specialist project leathercraft manual justin schlichter dec 2007

8/10/2019 Specialist Project Leathercraft Manual Justin Schlichter Dec 2007

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The Leathercraft

Manual

The Leathercraft

Manual

byJustin T. Schl ichter


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The Leathercraft Manual

b yJus t in T. Sch l ichter


4/14The Leathercraft ManualPage 4

Introduction

Welcome to leathercraft! My name is Justin Schlichter and I am 16

years old. I learned how to leathercraft at the age of 12 and began a

leather business, J&G Leather, when I was 13. My business consists of

selling products to stores and individuals. I do anything from making cell

phone cases to repairing saddles. I would like to encourage you to learnleathercrafting, an enjoyable and worthwhile hobby.

Leathercrafting can also be used as a ministry opportunity. God can use

your leather products to bless other people by giving away leather items

to people at retirement homes, friends, or spiritual leaders.

In this book, I talk about the basics of leather and tooling. However,

there is much more to be learned about leathercrafting. This book is only

designed to whet your appetite in the art. Located in the back of themanual are recommended sources for all your leathercrafting endeavors.

I hope that this manual will be useful as you explore the exciting art of

leathercrafting!

Justin T. Schlichter, CFC, ALERT Cadets

Table of ContentsLeather ................................................................................. 5

Buying Leather ...................................................................... 5

Tooling ................................................................................. 6

Stamping .............................................................................. 7

Carving ................................................................................. 8

Recommended Shopping Avenues.......................................... 10

Recommended Books ........................................................... 11

Notes .................................................................................. 12


5/14Page 5The Leathercraft Man

Leather

There are many types of leather on the market today, some are synthetic and others are re

However, there are three that every beginner should be aware ofVegetable-tanned, Latigo, a

Suede.

Vegetable tanned (or Veg-tanned) leather can be tooled, molded, dyed, or painted. In the past, vetanned leather was tanned with certain types of vegetation containing an acid called tannins such

oak bark, gallnuts and sumac leaves. Leather is now tanned out of country using various chemicals.

Latigo

leather is tanned using a special tanning process that puts the leather in a drum and spins

while packing it with hot oils and waxes. This keeps it from stretching and makes it virtually mo

and mildew resistant. This process makes latigo an excellent choice for straps and other relat

items. However, latigo leather cannot be carved. It can be stamped, but it will not look near as cri

as Veg-tanned leather will.

Suede leather is good for lining, fringe, etc. However, it cannot be tooled, and if dyed, the dye will

forever coming off all over everything it touches. One example of suede leather is hiking boots.

Buying Leather

Most leather is priced by the square foot and sold by the hide. Leather is also sold in differe

thicknesses referred to as weight. The weight of leather is measured in ounces. One ounce is equal 1/64

thof an inch of thickness. For example, an eight-ounce hide is approximately 1/8thof an inch thic

Vegetab

le-tanned

Leather

LatigoLeather

Sued

eLea

ther



Tooling

There are two main types of toolingstamping and carving.Stamping

is when you emboss the

leather using alphabet stamps or picture stamps.Carving

is done by first tracing the outline of the

design, then cutting the outline of it, and lastly using special tools to give the design the desired look.

Before you begin either stamping or carving, you will need a few basic tools. Some of these youprobably have at home.

Bowl

for water. DONOTuse a metal bowl. Bare metal and wet leather cause a chemical reaction

which stains the leather black.

Spongeto wet leather. Any sponge will work, but try to avoid one that will scratch the leather.

HammerNEVERuse a steel hammer on leather tools or it will damage the tools. Wooden hammers

work well and can be purchased at an inexpensive price. Rawhide mallets last a lot longer, but costfive to ten times the price. Polymer mallets are the toughest but cost much more.

Hard Surfaceyou will want to work on a solid table or something with a little give so as to give a

crisp, clean impression. (Do not use a bare metal surface and stain your leather. See bowls.)

Stampseither alphabet stamps, picture stamps, or seven basic tools. (Tools are used for carving.)

Leatherbe sure you have the right kind of leather.

Beveler, Pearshader, Camouflage, Veiner, Backgrounder, SeederBelow:Heel and Toes of Camouflage Stamp (For instructions to use these tools, see pages 89.)

Alphabet Stamps



Stamping

The first step in either stamping or carving is to case (or wet) the leather. To case your leather, fi

dip your sponge in the water and squeeze out about half of the water or squeeze until the water sto

dripping off the sponge. Next, wipe the sponge across your leather two to three times so as to ma

an even layer of water on your leather. Wait a few minutes until the leather has almost returned

its original color. You are now ready to stamp. Remember that casing leather takes a lot of practto get the exact moisture content, so just experiment until you get the desired result.

When stamping, you want to hold the tool straight up and down with your thumb on one side of t

tool and your four fingers on the other side. (See picture.) Press down firmly to prevent the tool fro

wobbling when struck with the mallet. Now hold your mallet above the tool and strike it sharp

pivoting in your wrist. (See picture.) Next, lift your tool to check your impression. If you have a fa

impression, then carefully re-set the tool and hit it again. You should form the habit of achieving

even impression with just one blow. When stamping veg-tanned leather, it will appear dark and sh

where stamped if cased properly.



Carving

Carving is more difficult than stamping and takes much more practice to master. However, it is well

worth the practice. There are many styles of carving such as the following: traditional carving, figure

carving, inverted style carving, filigree carving, and the list goes on. The most basic is traditional style

which will be covered in this manual.

Step one is to case your leather. Then transfer your pattern to the leather using tracing film and a

stylus. Tracing film is just a thin sheet of clear plastic and a stylus is simply a tool with a little ball on

the end of it. A dried ball-point pen works great for a stylus.

The next step is to cut the outline of the pattern onto the leather using a swivel knife. The swivel

knife should be held as shown and drawn towards the body while turning in the fingers to cut curves.

Also shown is a practice pattern that is recommended you cut out before starting on a project. Thiswill help you get the hang of the tool.

Now you will begin using the other six of the seven basic tools to give the design the desired look.

The order you use the tools does not matter, although you will want to do the backgrounder and

seeder when there is a minimum amount of moisture in the leather. (Usually last.) If your leather

begins to dry, then re-case the same as you did before, wait till it is ready to tool, and resume tooling.

I usually begin by using the beveler. The beveler is shaped in a way so as to make the line you bevel

look raised by depressing the leather around it. Beveling is usually done on the outside of the design;

although if ever in doubt about where to bevel,simply remember that you always bevel on the

outside of what you want to look raised. The

beveller is walked along the leather slightly

overlapping each impression and hitting with an

even amount of force to give an even appearance.



Next is the pear shader. The pear shader is

used to give flower peals and similar items a

three dimensional look. Be sure you do not

strike too hard with the pear shader that you

flatten the entire section. You only want to

dimple the center. Study the picture to better

understand the correct use of the tool.

Next are the camouflage and veiner stamps. The

stamps are used to add decorative design to flo

patterns and are also good for borders. There a

two different sides to the stamps called the t

and heel. (See picture on page 6.) If there is n

room for a full impression, then care should

taken to lean the tool so as not to stamp off t

desired spot onto another.

The last two tools are the backgrounder and

seeder, As mentioned above, these tools should be

used when there is very little moisture in the

leather. The backgrounder, as its name suggests,

is used to background all the areas that are not a

part of the actual design. The backgrounder

should be hit very lightly to help maintain an even

appearance. The seeder is used to make seeds onthe pattern and can also be used for eyes or periods.



Recommended Shopping Avenues

Leather and leather tools can be purchased at special leather stores as well as your local craft store.

Leather stores offer a wider selection of products; craft stores often sell them for a better price.

Tandy Leather Company

1(866) 537-2952

Tandy Leather Company is a nationwide store that offers great service. I buy about 95% of my

leather products at Tandy and have always been pleased with the service and quality. Call to get the

nearest store. (If there is not a store near you, you can order through mail or online.)

Hobby Lobbyalso sells leather tools that can often be bought using a coupon.

Michaels

, like Hobby Lobby, sells leather tools that can be purchased using a coupon.

Wal Martsome Wal-Marts sell leather tools usually at a lower price than most other places.



Recommended Books

Below are some recommended books, each of which can be purchased from Tandy Leather Compan

Tech Tips

by Al Stohlmanthis book thoroughly covers the techniques of carving and stamping using dozens of illustrations. It also covers the different tools needed for the different designs.

Leathercraft Toolsby Al Stohlmanthis book is a must-have for anyone interested in leathercra

Through many illustrations, it describes how to use almost all the tools necessary for leathercraft

well as how to sharpen them.

Projects and esigns by Al Stolhmanthis book is filled with a variety of different small leath

projects. It also includes all the tooling patterns and even some alternate designs.

Leathercrafting Manuals



Notes

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Published by J&G Leather

Copyright 2007 by Justin T. Schlichter

For permission to reproduce portions from this book, or for any other questions, please contact:

Justin T. Schlichter

P.O. Box 98

Willis, Texas 77378

Phone: (936) 499-4385

specialist project leathercraft manual justin schlichter dec 2007

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