modeling spoons

[Billy P]

Hello all and Merry Christmas Everyone. I have never used the modeling spoons very much. Until a couple of years ago, when I found and joined the IILG, I didn't have much of an idea what they were even for. Now that I have an idea of their intended use, I find them whipping my ass. I just can't seem to get the way to use them correctly in my mind. If any and all that can would try to explain to me how to use them I would really appreciate it. Also if anyone has maybe pictures of how they are used and would post them as a before, during and after, it would probably help me and maybe some others also. Anyway like I said any help with this would be most greatly and humbly appreciated. Thanks in Advance, Billy P

[TomSwede]

I have a really small modellingspoon, I think it is Tandys since my carrier told me new ones that actually had a good grip were due to arive soon, anyways, I always use this small spoons edge after I have finished carving. Just running it in the knifegroves and smoothing things out, it also opens the cuts a bit more and further optimizing the latter tooling. It really does make a difference.

Once tooling is done I sometimes use a bigger spoon on the backside of the toolingpiece (wich is clamped hard in my hands) and push the design outwards to further enhance the 3dimensional feel a bit. To me this seems to be best done with the leather cased right and damp allthrough. If needed I apply water with sponge from the fleshside and put it in the fridge for a while. Probably must try this a few times to get the feel of right casing.

I have also done a tooling without the tools, just pushing everything down with my small spoon. Many lines tight together so I feared I'd ruin/distort thing to much with heavy tooling so I just pressed/beveled everything with the spoon.

There are lots of use with that thing and I even loved it when I was trying the Mexican basketweave lacing. When closing the lace I used it to ease up the lace to get the needle to come through.

Hope you get any ideas from this and have a merry x-mas.

Tom

Edited December 25, 2007 by TomSwede

[Leather Bum]

Ok, here's a really nice tutorial provided by the South Central Leather Crafter Guild about oak leaves and the pro-petal tool. However, it does include a little information on one use of one type of modeling tool, too ("ledder feddering"). Pro-petal and Oak Leaf

As an aside, it seems to me as though if some pear-shaders (Craftool) didn't have such sharp edges, there would not be as much of a need to smooth their impressions. It's like making more work than there needs to be, IMLO (In My Leathercrafting Opinion ). . .

L'Bum

[TomSwede]

That's a great tutorial L'bum and "feddering your ledder" is what I'm talking about in the first part of my previous post and that is the same little spoon that I use. Can't wait to get my hands on the new one with a better handle. The red plastic sheeth...aahh man I hate it.

Tom

[ClayB]

I am going to try and add a few pictures from a piece of leather Peter Main sent me when I ordered a modeling spoon from him. All of the tooling on this piece was done with nothing but a modeling tool. The piece of leather was not all that big, and his writting is so small you can barely read it, so I tried to zoom in with several shots. You can use a modeling spoon as a beveler or pear shader especially in small areas where it's difficult to get into with regular tools.You can clean up choppy beveling with it. You can round the edges of your cut and beveled lines making them less sharp. It's a great tool to clean up all your tooling and give it a more finished look.

The first pictures are modeling to shape an eyeball.

Here it is cut, lightly

Then the corners are pushed in with the tip of the modeling tool

Then you model the top and bottom of the eyeball itself (left side of picture), and the wrinkles above and below the eye (right side of picture)

Then smooth and round the ball.

Here is a dog's nose done with the modeling tool

And here is an oak leaf where all the beveling and shading are done with a modeling tool.

On this last picture, you can see where the right side of the center vien has been smoothed out with the modeling tool, and the left side still has a ridge.

[Billy P]

Many, Many, thanks to you all for your replys. Between the pics that Clay posted and the tutorial from the SCLG, I have a better understanding of how the modeling spoons should be used. Another thing I see now is that I'm going to have to get up the money to get me a couple of the Pro Petal tools. Tandy has quit carrying them and my SS payments just don't go far enough, LOL. I know Jeff Mosby sells some good ones, but I think they are out of the question for now anyway. I have some modeling tools and I think that I can use them, at least for the time being and maybe by the time I learn t use what I have I can get some better modeling spoons somewhere else. I wish that I had bought a lot more of things like that years ago, when I was able to work and they were cheaper to buy also. I did'nt have any idea that I would ever want or really need them back then. As little as I knew back then I still knew more that anybody else that I knew who was trying to work with leather. The rest of the people were doing it because I was, and when I moved to where I live now, they all quit. Between those guys they have some stuff, but won't ever use it and wouldn't part with anything for love or money, LOL, go figure. Anyway thanks again to you guys for the help it is Greatly Appreciated and is a big help, With Kindest Regards Billy P

[pete]

Bill- what you might get, which is a great tool, is a modeler with a small and large ball on the ends. I use it a great deal when working to use as a pear shader in small and tight spots. I also use it on leaf turnbacks (the top of the turnback to give little depressions ) and all along the edges of the patterns.

I have found this to be a tool that you wouldn't think would make a difference as it is used lightly most of the time but do a flower ,rose, anything that you would undercut (pro-petal) and just run the ball around the edges and see what I mean. It gently rounds the piece and slightly burnishes it too of the leather is "just right"

pete

Edited December 26, 2007 by pete

[Leather Bum]

Where can these modelers be purchased, Pete? It sounds really useful as small pear shader. . .

L'Bum

[ClayB]

Jim Linnell sent me some of Tandy's new modeling tools for prizes for our current carving contest. There is one that has a small ball on one end and a larger ball on the other. Another of them is called a small/large undercut. It isn't real sharp, but I don't think it would take much to make it work like a Pro Petal tool. There is also a small/fine round spoon and a med/large round spoon. There is also a med/large pointed spoon and the last one is a tracing stylus. These all have nicely shaped rubber handles. The tools look like they will work really well for a lot of different things so you might want to check them out. I have heard a few other people that have them say they work a lot better than the old versions.

[ClayB]

Another place to get ball modelers is from Norm Lynds

Here is the info Norm gave me last time I talked to him. Norm makes some really nice tools.

The heavy duty ones I make from ball bearings mounted on a shaft and put in a turned handle. I can make these in jsut about any size, but 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" plus a 3/8" tapered point covers just about everything. Also, I can make smaller ones, say 1/8, and 3/16" and put them in a modeler handle. The prices are $15 each for the single ones and $20 for a modeler handle with 2 embossing ends.

[whinewine]

Jim Linnell sent me some of Tandy's new modeling tools for prizes for our current carving contest. nother of them is called a small/large undercut. It isn't real sharp, but I don't think it would take much to make it work like a Pro Petal tool. The tools look like they will work really well for a lot of different things so you might want to check them out. I have heard a few other people that have them say they work a lot better than the old versions.

Clay, I would be concerned about sharpening the double ended deerfoot modeler (as they used to be called). A propetal has a wooden end & is meant to be sharpened & pushed into the leather. It is, in effect, a cutting tool. A deerfoot modeler, however, if sharpened, has no wooden end to protect the hand. All it would take is one slip & you will be going to the emergency room. A deerfoot modeler is NOT a slicing or cutting tool- it is one of a variety of modeling tools- used to model, not cut.

[ClayB]

That could be a concern, and is something that I didn't think about. I took the new tool out of the package marked Pro Modeling Tool, small/lg undercut. It is shaped almost exactly like a regular pro petal tool but is not real sharp. It has a pretty good grip on it, and if held like a pencil, the other tip is going to be above the back of your hand, not to say that there still isn't a chance for an accident. I is always a good idea to be safe so your warning is sure a good idea. I do have a couple regular spoon modelers that I have sharpened the ends on for certain uses, and your precautions would apply to them as well. I took a few pictures of the tool and will post them here.

This one shows the large end compared to a Pro Petal tool

[rharris]

ClayB

Thanks for the tutorial on the modeling tool. It was a good refresher course. The more I use the modeling spoon the better my tooling gets. I still need to use it more. Practice, practice.

Thanks

RussH

[Billy P]

Hey everybody, while talking to one of my old friends we got to talking about the modeling spoons and we both seem to remember that the Deerfoot modelers were used as a lifter kind of like the Pro Petals are used now. He said that back in the 70's and early 80's he doesn't remember the Pro Petals being available. He also said that to the best of his memory that the Pro Petals came about as a result of needing a better tool than the Deerfoot modelers to work the Oak Leaves and such. I really don't know as my memory sure ain't what it used to be, LOL, sometimes I cain't remember what I had for breakfast. Which reminds me I haven't had any yet. So catch ya'll later, and with kindest regards Billy P P.S. If anyone else remembers anything about the Deerfeet and the Pro Petals and how they came about fall in and let us know, again inquiring minds would like to know. BP

[Hawk Scarbrough]

ClayB

Thanks for the tutorial on the modeling tool. It was a good refresher course. The more I use the modeling spoon the better my tooling gets. I still need to use it more. Practice, practice.

Thanks

RussH

I purchased a set of clay modeling tools, modified some, and they work very well (especially on small art work)

[Kulafarmer]

I purchased a set of clay modeling tools, modified some, and they work very well (especially on small art work)

Hawk and all, im working on a design for a Maile lei,

This is a similar representation,,,

At least a rep of what maile looks like sorta, am just going straight strands rather than lei around something, can just drape straightish

want to put it on guitaur straps and books etc,

Been trying to do real small, below attached pic is just a freehand doodle, started using bevelers and quickly discovered the smallest one is too big

Where is the best place to get modeling tools for this or small small bevelers and backgrounders etc,,,

Or do i need to strap on my jewlers magnifyer and bust out the files and dremmel?

The carved doodle is about 2.5" long, usually the size of these leaves etc would triple to be life size or be somewhere in between, but wanted to try a small size for possible iphone case or eyeglass case.

I guess basicly looking for source for fine detail tools other than tandy or BK, i dont think even BK has real small tools, but need to call him and see if he can custom a few maybe.

Another question, most likely a stupid one,

But

Should i case the leather before modeling?

Thanks All!

Maybe i should have posted this on its own,,,, not trying to hijack, just started reading thread and this came to me

Edited March 1, 2016 by Kulafarmer

[Hawk Scarbrough]

Hello all and Merry Christmas Everyone. I have never used the modeling spoons very much. Until a couple of years ago, when I found and joined the IILG, I didn't have much of an idea what they were even for. Now that I have an idea of their intended use, I find them whipping my ass. I just can't seem to get the way to use them correctly in my mind. If any and all that can would try to explain to me how to use them I would really appreciate it. Also if anyone has maybe pictures of how they are used and would post them as a before, during and after, it would probably help me and maybe some others also. Anyway like I said any help with this would be most greatly and humbly appreciated. Thanks in Advance, Billy P

Can't help per se since I am great at using the wrong tool for the right job. However, I recently purchased (and modified) some clay modeling tools. I got the idea I could use them to "model" leather on the small, detailed graphics I like to do on small projects. Seems to work and I test various tools to accomplish various desires.

[Northmount]

Should i case the leather before modeling?

Yes, if you want the impressions to be deep enough and to stay. The right amount of moisture also helps to get the nice darkening or burnishing that you usually want.

Tom