Moulding Leather?

[Cuhail]

Okay, I've looked. I always look before I ask. I found some individual threads on leather moulding, but, I'm very surprised there isn't an idividual forum section for this art form.

I really want to look into the process of moulding leather, but, I can't find anything really. Just some finished topics in the Mask section, but, nothing on the processes to acheive results.

Can anyone help?

Cuhail

Edited December 17, 2010 by Cuhail

[Dwight]

The important piece of information is missing:

What do you want to do?

Purses, . . . military pouches, . . . holsters, . . . masks, . . . armor, . . . bottles, . . . bags, . . . boxes, . . . ???????

They each require different approaches, . . .

May God bless,

Dwight

[Cuhail]

Oh there's a million possibilities to the art.

For me, though? My interests?

Masks and skull caps.

Shoulder, elbow and knee armor.

Feast wares. (Bowls and plates)

Weapon holstering/scabbarding.

I could go on forever, but, I'm looking for the basics of the technique. A starting point of information.

I figured there might be a common procedure for it and then it would branch out into all the specific artforms.

Just need somewhere to begin looking into it.

Cuhail

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

My best method for molding leather is to leave it in a damp place, works better during the winter

For a lot of what you are looking to do you will be forming over some kind of a pattern. Be it a block of wood, a blue gun, or some other fashion of what you want to end up with for a shape. The leather is whetted enough get it pliable before forming to the pattern, then held there till it is dry. Forming the leather to the form can be done by hand, or mechanically with a vacuum unit. Lots of variations on these methods.

I think if you do some searching using different terms you may find what you are looking for. Molding, forming, vacuum, etc........

[Cuhail]

Thanks Biggun! I am a scale modeler, so, I dig the vacuum-formed idea. I think the hand-moulding over a form is the common-sense answer I was looking for. That makes it a bit less daunting. (It's always hardest before ya start!)

Thanks all. If there's anything else I might need to know, please chime in. You can never receive enough technique tips!

Cuhail