casing leather

[bruce johnson]

Casing is one of those things that can be as simple or complicated as a person wants to make it. We all have developed a procedure that works for us, out leather, out climate, and our time frame for being able to work it. Personally I use a mix of water, lexol, baby shampoo, and listerine. Some people like it, some don't. I tape the back of my pieces first to prevent stretch. I slather the casing mix on with a sheepskin scrap with the full length wool. I let it soak, depending on how fast it soaks in, I add more in a few minutes. Sometimes another slather, sometimes squeezed out some. By experience I know about what I want it to look like. Then I slick it while the surface still has moisture and it has penetrated some (explained below) and bag it. Depending on the size of the piece I use ziplocks from sandwich size up to those jumbo storage ones that are like 30x24 or something. I put enough air in the bag to keep the plastic off the grain of the leather. Thinner leather may be alright in an hour or two, thicker leather longer. I work nights and early mornings around a day job, so I account for that. If I need to add more moisture I mist it on with a hand sprayer. Usually I spray it over the piece and let it fall on rather than a direct shot. I sure try not to ever let it get dry enough I need to mop on more. If I need to stop, I rebag it after a light mist of casing mix.

Slicking is rubbing the surface of the damp leather before carving or tooling. Slickers are a flat tool with a smooth surface to prevent marking. They can be wood, plexiglass, glass, stone, I used to make some out of LDPE cutting board scraps. I will agree with some of the comments that the glass ones have the heft and durability and seem to work better for me. The purpose of slicking is to apply an even pressure to the top layer of the leather to compress the fibers somewhat. It sort of evens up the softer and firmer areas and leather cuts and tools more consistantly. Some guys like the leather pretty damp and others slick when the color has returned just prior to cutting. I prefer mine to the damper side of the curve, but sure not sloppy. I hold the slicker and a low angle and push and then lightly pull it across the grain surface. I overlap the strokes, and then go at a 90 degree angle to the first pass. I use light strokes to start with and then a little more force. Just enough to "slick" the leather without a real hard glaze on it. To much force or raggy leather and you can push a wrinkle ahead of the slicker and separate the grain from the deeper fibers (this is a "bad thing"). They call that slipping the grain. If I am not tooling a piece, just oiling and finishing, I still will slick. It really makes a nicer feel to the finished product. Some people will slick the flesh side as well on things that won't be lined.

[Balloonman]

Soapy & water is also a popular woodturning trick for keeping green wood wet a few extra days. On the website I used to run, we had a member who was an amatuer scientist that conducted a few tests to find out if it was valid or just 'snake oil'. What he found was that the soap raises the evaporation point of the water just enough to keep the moisture content up a bit longer than the water by itself. An easy experiment folks can do is to simply wash your hands...first without soap and then with soap but don't rinse it off. You'll notice the soapy water on your hands takes much longer to dry. Ivory in particular does a better job of this because in the early 1990s they started to leave the glycerol in their soap (most companies remove it to eliminate the 'oily' feeling). Some little known facts about Glycerol that explain why soaps with glycerol are great lubricants:

In motion-picture production, glycerol is used as a non-evaporating substitute for perspiration or tears on actors.

For tincture extraction and preservation of essential oils and chemicals from herbs

Glycerine is used as an anti-drying agent in watercolor paints.

Glycerine is used as a preservative to keep tobacco mixture for use in hookahs moist.

Probably more than you wanted to know, but I thought I would answer the why it lubricates/stays moist part.

You are the greatest and I MUCH enjoyed your answer. Must get some ivory soap now. Seems like there is always another thing to get in this hobby. LOL

[horsewreck]

I case leather if I am going to mold it, or stamp it or both. I wet the leather well, shake off any excess water, and put it in a plastic bag. I keep quite a few sizes of bags from freezer to garbage bags. I case most saddle parts overnight. I use straight water and don't add anything to it. On pieces of work that might take me a long time to finish I will mist, then return them to their bags and put them in the Frig. (not the freezer). I have had damp cased leather held this way for many days while I was trying to do other things. Keeping it cool prevents mold growing on the leather. I pull it out set it on the bench till it gets to the right moisture content, then I go to work. Saddle pieces like fork covers might be cased, shaped, put on the saddle allowed to dry then dampened to say stamp on it then allow to dry out again when I'm done. As far as slicking leather that's not going to be molded to shape, or tooled in some way I will dampen it let it sit until it is just about to start returning to normal color then I slick. If I want to slick both sides I dampen both sides wait, slick the flesh flip it over and slick the front. I don't case but do slick things like plain strap goods .I hope this is of some help. There are as many ways to do these things as there are people doing them.....

[Balloonman]

I case leather if I am going to mold it, or stamp it or both. I wet the leather well, shake off any excess water, and put it in a plastic bag. I keep quite a few sizes of bags from freezer to garbage bags. I case most saddle parts overnight. I use straight water and don't add anything to it. On pieces of work that might take me a long time to finish I will mist, then return them to their bags and put them in the Frig. (not the freezer). I have had damp cased leather held this way for many days while I was trying to do other things. Keeping it cool prevents mold growing on the leather. I pull it out set it on the bench till it gets to the right moisture content, then I go to work. Saddle pieces like fork covers might be cased, shaped, put on the saddle allowed to dry then dampened to say stamp on it then allow to dry out again when I'm done. As far as slicking leather that's not going to be molded to shape, or tooled in some way I will dampen it let it sit until it is just about to start returning to normal color then I slick. If I want to slick both sides I dampen both sides wait, slick the flesh flip it over and slick the front. I don't case but do slick things like plain strap goods .I hope this is of some help. There are as many ways to do these things as there are people doing them.....

[Balloonman]

Thank you sir, You answered questions I had not thought to ask. Not sure I know what "slicking leather" means.

[Balloonman]

Soapy & water is also a popular woodturning trick for keeping green wood wet a few extra days. On the website I used to run, we had a member who was an amatuer scientist that conducted a few tests to find out if it was valid or just 'snake oil'. What he found was that the soap raises the evaporation point of the water just enough to keep the moisture content up a bit longer than the water by itself. An easy experiment folks can do is to simply wash your hands...first without soap and then with soap but don't rinse it off. You'll notice the soapy water on your hands takes much longer to dry. Ivory in particular does a better job of this because in the early 1990s they started to leave the glycerol in their soap (most companies remove it to eliminate the 'oily' feeling). Some little known facts about Glycerol that explain why soaps with glycerol are great lubricants:

In motion-picture production, glycerol is used as a non-evaporating substitute for perspiration or tears on actors.

For tincture extraction and preservation of essential oils and chemicals from herbs

Glycerine is used as an anti-drying agent in watercolor paints.

Glycerine is used as a preservative to keep tobacco mixture for use in hookahs moist.

Probably more than you wanted to know, but I thought I would answer the why it lubricates/stays moist part.

Loved your answer and thanks

[horsewreck]

Thank you sir, You answered questions I had not thought to ask. Not sure I know what "slicking leather" means.

Bruce Johnson did a decent job of explaining slicking leather, the tools involved, etc, in his post above. I slick almost all the leather I use...... Jeff