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