the place where i backrounded? Im confuzzeled.

Thanks,

Chris

[CitizenKate]

...you mean to just overlap them more? And how deep (i guess is the right word) do you usualy go with the beveler?

Exactly, overlap them more. The impressions should overlap by 60-75%.

As far as how deep... can't say exactly, just go lighter than you do now, then come back with another lighter pass, and see if you think it looks smoother.

And im sorry here, but are you saying to turn the beveler around and go over the place where i backrounded? Im confuzzeled.

Right, just work the leading edge of the beveler on the inside edge of the backgrounded area. This causes the edges of the backrounded area to be "tucked in", so it looks more defined. I'll try to post a photo of what I'm talking about if this doesn't make sense.

Hope this helps...

Kate

[Chris B]

Ok Kate, I think i know what you are saying with this. I will try it again and see how it comes out.

Thanks Alot,

Chris

[Rayban]

Chris, I believe for your first attempt, this is outstanding!. (In Marine talk, don't get any better than that!)

You'll improve by accident, just keep doing more of it.

I envy good carving work on account of I don't have the patience for it.

RG

Edited December 4, 2007 by Rayban

[electrathon]

When I first started I was told to do the same pattern 4 times. It is amazing how you will see your work improve.

[Billsotx]

Not bad welder. Turn your deco cuts around. Most folks don't learn that molding right off. Makes it clean. Keep that piece, save scrap work like that and look back to see improvement. It's inspiring. Learned that from Verlane. She had stuff from her teens. Doing it four times ain't a bad idea. Repetition is the mother of skill.

[gearsmithy]

That's pretty good for your first attempt. You should've seen my first piece. I felt like a pig on skates making it and the craftsmanship looked like it was done with a lawnmower.

[BruceGibson]

That's your first one?! Well done! Keep on rockin'--you're on the right track.

[Chris B]

Yep bruce, my first one.Thanks guys for the kind words. I hope i can find some more time to do this now..lol I am going to do this pattern a couple more times, then try a wallet. Hopefully all goes well. I do have a quick question though, do you guys cement your leather down before you case or after?

Thanks,

Chris

[Duke]

looks good! make sure that you are stropping your swivel knife, and that when you start tooling, you "case" your leather and let it return to the original color before you start. also, instead of a smooth faced beveler, try a checkered face beveler. it leaves less of a walking impression. also, bear in mind that you can only bevel as deep as you swivel knife.

[gearsmithy]

Yep bruce, my first one.Thanks guys for the kind words. I hope i can find some more time to do this now..lol I am going to do this pattern a couple more times, then try a wallet. Hopefully all goes well. I do have a quick question though, do you guys cement your leather down before you case or after?

Thanks,

Chris

I used to spread rubber cement on with an old credit card on both the leather and the carboard before casing. Now I rarely even cement my workpiece to the cardboard. With smaller pieces it helps to move the piece around when tooling and keep it from stretching but with larger one's there really isn't a need for it. Make sure you're using the cardboard that has a shiny side. It repels water better than the rouge side, otherwise it can get soggy if you opt for the "soak and wait" casing method.

[Duke]

what we do at my work when we teach classes is we tell people to get some blue painters tape and tape the back(rough) side of the leather before casing it. why blue painters tape? it has less adhesive on it an therefore comes off easier.faster to do an less messy than rubber cement too.

[Chris B]

Cool thanks guys!! You all are very knowledge able. Hopefully I will be able to get back to the bench this week.

[indypbear]

Good first effort. Try shelving paper on the back for the same reason as the blue painter's tape-not as sticky to remove. Or go to your local hospital and ask the Chief Tech. in X-Ray for some old film they re going to discard and rubber cement to that. None are bad ideas, just what works best for you. Keep on toolin' and it'll get better with each piece.

Indy

[howardb]

The local hospitals have all gone digital, so someone told me to buy a package of "quilters templates" from Wal Mart. I did and they seem to work if you can get your project glued down.

Note that rubber cement applied directly to the leather doesn't come off very well. The suggestions involving the low tack tape work pretty well. Too strong of a tape will rip up the back side of the project when removed. A friend recommended 3M Packaging Tape (he was very specific...). He has good luck with it. Note that the tape WILL make a difference.

I am trying an experiment. It seems to me that the tape alone should stabilze the leather against stretch, so then you shoudn't really have to glue it down to the backing sheet. I have my holster taped in place on the quilting template film. Leave the tape you put on the back side of the leather long and when you flip it over, tape those exposed edges to your plastic sheet (above mentioned template, x-ray film, etc.) and Ta Da! So far so good for me on that one.

[howardb]

Quick update on the backing issue - I was digging through a box of my father in law's stuff and ran into a partially finished purse he was doing. He had backed the whole side with what looks like clear "shelf paper".

I also found a wallet that he had started with the same backing, and it has to be at least 6 years old. I peeled the wallet (it looked complete to me, and the person it was carved for has also passed away) with only a minimum of fuzzing of the leather and no visible residue, none of that sticky glue feel either. I'm going out for shelf paper...

Brent