Precision leather cuts

W

Wyszrd

Joined
Feb 12, 2011
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I'm wondering if you all can assist me in my frustration. As I watch sheath making videos and read instructional post I notice very clean sketches and layouts followed by very clean symmetical cuts in the leather, consistently rounded corners, perfect ends, etc. Can you all share a few tips on your technique? Is it just lots of practice? Software? Tools? I'd like to get a clean design that I can, with practice, turn into a clean cutouts that look reasonably professional when assembled.
 
Well, I can't say for the people in the videos, but I'd put fourth an extra bit of precision for the camera that I wouldn't necessarily do in the shop.

I'd say relax and do it as you see fit for the work in progress and dont worry about a bit of sloppiness in your early progress. The finished product is what matters in the long run. Clean patterns come with practice and experience.

Dont sweat the small stuff, and its all small stuff. :)
 
Dwayne and I are good friends, so we can disagree with no damage done.

I have a couple of DVDs out and the way you see me cut and the tools I use in the DVD are the very same tools and methods I use every day in the shop. Camera or not.

From here it is MY opinion speaking and other's methods may vary greatly. It all starts with a very accurate and precise paper pattern. Once that pattern has been transferred to leather, I use a round knife because I can control push cuts with more accuracy, and no angle with the round knife than I can with a utility knife, and I won't even consider scissors. Block cut around the transferred pattern leaving about 1/4" margin. This gives you a much more manageable piece to work with. Then take your time and cut directly on the lines. You can rotate the material as your cut to facilitate those smooth round corners. When ever a "V" notch is called for (butterfly pouch sheath), I punch a #3 hole at the junction and cut away from the hole on each side....very neat outcome with no over cuts.

I would worry plenty about any sloppiness or any imperfection. Strive for the perfect out come every time and you will develop a habit of perfection. It will become routine and predictable every time. I think what Dwayne really meant was, don't be too hard on yourself as you are learning and developing skill and style, but at the same time, don't settle for inferior work and/or results. You know what looks right, so make sure your final product comes out that way. Oh Yes, don't forget to practice, practice, practice .....................Train yourself to think, if "it is good enough", then what that really means is it's PERFECT!

Good Luck and if I can help you further, my phone and email are at the bottom of every post.

Paul
 
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Yep, I was in a rush when I saw this and was a bit brief. :)

Paul, yes, you got my meaning very well there. I make my patterns very tight and precise, down to straight edge lines and compass rounds (probably stems from my drafting background). But I dont worry so much in the initial cuts off the hide, getting closer to the lines as a clean up procedure. Probably an unnecessary step but an old habit (probably stemming from my art training and eventual fine art degree) I learned in college not to sweat the small stuff and relax during the initial phases in a design then get serious in the final phases.

Paul and I disagree sometimes, but that is what makes the craft so interesting, there's so many ways to get to the destination but the basic theory's are very similar.

Practice, practice, practice, then when you think you have it down, practice some more. :D I still learn, study, practice and never truly satisfied. Its a journey I dont ever want to end.
 
Take your time and relax, don't rush. Use sharp tools when cutting leather, dull blades will require extra force and will result in uneven cuts. Go slow with the stitching and check your work often to make sure everything is in line.

The belt sander is a great tool for shaping leather, removing irregularities and smoothing the edges of the sheath. Use an old worn fine grit belt for burnishing to give it that nice finished look down the welts and edges of the sheath.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Having neither a drafting or fine arts background, I suppose I feel a little behind the power curve regarding getting that perfect pattern down. My next project is a Randall style sheath for a blade with a slightly asymmetric spear point. I'd like to have a symmetrical sheath, so tracing the knife and providing the required standoff using either ruler or compass/divider doesn't quite do it. I can fold the paper in half and try to attain some symmetry that way, but that leaves me at the mercy of the accuracy of my fold, which makes my OCD stand up and bark at my cerebral cortex. I watched one video of a maker scanning his initial sketch into a program that cleaned up his lines, let him mirror-image one side, save the pattern, etc. I certainly like that idea, but people did good leather work before computers, so I'd like to learn the proper aspects of the craftsmanship before throwing tech in there as my crutch. Thanks for suggesting the round knife. I've been wondering whether the utility knife or the round knife would be the better choice for cutting my patterns, so I'd held off on getting one. I'll keep practicing and work on getting cleaner layouts. Thanks to all for the advice and I'll take you up on the help offer when I'm beating my head against a wall! Last question: Do you get your final pattern on heavier card stock so it's easier to cut out and trace around when transfering to leather?
 
Wysard, You are right on the money with the folding trick to get symmetrical patterns. If you will give me your email address, I will email you a 12 photo tutorial on pattern making (my way). You might also invest in a "light box" (back lighted tracing box). Try google or if there is a craft store near you they generally have them. Not trying to sell you anything, in fact I don't have any, but check the info above my sig line concerning instructional DVDs. The " Basic Pouch" DVD goes into great detail on pattern making, and transferring the pattern to leather, as well as that pouch sheath pictured on the DVD from idea to finished product. The "Advanced Blade sheaths" DVD covers more the style sheath you mentioned A la Randall.

The round knife.....Ah what an invention! I've used one for so long, I'd be lost without it. In fact, I have five different ones hanging over my bench. There is a learning curve associated with the transition from pull cutting to push cutting but once you cross the bridge, I doubt you will ever come back. Danny Marlin, Blanket, Texas (Google is your friend) makes the best in my opinion, and he made my favorite that I use daily.

All my contact information is right there in my sig line below each of my posts. If I can ever help you off line, just holler!

Paul
 
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No lightbox?
Use a window. In the day time of course.
Scotch tape your work to it and the tape will come off easily if you fold on end back on itself to make a handle.
 
Bufford, thanks for the advice. I've asked the wife for a belt sander for my b-day. Let's see if it happens! I've been using an orbital sander and a piece of pvc wrapped with a turn of sandpaper, which is a great way of reminding yourself that leather is abrasion resistant!
 
A fine arts background or drafting is not needed, just creativity, and with your handmade grinder you made, you are definitely ahead in the curve here, you will be making fine sheaths your wife and everyone will be proud of.:thumbup:
 
Wyszrd said:
Bufford, thanks for the advice. I've asked the wife for a belt sander for my b-day. Let's see if it happens! I've been using an orbital sander and a piece of pvc wrapped with a turn of sandpaper, which is a great way of reminding yourself that leather is abrasion resistant!
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It is amazing how resistant leather is to abrasion eh? I've had sheaths literally yanked out of my hands off my disk sander. :eek:
Bufford said:
A fine arts background or drafting is not needed, just creativity, and with your handmade grinder you made, you are definitely ahead in the curve here, you will be making fine sheaths your wife and everyone will be proud of.:thumbup:
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No its not required, and I dont know where you saw that, I was simply explaining why I do things the way I do. I use a lot of my drafting tools for pattern making and I also use a lot of my schooling in art in my overall sheath designs.
 
Paul made an excellent point that is easily overlooked in the plethora of advice he gave. I used to cut my patterns out of the side of leather as a whole. It did not allow me to turn the piece and make precision cuts. It saves on waste for sure - but my end result was certainly not worth it.

All great advice on this forum.

TF
 
Tal, glad to see you joined the "block cut" crowd.

There will always be waste if the items cut are not perfectly rectangular, no matter full side or block cut.

There will always be waste when you check the flesh side and it's not suitable and you have to reposition the pattern prior to cut, to insure quality leather throughout.

Sooooo....you contrast this known and purposeful waste with the alternative method which makes the "almost cut out pattern" useless because of a mis-cut etc. and find that your accidental waste is even greater.

The smaller piece you start with, the better precision cutting you will be able to accomplish.

Finally, once your production capability becomes a factor in the over all scheme, the time you save initially and not having to do the same thing twice will more than compensate for a little leather waste.

Paul
 
Pretty much agree with what has been said above especially Paul's point about block cutting before your final cuts, especially with small pieces such as sheaths..........

As to type of knife - try several types and see what works best - unlike Paul I prefer a pull cut and use a clicker type knife with both a straight blade and a curved one - other options are craft knives, straight knives - in head/round knives alone there are several patterns. My preference or a pull cut came after a neck injury - prior to that I had eight round/head knives - half were either custom made or older ones that I customized........Bottomline what works best for you is usually the best thing....what others use may or may not fit your "style".........
 
leatherman said:
It is amazing how resistant leather is to abrasion eh? I've had sheaths literally yanked out of my hands off my disk sander. :eek:

Better to use a belt sander, and a good fresh belt for cutting, or an old worn 400 grit that has been cleaned for burnishing. If its not clean the leather will go gray and black.

Working with leather on a belt sander is not much different than grinding wood handles, and other non ferrous materials.

I cannot say the same for disc sanders, as I have one and have not used it for leather.
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I use both actually. The disk is much better at the initial squaring up of the welt, the belt tends to want to gouge a little too easily in the rough stages. I use the belt for finish sanding to get the small stubborn imperfections smoothed out.
 
As to type of knife - try several types and see what works best - unlike Paul I prefer a pull cut and use a clicker type knife with both a straight blade and a curved one - other options are craft knives, straight knives - in head/round knives alone there are several patterns. My preference or a pull cut came after a neck injury - prior to that I had eight round/head knives - half were either custom made or older ones that I customized........Bottomline what works best for you is usually the best thing....what others use may or may not fit your "style".........[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I have a feeling I'll be trying many, many knives in the future. I about went crosseyed and hypertensive cutting curves with a utility knife last night! Outside curves weren't too bad, but knowing that a slip on the inside curve would waste the piece definitely made my Agent Orange act up. Cutting out the block with the pattern on it certainly made it easier.
 
One of those little Xacto blades, the #11 blade and holder does inside curves very well.

I also have one of those hawkbill blades that is very aggressive, but works well.

My Stanley utility knife still gets the most use, I sharpen the blade regularly and it works like a dream.
 
Granted that outside curves are easier to make clean than the inside type that have a tendency to scalp. This can be easily corrected by making these cuts with punches. This is increasingly important as the radius of the cut lessens. ---Sandy---
 
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