How do I eliminate stretching and cupping when I am tooling?

[Randy Cornelius]

hey there TK Jim Linell showed me that little trick at one of his classes and i do use it but seams to still get a bit of strech so im wanting to try the acrylic idearjust need to know the thicknees and if plexi-glass will work

Cowboy316

I use 1/8" or 3/16 that you can get at the hardware stores for the smaller projects and 1/4 inch for the larger ones. But you have to go to a plastics company to get that. And it is quite pricy. Most plastic companies will have a scrap bin that you can get some good sized pieces out of. Just look in your yellow pages in any major city under plastics and you should be able to find a supplier. They also should carry the HDP cutting board material for your cutting tables too.

Randy

[hidepounder]

ok guys and gals just got to this thread and i have to ask when talking acrylic are you refering to just like think plexi-glass or what cus i have a problem with strech with everything i tool help a fellow crafter please LOL

Cowboy316

hey there TK Jim Linell showed me that little trick at one of his classes and i do use it but seams to still get a bit of strech so im wanting to try the acrylic idearjust need to know the thicknees and if plexi-glass will work

Cowboy316

I use 1/8" or 3/16 that you can get at the hardware stores for the smaller projects and 1/4 inch for the larger ones. But you have to go to a plastics company to get that. And it is quite pricy. Most plastic companies will have a scrap bin that you can get some good sized pieces out of. Just look in your yellow pages in any major city under plastics and you should be able to find a supplier. They also should carry the HDP cutting board material for your cutting tables too.

Randy

I, like Randy, use 1/8" and 1/4" thick acrylic. Leather like 7/8 oz will cause 1/8" acrylic to warp when you are tooling and that is frustrating. You will find yourself chasing it around your bench while tooling on it. The only reason I use the 1/8" for light leather is because I have it left over. I have since began using the 1/4" and it is much better........so I guess what I'm saying is that you are better off to just start out with 1/4". I call acrylic and plexiglass the same thing, although I am not certain that is true. I bought a 1/2 sheet and took it home and cut it into shapes that were convenient for me to use.

Hope this helps....

Bobby

[Cowboy316]

Hidepounder

that help me a ton ty for the info im gonna head to ace hardware now and get some im working on some spur straps now so ill give it a whirl

thanks again

Tim

[Mike Craw]

After removing the leather from the backing (whichever method you use) does the piece have to be lined because of discoloration from the rubber cement or tape?

Mike

[King's X]

Mike: For me yes, I would suppose everyone else that uses it?

Hidepounder ~ you DA man. Thanks.

[hidepounder]

After removing the leather from the backing (whichever method you use) does the piece have to be lined because of discoloration from the rubber cement or tape?

Mike

Mike: For me yes, I would suppose everyone else that uses it?

Hidepounder ~ you DA man. Thanks.

I agree....the tape residue or the glue residue will dictate that you apply a lining. But to me, that only makes it a better. Adding a nice finished lining is just a more professional way to complete your project.

Bobby

[Mike Craw]

Thanks guys!

Mike

[Crystal]

Just adding some supplier info I found web searching:

http://www.freckleface.com/

They carry different weights of acrylic sheets in different sizes and they also sell poly cutting boards. I ordered some 1/4" acrylic and was pleased with what I recieved.

Crystal

[loopinluke]

Hi Meg,

I glue everything I tool to a piece of acrylic. I do this after I have cased the leather at least over night. I slick my leather just before I put it up to case and again just before I mount it to the acrylic. I don't cut the leather to it's final size until I have slicked it the second time. Taping with packing tape works well but I prefer gluing to the acrylic because there is less chance of the the leather separating from the acrylic if I have to add moisture. Additionally, the acrylic is just so stable that I prefer tooling on it rather than allowing the leather to flex with the tape. It's just a personal preference thing for me. I am not concerned about any residual glue on the back because I line everything I tool. I feel it produces a much more profesional job.

Here is a photo of a piece I have glued down:

Gluing to acrylic gives me some other options as well. It gives me something to tape my pattern to so that it doesn't move while I am tracing:

When I cannot complete a piece in one sitting, I cover part of the leather with plastic wrap until I have finished the first tooling session and am ready to begin with the next section. Again, the acrylic provides something for me to seal the plastic wrap to, preserving the cased condition of the leather. This photo shows where I am working on one section of the project while the other half is being preserved under the plastic wrap:

There are a lot of methods which can be utilized to help prevent stretching....slicking and mounting to acrylic are just the ones I use.

Hope this helps....

Bobby

I have a couple questions after reading all the posts in this thread. What do you use to slick your leather, and how do you go about doing that? What would you suggest on something like a saddle that you cant really line? Thanks for all the help. Lucas

[Bear]

I use contact paper stuck to the back and trimed to size.