Tracing For Carving

[divn]

Greetings,

I'm a newbe. I have this desire to take my drawing skills to leather carving. My question is, what techniques are used to transfer tracings to the leather. I have a system I'm working with but there has to be a better way.

Thanks,

Dave

[Cyberthrasher]

Well, usually it's just a matter of wetting the leather and then tracing over your design (ink side up) with a stylus to lightly imprint the lines onto the leather (I use a dead ball point pen for my stylus). I'd suggest taking a gander through all the topics here on the forum (mostly in the "how do I do that" section), as well as taking a look at the videos here:

http://www.tandyleat...aft-Videos.aspx

That should get you started. Is there anything in particular you want to work on? Do you have any tools yet? Tandy is great for the videos and how-to's, but I'd rather get "beginner" tools from Springfield Leather - same prices but better quality and better people.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Cyberthrasher

[divn]

Thanks so much for the response. Tools. just the basic tools sold on the Tandy site. I did purchase some of the "how to" books from Al and they are instructive, but some of the finer details were assumed. I'll admit I was a bit lazy in looking through all the topics as it can be a bit of brain damage.

Great place and thank you all for helping us get started.

Well, usually it's just a matter of wetting the leather and then tracing over your design (ink side up) with a stylus to lightly imprint the lines onto the leather (I use a dead ball point pen for my stylus). I'd suggest taking a gander through all the topics here on the forum (mostly in the "how do I do that" section), as well as taking a look at the videos here:

http://www.tandyleat...aft-Videos.aspx

That should get you started. Is there anything in particular you want to work on? Do you have any tools yet? Tandy is great for the videos and how-to's, but I'd rather get "beginner" tools from Springfield Leather - same prices but better quality and better people.

[Cyberthrasher]

Well, you should have a good start then. You have books and tools, now you just gotta hop in and go for it. Don't get too caught up in the reading. I've learned a lot more from making mistakes over the past couple months (just started myself in December) then I have from reading. Once you get going you'll have more an idea of what kind of stuff you need to research on, so you don't get so much information overload. One thing I'll tell you about the tools, out of the entire kit the only ones I use for my work are the blade and beveler. I've gotten quite a few things since then for finish work, but my designs always come down to the 2 tools. If you check out the challenges way down below (Special Events, Contests and Classes) you'll see some of the work a handful of us are doing with a limit of 3 tools.

[Dwight]

Now I know this may sound silly, . . . but if you take a 3/8 inch dowell, . . . run a slot up in it, . . . put a paper clip up in the slot so that the smaller curved section is at the end, . . . like the drawing.

It makes a neat stylus, . . . takes a bit of getting used to as you have to turn it, . . . but you can use it on almost any surface and not worry about snagging or tearing anything.

May God bless,

Dwight

[groovytech]

I do my drawings on paper first, scan 'em to my computer and a flash drive. I then run to office depot and have them make transparency's from the flash. I believe I paid .54 per trans. The trans is made of a thicker material and laser printed and last forever. Plus, you now have a digital file for back-up.

.

welcome to the jungle.

Edited March 21, 2012 by groovytech

[Dwight]

You can also buy the sheet plastic transparency stuff, . . . I used to use it all the time when we used overhead projectors (before PowerPoint), . . . wasn't that expensive as I recall.

Saves going to Kinko.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Sylvia]

interesting stylus idea Dwight. I use a dental tool I had left over from my potters wheel days. It has a spoonlike scraping end but I use the back side of it.