Lumps and bumps in leather!

[SUP]

I recently started using edge creasers and beaders and love the results. 

However, I face a problem with sections in leather that seem bumpy (or lumpy) and cause the tools to swerve no matter how hard I try not to.  Sometimes they get squishier than other sections of the leather as well. SInce beaders and creases make lines, the swerving is particularly noticeable.

I am using economy grade leathers right now, for practice and to learn. Do such lumps occur in the higher grades of  leather as well?  Is there a way to get rid of them before I start tooling? How do serious artists manage with such sections of leather if it occurs everywhere?

I know @Dwight I think, has spoken about this problem in another thread.

How does everyone manage this? Especially people who do book binding, where such tools seem to be routinely used?

 

Edited April 22 by SUP

[chuck123wapati]

try a glass slicker. It may help some.

[SUP]

You mean case it, use a slicker to smooth out all the leather so any lumps get smoothened out first  and then tool? Good idea! I will try that. Thank you.

[chuck123wapati]

44 minutes ago, SUP said:

I recently started using edge creasers and beaders and love the results. 

However, I face a problem with sections in leather that seem bumpy (or lumpy) and cause the tools to swerve no matter how hard I try not to.  Sometimes they get squishier than other sections of the leather as well. SInce beaders and creases make lines, the swerving is particularly noticeable.

I am using economy grade leathers right now, for practice and to learn. Do such lumps occur in the higher grades of  leather as well?  Is there a way to get rid of them before I start tooling? How do serious artists manage with such sections of leather if it occurs everywhere?

I know @Dwight I think, has spoken about this problem in another thread.

How does everyone manage this? Especially people who do book binding, where such tools seem to be routinely used?

 

you like old books buy this one it will answer most of the questions you ask.  https://www.amazon.com/Leathercraft-Tools-Al-Stohlman/dp/1892214903

1 minute ago, SUP said:

You mean case it, use a slicker to smooth out all the leather so any lumps get smoothened out first  and then tool? Good idea! I will try that. Thank you.

yw good luck!

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, SUP said:

I recently started using edge creasers and beaders and love the results. 

However, I face a problem with sections in leather that seem bumpy (or lumpy) and cause the tools to swerve no matter how hard I try not to.  Sometimes they get squishier than other sections of the leather as well. SInce beaders and creases make lines, the swerving is particularly noticeable.

I am using economy grade leathers right now, for practice and to learn. Do such lumps occur in the higher grades of  leather as well?  Is there a way to get rid of them before I start tooling? How do serious artists manage with such sections of leather if it occurs everywhere?

I know @Dwight I think, has spoken about this problem in another thread.

How does everyone manage this? Especially people who do book binding, where such tools seem to be routinely used?

 

No piece of leather is without flaws. It comes from a critter that lives in the outdoors. Consequently there's a lot of waste sometimes if your project needs that type of perfection. Obviously more so in economy grade leathers. Buying leather first hand is my suggestion for decreasing those types of problems no matter the grade. 

[SUP]

Yes, I gathered it is a feature of leather - after all, it comes from animals which had active lives and I bet humans have such lumps and bumps a well.

I can buy the leather  in person and do so when I can. But I find that I can't feel such lumps. They only get in the way when tooling. When it's patterns, you can usually  accommodate them. With straight lines, that is not possible. Maybe the next time I come across such a bump, I will stop tooling and see how it feels to the touch so i get some idea.

Anyway, for all my questions, I usually look  elsewhere before I ask questions here. I have that book - good one - but still, some questions happen, when one is an absolute noob. There are so many informational threads here, most of the time, even questions are not needed. This issue though is rarely mentioned. When @Dwight did, I was delighted to know that I was not the only one facing it because somehow I was doing something wrong.

Thank you for your guidance.

[TomE]

What type of creaser are you using - fixed or screw crease?  What size is it (how close is the crease to the edge)?  Is the edge beveled and burnished before creasing?  A picture would help.  Do you heat the crease or case the leather before creasing? Don't do both.  I find that applying light pressure to establish the crease line before bearing down will give me more consistent results.  The creaser works best on leather with a firm, even temper.  Harness leather is especially nice because of the waxes that lubricate the crease.

[chuck123wapati]

57 minutes ago, SUP said:

but still, some questions happen, 

 

we all suffer that, when ya don't know ya gotta ask. That's why we are all here. Reading leather and creating work arounds is a skill born through experience more than anything else.

[SUP]

I use both types of edge creasers although I prefer the fixed size ones. The adjustable one makes rather thick lines.

I have several sizes of creasers and a couple of double creasers as well. I do have a #1 which makes a line close to the edge but that works fine.

I agree that a light line first followed by a firmer one gives the best results. Trial and error taught me that.

I only lightly case the leather. If the leather gets too wet, it smushes on the edges and the lines go wonky. I do not heat the creaser.

The leather edge is not beveled.  Without beveling, I get a firmer edge along which to move the creaser.

I am still practicing at this point and do use leather that appears as level in temper as possible - medium firm.

My first practice piece, the lines went wonky because I was still learning but that leather was fine. The 2nd piece had the lump.  I could not draw a straight line in that section even with a tickler and steel ruler.

I also use beaders - as long as the leather is good, these work very well. I really like that look.

I make fruit fly trap coozies from these pieces. So the pieces are cut into neat rectangles which are perfect to practice on. 

I will look for good harness leather to work on and do as @chuck123wapati says about smoothening the leather as well.   

 

 

 

[SUP]

15 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

we all suffer that, when ya don't know ya gotta ask. That's why we are all here. Reading leather and creating work arounds is a skill born through experience more than anything else.

Exactly. Working from kits and ready made patterns is fine but when one wants to really work with leather from start to finish, there is always more and more to learn. Reading leather I have no idea how to do. I have a relative idea - weight, temper, type of tanning.. the usual broad definitions. But how to actually identify a good piece, I still know very little. 

People here together have thousands of years of experience. and very luckily for noobs like me, most all of you are ready to share.  

 

 

 

[fredk]

Using a creaser along an edge; I go very lightly at first to get a good line, then progressively press harder on each pass. It may take me as many as 6 passes to fully complete a crease. It doesn't take very long. Any tough spots are dealt with

Using an edger; If I run into a tough spot I turn the leather round and come at it from the opposite direction. This usually deals with it, If not I by-pass it and trim it with a scalpel

[TomE]

You could try heating the crease and using it on dry leather.  When the temperature is right the crease will glide with less resistance than at room temp.  Too hot and it burns the grain of the leather.  I use an alcohol lamp to heat the crease.  You will feel the heat coming up the shank of the tool when it's about the right temp.  Creasers come in many sizes and shapes.  Some are easier to use than others.  You can reshape them to change the width of the crease line.  The Osborne creasers (like all Osborne tools?) need a bit of smoothing and polishing to work really well.  Same for the Vergez-Blanchard screw crease.  I always crease after finishing the edges of straps  - beveling, dyeing, burnishing - then creasing.  I repeat the creasing after oiling and before applying conditioner.  

[SUP]

@fredk I'll try both techniques.

Up to now, I have been making a light line and then a firmer one. Maybe go a little slow as well so that I stop in time when I come across  a hard section of leather.

@TomE, I have bought a spirit lamp although not had the courage to use it for anything - scared I might scorch the leather. But I can try now, since it is only practice pieces. 

My fixed size creasers and beaders are fine, all old ones. The adjustable one is new and makes a thick line. Maybe I will thin it a bit. Currently, it is only of use to make a stitching crease.

I want to add creases to everything too - it looks polished.

[CalgaryJim]

On 4/22/2024 at 12:04 PM, TomE said:

You could try heating the crease and using it on dry leather.  When the temperature is right the crease will glide with less resistance than at room temp.  Too hot and it burns the grain of the leather.  I use an alcohol lamp to heat the crease.  You will feel the heat coming up the shank of the tool when it's about the right temp.  

When I use my alcohol lamp, it gives off smoke which blackens the creaser. The wick that came with it from WUTA is some synthetic fabric. What am I doing wrong?

[fredk]

A proper wick has a weave to it. It burns better if its the right way up. Try reversing the wick and keep it trimmed close so only a few mm are above the holder to burn. You actually do not want the wick burning but the alcohol vapours

[CalgaryJim]

19 hours ago, fredk said:

A proper wick has a weave to it. It burns better if its the right way up. Try reversing the wick and keep it trimmed close so only a few mm are above the holder to burn. You actually do not want the wick burning but the alcohol vapours

Thank you so much! This wick has no weave at all. Now where to source one. Google is bringing up lots for oil lamps, fibreglass weaved, cotton weaved too. Is one material better than the other?

[fredk]

Try quality wicks for candle making. Not the pre-waxed type though