Projects in Leather E-Book

Tony Laier

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 129

Beschreibung

Projects in Leather is the ultimate, must-have guide to take your projects to the next level! Learn from best-selling authors and master leather artisans, Tony Laier and Kay Laier, as they provide insight on a variety of leather crafting techniques, including stamping, carving, braiding, punching, coloring, stitching, and other skill-building techniques to add beautiful details and textures. Also included are overviews on setting up a workspace, installing hardware, transferring patterns, preparing your leather, and other essential basics. The project section features 22 step-by-step leather projects, ranging from simple to complex, for belts, bracelets, ID tags, key fobs, trays, and more.

Leseprobe

© 2023 by Tony Laier, Kay Laier, and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Projects in Leather is an original work, first published in 2023 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the authors. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print 978-1-4971-0353-5 ISBN: 978-1-6374-1206-0

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

Managing Editor: Gretchen Bacon

Acquisitions Editor: Amelia Johanson

Editor: Joseph Borden

Designer: Wendy Reynolds

Proofreader: Kelly Umenhofer

Indexer: Jay Kreider

Shutterstock.com: pgs. 5 & 96 leather Pavelborn; pg. 6 paper ILYA AKINSHIN

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors.

To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781497103535 Projects in Leather in the subject line.

Contents

Introduction

THE BASICS

Setting Up Your Workspace

Basic Supplies

Selecting Leather

Cutting Leather & Prep

Working with Tooling Patterns

TOOLING TECHNIQUES

Using Modeling Tools

Personalize with Alphabet and Number Stamps

Basic Carving: The Swivel Knife

Carving Styles

Traditional Steps

Using Grids for Stamped and Punched Designs

COLORING, EDGE TREATMENT, AND FINISHES

Coloring

Edge Treatment

KNOTS, BRAIDING, LACING, AND STITCHING

Bleed Knots

Lanyard Braids

Two-Cord Braid

Stitching and Lacing

HARDWARE

Snaps

Spots

Grommets, Eyelets, and Rivets

Bag Clasp

Screw Posts

Conchos (Screw-Backs)

Buckles and Tips

Button Stud

Rings: Circles, D-rings, and Rectangles

THE PROJECTS

How to Make a Belt

Personalize Your Hat Bands

Pet Collars & Leashes

Reenactment Accouterment Belts

Personalize Frames with Leather

Glass Holder Wraps

Wristbands

Luggage & ID Tags

ID Fobs, Appliqués, Jewelry, and Ornaments

Key Fobs: Decorative and Useful

Personalized Leather Trays

Decorative Molded-Leather Bowls

Formed Pancake Sheath

Molding and Forming Pouches

Soft Drawstring Bags

Adding Fringe

Native American Reenactment Accouterments

Pouches for Business Cards, Credit Cards, Phones, Passports, and More

Crossbody and Shoulder Bags

Reenactment Accouterments

Keepers, Loops, Slides, and Leather Coils (Frapping)

Essentials Clutch

PATTERNS

Glossary

About the Authors

Acknowledgments

Introduction

This book is a step-by-step guide to making creative, useful projects using patterns and techniques for veg-tan tooling leather, prefinished, pre-embossed, suede, and hair-on leathers. Simple designs to advanced projects will be demonstrated from start to finish. All supplies can be purchased through your local crafts stores or online.

We hope our book offers you—the hobbyist, leathercrafter, reenactor—many ideas and inspiration.

Tony & Kay

Setting Up Your Workspace

Before you begin your project, set up your workspace. Have tools and supplies you might need handy.

Your Workspace

1. Use a clean, sturdy table (dining table, desktop, or workbench). Wipe down the surface with soap and water or alcohol before placing leather on the work surface.

2. Have lots of light. Natural, overhead lighting and clip-on or swing arm lights are beneficial.

3. Have a well-ventilated area when using adhesives and finishes.

4. Select a comfortable chair at a height so you work over your project.

5. It is safer to have different areas for the cutting, tooling, and coloring steps. One drop of dye on your tooling surface can soak into the tooling stone surface, resist your cleaning efforts, and come back to ruin your next project.

Basic Supplies

For Design and Transfer

Pencil, Ballpoint Pen, Modeling Tool, Straight Edge (Ruler), Vellum or Tracing Paper (some are printer capable), Tape, Scissors, Tape Measure

For Design and Transfer

For Cutting Leather

Craft Knife, Box Knife, Straight Edge, Strap Cutter, Cutting Mat, Leather Shears, Rotary Cutter, Die Cutting Machine, Scissors, Lint Roller, Leather Snips

For Cutting Leather

For Stamping, Carving, and Punching Designs

Container for Water (Glass or Spray Bottle), Sponge, Mallet (polyurethane or rawhide) or a Maul, Tooling Board (polyurethane, granite or marble), Tools for Designs, Sharpener or Strop & Rouge, Modeling Tool (granite and marble remnants are available at kitchen counter sources)

For Stamping, Carving, and Punching Designs

For Edge Treatment, Coloring, and Finishes

Edge Bevelers, Slickers, Dyes, Stains, Paints, Markers, Finishes, Wool Daubers, Brushes, Palette, Sponges, Wool Pieces, Paper Towels

For Edge Treatment, Coloring, and Finishes

For Assembly

Scissors, Craft Knife, Poly (polyurethane) Cutting Board or Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Adhesives, Brayer, Cement Pickup, Hole Punches, Chisels, Awls, Lace, Waxed Thread, Needles, Hardware & Setters, Clamps

For Assembly

CAUTION: Keep cutting tools sharp. Dull tools are dangerous, because they require you to press hard, which will cause slips.

Safety & First Aid

Have soap, water, and bandages nearby. For serious cuts, seek medical help.

ABOUT ADHESIVES

White Glue (we use Leathercraft Glue). White glue works well for basic construction. When joining two pieces, apply to just one piece. Clamp while glue is wet, then let it dry.

Repositionable Rubber Cement. This adhesive works well for temporary mounting of leather pieces onto a backing board (hot-pressed illustration board, acrylic, Masonite, or Medium Density Fiberboard) before tooling to keep leather from stretching during tooling. Apply just to the back of board. We will cover mounting and removing the backing board from the leather in a later chapter.

Contact Cement. Use this cement for a more permanent bonding of parts. Apply to both sides to be adhered. Set aside until the glossy look is gone. Then, press the parts together. Place a heavy object on top or clamp parts together until dry. Remove any excess cement with a “cement pickup” (piece of crepe).

Selecting Leather

A variety of leathers are available at craft stores and online. Many are in precut sizes, sides, and skins. Some are available in lace.

SUEDES

Sold in pieces, sides or full skins, suedes are tanned, sanded, predyed, and brushed, both sides usable, one side having a softer texture.

PREFINISHED LEATHER

These leathers are available in full hides, skins, sides, precut pieces. There’s no dying or finishing necessary. The most common sources are cow, calf, goat, pig, and deerskins.

Deerskins and deertan kidskins are soft, pliable, and considered to be lightweight. The top side has a fine-pebbled grain, while the back is sueded. It can be cut with leather shears, a rotary cutter, or a die cutting machine. Used for garments, upholstery, lace, fringe and more.

Decorative, prefinished trim leathers are precut pieces that come in a variety of embossed or stamped designs, textures, finishes, and colors. Some come with the hair on. They are perfect for craft projects and creative techniques.

EMBOSSED LEATHERS

These leathers are created with a permanent texture or design pressed into the grain side. This can give the leather (normally cowhide) the look and feel of an embellished grain, tooled design, or exotic animals such as crocodile or ostrich. Many are available with or without color or a finish.

HAIR-ON

These skins have been tanned, but not de-haired. Hair-on leathers are most often used as craft and home decor accents. Full hides, skins, and precut pieces are available in cowhide, calfskins, rabbit, sheep, bison, and more.

TOOLING LEATHER

Vegetable-tanned leather is processed for stamping, carving, and molding. It accepts dyes and finishes well. Many craft stores sell precut pieces and sides for larger pieces or multiple projects.

REMNANTS

Remnants are normally pieces of leather left over from a manufacturing process. A variety of leathers are included in all different sizes, which are ideal for craft projects.

Cutting Leather & Prep

Scissors & Snips. Leather scissors are for light- to medium-weight leather, lace, and thread. Smaller leather snips are best for lace and thread.

Craft & Box Knives. Use along with a straight edge for easier cutting. Keep blades sharp. Strop or replace them often. Turn the leather so your cuts are pulled toward you.

Rotary Cutter. This popular tool is used for cutting straight and slightly curved cuts. It’s ideal for cutting soft, stretchy leather. Replace the blade when dull.

Strap Cutter. Adjustable and the best for cutting straps and belts.

Cutting Mats. For best results, use a self-healing mat with or without measuring grids.

CUTTING VEG-TAN LEATHER

• Position the smooth (grain) side up.

• For lighter-weight leathers, use a craft or box knife.

• Try to cut through with the first cut. If you have to go back, carefully line up the blade in the previous cut groove and repeat the cut.

• For cutting long straps and belts from a side or large piece of leather, use an adjustable strap cutter.

Veg-tan leather.

CUTTING THICK LEATHER

• Position the smooth (grain) side up.

• Try to cut through with first cut. If you have to go back, carefully line up the blade in the previously cut groove and repeat the cut.

Thick leather.

CUTTING SUEDE AND PREFINISHED LEATHER

• Place the leather right side up on the mat.

• Cut along a straight edge for long straight cuts.

• Suede particles will form on cut lines, so use a lint roller to remove them.

• For best results, use a sharp craft knife, box knife, or rotary cutter.

Suede and prefinished leather.

CUTTING HAIR-ON LEATHER

• Position the leather on a mat, backside up.

• Cut on the backside, just through the leather, with a sharp craft or box knife.

• Pull the pieces apart carefully, separating the hair.

• Pull along the edges to remove loose hairs.

Hair-on leather.

CUTTING THIN, SOFT LEATHER

• A rotary cutter is a push tool ideal for cutting soft, stretchy leathers. Use this tool for cutting straight and slightly curved cuts.

• Use a straight edge for easier cutting.

• Normally, the rotary cutter is a “push” tool, but you can pull it toward you, too.

Thin/soft leather.

HOW TO MAKE A SHARPENER & STROP

For a long-lasting sharpener and strop, select a piece of hardwood (oak shown) or Masonite. The paddle-shaped sharpener/strop shown is 2" (5.1cm) wide x 16" (40.6cm) long, including a 4" (10.2cm) long handle, and ¼" (6mm) thick.

1. Apply rubber cement to one side of the wood. Apply the rubber cement to the back of 2 oz. veg-tan leather.

2. When the gloss is gone on the cement, adhere the wood to the leather. Trim the leather close to the wood.

3. Rub white rouge on the leather.

4. Apply rubber cement to the back of the wood and the back of 600- to 1,200-grit wet/dry sandpaper.

5. When ready, adhere the wood and sandpaper together and trim the sandpaper close to wood.

6. You can use a brayer to flatten and adhere the sandpaper.

7. Remove the excess cement with a “cement pickup.”

To Sharpen

• Position the bevel of the blade flat on the sandpaper side. Push the blade in the direction of the edge, as if you are trying to shave the sandpaper.

• Work on each side of the bevel until sharp.

To Strop

• Position the bevel of the blade flat on the rouge surface.

• Press and push away from edge.

• Strop both sides of the blades.

Note: with rotary blades, it is best to replace the blades when dull.

To Sharpen

To Strop

TIP: Using rubber cement allows you to change out sandpaper and leather when they become worn.

MOUNTING LEATHER FOR STAMPING OR CARVING

To keep your leather from stretching during tooling, it is recommended to mount the leather on a sturdy surface, such as an illustration board (firm cardboard, but not corrugated). Some toolers use plexiglass. This is important when tooling on light- to medium-weight leathers. It may not be necessary for very small projects or when tooling heavyweight leather.

To mount:

1. Apply a light coat of rubber cement to the board’s surface with a stiff brush, plastic spreader, or piece of cardboard with a straight cut edge.

2. When the glue loses its glossy shine, it is ready to place on the leather.

3. Press down. You can use a brayer (roller).

TIP: When your tooling is completed and the leather is dry on the backing board, remove the backing board from the leather by bending the board. Do not bend or pull the leather off the board. Doing this will distort the shape of the leather and damage your tooling. If using plexiglass, carefully use a metal or plastic kitchen spatula to release the leather.

CASING LEATHER

• Veg-tan leather must be “cased” or dampened with clean water before it can be tooled.

• Apply water to the surface using a sponge or spray bottle.

• Let it sit a few minutes until the water is absorbed. Then apply a second coat of water.

• When the leather comes back to its natural color and is “cool” to the touch, it is ready to tool.

• Unfinished cased leather marks easily. Remove any rings, watches, or bracelets if you wear them. Be sure your hands and workspace are clean. Dirt, grease, food, and sweat can easily stain the leather and ruin your handiwork.

Working with Tooling Patterns

SIZING A PATTERN

• All project parts patterns in this book can be sized up or down to fit your needs. Many will show you where you can lengthen or shorten the pattern.

• Be sure to size all the pattern parts the same percentage.

• When reducing or enlarging tooling patterns, be sure the size of the design corresponds with the size of the tools you plan to use. Test your tooling using your tools. Then, make any adjustments to the pattern as needed.

• Many patterns are designed to repeat, as in the one shown below. Just match up and repeat.

See here for full step-by-step instructions with suggested tools for carving this belt pattern.

EXTENDING A PATTERN

There are several ways to extend an existing pattern to fit your project:

• Copy an element from the pattern and add it to the design, or repeat the entire design.

• Adjust a design at corners using the same elements so you can extend it.

• Separate elements to allow for adding hardware embellishments, such as decorative conchos, 3D stamps, or initials.

• Add a contrasting element or pattern, such as a contrasting basket weave.

• Extend your design area by adding a textured background, borders, outlines, or “deco cuts.”

Reflected design and contrasting pattern

See the Tooling Techniques section (here) for stamping and carving techniques.

COPYING, TRACING, AND TRANSFERRING PATTERNS TO CASED LEATHER

• Be sure to use tracing paper or vellum to trace your patterns.

• Many vellum papers are printer safe, so just size the pattern and print.

• Transfer the design to your “cased” leather. Go over all lines firmly with a pencil, ballpoint pen, or stylus. Don’t press too hard. Carefully lift one corner of the pattern (holding it in place with your other hand) to check for missed lines before removing the pattern.

Using Basic Stamping Tools

STAMPS ARE OFFERED IN TWO DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS

Stamp Heads with a Separate Handle

• These stamp heads are usually sold in sets, which include one handle that fits and locks into the stamp heads.

•