Tooling questions

[MGR]

Okay. I'm slowly working on my tack skills. I've made Arabian costumes and English saddles, as well as harnesses, with pretty good success. I am STUCK on how to tool in miniature scale. when I asked for advice in other tackmaking discussion areas, nobody was very forthcoming and somebody else tried to sell me some weird product. :thumbsdow I hope the Blab can help me!

any tips for a beginning tooler? What supplies do I need? How is it actually done? Any good web sites on it...? Thanks!

[Equiworks]

Ok, lets see if I can help. Do you mean tooling (as in pounding impressions into the leather with a stamp), or do you mean carving (as in hand carving with some sort of knife the picture/design you want to make)? I'll assume that you meant tooling, since that's what you asked for, but some people make the mistake of using these terms interchangably. :) To tool the leather, you need some good quality tooling leather (like the stuff Rio Rondo sells)... you can't tool just any leather. Then you need some leather stamps. There are very few stamps out there that are small enough. I highly recommend getting Rio Rondo's basketweave tool, as it is one of the few that are actually in scale. The final thing you need is some sort of (small) mallet. Rio rondo also has some of these, although I prefer a small rubber mallet. Then it's a matter of practice, practice, practice. First you wet the leather, but don't soak it. I use a Q-tip dipped in water. If you are using the RR basketweave stamp, use a ruler and an awl to "draw" a faint line on the leather. Then it's a matter of figuring out how hard or how soft you have to hit to make a good impression, as well as how to hold the stamp to make an even impression. Use the faint line to guide yourself when tooling the basketweave design.

Hope this helps!

[Equiworks]

Forgot to mention... if it's carving you want to know about, I highly recommend Sue Bensema Young's tack making book. That's where I learned how to carve. :)

[MGR]

Ok, lets see if I can help. Do you mean tooling (as in pounding impressions into the leather with a stamp), or do you mean carving (as in hand carving with some sort of knife the picture/design you want to make)? I'll assume that you meant tooling, since that's what you asked for, but some people make the mistake of using these terms interchangably. :) To tool the leather, you need some good quality tooling leather (like the stuff Rio Rondo sells)... you can't tool just any leather. Then you need some leather stamps. There are very few stamps out there that are small enough. I highly recommend getting Rio Rondo's basketweave tool, as it is one of the few that are actually in scale. The final thing you need is some sort of (small) mallet. Rio rondo also has some of these, although I prefer a small rubber mallet. Then it's a matter of practice, practice, practice. First you wet the leather, but don't soak it. I use a Q-tip dipped in water. If you are using the RR basketweave stamp, use a ruler and an awl to "draw" a faint line on the leather. Then it's a matter of figuring out how hard or how soft you have to hit to make a good impression, as well as how to hold the stamp to make an even impression. Use the faint line to guide yourself when tooling the basketweave design.

Hope this helps!
Thanks, Darlene! that does help. I have been practicing with some tooling stamps...I think I wasn't using wet enough leather. I was barely dampening it at all.

I would also love to know about carving! Any tips/suggestions? What tools will I need for this?

[webenative]

Here's a list of ones you can get at tandy x512 basket weave (it's a little larger than RR but is still in scale as there are different sizes one uses on real tack) a100,a101,f873 , n303, I use f890 for beveling when I carve.There are others that might do also, but I use these and there there are more I want.lol.Also I have a friend who makes his own,I have been wanting to do this.Wetting the leather is called " casing" after you case the leather( Iuse a wrung out sponge)I put the leather in zip lock baggie for a few hours or over night before tooling.This evens out the moisture content and keeps the other saddle parts ready to carve.I am sorry no one helped you I thought the would.At the time of your post I had been busy rounding up wild horses.Then I bid on 3 and won all.

[MGR]

Here's a list of ones you can get at tandy x512 basket weave (it's a little larger than RR but is still in scale as there are different sizes one uses on real tack) a100,a101,f873 , n303, I use f890 for beveling when I carve.There are others that might do also, but I use these and there there are more I want.lol.Also I have a friend who makes his own,I have been wanting to do this.Wetting the leather is called " casing" after you case the leather( Iuse a wrung out sponge)I put the leather in zip lock baggie for a few hours or over night before tooling.This evens out the moisture content and keeps the other saddle parts ready to carve.I am sorry no one helped you I thought the would.At the time of your post I had been busy rounding up wild horses.Then I bid on 3 and won all.
Wow, actual wild horses? that's awesome! Have fun with those guys. ;)

Neat...I will definitely try the ziplock trick. That ought to help..I was noticing problems with moisture not wanting to "go" into some areas of the leather.

For the actual carving...is that done with an x-acto knife? A stylus? What? Last night I tried lightly scratching a design into some cased tooling leather with an x-acto and I just could not figure out how to turn that into the nice carvings you see. Maybe the secret is the beveler...?

Man, this stuff is confusing. ha!! I'll be taking your list of stamps to the local Tandy tomorrow, though! Thanks, guys.

[Jennifer]

Krista Wasco posted a really good tutorial of sorts on stamping leather and which stamps work best in model scale on (I think!) the modelhorsetack mailing list a couple weeks ago. I could copy it here, but I know that Krista reads this forum and maybe she will do it herself. It's certainly worth reading if you're interested in decorating Western saddles that way!

Darlene, I am totally going to have to go back and reread the carving section in SBY's book! Your work is so wonderful I always just kind of assumed that you had lots of real world experience!

[MGR]

Forgot to mention... if it's carving you want to know about, I highly recommend Sue Bensema Young's tack making book. That's where I learned how to carve. :)
Oh!! Great. I'll check into that. Thank you so much! I'll post my first attempt at a Western saddle when I have it complete. :)

[Le_Mule_Chic]

Also, I got the small basket weave stamp from Tandy and dremeled it down to an acceptable size.
For the straight-edge tool that you can use for borders, make sure it isn't getting to dull after a while. A few swipes on each edge with a metal file ought to have it nice and sharp again.
And be careful not to leave the stuff in the Ziploc bags too long, it might mold.
Tandy has great deals on tooling leather, I like their stuff better than Rio Rondo. Go for 1-2 or 2-3 ounces, any thicker and you might have trouble.

[webenative]

I use a swivel knife( a special knife at tandy ask someone there to show you how to use it while you are there)get one with the fine blades.If you have a catalog take a look.It doesn't look like a knife.My lighting is bad or I would put up a pic(he ,he, I can do that now!)

[MGR]

Also, I got the small basket weave stamp from Tandy and dremeled it down to an acceptable size.
For the straight-edge tool that you can use for borders, make sure it isn't getting to dull after a while. A few swipes on each edge with a metal file ought to have it nice and sharp again.
And be careful not to leave the stuff in the Ziploc bags too long, it might mold.
Tandy has great deals on tooling leather, I like their stuff better than Rio Rondo. Go for 1-2 or 2-3 ounces, any thicker and you might have trouble.
AHA!!! That straight-edge tool...that must be how people are getting those single, straight impressions around the edges of Western saddles...right? I've been seeing that, and I was wondering what it could be. I have a pounce wheel and I love it, but I like the look of the single impression bordering the Western tack.

[webenative]

On the borders you are talking about the reason they stand out is you take the beveler (The stamping type not edge type)and go on the line that you cut with your swivel knife .This make the edge stand out. :coffee

[Equiworks]

AHA!!! That straight-edge tool...that must be how people are getting those single, straight impressions around the edges of Western saddles...right? I've been seeing that, and I was wondering what it could be. I have a pounce wheel and I love it, but I like the look of the single impression bordering the Western tack.

I'd love to know a better way of doing this, but I usually just take a knife and cut a line around the edge, then bevel down the inside.

[Equiworks]

Here's a list of ones you can get at tandy x512 basket weave (it's a little larger than RR but is still in scale as there are different sizes one uses on real tack) a100,a101,f873 , n303, I use f890 for beveling when I carve.There are others that might do also, but I use these and there there are more I want.lol.Also I have a friend who makes his own,I have been wanting to do this.Wetting the leather is called " casing" after you case the leather( Iuse a wrung out sponge)I put the leather in zip lock baggie for a few hours or over night before tooling.This evens out the moisture content and keeps the other saddle parts ready to carve.I am sorry no one helped you I thought the would.At the time of your post I had been busy rounding up wild horses.Then I bid on 3 and won all.

It's been a while since I looked, but back when I was buying tandy stamps, the smallest of their basketweave stamps was definitely out of scale. I realize they have different size stamps for the full size saddle, but I don't think any are as big as your hand. Man, I wish they had one small enough when I was looking. I did used to use a BW stamp that I now feel is out of scale... kinda miss using it, as it was much quicker to tool a whole saddle with it, and it had a nifty braid design in the middle. *sigh* I do use the two smallest star stamps that tandy has, although I have to keep replacing them as they dull out quickly. People keep asking me where I got the tiny leaf tool I tool some of my saddles with. I wish they made them that small, as then I wouldn't have to hand carve them. ;-) I did talk with another tack maker at Breyerfest live... she just happened to be sitting next to me during the show. Her name escapes me now, but she does amazing work with some of the small tandy tools, making leaf designs that are nicely in scale. Come to find out she used to make the real full size tack.

As for wetting my leather, when a full size tack maker showed me how to do this, he really soaked the leather with a sponge. When I tried doing this on the miniature tack, it would kind of shrink and warp when it dried, and would be difficult to tool when so wet. I never mastered tooling it that way (not saying it can't be done!)... I've just had better luck with just getting it damp enough to do a section (which is dry by the time I finish with it), and then wet another section to tool.

[Equiworks]

Darlene, I am totally going to have to go back and reread the carving section in SBY's book! Your work is so wonderful I always just kind of assumed that you had lots of real world experience!

I wish I had the real world experience... would love to make "the big stuff" someday. :) The expense of getting all the equipment for it is daunting, though! And I would have to *gasp* sew! heheh.

[Equiworks]

I use a swivel knife( a special knife at tandy ask someone there to show you how to use it while you are there)get one with the fine blades.If you have a catalog take a look.It doesn't look like a knife.My lighting is bad or I would put up a pic(he ,he, I can do that now!)

I've never tried a swivel knife, as they always seemed too huge for what I wanted to do. I use an exacto knife to cut out my pattern.

[Jennifer]

Darlene,

You've totally inspired me to work on my tooling. I've always been intimidated by that but if both you and Susan can do it with an X-acto knife than there's no reason I can't see if I can do that as well! Was the tack maker you talked to at Breyerfest Margaret Teller? She is one of the really elite Western saddle makers out there but I don't think she's especially well known. I have one of her saddles and it is so well made!

[Equiworks]

Darlene,

You've totally inspired me to work on my tooling. I've always been intimidated by that but if both you and Susan can do it with an X-acto knife than there's no reason I can't see if I can do that as well! Was the tack maker you talked to at Breyerfest Margaret Teller? She is one of the really elite Western saddle makers out there but I don't think she's especially well known. I have one of her saddles and it is so well made!

The trick is having the right sharpness... if it's too sharp it will cut too easily and get jagged edges, if it's not sharp enough it will pull at the leather and tear it. Yup, it was Margaret Teller... don't know why I couldn't think of her name. I was drawing a blank, there. I thought she had a leaf tool that she did her saddles with, but she basically uses these little tiny tools from Tandy to make the parts of the leaves with. I was impressed. :) I knew of her before, but it was nice to sit with her and pick her brain.

[Intothesunstudio]

I've never tried a swivel knife, as they always seemed too huge for what I wanted to do. I use an exacto knife to cut out my pattern.

WOW, you use an exacto knife? How do you manage that? I tried it and my images came out horrible. Do you create a pattern on paper and then attempt to carve it? And when you dye the leather how do you get it so only the places that have been carved take the leather and the rest stays natural colored or light brown?

ie, the Western sidesaddle you are currently selling. How the heck did you do that, Darleen? That beautiful rose patterning.That's a gorgeous saddle! I also really like the bridle that goes with that saddle too. I have to learn how to make one like that! I'm still such a beginner at all this tack making.

I made my second saddle in Sept. I'm still working on adding little details. I used stamps from Tandy that I bought at the craft store I work at. Most of the tools are small enough for model horse saddles. I also just wet places I was working and then soaked as I went along. Otherwise the leather was too wet or too dry to properly take the stamp.

[Equiworks]

WOW, you use an exacto knife? How do you manage that? I tried it and my images came out horrible. Do you create a pattern on paper and then attempt to carve it? And when you dye the leather how do you get it so only the places that have been carved take the leather and the rest stays natural colored or light brown?

ie, the Western sidesaddle you are currently selling. How the heck did you do that, Darleen? That beautiful rose patterning.That's a gorgeous saddle! I also really like the bridle that goes with that saddle too. I have to learn how to make one like that! I'm still such a beginner at all this tack making.

I start out with a piece of that tracing film stuff (the stuff that comes in the Rio Rondo western saddle kits), and draw my design on that. Then I slightly wet the leather and transfer the design onto it. Then it's just a matter of carving out the design... takes quite a bit of practice to figure out good knife sharpness, how to properly hold the knife, etc. I didn't carve anything until I got the hang of making the saddles perfectly, and tooling them really well. Took me a few years until I attempted carving.

As for dying the leather, I still haven't mastered this. I have found that different pieces of leather dye differently, and that it's usually better to spend a little more on the really good dye than to buy the cheaper stuff. I love the look of the antique stain, as you've probably noticed. I use it a lot! It tends to bring out the carving/tooling really nicely. Trick is to apply it, let it sit a few minutes to dry, and then sponge it off. It mostly removes all but what's in the crevices. You can't just do this with any stain... it has to be the antique stuff.

And don't worry about being a beginner. We all have to start somewhere! :)