Creasing Around Strap Ends And Tight Curves

[specialcases]

Hi gang.

I do a bit of strap work for various projects and am consistantly frustrated when it comes to running the crease around the round or english point end of the strap or belt. Same issue on tight curves and recurves on other pieces

This is whether I use a purpose made creaser or the wing dividers. the dividers actaully work a little better.

I am a slow and patient worker but the crease often ends up looking "jumpy" and/or unequal distance from the edge.

I have resorted on occassion to just running the crease straight out the end and not coming around the tip in narrower straps but......not thrilled with that as a detail either.

So any tips other than just keep practicign since that one I am alerady onto.

Thansk in advance.

[Tree Reaper]

Your crease will only be as good as your edge because that's your guide.

Keeping the angle of the creaser the same all the way around the entire project is also important.

The jumpy spots can be decreased with a sharp creaser and smoothed over with a modeling spoon.

Leather casing is also important.

[Cyberthrasher]

Adding to what Tree Reaper said, you'll also find it helpful to move the leather through the tool instead of moving the tool around the leather when going around corners. Go slow and keep your tool planted in one spot while the leather pivots through it.

[specialcases]

Thanks guys.

I have stumbled on the moving the work and trying to keep the angle the same.

As for edges do you guys crease before rounding or other way round?

I think I usual round first (but not burnish yet) but operhaps that decreases the support at the edge for the creasing tool....well yes it would wouldnt iit!

What order do you follow. crease- round, or round- crease.

if using wing dividers do you work on the stampign stone surface or your cuttign surface. It mioght be wrogn fro soem reason but I recall more success on the stone.

Finally when working with harness leather or latigo strap work (any of the oilier non carving leathers) would you still "case"? if yes how? same as usual?

And do any of you crease with hot tools as I have seen? hows that work?

[Cyberthrasher]

As for edges do you guys crease before rounding or other way round?

I've found that if I crease before I bevel and completely burnish my edge, I end up with a crease that's not equal all the way around. This is because sometimes my beveler gets a little off, or I end up having to remove material to make things even in different spots. So, I always try to get my edge the way it's going to be forever before I add the crease/border.

View the bottom of the card on the right here (bottom left to be exact). I forgot to edge before I added my bead and this was the result. It's really the only "major" problem overall on this piece and it really makes me sad because I know I'm better than that!!!

[Bob Blea]

I would crease the strap before doing anything else to the edges. I want the full edge to guide my creaser. I've never tried to crease Latigo or used heat creasers, so I can't say anything about them.

Bob

[Bob Blea]

I had too many interruptions while I was typing my post and didn't see Cyber's. He's got a good point and I could see where that would be a problem. I don't make many straps but I do crease pockets in my notebooks often, and haven't run into his sort of problem yet, but he's got good reasoning there. I maybe have just been lucky and haven't had that kind of problem.

Bob

[Tree Reaper]

The only thing I'll do to the edge prior to creasing is sand any unevenness along the edge.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Tree Reaper

[specialcases]

Thank you all.

I think I am better armed now to let patience and practice do its work.

Still open to any more help of course.

And jsut a more specific question...do you all crease around the ends of straps or do anuy of you run the side creases straight out and have that look?

This would help where you needed to make loats fo shorted straps as you could crease and finish a longer legth, cut the shorted pieces then just touch up the tip edges.....production versus detail perhaps?

[Cyberthrasher]

Thank you all.

I think I am better armed now to let patience and practice do its work.

Still open to any more help of course.

And jsut a more specific question...do you all crease around the ends of straps or do anuy of you run the side creases straight out and have that look?

This would help where you needed to make loats fo shorted straps as you could crease and finish a longer legth, cut the shorted pieces then just touch up the tip edges.....production versus detail perhaps?

NEVER. It will make it look incomplete. The whole point of the border is to contain everything and make it look tidy. By having a section without a border, it looks unfinished. It's a good idea in thought, but in the end it will only make things look like they were part of a mass production run. Once you get your process down, it really doesn't take long to do.

Bob, I used to do all my edging last until I started noticing a few spots on my straps that weren't PERFECT when looking at the spacing from the bead to the "perceived" edge of the leather (keep in mind, I'm EXTREMELY OCD and notice if a line is even the slightest bit off). I say perceived because our eyes look at the grain of the leather as the "edge" and not the actual edge where it's been rounded and polished. So, i experimented and started realizing that I can get a much more consistent bead on my work by doing it after I have the edge beveling done. Sanding doesn't effect it so much, but that little bit of grain can throw it off a lot if you change the angle of your edger even a little bit. Take that picture I referenced above for example. The actual edge is perfectly spaced all the way around, but in that corner I had tipped my edger just a hair and removed too much grain, which makes it look like it's all crooked and out of balance.

[Bob Blea]

Thanks Cyber, what you say makes sense. And I understand about the lines being just a bit off. I can be the same way whenever I am working with parallel lines. You've definitely put a lot of thought into this.

Bob

[Cyberthrasher]

Thanks Cyber, what you say makes sense. And I understand about the lines being just a bit off. I can be the same way whenever I am working with parallel lines. You've definitely put a lot of thought into this.

Bob

It's that OCD thing

[specialcases]

I have a friend who say he has OCd adn ADD..so everything has to perfect - but just for a little while!

Thansk for the tips.

Another question then:

what is you go to creaser: wing divider, adjustable creaser (like tandy sells) purpose made/sized push creaser (like osborne's)? Others? Home made?

Or do you different tools for different conditions?

[Cyberthrasher]

Kind of a "different tools for different conditions" approach. I have a cheap adjustable creaser, I believe it's a Tandy. I'm not real happy with the line it makes due to the profile. So, I've been contemplating either modifying it or just getting some fixed ones of known brands. Most of the time I use my wing dividers, followed by a light touch of the swivel knife and a plastic swivel beveler held at a shallow angle to give it more definition. I'm trying to train myself to use the adjustable creaser more though.

[specialcases]

Great tip to go over it again with a light touch of the swivel knife or swivel beveler.

I think I will look into a swivel beveler blade and give that a run too.

I just did some loop last night with the adjustable creaser and was pleased with the "countour" even more so than the wing divider.

More will be revealed but this has all been very helpful..obviously no set answer and many approaches...should fall down to my own preference in result and patience/practice in process.

I look forward to more feedback.

[Cyberthrasher]

Here you go. I grabbed a couple. They do take some practice and they're not the best for overall beveling, but they're great on long lines.

http://springfieldleather.com/29287/Blade%2CPlastic%2CBeveler/

[specialcases]

Thanks Cyber. I checked and tandy doesnt seem to carry anything like it.

I may order from springfield. they seem to be the only source.

Thanks for the tip (no pun intended).

Edited November 1, 2013 by specialcases