Leather Casing - Methods And Discussion

[AEriic]

Okay! My first 'big' post:

I would like to discuss Leather Casing:

What methods do you use?

Why?

How well does your method work?

Have you tried other methods?

A little background... I'm a researcher I love research and reproduction of ancient leather pieces... recently I've come across some interesting things involving 'casing' leather. The prime method I've found is this: You dampen the leather with a wet sponge, not soaking, it but good and damp. You then allow the leather to return to its original color and then begin tooling/cutting, and periodicity re-wet the leather while tooling.

Another method involves wetting the leather with a wet sponge first of the flesh side, then the grain side, again you allow the leather to return to it's original color and begin tooling with the periodic re-wetting the leather while tooling.

Yet another method involves storing the whetted leather plastic bags for several hours before working (sometime with refrigeration)

And I've stumbles across something called a 'Caseing Box' while having discussion whit some 'old-timer' saddle makers... I'm still not quite sure what a casing box is....

From my understanding the whole idea of casing is to, for lack of a better term, re-hydrate the inner fibers of the leather allowing them to accept a tighter and cleaner impression.

So I'm asking what are your experiences, your methods and why?

Thanks everyone!

[HellfireJack]

Bob Park has a stickied topic on casing leather here already.

http://leatherworker...showtopic=19121

I use a casing box. Mine is just a simple wax sealed chest with a source of moisture. (Wet sponge in a bowl). I would consider it an alternative to the plastic bag/fridge method. It's just a way to store a piece of leather and maintain it's moisture content while working on it.. To me the bag/fridge method makes the leather feel like cardboard whereas the casing box doesn't.

How you case really depends on what you're doing. Or at least that's what some people believe. If you're just stamping designs you don't need the leather to be wet through and through. You can quick case it. (Damp sponge to the grain side only). If you're carving, it should be fully cased. (Wet through getting all of the fibers moist. Most of it is just personal preference though. Some people fully case no matter what.

Edited August 16, 2012 by HellfireJack

[AEriic]

Bob Park has a stickied topic on casing leather here already.

http://leatherworker...showtopic=19121

Thank you!!! My 'search-fu' is very poor

I use a casing box. Mine is just a simple wax sealed chest with a source of moisture. (Wet sponge in a bowl). I would consider it an alternative to the plastic bag/fridge method. It's just a way to store a piece of leather and maintain it's moisture content while working on it.. To me the bag/fridge method makes the leather feel like cardboard whereas the casing box doesn't.

I'm VERY interested in hearing more about casing boxes where did you learn of these?

So am I to understand it's a bit like a humidor... basically a place to keep leather so that it remains damp in preparation for tooling?

How you case really depends on what you're doing. Or at least that's what some people believe. If you're just stamping designs you don't need the leather to be wet through and through. You can quick case it. (Damp sponge to the grain side only). If you're carving, it should be fully cased. (Wet through getting all of the fibers moist. Most of it is just personal preference though. Some people fully case no matter what.

Fully casing is my preferred method.

[Sylvia]

I use a casing box. Mine is just a simple wax sealed chest with a source of moisture. (Wet sponge in a bowl). I would consider it an alternative to the plastic bag/fridge method. It's just a way to store a piece of leather and maintain it's moisture content while working on it.. To me the bag/fridge method makes the leather feel like cardboard whereas the casing box doesn't.

Hi Jack:

Is your casing box wooden? Have you ever seen anyone use an old Coleman cooler as a casing box? I have a huge cooler that has a bad hinge... I am wondering if it could be recycled successfully into a casing box.

[bruce johnson]

I have seen pictures of a few old casing boxes from old saddle shops but none in person. They were built kind of like a foot locker, and at least one was metal lined with what I was told was zinc. I don't know how tight the seals were. My old tool buddy told me about using the casing boxes back in the day. They would rough cut the parts and then soak the leather pretty good. They'd wrap it in either burlap or army blankets and stick in the box for a day. He said he was in a big shop in the 50s and they used a casket for casing.

[Bob Blea]

I've heard of casing boxes too, but I had never heard anyone say that the leather felt different than it does if you keep it in the refrigerator. I use the plastic bag and refrigerator method because I rarely start and finish a project on the same day, so sometime they need to be stored for several days. I assume the fridge keeps the mold from developing.

I would be interested to hear if anyone else feels the same way as Jack about refrigeration making the leather feel more like cardboard? I might need to try letting it stay at room temp for a notebook project just to see if it feels different.

Bob

[Chief31794]

I've heard of casing boxes too, but I had never heard anyone say that the leather felt different than it does if you keep it in the refrigerator. I use the plastic bag and refrigerator method because I rarely start and finish a project on the same day, so sometime they need to be stored for several days. I assume the fridge keeps the mold from developing.

I would be interested to hear if anyone else feels the same way as Jack about refrigeration making the leather feel more like cardboard? I might need to try letting it stay at room temp for a notebook project just to see if it feels different.

Bob

Bob,

I use the plastic bag and fridge method as well, sometimes I just keep in on the shelf in the plastic bag and I can't tell any difference. I make sure I put it in the refridgerator if it may be more than 24 hours before I get to it for carving. I haven't determined any difference. Maybe if the temperature was set so low that the freezing point was being reached (like the Coke Zero's) in my house drink refridgerator. I use Bob Parks method with the exception that Bob advocates wetting, then letting the leather return to carving condition before bagging. I usually wet it then bag it and then I have to wait for it to dry and return to carving condition after I take it out of the bag before I start carving, that may be why I haven't noticed any difference in the feel if there is some.

Chief

Edited August 16, 2012 by Chief31794

[HellfireJack]

I'm VERY interested in hearing more about casing boxes where did you learn of these?

So am I to understand it's a bit like a humidor... basically a place to keep leather so that it remains damp in preparation for tooling?

Technically I learned of them here after re-inventing the wheel.

I had no idea there was such a thing as a casing box at the time and I wasn't happy with the way.the bag/fridge method left the leather after the first day. I actually looked up how to build a humidor on Instructables.com and thought I'd give it a shot for leather. The only thing I changed was adding a thin strip of leather along the lid's edge to act as a gasket to help seal it air tight when closed. Then afterwards I learned that I just built a casing box. I put a damp sponge in to help maintain the moisture content and I also put in some baking soda in a dixie cup to help kill any mold growth. Haven't had a problem with mold at all. I was told here that you could just sit it out open in the sun as well to kill any mold but baking soda works fine.

I'm more of a hobbiest in leather right now as I learn more and more so I only use it when I fully case a piece of leather overnight or when I time things poorly and realize I have to actually sleep at night and can't finish something I've started. I assume that the "cardboard" feel I'm talking about is caused by the wax and oil in the leather cooling and thickening and stiffening the leather.

Of course that could all just be in my head as well. All I know is that I don't like the way leather feels when it comes out of the fridge so much that I went to all the trouble to make the humidor.

Hi Jack:

Is your casing box wooden? Have you ever seen anyone use an old Coleman cooler as a casing box? I have a huge cooler that has a bad hinge... I am wondering if it could be recycled successfully into a casing box.

Yep, it's just a round top pine chest that I picked up at the hobby store. I purchased a couple of pounds of wax and melted it and brushed it thickly on the inside (and still had a pound and a half left over) to seal all of the cracks and added the leather lid gasket mentioned above. I don't see why you couldn't use a cooler as long as it seals air tight.

Edited August 16, 2012 by HellfireJack

[Cyberthrasher]

I use Bob's method by wetting thoroughly, letting it return to tooling status, bagging it and then refrigerate overnight (at least). Most of my projects lately have been big enough to not be able to finish in one sitting, so I had to come up with something. I Know the fridge keeps the mold away too because I was fighting with that for a while and now I don't have any. Also, since my items are so large, I wrap them up in GOOD cling wrap in sections then stick it all in a garbage bag before putting it in the fridge. I find that with that method, all I have to do is unwrap the portion I'll be working on, spray the backside with a little water then get to work. When I take a break, I re-wrap. Basically from the time I cut out the leather until I'm ready to dye it stays wrapped in plastic to maintain a constant moisture level.

All that said, I've never felt that my work feels any stiffer or anything after it's finished. But, I don't use any oil or conditioners until I'm done tooling so there may be some validity to that part of it.

[Bob Blea]

I'm more of a hobbiest in leather right now as I learn more and more so I only use it when I fully case a piece of leather overnight or when I time things poorly and realize I have to actually sleep at night and can't finish something I've started. I assume that the "cardboard" feel I'm talking about is caused by the wax and oil in the leather cooling and thickening and stiffening the leather.

Of course that could all just be in my head as well. All I know is that I don't like the way leather feels when it comes out of the fridge so much that I went to all the trouble to make the humidor.

As I think more about it now, I do notice that my leather feels stiffer once I let it dry completely after tooling. However, I just assumed that was due to wetting the leather. I think I've read here that the casing and tooling process normally leaves the leather a little stiffer than it was because it's removing a little of the oils in the leather, hence you want to oil afterwords to restore some of those moisturizers. Maybe the refrigerator makes that problem a little worse? I oil everything with neatsfoot oil after carving and it defintely seems more supple after that step.

Bob

[TwinOaks]

I'll second the idea that the tallow and oils getting cold add to the stiffness.

I usually just quick case mine with a spray bottle, but I'm not doing a lot of detailed carving these days. Mostly just stamping, and I respray if it starts to get dry. If I have to leave it for a while, I respray and cover with plastic to prevent evaporation.

As to the leather being stiffer after casing, well....water reactivates the collagen in the leather fibers, and collagen is kind of a cellular 'glue'. So, once the 'glue' has been activated, it keeps the fibers in place when it dries. Oiling allows the fibers to slide against each other, and that is why too much oil can leave a piece of leather "floppy". It's a bit oversimplified, but we did have a very in depth discussion of it way back when, delving into the chemistry of the leather. I think that thread may have been lost in the crash ('09?), and I recall it from when I first got interested in leather during late '07.