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

[BearMan]

Hi Everybody,

I saw this post a few days ago, & thought I'd add a little something that I've been doing for quite some time. I do the double packing tape method, but the main difference is, that I rubber cement it to a solid plastic place mat. I get these at Wally World, for about $1.00 each. They can be cut to size,,, but they come in an aprox. 12"X18" size. You'll know that you have the correct ones, if they are a 1 piece solid plastic. They will be stiff, without any soft backing. They are about 1/16" thick. I have yet to have any streching using these. Do Not use contact cement!! Contact Cement destroys the plastic.

One thing I really like about using these is, that when you want to remove the backing, you can lay the leather face down, & then peel the backing off, without bending the leather at all. Of course then you peel the tape off the same way. The residue that is left on the plastic backing can be removed by rubbing it with the heal of your hand,,, or you can get an "abrasive belt cleaner" at the hardware store. It looks like a giant gum eraser.

I hope this will be of some help. Ed the"BearMan"

Edited September 10, 2009 by BearMan

[TimKleffner]

Howdy Ya'll

I go to my local glass/ Plexiglass dealer and am able to buy scrap large enough to do what I need to in 1/4 or 3/8 . My dealer sells me his scrap by the pound. He's willing to sell it and get out of his shop and I'm happy as a lark to get what I need.

I take it home, get my orbital sander out with 120 grit and scuff both sides. Also I knock off all the sharp edges while I'm sanding. By scuffing both sides, I found that the plexiglass doesn't move around as much.

Hope this helps

Happy tooling

Tim