Three Questions About Tools And Benches

[SimonJester753]

Somewhere I recently saw a book about the care and use of leather tools. I was clicking around on the internet, looking for something else and so I moved on, assuming I could easily find it again. No such luck.

If anyone can point me to a link for the book, or just give me a title I can google, I'd appreciate it.

I have a granite slab on my bench. I don't do much stamping. I noticed that it's not sitting flat. I'm guessing the bench is not perfectly flat and so it's wobbly.

I wouldn't want to do and pounding on it as if it's not sitting firm it could crack.

Do most people just put the slab on the bench or do the cut a hole and set it in the bench? How do you get your slab to sit perfectly flat on an imperfect surface?

I'm trying to figure out how to properly light my work area. My workbench consists of a long desk that originally housed my computer, printer and scanner. It's a formica countertop on top of 3 file cabinets. The cabinets are on wheels, (the wheels may soon be history).

I have cabinets above the desk and a florescent tube light mounted under the cabinets. This lights the back half of the bench, but the stuff I'm working on ends up back-lit– not very good foe seeing what I'm doing. The overhead room light does not help much, as my body ends up casting a shadow right where I want light. I also have a halogen torch lamp that shines up at the ceiling. This adds a bit of ambient light, but that's it.

I'm thinking I need some kind of swing arm desk lamp. Any recommendation as to make or model of lamp? I'm thinking the base of a desk lamp might get in the way if I'm working on a big piece.

Thanks.

[Mudruck]

For lighting, I used two of the $7 'Portable work lights' from lowes.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_203213-1373-FL-300NPDQ12_4294857041__?productId=3122291&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__4294857041__%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

One on each side of me... I use 60watt bulbs and it provides all the light I neeed. They stay pretty cool with the 60w bulbs and I have them clamped to a shelf that sits above my work area. Not all that pretty, but I can move them to get the light where I want it and to remove the shadows that keep you from seeing your work clearly.

Mudruck

[mlapaglia]

The care and feeding of your leathercraft tools.

Leathercraft Tools

"How to use them"

"How to Sharpen them"

By Al Stohlman

To me this is the best book there is for how to care for and use your tools. You can buy it at Tandy or Amazon. Tandy also has an E-book version.

This is a must have book.

Put your granite slab on a poundo pad and it will even it out.

Michael

Edited April 27, 2012 by mlapaglia

[Phatdaddy]

Somewhere I recently saw a book about the care and use of leather tools. I was clicking around on the internet, looking for something else and so I moved on, assuming I could easily find it again. No such luck.

https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/p-1141-leathercraft-tools-by-al-stohlman.aspx

Kevin

[Bob Blea]

Ditto on the book. You will learn about a lot of tools you didn't even realize you needed....

For my slab, I put a small layer of newspapers underneath it, just because it's sitting on the dining room table and I don't want to mar the surface. I've wanted to put some of the non-slip rubber padding material they make to attach to carpets under the stone. I think that will deaden the noise a bit and still cushion the tooling stone, but haven't tried it yet. You can get the non-slip rubber stuff at any home inprovement store.

For lighting, I have a desk lamp light that clips to the edge of the table plus the lights on the ceiling. My ceiling light is often good enough but when stamping basket weaves or geometrics, I add the desk light for better visibility and making sure everything lines up well.

Bob

[Mudruck]

Oh, what I used for my slab is some 'shelf lining stuff' from WalMart. it is kind of cushiony/foamy feeling to it and was like $5 for a whole roll and I only really needed a small bit of the roll. Makes it sit nice and flat and helps knock down a bit of the noise too.

[HellfireJack]

I put a towel under my slab when I tool. You could use any kind of matting really.

My workbench is small so I mounted two of these to it.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20370383/

One I kept a lamp and the other I removed the lamp and jury rigged a webcam holder. Instant light and video capture anywhere I need it.

[CowboyDan]

Somewhere I recently saw a book about the care and use of leather tools. I was clicking around on the internet, looking for something else and so I moved on, assuming I could easily find it again. No such luck.

If anyone can point me to a link for the book, or just give me a title I can google, I'd appreciate it.

I have a granite slab on my bench. I don't do much stamping. I noticed that it's not sitting flat. I'm guessing the bench is not perfectly flat and so it's wobbly.

I wouldn't want to do and pounding on it as if it's not sitting firm it could crack.

Do most people just put the slab on the bench or do the cut a hole and set it in the bench? How do you get your slab to sit perfectly flat on an imperfect surface?

I'm trying to figure out how to properly light my work area. My workbench consists of a long desk that originally housed my computer, printer and scanner. It's a formica countertop on top of 3 file cabinets. The cabinets are on wheels, (the wheels may soon be history).

I have cabinets above the desk and a florescent tube light mounted under the cabinets. This lights the back half of the bench, but the stuff I'm working on ends up back-lit– not very good foe seeing what I'm doing. The overhead room light does not help much, as my body ends up casting a shadow right where I want light. I also have a halogen torch lamp that shines up at the ceiling. This adds a bit of ambient light, but that's it.

I'm thinking I need some kind of swing arm desk lamp. Any recommendation as to make or model of lamp? I'm thinking the base of a desk lamp might get in the way if I'm working on a big piece.

Thanks.

My old 'bench' was kinda like yours. Putting the granite on a piece of the rubber mat works pretty well, and keeps it from walking too much.

I tried the swing arm lamp, but soon got fed up with it. I never could seem to get it at the right angle for me. Maybe I was just being too picky.

Anyway, I finally got to make a bench, and I searched high & low for some inexpensive LED lights. I found some fairly nice one at lowes, and they work really well. A lot of light reflects off the back board onto the work.

Here's my bench: http://leatherworker...35

Edited April 28, 2012 by CowboyDan