Bah %&#$^#* Warpage!!!!

[BradB]

Now that I have your attention, lol. So this probably an easy question to answer and I will probably answer it myself, but I want some confirmation...

So....

I was tooling a piece of leather last night (Tandy Biker Wallet to be exact) and I got it all done and noticed that the piece of leather is all distorted and now the leather is out of shape on one side and the lacing holes do not line up.. The design I was trying to do came out awesome, just warped.

Did I have the leather to wet or did I just beat it to death or was it a combination of drowning and beating that killed it, I mean warped it....

Any help would be great!! luckily I made a pattern of the pieces before I started, so I can recreate the ruined piece.

Thanks in advance!

Brad

[Luke Hatley]

Brad B .......photo would be most helpful.

When i do a lot of stamping on ( thin ) leather i will glue it to X-ray film. that will help

the leather from streching out of shape.

Too wet for you i do not know, But it could have been!

Better Luck next time.

[BradB]

Hey Luke, here is a picture. What do you use for glue?

Edited August 13, 2008 by BradB

[Rawhide]

What you should do is rubber cement it to the xray film. I use cresent Illustration board, but I'm sure xray film is just as good if not better. How I do it is apply a coat of rubber cement to the illustration board only and spread it using a hotel credit card. Then when it's tacky I place my leather, center first on it, and smooth it out from the center to ensure good adhesion. I sometimes take a rubber roller and roll over the leather to be sure. Then I use a piece of crepe rubber to remove the excess rubber cement from around the piece (this way, my hands don't get sticky and put rubber cement on the project - it will prevent dye from absorbing.) then I case my leather.

When I'm done, the illustration board peels away from the leather easily and leaves no residue on the leather since I only placed the cement on the board.

Marlon

[BradB]

What you should do is rubber cement it to the xray film. I use cresent Illustration board, but I'm sure xray film is just as good if not better. How I do it is apply a coat of rubber cement to the illustration board only and spread it using a hotel credit card. Then when it's tacky I place my leather, center first on it, and smooth it out from the center to ensure good adhesion. I sometimes take a rubber roller and roll over the leather to be sure. Then I use a piece of crepe rubber to remove the excess rubber cement from around the piece (this way, my hands don't get sticky and put rubber cement on the project - it will prevent dye from absorbing.) then I case my leather.

When I'm done, the illustration board peels away from the leather easily and leaves no residue on the leather since I only placed the cement on the board.

Marlon

Thanks Marlon and Luke!! I will give that a try, I take it this is not an uncommon occurrence with the thinner leathers?

[Rawhide]

Thanks Marlon and Luke!! I will give that a try, I take it this is not an uncommon occurrence with the thinner leathers?

Yeah, thinner leather will stretch more, but dependent on the tannage, thick leather can stretch as well.

Marlon

[HollerBornCustoms]

Boy, the timing couldn't be more right for this post. I just ran into the same thing. Started tooling on a much thinner piece of leather than I had been and it got all kinds of warpiness to it. Thanks Brad for the original post and thanks Marlon and Luke for the answers!

[HandyAndy]

I've been putting a laminated board with a dumbbell on top of the still wet peace when it starts to warp.

[whinewine]

Yeah, thinner leather will stretch more, but dependent on the tannage, thick leather can stretch as well.

Marlon

Also, a belly piece can stretch more than a piece from nearer the backbone, too, Marlon. And a strap made from a piece of leather running along the length of a hide (ie, from front to back) will stretch less than a strap made from a piece of hide running from backbone to belly. Although, in a kit, it's difficult to determine from what part the piece is cut from.

Edited August 14, 2008 by whinewine

[Rawhide]

Also, a belly piece can stretch more than a piece from nearer the backbone, too, Marlon. And a strap made from a piece of leather running along the length of a hide (ie, from front to back) will stretch less than a strap made from a piece of hide running from backbone to belly. Although, in a kit, it's difficult to determine from what part the piece is cut from.

Thanks for bringing that up, because I forgot to mention that. I agree wholeheartedly.

Marlon

[CitizenKate]

Another very effective backing to use is clear "long-term storage" packing tape. It's very easy to put on and take off with no residue on the leather, and it's cheap and easy to find in a lot of places. To make a stiffer backing, just use more layers.

Kate

[GampasShop]

For those of you that use the X-Ray film, where the heck do you get it??? I know in the medical field, they keep it in the persons file for ever. I then had the bright idea this morning to call the local vet to see what they do with theirs. They also keep it forever in the owners file.

So break out with the secret info on how you get it, please.

I have always just used masking tape myself, but am wanting to try the X-Ray film, if I can find any. Wife is a nurse so she was going to visit the X-Ray dept at the hospital where she works to see if they had some goofs or something.

[GampasShop]

Ok, wife talked to a guy in E-Ray this morning. He was going to get some different films for me to try. He also told her that they are no longer using the film, that everything is done on computer now.

[carr52]

What you should do is rubber cement it to the xray film. I use cresent Illustration board, but I'm sure xray film is just as good if not better. How I do it is apply a coat of rubber cement to the illustration board only and spread it using a hotel credit card. Then when it's tacky I place my leather, center first on it, and smooth it out from the center to ensure good adhesion. I sometimes take a rubber roller and roll over the leather to be sure. Then I use a piece of crepe rubber to remove the excess rubber cement from around the piece (this way, my hands don't get sticky and put rubber cement on the project - it will prevent dye from absorbing.) then I case my leather.

When I'm done, the illustration board peels away from the leather easily and leaves no residue on the leather since I only placed the cement on the board.

Marlon

I've been using cereal boxs. I eat alot of Rasin Brand so I just cut the front and back of the box and it works great. The boxes have a wax coating on them so they dont soak of water either if you rubber cement your leather on the face side of the box.

Tom

[pavilionpony]

I just go to the dollar store and pick up shipping and packaging tape. I tape the back and it keeps it from spreading out. I use that on the back of belts too.

[pabloz]

I've always used plain old contact paper that already has the sticky back on it. Cut it over size, peel off the protective paper, stick it on from the middle and smooth out to edges, then trim off excess. If you have to take a break during tooling, spritz it w/ water and cover it w/ 1/4 plate glass. Comes right off after tooling. If you get a residue give it light dusting of talc powder then contact cement, etc. as usual.

[BradB]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I redid the piece that warped and used the blue painters tape, I had some difficulty getting it off, NO warpage!!! Next time I think I will try the poster board and rubber cement.