nate186 Report post Posted August 23, 2019 I'm trying to figure out the technique for carving letters in a belt, with a contrasting leather underneath. I'm attaching a photo of what I'm trying to achieve. Thanks for the help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hildebrand Report post Posted August 23, 2019 Generally that is a 2 layer belt. You cut around the letters on the top layer then die the contrasting color on the back layer and glue it and sew it together. Todd Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted August 23, 2019 Being an old wood worker, . . . I would stamp the letters in the belt blank, . . . then rubber cement the leather to a piece of 1/4 inch mahogany plywood. Then I would clean the bottom of my router off real clean, . . . put in a 1/4 inch bit, . . . and hog out the biggest parts of the areas, . . . then switch to a 1/8 inch cutting blade, . . . finish up the cutting out of the letters. Up at the top and down at the bottom where the straight cuts are, . . . I'd use a wood chisel, . . . it makes really nice straight cuts that are super clean. Pull the leather off the plywood, . . . and like Hildebrand said, . . . glue it to a contrasting backer, . . . sew the edges, . . . and you are in business. May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesc Report post Posted August 23, 2019 The way those letters are slightly rounded on all the edges,( even where they meet the black edges ) I'd say there is a good chance that they were stamped out individually, and then stuck in / on, one by one after, with the black and white layers having been already sewn together.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted August 23, 2019 The opening in the top part of the A's does not go all the way through. The leather has been stamped to make a small depression, then painted white to match the background. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesc Report post Posted August 23, 2019 Yep..stamped, ( stamps which would remove that part of the A, or any enclosed area ( the typographical name for an enclosed area is a "counter"), are more awkward to make, and thus more expensive, and fragile ) and stuck in. With the "counters" painted, they could have removed the "counters" with a scalpel, but didn't.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nrk Report post Posted August 23, 2019 everything is covered in Al Stohlman's books Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesc Report post Posted August 23, 2019 nrk said Quote everything is covered in Al Stohlman's books presumably on page 42 in each book.. That's gonna save Johanna a lot of money on hosting and domain name renewals, may as well just turn off the lights then at the end of the month..Huh. A little ( or a lot ) of downloading of "free" can be a dangerous thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nate186 Report post Posted August 24, 2019 20 hours ago, Dwight said: Being an old wood worker, . . . I would stamp the letters in the belt blank, . . . then rubber cement the leather to a piece of 1/4 inch mahogany plywood. Then I would clean the bottom of my router off real clean, . . . put in a 1/4 inch bit, . . . and hog out the biggest parts of the areas, . . . then switch to a 1/8 inch cutting blade, . . . finish up the cutting out of the letters. Up at the top and down at the bottom where the straight cuts are, . . . I'd use a wood chisel, . . . it makes really nice straight cuts that are super clean. Pull the leather off the plywood, . . . and like Hildebrand said, . . . glue it to a contrasting backer, . . . sew the edges, . . . and you are in business. May God bless, Dwight Have you actually done this with leather? Never thought of a router and wood chisel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted August 24, 2019 In a one word answer: no. I have not done this, . . . but leather is very similar to soft wood, . . . your bit MUST BE very sharp, . . . recommend BRAND NEW. But then again, I've never done a belt like that If I did, . . . I'm a lazy rascal, . . . and I just will not take the long, rough, hard, intensive road for anything, . . . just my nature. I'm constantly trying ways to make things easier for this 74 yr old coot, . . . and after giving it some thought, . . . looking at my available tools, . . . that was the idea I came up with. It will not, I am sure, work on anything thinner than 7/8, . . . and that belt looks more like 11/12 leather. I would also cut the blank as high up on the side of leather as I could get. Leather nearer the spine tends to be denser and harder than belly leather. If it is a 1 1/2 inch belt, I would cut my blank probably 2 1/2 inches wide, . . . soak it good and when it gets back to a good "in case" do the stamping in the middle 1 1/2 for the belt, . . . then lay it out to dry. It will harden as all veggie tan does, . . . and then you glue it to the plywood and go for it. Knowing me, . . . I'd take a 12 inch piece of leather and try this first, . . . get the knack of doing it by practice, . . . and then hop on it. I think it would make a fantastic looking weight lifting belt or something like that. May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nate186 Report post Posted August 25, 2019 Thanks Dwight! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
