Very first leather anything. Firefighter shield

[staub58]

Hey everyone! My name is John and I am brand new to leather work. I posted here one time for some insight, and after some reasearch and gathering tools I decided to try to make my own shield for my fire helmet. It is definitely not done yet but I wanted to post some pictures of it so far. I am very open to criticism, pointers, tips, etc... I do have a few questions that I hope somone can answer. These shields take some abuse and they are worn in some pretty harsh condiitons. How can I dye, paint, and seal this thing up when i'm done to get the most life out of it? I wear a natural colored n6a Sam Houston and I want to try to match the shield to the color of the helmet. I want to make the letters and numbers white. I am still going to add another design above the numbers, but I am not sure what I want to put there. I'm thinking a star of life or a hurst tool or something. Any insight from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Also, I know it looks a little sloppy but after I took the pics I cleaned it up and shaped the edges with some sandpaper. Looks much better now.

[resqman]

Some firehouses have a station mascot or logo. That might be a nice decorative item. The EMS Star usually indicates that you have some medical training. I realize that most firefigthers today are at least an EMT. If you have less training, you might not want to advertise a skill set you do not have. There are many other classic fire department symbols. You need to pick one that suits your personality. Crossed axe and pike pole behind a maltese cross is a common item. Fire hydrant is another. If you are a member of a ladder truck, an aerial truck or ladder might be challenging. Technical rescuers often include a coil of rope and a carabiner. If you have a interesting station, maybe a siloette of the station house.

Maybe your town has a symbol that could be worked into the design. I live in the "City of Oaks" and we have a 6 foot high copper acorn in the town park. Leaves and acorns work for us.

If you have a nickname, maybe there is someway to incorporate that into the design. Or if you ever wanted a nickname, this would be a way you could create a nickname for yourself! A large spade is often used for the nickname Ace. Maybe a bulldog for Mack.

Choose a design that has meaning to you.

Google CUSTOM LEATHER HELMET SHEILDS and you will find a wide vareity of designs and prices.

[BradB]

Looks good for a first try!!

[Sasquatch]

There was a fellow firefighter on here that was doing helmet shields let me see if I can find that thread.

Nope it was suspenders but I think this might help.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=11598&view=&hl=Firefighter&fromsearch=1

Edited January 5, 2010 by Sasquatch

[staub58]

Update: I have it all tooled up and I went with a basic design. Thanks for everyone's replies. I am pretty happy with it considering it's my first try! Now I have to try to figure out how to paint and dye and what not.

[agentilly82]

What type of leather did you use? Also, what type of tools? LOOKS AWESOME!