HorseHerder Report post Posted August 16, 2014 I spent about a week on this project for a friend at work, my first attempt at tooling. I tried to make the pictures look professional, but I'm no photographer. I'll gladly take criticism on this, I know I really need help with the tooling. And practice! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
biker55 Report post Posted August 17, 2014 I'm new at this also, but it looks good to me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MonicaJacobson Report post Posted August 17, 2014 Wow, so much better than my first project. Your edges aren't even too bad! I would suggest you watch a few tooling videos on youtube. There are tons and tons of them, and they give you good information on casing leather, and using a beveling tool around your design to make it stand out from the rest of the leather, etc. Cool photography, too! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Colt W Knight Report post Posted August 18, 2014 I recently started tooling, and I can see some things I have picked up that will help you. 1. Use an edge guide to mark an edge on the perimeter. Then use your swivel knife to cut that line. You can then take a beveler to make that edge really stand out. 2. Bevel around your swivel knife cuts. Looks like you just used your back grounder. Then use your backgrounder. 3. Work on beveling and shading your tooled design. 4. Something I still struggle with is getting a good non-choppy background. Ideally, you don't want to see the shape of the tool in your impression, but you still need to hit it hard enough that the background sits lower than the tooling to make everything pop. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseHerder Report post Posted August 19, 2014 Thank you all! Believe it or not, I did use a beveler. Unfortunately I wasn't sure what I was doing and I either did it wrong or I completely went over it with the backgrounder. I even thought this as I was working on it. Monica I'll definately be doing some more research on tooling, I see a lot of Tandy videos out there but I'm sure there's much more. Youtube is like opening a can of worms every time. Colt I agree that getting the pressure right is not easy especially when my arm is getting tired and I just need a break. I will try the edge/swivel/bevel technique next time. And with that, goodnight folks! God bless Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Colt W Knight Report post Posted August 19, 2014 Perhaps your swivel knife cuts weren't deep enough. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseHerder Report post Posted August 21, 2014 Too true Colt! I was just practicing and realized that not only were my knife cuts a tad shallow, but I beveled the background - not the design. *facepalm* So when I came in with the backgrounder it was as though I never beveled at all. Lessons learned I guess. Glad the belt was a gift : ) Thanks again! God bless Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billybopp Report post Posted August 21, 2014 There are a number of good videos on youtube for carving and tooling. Search for Bruce Cheaney and Keith Valley - Cowboy Saddlery .. And there are others as well. Hope that helps Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
