Starting from Scratch

[GJMarko]

Hello Everyone.

Im as new as anyone can get. Ive never done any leatherwork but definately want to start. My main area of work would be doing SCA/Reenactment/Renfaire Armor. Can someone give me an idea on where to start?

What thickness of leather should I use?

How do I dye the leather?

What is the most effective way of hardening the leather that wont burn me or my house down?

Where is the best online supplier of cowhide and accessories?

What tools should I use to get started?

Any help would be greatly appreciated from the new guy.

[ferret]

have a look at Marc Carlson

lots of useful info there. Personally I would use 10-12 oz for armour, when hardened it gives as good protection as 1mm mild steel but doesn't dent.

[BillB]

GJMarko

Welcome to the forum. Have you looked at the work by Azmal in the "Show Off" section. Wonderful armor work.

[DJole]

What thickness of leather should I use?

For the SCA, if it's fighting armor, rather than decorataive, that depends on your Kingdom requirements, and what that armor is covering (bone or flesh). Different parts of your body will require different thicknesses (and don't forget the padding underneath). If it's not meant for actual combat, then it depends on how heavy you want it to be, and what you'll be doing with it. (Vague, I know, but we need more info!)

How do I dye the leather?

Do you mean all one color? Or multliple colors in different designs? You may be able to purchase complete hides in a particular color, which will save you a LOT of time, but you will most likely have to purchase bottles of dye. You should not use a water-based dye (i.e. Tandy's Eco-Flo) on your armor, because your armor will see a lot of moisture, and that water based dye will bleed and run.

What is the most effective way of hardening the leather that wont burn me or my house down?

Sorry, I have no experience with this. You might want to ask this question in SCA forums, instead of leatherwork forums.

Where is the best online supplier of cowhide and accessories?

That's hard to say--how much hide do you need, what weight, and so on? It might help if we knew what state or city you were in.

What tools should I use to get started?

Well, are you planning on doing tooling? Or just basic armor work?

I'll assume you mean the latter. So, for basic armor construction:

1) You'll be working with heavier leather, so you need good strong SHARP knives to cut the leather. Leather shears might work, depending on the thickness of your leather.

2)You'll need a metal ruler.

3) You'll need something to punch holes with. You'll be better off with a set of drive punches, rather than the plier type (which will only punch holes close to the edge).

4) Your drive punches will require a mallet--not a hammer, but a soft faced mallet.

5) A strap cutter would be very useful. You can live without one, but they make strap cutting FAST and easy.

6) Rivets for leather--there are different types, for different uses. Some are strong enough to make hinges, some are not. Make sure they are long enough for your leather thicknesses.

7) Rivet setting tools

8) Some kind of cutting board or surface to use, so you don't ruin your tools OR the kitchen table!

9) Some kind of surface for punching/pounding on, so you don't ruin etc.

10) If you are dying, some kind of spirit dye, with sponges or daubers to apply it.

11) Some kind of surface treatment to seal against dirt/moisture/etc.

That should do for starters.

If you are doing decorative stamping or tooling, you need to start with the above, and then we need to have a better idea about what you are planning to do before we can recommend tools.

I used an Xacto knife and a modeling tool for tooling for years before I decided to get serious.

[GJMarko]

What thickness of leather should I use?

For the SCA, if it's fighting armor, rather than decorataive, that depends on your Kingdom requirements, and what that armor is covering (bone or flesh). Different parts of your body will require different thicknesses (and don't forget the padding underneath). If it's not meant for actual combat, then it depends on how heavy you want it to be, and what you'll be doing with it. (Vague, I know, but we need more info!)

How do I dye the leather?

Do you mean all one color? Or multliple colors in different designs? You may be able to purchase complete hides in a particular color, which will save you a LOT of time, but you will most likely have to purchase bottles of dye. You should not use a water-based dye (i.e. Tandy's Eco-Flo) on your armor, because your armor will see a lot of moisture, and that water based dye will bleed and run.

What is the most effective way of hardening the leather that wont burn me or my house down?

Sorry, I have no experience with this. You might want to ask this question in SCA forums, instead of leatherwork forums.

Where is the best online supplier of cowhide and accessories?

That's hard to say--how much hide do you need, what weight, and so on? It might help if we knew what state or city you were in.

What tools should I use to get started?

Well, are you planning on doing tooling? Or just basic armor work?

I'll assume you mean the latter. So, for basic armor construction:

1) You'll be working with heavier leather, so you need good strong SHARP knives to cut the leather. Leather shears might work, depending on the thickness of your leather.

2)You'll need a metal ruler.

3) You'll need something to punch holes with. You'll be better off with a set of drive punches, rather than the plier type (which will only punch holes close to the edge).

4) Your drive punches will require a mallet--not a hammer, but a soft faced mallet.

5) A strap cutter would be very useful. You can live without one, but they make strap cutting FAST and easy.

6) Rivets for leather--there are different types, for different uses. Some are strong enough to make hinges, some are not. Make sure they are long enough for your leather thicknesses.

7) Rivet setting tools

8) Some kind of cutting board or surface to use, so you don't ruin your tools OR the kitchen table!

9) Some kind of surface for punching/pounding on, so you don't ruin etc.

10) If you are dying, some kind of spirit dye, with sponges or daubers to apply it.

11) Some kind of surface treatment to seal against dirt/moisture/etc.

That should do for starters.

If you are doing decorative stamping or tooling, you need to start with the above, and then we need to have a better idea about what you are planning to do before we can recommend tools.

I used an Xacto knife and a modeling tool for tooling for years before I decided to get serious.

1) the armor would be used for reenactment purposes..I was in the SCA, got my behind handed to me, its why I reenact in Renfairs now...its much safer

2) yes, the armor would be all one color...preferably black, blood red or brown.

3) Im in Central New Jersey

4) yes it would be basic armor making, but I would like to add some of my own designs to the edges, possible chest plate, etc

[DJole]

1) the armor would be used for reenactment purposes..I was in the SCA, got my behind handed to me, its why I reenact in Renfairs now...its much safer

when you say "reeactment," do you mean people hitting you, or not hitting you? If it's just for looks, rather than actual use, that will make a difference.

2) yes, the armor would be all one color...preferably black, blood red or brown.

You'll probably be buying big bottles of dye, then. You will likely want to look into spraying systems, too, rather than having to brush dye onto big pieces of leather.

3) Im in Central New Jersey

I'm on the opposite coast, so I can't refer you to shops in your area. Of course, there is always mail order. You can find links on this forum to various suppliers. You'll have to look at a specific company and then ask people about that company.

4) yes it would be basic armor making, but I would like to add some of my own designs to the edges, possible chest plate, etc

In addition to the above basic set, you'll likely be adding other tools. Don't drop a lot of money and buy them all at once; you need to figure out which tools will do the task you want them to do. (As an example, I myself don't have camoflauge or veiner tools, because I don't do the floral carving that those are used for.) I bought tools as I worked on the project, realizing that I needed tool X to do specifically what I wanted.

You can do a lot with just an exacto knife and a modeling spoon, actually. That's what I used for quite a while, when I rarely did a project.

But then you might decide that a swivel knife is better, if you do this more often.

For what I guess you'll be doing, you'll probably want to start modelling with a beveler, a background matter of some sort, and perhaps a pear shader. They come in different sizes, so it's hard to recommend a particular

An edge slicker might be useful (although some people just use denim scraps, I understand).

I don't know if you'll be doing any stitching in addition to riveting, which means I don't know if you will need an awl, needles, waxed thread, creasers/gougers, and so on.

So, what do you have in mind, for armor or designs?