Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Leather Craft/Answer Key"

Revision as of 01:39, 25 November 2008

1. List the necessary tools a beginner needs in leather craft and demonstrate the proper use of each.

Most leather craft starter kits come with the following:

A few pieces of leather
Stamping tools
A Mallet
Swivel knife
Leather coloring

You will also need a sturdy work surface.

Additionally, if you wish to lace the leather and do not have a pre-punched leather blank, you will need a leather punch. This tool is similar to a hole punch for paper, but it may have several punch sizes. These are often arranged in a star-shape so that the device resembles an equestrian spur.

The first step in working with leather is to lay out the design (see requirement 4).

Once the design is ready, the leather should be moistened. Moistening softens the leather and makes it more amenable to having an impression made on it by the stamp. The leather is then placed flat on the work surface in front of the crafter. Then the stamp is placed on a section of the leather where the design calls for an impression to be made. The crafter carefully holds the stamp in a vertical position with the stamp face held against the leather. Then the top of the stamp is struck sharply with the mallet.

Once this is done, the stamp is moved to an adjacent area, and the mallet is brought to bear once again. This is repeated until all the areas that are to be impressed have been impressed. The crafter may switch to any number of different stamps as called for in the design.

Once the design has been stamped into the leather, the leather may be cut to shape (though cutting can also be done before stamping).

The piece is then ready for a finish. (See requirement 5).

2. Know how to distinguish different kinds of leather, such as calf, goat, and imitation leather. What leathers are most suitable for tooling?

To do:
distinguish types of leather

The only type of leather suitable for carving is vegetable tanned, full grain leather. This is because the vegetable tanning process allows the leather to absorb water, which is used to soften the leather before the carving process, and the grain of the leather is necessary to allow the leather to hold the shape after the carving process is complete. Other leathers lack these two essential qualities.

3. Give the steps necessary in the preparation of leather.

All leather needs to be prepared before it can be tooled. The leather carver soaks the leather with water, thus making the leather easier to tool.

One point to note is that if leather is too wet, it will not hold a sharply defined carving. Properly cased leather should be cool to the touch, and should feel like wet clay.

A good way to test if the leather is properly cased is to fold the corner. Properly cased leather should fold smoothly and hold a crease well.

Leather can be cased by spraying it with a mist of water, or by going over it with a damp sponge.

4. Transfer a design to leather, and tool and lace some object in leather, such as a billfold, magazine cover, belt, key keeper, or small purse.

5. Show how to use leather dye.

The coloring agent is brushed on and wiped off. Repeat as desired to darken, but it's also a good idea to let the coloring dry before judging the final color.

6. What kind of finish should be used on leather?

If the leather is allowed to get wet and is then flexed, the impressions may swell and fade. Once the color has dried to the crafter's satisfaction, it should be sealed with a sealing agent, such as neatsfoot oil, linseed oil, or a wax paste. This will slow the absorption of water by the leather, lengthening the life of the design.

References

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-[[Image:leathertools.jpg|thumb|250px|Modern leather-working tools]]
+{{honor_header|1|1937|Arts and Crafts|General Conference}}
+==1. List the necessary tools a beginner needs in leather craft and demonstrate the proper use of each. ==
+Most leather craft starter kits come with the following:
-'''Leather crafting''' is the practice of making [[leather]] into craft objects or works of art, using shaping techniques, coloring techniques or both.
+* A few pieces of leather
+* Stamping tools
+* A Mallet
+* Swivel knife
+* Leather coloring
-==Leather coloring==
+You will also need a sturdy work surface.
-[[Image:Phdinoleatherpic.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A dyed leather [[Leather carving|carving]]]]
-Leather dyeing usually involves the use of spirit or alcohol based [[dye]]s where alcohol quickly gets absorbed into moistened [[leather]], carrying the pigment deep into the surface.  "Hi-liters" and "Antiquing" stains can be used to add more definition to patterns.  These have pigments that will break away from the higher points of a tooled piece and so pooling in the background areas give nice contrasts.  Leaving parts unstained also provides a type of contrast. The predominant brand of leather dye is [[Fiebing's]] Leather Dye.
-Alternatives to spirit stains might include a number of options.  [[Shoe polish]] can be used to dye and preserve leather. Oils such as [[Neatsfoot oil|neatsfoot]] or [[Linseed oil|linseed]] can be applied to preserve leather but darkens them. A wax paste more often than not serves as the final coat.
+Additionally, if you wish to lace the leather and do not have a pre-punched leather blank, you will need a leather punch.  This tool is similar to a hole punch for paper, but it may have several punch sizes.  These are often arranged in a star-shape so that the device resembles an equestrian spur.
-Sweat and grime will also stain and 'antique' leather over time. Gun holsters, saddlebags, wallets and cantanas used by cowboys and buccaroos were rarely colored in the [[Old West]]. The red, brown, and black tones develop naturally through handling and as the oiled leathers absorb the rays of the desert sun.
+The first step in working with leather is to lay out the design (see requirement 4).
-Due to changing environmental laws, alcohol-based dyes are soon to be unavailable. There are currently water-based alternatives available, although they tend not to work as well.
+Once the design is ready, the leather should be moistened.  Moistening softens the leather and makes it more amenable to having an impression made on it by the stamp.  The leather is then placed flat on the work surface in front of the crafter.  Then the stamp is placed on a section of the leather where the design calls for an impression to be made.  The crafter carefully holds the stamp in a vertical position with the stamp face held against the leather.  Then the top of the stamp is struck sharply with the mallet.
-==Leather painting==
+Once this is done, the stamp is moved to an adjacent area, and the mallet is brought to bear once again.  This is repeated until all the areas that are to be impressed have been impressed.  The crafter may switch to any number of different stamps as called for in the design.
-Leather painting differs from [[leather]] [[dyeing]] in that [[paint]] remains only on the surface while dyes are absorbed into the leather.  Due to this difference, leather painting techniques can not be used on items that can or must bend nor on items that receive friction, such as belts and wallets. Under these conditions, the paint will crack and flake off. A flat piece of leather, backed with a stiff board is ideal and common, though three-dimensional forms are possible so long as the painted surface remains secured.
-[[Acrylic paint]] is a common medium, often painted on [[tooled]] leather pictures, backed with wood or cardboard, and then framed.  Unlike photographs, leather paintings are displayed without a glass cover, to prevent [[mold]].
+Once the design has been stamped into the leather, the leather may be cut to shape (though cutting can also be done before stamping).
-==Leather carving==
+The piece is then ready for a finish.  (See requirement 5).
-{{main|Leather carving}}
-Leather carving entails using metal implements to compress moistened [[leather]] in such a way as to give a three dimensional appearance to a two dimensional surface.  The surface of the leather is not intended to be cut through, as would be done in [[filigree]].
+==2. Know how to distinguish different kinds of leather, such as calf, goat, and imitation leather. What leathers are most suitable for tooling? ==
+{{TODO|distinguish types of leather}}
-The main tools used to "carve" leather include: [[swivel knife]], [[veiner]], [[beveler]], [[pear shader]], [[seeder]], cam, and background tool.  The swivel knife is held similar to pencil and drawn along the leather to outline patterns.  The other tools are punch-type implements struck with a wooden, nylon or [[rawhide]] [[mallet]].  The object is to add further definition with them to the cut lines made by the swivel knife.
+The only type of leather suitable for carving is vegetable tanned, full grain leather. This is because the vegetable tanning process allows the leather to absorb water, which is used to soften the leather before the carving process, and the grain of the leather is necessary to allow the leather to hold the shape after the carving process is complete. Other leathers lack these two essential qualities.
-In the United States and Mexico, the western floral style, known as "Sheridan Style", of carving leather predominates.  Usually, these are stylized pictures of acanthis or roses.  California, Texas, and a few other styles are common.  By far the most preeminent carver in the United States was [[Al Stohlman]].  His patterns and methods have been embraced by many hobbyists, scout troops, reenacters, and craftsmen.
+==3. Give the steps necessary in the preparation of leather. ==
+All leather needs to be prepared before it can be tooled. The leather carver soaks the leather with water, thus making the leather easier to tool.
-==Leather stamping==
+One point to note is that if leather is too wet, it will not hold a sharply defined carving. Properly cased leather should be cool to the touch, and should feel like wet clay.
-[[Image:Stamping on Leather.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Examples of geometric stamping on leather.]]
-Leather stamping involves the use of shaped implements (stamps) to create an imprint onto a [[leather]] surface, often by striking the stamps with a [[mallet]].
+A good way to test if the leather is properly cased is to fold the corner. Properly cased leather should fold smoothly and hold a crease well.
-Commercial stamps are available in various designs, typically geometric or representative of animals. Most stamping is performed on vegetable tanned leather that has been dampened with water, as the water makes the leather softer and able to be compressed by the design being pressed or stamped into it. After the leather has been stamped, the design stays on the leather as it dries out, but it can fade if the leather becomes wet and is flexed.  To make the impressions last longer, the leather is conditioned with [[oils]] and [[fat]]s to make it water-proof and prevent the fibers from deforming.
+Leather can be cased by spraying it with a mist of water, or by going over it with a damp sponge.
-==External links==
+==4. Transfer a design to leather, and tool and lace some object in leather, such as a billfold, magazine cover, belt, key keeper, or small purse. ==
-* [http://old-crafts.com/colors_and_painting/compositions_to_dye_skins_or_gloves.htm/ Historic Compositions to Dye Leather]
+==5. Show how to use leather dye. ==
-*[http://www.crupisgallery.it/claudia/inglese/claudia_index_inglese.htm Landscapes leather carving]
+The coloring agent is brushed on and wiped off.  Repeat as desired to darken, but it's also a good idea to let the coloring dry before judging the final color.
-*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPaJhHPDoxI Leather Detailing Video]
+==6. What kind of finish should be used on leather? ==
+If the leather is allowed to get wet and is then flexed, the impressions may swell and fade.  Once the color has dried to the crafter's satisfaction, it should be sealed with a sealing agent, such as neatsfoot oil,  linseed oil, or a wax paste.  This will slow the absorption of water by the leather, lengthening the life of the design.
-[[Category:Leather]]
+==References==
-[[et:Nahkehistöö]]
+[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book|{{SUBPAGENAME}}]]
-[[ru:Художественная обработка кожи]]