using peice of glass before carving?

[Go2Tex]

Hey Darc, your stamping looks so good you don't need to clean it up but I usually have to run a beveler or a push beader down it to get rid of the tool marks left by the serpentine or carlos stamp or just to even it up.

As for the glassing issue, you nailed it. Exactly what I've experienced but I'm beginning to think it's all in the technique and the type of leather. I don't use a piece of glass or plexiglass. I've been using a wood slicker, which by it's nature probably exerts more pressure than the glass. So, I think I'm going to declare this a hung jury...... and get me a piece of glass and try it real lightly and before it dries to the point of burnishing it. Drum dyed leather is another problem itself.

Now, are we talking laminated glass?

[gtwister09]

Don't use laminated glass... Use tempered glass if you can find it.

Regards,

Ben

Edited December 14, 2008 by gtwister09

[bustedlifter]

Overworking the leather? You say potahto and I say potayto. Whatever works for someone, I guess. However, it reminds me of an interview I saw with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. Tyler said when they were listening to playback on one of their songs when he heard what sounded like an accordion. He said they needed to add some accordion but Joe said 'why'?

Edited December 14, 2008 by bustedlifter

[greg gomersall]

Hi Greg,

it's never really occurred to me to bevel the inside lines on a carlos border. Is this something commonly done? I'll have to give it a try and check out the difference it makes.

Darc

Heck Darcy I could be wrong but I always bevel the inside line before I run my carlos tool. Greg

[smudley]

A couple people emailed me asking me what I meant by the leather "popping up" around the tools marks... I was doing a carlos border on a saddle today and tooled a couple of scraps to show the difference I notice. The photos are close ups and show about 2 -3 inches of border. The piece of leather on the left was not slicked and the one on the right was slicked before any stamping was done. As you can see, the tools marks are very similar but the raised portion of the carlos border on the left is slightly rounded or domed while the raised portion of the slicked leather is flat across the top. When I floral carve this is even more noticeable especially on the vines and stems as well as the petals of flowers between shader impressions. I'm not saying one way is right or wrong, only that on my own carving I prefer the roundness of the non-slicked leather.

Darc

Your design looks real cool!!! I've used the slicker I made several times and my preference for it depended on what kind of tooling I was doing. For this kind of stamping, I kind of like the slicked look better. It gives the piece a crisper look. For floral carving, you want a softer, rounder look, and the slicking kind of takes away from that I think. Although, on some pieces of leather I have, slicking is the only way to stiffen the leather up enough to get good results. Of course, I have some cheap leather, too, for practice, since I can't afford the good stuff for everything, especially nowadays!!!