Vegetable tanned tooling leather must be moistened with water before you can work with it. This procedure is called casing. As you wet the leather, the fibers swell and soften, thus enabling you to stamp and shape it. Leather is moistened by rubbing a damp sponge on it. Be sure your hands are clean. Rub the damp sponge on the flesh side and then on the grain side. Apply the water as evenly as possible. When the leather begins to return to its natural color, begin stamping. If your leather dries before you complete the tooling design, it will be necessary to remoisten. Be sure you case the entire piece to avoid water spots.
Caution: Always use glass or plastic containers for the water. Metal containers may cause the leather to stain.
Enhance the beauty of your leather projects with Craftool stamps. These may be used to create original designs or for embellishing the beauty of your carved design. Use a wood or rawhide mallet head to strike the top of the stamp to obtain its impression in the leather.
Caution: Never strike Craftool stamps with a metal faced hammer, as this will damage tools.
Hold both the mallet and decorative stamping tool upright in a secure, but relaxed manner. Hold the mallet in the center of the handle with your fingers rather than the palm of your hand.
Alphabet stamps are a quick way of personalizing your leathercraft projects. 3-D stamps come in a wide variety of designs like animals, pictorials, symbols, etc.
For best results:
1. Make sure leather is moistened (see page 1).
2. Place leather on top of a firm surface like marble. This will help you create deep impressions.
3. Properly position stamp(s) on leather (Fig. 1).
4. Place handle in stamp (Fig. 2).
5. Make sure you hold the handle down firmly while striking with mallet (Fig. 3). This will prevent the stamp from bouncing. Bouncing creates undesirable multiple impressions on the leather.
Leather finishes are applied to protect the leather and preserve the qualities and appearance. Before applying leather finish, there are several points which you should know:
• All tooling of the design must be completed before finish is applied.
• Be sure the surface area is dry and clean of any dirt, dust or other matter.
• Leather finishes must be applied prior to assembly.
1. Press a sponge dampened slightly with water to the top of a bottle of leather finish and tip the bottle so a little finish flows onto the sponge.
2. Apply a light coat of finish to the carved side of the leather, moving the sponge in a circular motion over the leather. Work the finish into the cuts and impressions.
3. Let the finish dry thoroughly, then apply a second coat if you desire a shinier finish. Allow the piece to dry thoroughly.
4. If a high gloss is desired, buff the leather with a piece of sheepskin or a clean, soft, lint-free cloth. The project is now ready to be assembled, either by stitching with waxed thread or by lacing with leather or plastic lace.