Chuck Smith, a master leather carver, shows how to carve a billfold made from a leather kit. He demonstrates how to transfer a pattern, how to carve out the design, and how to use several different types of leather carving tools.
Materials:
Tandy Billfold Kit
- leather billfold back panel
- liner
- inside pockets
- lace and needle
- pattern template
rubber cement
vegetable oil
leather lacquer
two pieces of wool fabric
stylus
water
sponge
OL' Smoothie swivel knife
leather tool stamps
mallet or maul
Steps:
- Use a slightly damp sponge to wet or "case" the leather. Place the pattern template on the leather (figure A).
- Use a stylus to trace the pattern onto the back panel of the billfold (figure B).
- Carve the pattern into the leather using a swivel knife.
- Use a maul or mallet with various leather tool stamps to decorate the carved leather pattern (figure C). This process gives your piece a three-dimensional effect. The basic stamps used are the sunburst, the pear shader (thumb print), the beveler, the veiner, the seeder and the background tool.
- After the stamping or "tooling" is done, add the final decorative cuts with a swivel knife (figure D).
- Use a piece of wool dampened with vegetable oil to apply a light coat of oil on the billfold. This gives the leather a little brighter, natural color. Let dry for about an hour.
- With another piece of wool, apply a coat of leather lacquer to seal the leather.
- Apply rubber cement to the back side of the tooled billfold back and to the back side of the inside liner. Press both pieces together.
- Place rubber cement on the matching edges of the inside pocket liner and assembled billfold back. Press the leather pieces together.
- Using the lace and needle in the billfold kit, lace the billfold together (figure E).
Resources leather care products - Goliger
Goliger Leather Company Inc.
Ventura, CA
US
Phone: 805-650-6553
Toll Free Phone: 800-423-2329
Email:
service@goligerleather.com
URL:
www.goligerleather.com
leather carving knives and blades, leather stamping tools, seminars - Ole Smoothie
Smith & Company
Calabasas, CA
US
Phone: 818-222-5757
Email:
olsmoothie@worldnet.att.net
URL:
www.chucksmith.addr.com/gallery1.htm
leather kits, tools and supplies - Tandy
The Leather Factory
Website:
www.tandyleatherfactory.com
Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal
bi-monthly publication
Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal
Rhinelander, WI
US
Phone: 715-362-5393
Guests Chuck Smith
Leather Expert, Smith & Co.
Calabasas, CA
Phone: 818-222-5757
Email:
olsmoothie@worldnet.att.net
URL:
www.chucksmith.addr.com/gallery1.htm
Also in this Episode
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