How do I soften and bend a leather Photo Album?

[whistlestop77]

I've just finished stamping and carving a photo album. This is the first photo album I have done.  I also stained and sealed it super sheen. My problem is that it is very stiff. When I tried to bend it into shape it started to crack.  At this point can the leather be softened without cracking further.  I am also worried about opening and closing it. Maybe someone could tell me how to add photos, please!

 

Thanks

Brian.      Email:. whistlestop77@gmail.com

[bikermutt07]

I don't have an answer for the problem. But here is how I upload photos from my android phone:

Upload them to my Facebook page.

Download them from the page to my phone.

Come to this site and "click to choose files".

It prompts me to pick a folder. 

I choose Facebook folder and upload.

Somewhere along the way Facebook resizes the photos.

Hope this helps.

[MADMAX22]

Did you oil the leather after staining? Applying dye always dries out leather which if vegtan is already dry and needs some kind of conditioner/oil before sealing. A photo album usually can be bent pretty easily unless it is really thick leather. 

[whistlestop77]

Thanks for replying.  No I didn't use oil but I did use sealer.  Any way to oil it now?  Any way to remove sealer without ruining the project?

Brian

Edited September 25, 2016 by whistlestop77
Needed more info

[MADMAX22]

Sorry but thats usually a futile effort. Personally I rarely use sealers other then things like sno seal or wax/oil mixes I make myself. If I do use a sealer its usually the last step in the process. 

 

[Ssleather]

14 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

I don't have an answer for the problem. But here is how I upload photos from my android phone:

Upload them to my Facebook page.

Download them from the page to my phone.

Come to this site and "click to choose files".

It prompts me to pick a folder. 

I choose Facebook folder and upload.

Somewhere along the way Facebook resizes the photos.

Hope this helps.

Lol

[cowboycolonel]

Hey Whistle,

 

It would be helpful to know how it's made.  Is it a single piece of leather, or did you make a front, back, and spine?  Is there an insert, like a ring binder inside? did you bond leathers for the spine. I assume you want to "bend it" so it will close like a book.  Might have some ideas if I know more about the work and what you want it to turn out like.

[JLSleather]

Sounds like your leather is incredibly dry.  Bad news is - once it's cracked, that's that.

I do oil binders / portfolios / albums type projects.  2 light coats of neatsfoot, about 24 hours apart. And I mean LIGHT coats.  Also helpful to put a gouge on the inside if you're "bending" heavy leathers.  On my notebook-type things (full-size) I generally use about 7 or 8 oz leather, and then put a gouge inside the fold about 1/3 teh thickness of the leather.  Gives teh leather a place to compress INTO, instead of forcing the outside to stretch around the corner.

 

[whistlestop77]

Hello CowboyColonel, thanks for replying. I used a 12"X24" piece of 7-8 vegtan which is the front/ back and spine all one piece. I added a stiffener over the spine. Then I used a 12"X24" piece of 4-5 vegtan for the inside glued together with the 7-8. After carving and stamping I stained it and sealed it with super sheen. I just found out if should have oiled it. I had nothing to lose at this point so I tried using Neats Foot Oil LIBERALLY. It did soften the leather enough to bend with no further cracking. This album is for my granddaughter and when I showed my daughter the cracks she did not want me to do another one.  Believe it or not the cracks are barely noticeable. The info you have given me will be invaluable in making more photo albums.

Thank you very much,

whistlestop77

[whistlestop77]

[Colt W Knight]

I wet corners where it bends before I bend mine. Once it's dry, it gets 1 light coat of neatsfoot oil. 

[cowboycolonel]

You could probably still take a groover and run it carefully down the intended hinge points on the inside.  Then oil it again and when that's dry, coat the open (non-finished ) area with Skidmore's leather cream.  Part of the reason for the cracking is that the outside leather has to travel further when opening and closing than does the inside leather.  Grooving the inside leather will reduce the thickness and will provide some necessary relief.  Your cover is beautiful.