Slim Pickens Report post Posted December 26, 2013 Heya group... thought I'd post my first two projects. I got into trying leather work so I could make fronts for our fire helmets. The skull is my first attempt for a friend. I definitely made quite a few mistakes but I learned quite a bit. I'm now tinkering with a second project and already learning more. I prefer to say I'm learning instead of messing up. :D Advice more than welcome... this place is a wealth of information! -Slim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted December 26, 2013 That's lookin like pretty quick learnin's Your first one has some VERY choppy bevel marks, but in the second you can see you're already eliminating much of that. Knife cuts look pretty smooth (as opposed to start/stop, jagged, drag marks). By way of suggestions ... for the type of design you're doing, you might look up a bit about matting. No time to find it at the moment, but I remember a good while back there was a (quite good) example and discussion on matting figures by yaklady (member name). You might try the search bar either for matting, or for her 'content'. No point re-inventing the wheel, I remember her discussion was quite good and so were the pictures... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slim Pickens Report post Posted December 31, 2013 Checked into matting and actually picked up some new tools. Thanks for the heads up on the post! It is taking some practice but I'm getting there... Here is an update on the bulldog shield. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samalan Report post Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Wow! nice work slim suggestion keep up that learning your fast, that bull dog Wow!. Slim is the art work yours. Edited January 3, 2014 by Samalan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slim Pickens Report post Posted January 3, 2014 Samalan, it isn't my original artwork. We have it on the side of Engine 2 at work. Just thought it would be neat to make a shield with the station mascot for practice. :D Thanks for the kind words! I've got to get a handle on keeping my edges lined up... maybe I'll leave the back a bit larger and dremel it down to match after it's sewn? I also need some more tooling experience... but it'll come with time. :D I'll attach the pic from Engine 2. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paramedic04 Report post Posted March 28, 2015 Good looking shields! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aquinn1989 Report post Posted April 16, 2015 Hey also a fellow fire fighter making helmet shields. Made my first one the other day but having a hard time with the beveling with it leaving alot of un even marks. Any suggestions on how much to wet down the leather or how to start so that its more even? not sure if im wetting the leather to much or possible not cutting my lines deep enough before i bevel? thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaerkes Report post Posted May 2, 2015 Relly clean edges, nice works Slim! aquinn: i think it is hard to find a standard on the humidity issue, each tann leather is different and unique. I use to put water in different layers until i see that it takes some time to get dry in the surface, then i inmediatly start to cut and emboss, in elaborate patterns i use to put more water when the skin is getting to dry. I supose it is a question of practice until you know the ideal humidity factor, nowadays i recognice it just for the color of the surface!. Sorry for my english! it is hard to explain this things! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
