Getting Ready For a Leather Craft
Once you have settled on your custom leather craft you will need to have the right tools and a designated area to do the work well and efficiently. Preparing before you're ready to do the craft makes your project far more satisfying.
Tools:
As you work with leather, think about the fundamentals: a retractable knife with a break-off blade, an awl and spare point, an X-acto knife with spare blades and a rotary punch.
Furthermore, you will have to have needles, some waxed linen thread, strong scissors for cutting the leather, a lump of beeswax, and a pair of pliers.
Then you'll find edge slickers and bevellers that will smooth the edges, thong cutters for lace making and drive punches for bigger holes. A yardstick and straight edge are essential to guarantee that your leather project is accurately measured.
Marking the Cut:
Use a pencil and a straight edge or ruler to trace the place you want to cut on your leather pattern. Simply mark lightly with the pencil. An unsharpened edge will be helpful if you're trying to cut on a curve. Use the edge of an X-acto knife on a metal edge and cut carefully on the line making certain the knife is kept pressed against the edge.
The Best Cutting Surface:
Regardless of the leather craft project, it will be essential to cut your leather piece. Select a surface that is flat and protected by a rubber mat. The mat should help protect your supplies and tools and keep them from becoming blunt. If you need a different method, you might get a cutting board that is self-healing. Cuts made in this kind of board, seal up automatically. Products like this are readily available to purchase at art or office supply stores.
Trimming the Edges:
In order to trim the edges of your leather project, lay it on an even surface. Make sure that the leather is moist, and keep it that way by spritzing it with water every once in a while.
Next you will need what's called an edge beveling tool to flatten the cut edges. The prongs that make a V should be situated so that the prongs are facing upward on both sides of the leather's edge.
Stabilizing the tool at around a forty-five degree angle with your finger positioned on the top of the tool, then push it away from you while working down the edge, holding the leather design strongly with your opposite hand.
As you are working, little pieces of leather will come off. It's a great idea to practice on extra leather scraps prior to you using the leather craft beveler on your official project, so you feel comfortable with what it can do.
Summary:
If you are just starting out with leather crafting, you may not want to spend too much money on leather craft tools. When you have tried a basic set of tools and done a few leather projects, you will have a good sense of what tools you will use the most.
After this point, a little research and making comparisons could lead you to buying a better leather tool if needed. Undoubtedly, even really expensive tools won't help if you don't take the time to perfect and improve your skill in leather crafting.
As long as you do your best with what you have, it doesn't matter if you don't have the money to buy the best knife or really expensive leather craft awl. Your work quality will be apparent once you've figured out the basics.
You can usually locate a leather supply shop in your area by checking out your phone book. Many larger stores have a leather shop close by.