VIII Tooled Leather and Tools Necessary
Tooled leather is one of the oldest and most beautiful of crafts. Instead of weakening the leather it simply makes it more beautiful. A handsome box is made of soft wood or cardboard and covered with tooled or embossed leather and is a possession that a queen might envy.
Boxes containing tools for leather work can be had for from five to twenty-two dollars for the outfit. Twelve tools are in the box. Two modelling tools, a steel hammer, two embossing tools, a punch, an embossing ball tool, one cutting or trimming knife, and four chasing and pearling knives (Figure 90). Now I know that there are not many of you who would care to buy an outfit for five dollars, but for home use there is a simple little article that can be substituted and yet you can obtain very satisfactory results. A steel nut pick will work wonders and then, when you feel that you can do very much better work with other tools, invest in a case of them.
All leathers are not satisfactory for tooling. The best and most used is Russia calf in a heavy quality. One skin is usually the least a dealer will sell.
Let us suppose we are working on a card case. The design is traced in the manner described in the last chapter, that is, by tracing over the dampened leather.
After the design has been traced remove the paper and holding the nut pick firmly in your right hand as you would a pencil, proceed to deepen the lines. The leather must be kept moist or the tool is apt to scratch and break the outer skin. It is a work over which you may become fatigued, but you can just lay it aside till the next day and then proceed again. The deeper the tooled line the handsomer the piece. It will take several hours to tool a card case.
Another form of decorating leather is with the little geometrical die that was used so much in past winters for decorating the background of etched copper articles (Figure 91). The little die is placed on the leather with its raised or embossed side downward and one knock from a steel hammer is sufficient to make an imprint on the leather. The entire background is filled out in this manner. Hammer with an even pressure otherwise the background will be bumpy.
Sometimes you may prefer to have your background pressed or modelled and the design to stand out in relief. In that case take the bowl or thick part of the nut pick or modeller and press the background in flat. If the leather wrinkles when rubbing it change the direction of working. When the work is completed it will be noticed that the modelled part of the leather is darker and quite shiny.
Designs such as cherries, cat-tails, and most floral forms give a greater opportunity for elaborate working. They can be carried out in relief. This relief is a much more difficult work. In the first place the design is drawn on the finished surface of the leather and then, after another sponging with water, hold the leather up from the table. Holding the section to be modelled between the first finger and thumb, work the tool backward and forward under the section.
Some workers prefer to hold the working side toward them, contending that a greater pressure can be brought to bear on a downward stroke than an upward one. In that case the design is stamped or traced on the wrong side of the leather.
The oftener the rubbing is done and the leather is dampened the higher the design will stand forth. The parts to be worked in relief may be done before the background (Figure 92).
To keep the leather from falling back to its natural shape some workers paste the relief parts. My teacher used a paste that we found quite stiff enough except for large heavy objects.
To make this paste an ounce of dextrin is left soaking in water for about sixteen hours. Dextrin, by the way, is the only paste which will not stain silk. It is a white powder, and when used as a paste can be dissolved in boiling water till it is the consistency of a thick cream. When used as a modelling wax, however, it requires to be thicker than a cream. After the dextrin is dissolved mix in a pint of scrap leather that has been grated to shreds, and a few drops of turpentine. The scrap leather thickens the paste while water thins it.
Before applying the paste to the leather the raised side is placed face downward upon the marble. Take some of the paste and press it into the hollow places until they are entirely filled. After every space has been filled lay a piece of paper over them and then a cardboard or a piece of board large enough to cover all the design.
Turn the leather, paper, and board right side up on the working table. While the places are being filled in the design is apt to be pushed a little out of shape. With the finer modelling tool or your nut pick go over the flattened places again. Let the work remain on the table for four days without touching it so that it may be thoroughly dried.
Sometimes you will see a beautiful tinted leather. This is usually done by the means of dyes, or chemicals. For the amateur the former is recommended. The dye is applied to the leather with soft cotton or a sponge. To deepen the shade wet the places desired to be darker two or three times with the dye.
To obtain the brightly polished appearance so often seen in a handsome piece of leather rub the piece with your bare palms. A little wax rubbed on your hand greatly aids the work.
In all leather work it is necessary to leave a margin about a half inch at least.
Another paste which may be substituted for the formula given in this chapter is one made of equal parts of sawdust and rye flour with water.
The cutting or shaving knife that comes with the outfit is good for cutting the leather. If a deeper indentation is desired than is obtained by tracing the pattern, a slight slit may be made with the shaving knife. Of course cutting the leather weakens it and it should only be done on a very heavy piece of skin.
The hammer is indispensable for stamping in the little dies. These dies are not usually included in the outfit.
The difference between the modelling (Figures 93 and 94) and embossing tools is that the embossing tools are a greater aid in achieving fine bas-relief work. The embossing ball tool is used to make the deep indentations.
The punch is to make holes for rivets or through which cords or ribbons may be passed to connect two or more pieces of leather together as on a pad or book. The punch and pearling knives are used in fine carved leather. As one becomes proficient in the art of simple leather work she is tempted to branch out and try more elaborate work. A great many books have been written on this subject which, though perhaps puzzling to a beginner, will be interesting and invaluable if the work is taken up as a serious occupation. The best specimens of this work can be seen at the different arts and crafts exhibitions.