TheTrooper Report post Posted February 7, 2008 Dear all, I have I question. How do I carve letters the right way ?!? Do I have to carve the complete outline in one piece, or do I have to stop at every edge and begin a new cut when I turned the piece ?!? Hope I phrased out well and you know what I mean ^_^ Cheers, Marcel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Craw Report post Posted February 7, 2008 HI Marcel! My opinion is that it doesn't matter to the final product. You make as many cuts as you need to for the final result to come out the way you want. Rather than strain to keep the knife blade in the leather when you turn your work and mess up the cut, pick up the knife, turn the work and start again. I doubt there are too many of us who can look at the final stamped work and tell (or care) if the cuts were one long one or several small ones. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted February 7, 2008 I second what Mike advises. I would add that, sometimes, design cuts can look choppy in the places were the cut was interrupted. To make the cuts smooth in those places, you just need to be sure the blade is carefully seated back into the cut before continuing. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tina Report post Posted February 7, 2008 Hi adamant-leather I did some tricky letters a few weeks ago. To me it was easier to work with a very pointy scalpel, just very lightly carving the leather. I enclose a picture, every letter is around an inch high. After I went over them carefully with the modeling tool until I got the finish I was happy with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted February 7, 2008 You may want to try a stainless steel blade angle with your swivel knife. The stainless blades are thinner than the carbon steel blades, and make it much easier to carve with more accuracy. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brandon Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Cut nothing, just bevel - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timbo Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Cut nothing, just bevel - please expound on this and show a sample if you can tim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Yeah, I'd like to see that, too. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheTrooper Report post Posted February 8, 2008 (edited) THX a lot for your answers. I will keep it in mind for my next projects Have a nice weekend. Regards, Marcel Edited February 8, 2008 by adamant-leather Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheTrooper Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Cut nothing, just bevel - I would be also interested in a detailed description how you do this... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brandon Report post Posted February 9, 2008 I would be also interested in a detailed description how you do this... I used to cut but am not good at it, worst for letterings. When I saw my friend did a key fob with his initial on it, I asked how he did it....... Apply more pressure on your craftaid or on the tracing paper. Better still if you use a thick marker pen to write it on a paper then trace that onto the tracing paper. With that deep enough outline on your leather just go over it with the beveler of your choice. Am very sure that I'm not the only one out here that does it this way- Brandon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cem Report post Posted February 9, 2008 Letter beveling is mentioned in one of Ron Edwards books I think it is More Bush Leatherwork. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites