Working With Stingray/shagreen Hides

[sien]

Hi everybody,

I am really fascinated by the beauty of stingray hides and I would love to start making objects with it. The only problem is that I have no idea how to work with it, I find the material really hard to handle. In particular I would like to know:

1. What is the best way to cut a straight line in the hide so that you get a nice straight edge? What would be the best tool for doing this?

2. What is the best way to stitch stingray leather?

Your advice/input would be really appreciated !! Many thanks in advance.

sien

[Dwight]

  On 2/1/2010 at 3:39 PM, sien said:

Hi everybody,

I am really fascinated by the beauty of stingray hides and I would love to start making objects with it. The only problem is that I have no idea how to work with it, I find the material really hard to handle. In particular I would like to know:

1. What is the best way to cut a straight line in the hide so that you get a nice straight edge? What would be the best tool for doing this?

2. What is the best way to stitch stingray leather?

Your advice/input would be really appreciated !! Many thanks in advance.

sien

If you call the Tandy store in Columbus, Ohio, . . . ask for Scott, . . . he can give you some good advice. I just happened to overhear him and a customer talking about it the other day.

Their phone number is 614-781-1700, . . . he'll laugh when you tell him Dwight gave you the number.

May God bless,

Dwight

[KazariK]

Good Day,

If I may, if you do call the gentleman mentioned, would you post the results of that conversation?

I am in the process of making an ebook cover for my wife and would like to add stingray hide to the back.

I havent tried cutting it yet, figured a good pair of leather shears would work, but now I am curious to know if there is special things I should do..

Best luck to you..

Kaz

[sien]

Thank you so much for that number!!!!

I'll give him a call and will let you know how it went.

A lovely weekend to all.

[hoosier122]

I know I'm the new guy, but would a rotary cutter work?

I love my 60mm Oflay Tungsten Steel Blade cutter.

[sien]

  On 2/15/2010 at 5:40 AM, hoosier122 said:

I know I'm the new guy, but would a rotary cutter work?

I love my 60mm Oflay Tungsten Steel Blade cutter.

Mm I don't think so, the stingray is so hard, a rotary cutter wouldn't work. But thanks for the tip!!

I have experimented with a paper guillotine (which works relatively ok) but again, it's not ideal...

Btw I haven't had a chance to ring the States yet (I'm really busy at work at the moment and with the huge time difference...) But I will keep you posted when I've rung them :-)

[Ellen]

In my humble experience, unless this is a skin of baby stingray - thin, with small bumps, getting the even, straight edge at once is impossible, with common tools. It's like splitting hardwood log on each bump. On thick adult skins, my best was skiving the flesh (back side) as much as possible and cut through with either sharp knife or scissors, correct cut as possible than sand and paint the edge with Sharpie marker, let dry and apply finish on that edge. Certainly pain in the neck method.

If somebody can share the name of supplier of fine baby stingray skins, not wholesale, it would help.

[JS22]

Straight edged serrated tin snips. Can be bought at any hardware store. Cuts through like butter.

[knuckles34]

  On 2/23/2011 at 6:01 PM, JS22 said:

Straight edged serrated tin snips. Can be bought at any hardware store. Cuts through like butter.

Awsome answer !! I agree!! I love my aviater snips. I have used them for cutting rawhide. Just gotta remember to get the straight cutting ones. as to thinning that skin, Ive never worked with it, but... I have used a random orbital palm sander to clean off the rollup on rawhide. used a 20 grit disk. flesh side only for your fish skin. and test out your grits. I only used the 20 because it was membrane rawhide, Hard stuff.

[Nightwolf]

I concur with serrated scissors, Tandy sells a blue handled pair (about a 5" blade) that either are on sale, or were just on sale. Tandy sells 2 pairs, look for the blue coated handled ones with the serrated blade which helps grab the hide to keep it from moving around.