Leather Molding With Putty

[Tree Reaper]

Here's another method for molding wet leather.

I'm using a molding putty, forming the mold in the first picture then removing it from that mold and baking it in the oven to harden it.

In the second picture the hard clay mold has been used to mold the leather.

This works really well for odd shapes.

[DoubleC]

Did you become a vegan? Is that why you're molding hot dogs instead of buying them? They have Angus hot dogs now of all things, does that mean healthier than the already molded spam that comprises a hot dog?

Seriously Kevin, I can tell, do you already have a routed hole in this to put the putty to mold it to begin with? I'm a tad tired and very confused :-)

[Tree Reaper]

Hi Cheryl;

This is the mold I was telling you about for an epi pen but on a smaller scale, 3/4" in diameter.

I made the original (routed) wood mold for forming the leather slightly larger to accommodate 5oz. leather and then I made another (routed) wood mold 1/4" smaller to form the clay mold.

The smaller clay mold combined with 5 oz. leather fit perfectly inside the leather mold.

To stiffen the clay I wrapped four lengths of wire clothes hanger in foil tape and molded the clay around that.

This mold should last a long time and I'm able to make two cases at once if I cut the molded leather in half.

I'm very happy with this process.

Edited August 3, 2012 by Tree Reaper

[DoubleC]

Hey Kev. Now that's something I could do and not have a Lucile Ball moment, unlike the expanding foam. So you made the clay mold with wire coat hangers and there wasn't any wood drilling or routing required? This is what you used to make your cigar lighter you carry isn't it? And there's so many other things that you could do with it, make an ink pen holder or pencil, we always need a pencil and I don't know about you, well yeah I do, you're more organized, but I can never find my pencil when I need it. I need a box of them I guess instead of the two I'm always looking for. It's a totally cool and totally you idea.

[Tree Reaper]

I'm using a router to make the wooden molds but in your case where you don't have the router you could make a mold out of clay instead of wood then use that to form your leather.

[DoubleC]

OH OK, I thought it was in wood to begin with but isn't that an extra step? Why not just use the wood mold? Or make a clay mold? Anyway Kev I think it's a neat idea. Where do you buy molding clay at? Is it a craft thing or an industrial type thing?

[Tree Reaper]

This is what I used http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51R2o%2BAgrKL.jpg

I also bought this http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/818x6J08RFL._AA1500_.jpg but haven't tried it yet.

For an 1 1/2" diameter epi pen you could form the clay around a piece of plastic pipe or bottle about 1 3/4"outside diameter then use a piece of 1 1/2" wood dowel to mold the wet leather.

You can do the same for pen cases, use wood dowels for your molding.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Tree Reaper

[DoubleC]

Now those are cool. Not what i was expecting. I'll look for the super sculpey around here, Michael's, places like that. Thanks Kevin

[Tree Reaper]

You can press a knife, lipstick tube or just about anything into the soft clay and make your mold then bake it.

[DoubleC]

Oh man I gotta try this. I can think of a gazillion things I'd like to try, well one for instance your beer holder idea. just do it long enough and cut it in 1/2 and ya got matching sides. I ended up molding that pen holder on a vacuum niche tool, wider at the top and then more narrow like the pens. God we get paid to have this much fun? c

[Sylvia]

Cheryl... you could even use your "leather stamps" to impress images into the clay. Not sure how good the molded leather would show that though.

I see this method being quite useful for anyone wanting to do formed overlay pieces. Nice idea Treereaper.

[DoubleC]

It would work Syl IF you embossed the clay instead which would just take stamping a small bit of putty and then putting the final mold of putty pressed into the stamped hardened stamped pieces before baking it. Oh man would this be fun or WHAT? c

[Tree Reaper]

This is the finished lighter case using the clay molding.

[DoubleC]

That's really cool Kevin. I' ve got to try some of this stuff, seriously. c