Leather condition

[Bobthecop]

Do any of you condition you leather before tooling, other than taping the flesh side?

Thinner than 8oz.

 

[farns005]

If leather is really soft I will slick it prior to tooling.  Helps compress it and tighten the grain.

 

Kelly

[JayEhl]

Hi,

Total noob, here.  What do you mean by "slick it"?  I mean, I've heard of slicking the edges but I can't figure out how you would do this, here.  I'm asking because I'm almost ready to start carving a really nice piece of leather that is really soft... Can't wait, really!

Thanks in advance!

 

JL

[Rockoboy]

I could be wrong, but I am guessing @farns005 means he slicks the back of the leather to flatten down some of the rough fibres, the same as slicking/burnishing the edges.

Any hard straight edge should do the job, but some people use a glass slicker and gum tragacanth.

[farns005]

15 hours ago, Rockoboy said:

I could be wrong, but I am guessing @farns005 means he slicks the back of the leather to flatten down some of the rough fibres, the same as slicking/burnishing the edges.

Any hard straight edge should do the job, but some people use a glass slicker and gum tragacanth.

Sorry may be using wrong terminology, but what mean by slicking is that I get my leather wet, usually by very quick dip, the apply a lather of dove soap and then take a glass slicker an with moderate force run it all over the front surface of the leather.  This smooths out imperfections and compresses the leather prior to tooling.  I don’t do this on all pieces, but really like what it does to softer belly and shoulder leather.  You may get some stretch when you do this so best to do before final cuts.  Really like how it tools after compared to loose spongy leather.  I know one saddle maker that compresses all his leather with a press prior to tooling.

This isn’t burnishing and not on the rough out.

 

Kelly

[robs456]

15 hours ago, Rockoboy said:

I could be wrong, but I am guessing @farns005 means he slicks the back of the leather to flatten down some of the rough fibres, the same as slicking/burnishing the edges.

Any hard straight edge should do the job, but some people use a glass slicker and gum tragacanth.

To use fewer words than farns005: You're right but it all happens on the grain side.

I just started doing it as well, it is much nicer to cut in when the leather is 'slicked'.

[Rockoboy]

6 hours ago, farns005 said:

Sorry may be using wrong terminology, but what mean by slicking is that I get my leather wet, usually by very quick dip, the apply a lather of dove soap and then take a glass slicker an with moderate force run it all over the front surface of the leather.  This smooths out imperfections and compresses the leather prior to tooling.  I don’t do this on all pieces, but really like what it does to softer belly and shoulder leather.  You may get some stretch when you do this so best to do before final cuts.  Really like how it tools after compared to loose spongy leather.  I know one saddle maker that compresses all his leather with a press prior to tooling.

This isn’t burnishing and not on the rough out.

 

Kelly

 

5 hours ago, robs456 said:

To use fewer words than farns005: You're right but it all happens on the grain side.

I just started doing it as well, it is much nicer to cut in when the leather is 'slicked'.

I stand corrected. Thank you for the description of the process.