Casing Leather

[robert]

Typically my casing is Baptist not Methodist - I immerse, not sprinkle

Sorry, couldnt help that...

my method is similar to some others on heavier leather (say 8 oz and up) - I immerse till the bubbles stop. I typically leave it in the open for an hour or two so that it isnt sopping wet, then put it in a bag in the refridge overnight. if i want to work on it before it is quite ready, i speed up the drying process with a blowdryer. as i work on it if it starts to get a bit dry, i spray the BACK of of the project with a spray bottle. That way the moisture wicks up evenly and you dont have to spray or sponge your tooling, causing that loss of definition.

[Billsotx]

Some, actually most, dish soaps have a water softener in them and that helps penetration. I've messed with a lot of ways to case, sometimes I use a spray bottle, sometimes a sponge, sometimes I'll dunk until it stop bubbling, I've left it for hours. My next step is it goes in a zip lock for 4 hours minimum. I've left it for 4 or 5 days, this evens out the moisture. When I get ready to tool, carve, mold whatever, I lay it out on the bench away from light, dirt, nosey passers-by and watch for the surface to just start to return to the original color, which is the key to when it right to carve, tool, shape, mold, etc. If I can't finish it, I spray it lightly, spray the inside of my bag a little bit and reseal it. Next session goes the same, if it's too wet looking I wait until it starts to return to the natural color and start working it at that point. Follow-up sessions usually return to natural color quicker that the first since it isn't resoaked. While I working it I rewet it with a sponge if I feel it getting dry. If you're paying attention and keeping your blade stropped you can feel it grab if it's getting to dry. If I'm working with dyed leather I depend on feel more that visual effect. Especially when molding; if you're pushing water out of it, it's too wet and it'll wrinkle and pickup all kinds of marks.

The quality of leather makes a difference. I've got a side that I was sold as good carving leather and you can't even stamp it. A hour or so after basketweaving it the impressions were faint. They next day there was hardly any impressions left. So yeah it makes a difference in quality.

There's a lot of ways to do this stuff and someone always forgets to mention something they do, some subtle thing. Repetition and careful attention to what does and doesn't work for you is key.

Most folks complain that their leather will mold if they leave it in a bag overnight. I don't have that problem. I can leave it in a bag under the workbench for 4 or 5 days, I've even left it a week. I think it's the water that causes the mold, but I have no way to prove that. I can tell you this. If you get mold on a piece that you've bagged, don't use that bag anymore. No matter how well you clean it, it'll spore mold from then on. You can't seem to clean it. I use all sizes of zip locks and I've had good luck with those and I've never worried about the plastic touching the leather. I was told that it should be wrapped in a brown paper before putting it in the bag because the plastic would cause mold. In my experience the brown bag caused the mold. I don't do that anymore.

[Cecil]

I live in florida and we have heat and humidity. I have had problems, with mold, when using a ziplock or plastic bag to store wet leather. The work I do is on smaller pieces, Belts, billfolds etc. I found that wrapping the leather tightly in Plastic Wrap seals it from the air. On a belt I can uncover a section as I work on it and recover it if I don't get the section finished. With this approach I only have to case the belt once and I have had no problem with mold.

It may just be my emagination, but the leather seams to behave differently when it is cased this way than with a sponge or spray bottle.

[steveb]

My technique - all wrong, but it works for me...i made it up cuz i didnt know better - and i still dont!

I rubbber cement my leather to xray film to keep it from deforming when tooling

I spray the leather with distilled water with a few drops of pro-carve...till damp, not wet

I take a wet "car waxing sponge" with saddle soap on it and give the leather a nice saddle soaping

Sometimes I slick the leather, sometimes I dont

The leather is lightly wet, but in no way soggy and is firm to the touch

i let it dry slightly

I draw my art/outline and by the time i am ready to tool, the leather is ready

if for some reason, i need to get up and say, go for a beer or chase a customer on the phone away, and the leather drys a little- I will shpritz it with my distilled water solution just a bit and let it dry some .

I never tool or carve wet or mushy leather, I like mine dry.

like I said - all wrong, but it works for me...i think it does anyway! lol

[Billsotx]

Where does one get xray film? I heard that before and it sounds like a good medium to prevent stretch.

[Jordan]

Just a guess but I would check local hospital and clinics I would imagine they eventually throw the stuff away. Alot of them are transfering to digital so they don't have to store the stuff. A couple of clinics I have been to actually made me take mine home with me after a year. They said if they didn't they would drown in the stuff.LOL

[Mike Phelps]

A soap will just help the water soak into the leather instead of beading up on the surface. We do the same thing when applying herbicides, fungicides etc. It also might contain some anti-something or others to help prevent mildew.

[rawhide1]

Mike I believe that adding dishsoap to your water breaks the surface tension of the water making it penatrate your leather easier. Mike

[whinewine]

Mike I believe that adding dishsoap to your water breaks the surface tension of the water making it penatrate your leather easier. Mike

[/quote

If you've ever printed your own photographic enlargements, there is a product called 'photoflo'- by kodak-, which also breaks surface tension when washing prints to prevent water spotting & other nasties. The water runs off in sheets, rather than in droplets. It is also a detergent, but it doesn't foam, like dishwashing detergent. I've used it as a casing agent also.

Likewise, a few drops of lexol will work, too (this I learned from a tandy manager from out west).

[steveb]

Where does one get xray film? I heard that before and it sounds like a good medium to prevent stretch.

my brother in law is a podiatric surgeon - i get all the xray film i want - only thing is - its all xrays of feet!!

steveb