Nned Help With A Pattern

[jestermg]

Hey guys, got a custom job and they client wants me to make the vegtan look like a football. You know the pattern that a football has on it.....any suggestions as to what tool to achive this?

[Luke Hatley]

I would buy Veg tan pig skin.........

[jestermg]

it is just a small flask....not sure I need much pigskin...besides, does the pigskin on a football not have a pattern stamped into it? or is that the natural look of pihskin?

[Ferg]

How 'bout using Pig Skin? That is the pattern/texture on a football.

ferg

Hey guys, got a custom job and they client wants me to make the vegtan look like a football. You know the pattern that a football has on it.....any suggestions as to what tool to achive this?

[Blackey Cole]

Actually footballs are not made from pig skin but are made from cowhide today.

[drphil]

I agree with Blackey, I am pretty sure footballs are not made from pigskin anymore. Anyhow, I have been thinking over your dilema. All I can come up with are these ideas:

1. Probably one of your cheaper option.

Possibly you could use a pebble backgrounder. You can find one at hidecrafters. It seems that this will provide a textured background, but you will need some practice to get all the "dots" exactly even. See an example on this topic about carving oak leaves. It is about the tenth picture in. You will notice that the texture is not perfect, it was likely produced by tooling over a section already tooled to remove tooling marks. This is the normal use for this tool, so you would need a lot of practice to try and get it just right. I think it could be done . . .

2. More expensive option.

You could try getting one of these bar grounders from Barry King. You would need the spacing to be perfect and the tool to be big enough. You would probably need to call him and discuss it to get the right tool. You would also needs lots of practice with this tool to get it right.

3. The only other thing that comes to mind is to find a company that makes an embossed (sometimes called printed) textured cowhide with that print. I don't know if such a thing is made in your pattern (but I wouldn't be too surprised if it was). It maybe possible to attempt to make one with a lightweight cowhide and a stippler on the flesh side. . . but I wouldn't try that unless I was pretty desperate.

4. More practical solution.

A possible solution that maybe be just as much trouble as all these others is to find a garage sale, goodwill store, salvation army store etc. and find an actual football with the texture you need. Buy it cheap and use it. If you plan to do any tooling on the piece then you could make a separate tooled piece and attach it to the football leather. This might be your most practical solution.

Anyway, that is all I can come up with. Hope it helps.