pete Report post Posted November 16, 2008 (edited) . In the latest LWJ it showed a fender done by Don Butler where he thumbprinted AFTER he beveled and undercut. What do you guys do? Doesn't the undercut get mashed down if you do it first and THEN thumbprint? pete Edited November 16, 2008 by pete Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted November 16, 2008 It would really depend on the width of the area being thumbprinted. A thumbprint is really just a very flat pear shader (IMO), so as long as you stay between the lines, it shouldn't effect anything. If your undercuts are effected, check the size thumbprinter for the area used, and check the moisture of your leather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted November 16, 2008 Pete, There are probably as many tooling sequences as toolers. I think I have an old Ray Holes catalog that showed Gerry Holes tooling a pattern. Pretty sure he undershot right off the bat too. I know some really good guys who undershot as the dead last thing they do. The Sheridan Style Carving book shows doing them right after the swivel knife. It also depends on how you use your undershots. Some guys hold them pretty steep and it is more of an undercutting. Heavy leather allows this. Others guys hold them so the bottom part is pretty much parallel with the surface and run them under and raise up, much like a propetal effect. Whose undershots and and what size makes a difference too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pete Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Once again Bruce you come to the rescue! How do you have time to make a saddle when I see your posts daily? is this web page an addiction?!!!!!! Again, thanks. I have the TLF propetal- the tiny narrow one and it works well but the larger one is really useless. I even tried to flatten the tip angle but I still don't use it. I use the tiny one and hit the petal 3- 4 times in one hole if it's a wide petal. What sizes do you use most and who makes good one? Grey Ghost(Mosby?) thanks again ......now get back to work! regards pete Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Pete, My schedule is that I get up at 4:00, work solidly for 3 hours. My day job has enough breaks I can keep up with the forum and do paperwork for the leather business too. Get home, eat, work a few hours, case something for the morning, and that's it. After 24 years fo working mostly 6 day weeks, I now get a 3 day weekend every other. I don't use propetals much. I have the TLF and a couple homemade ones from screwdrivers. I have played with Jeff's at a show. If a guy uses them a lot, his are the real deal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hidepounder Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Pete, What Bruce said is exactly on the mark! There are a million methods! I think that intermediate toolers will try to stick to a particular sequence in tooling. I think you'll find the big boys varying their sequence based on the "needs" of the pattern. I frequently undercut right after I finishing cutting and then again....in the same place....after I've finished tooling the whole piece! Because some of my patterns need the extra encouragement! A production tooler will background first and then bevel...that way he can eliminate beveling everywhere there is background...which is much, much faster! On a difficult pattern you might have to bevel a couple of times to keep a particular part of your pattern on the plane it belongs on. Bottom line is follow what the big boys like Don do, but keep and open mind....experiment a little....do what the pattern tells you to do... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
