Shaping and Molding Leather - Part Four

After a long dry spell, I am finally getting back to finishing the project. Please accept my apologies for the delay in getting this post done. In the last one, we had looked at shaping the leather over a block of wood to form the pocket for a multi-tool carrier. I had rough-shaped the leather with my fingers around the block of wood after soaking the leather with the stretching mixture of half water and half rubbing alcohol.

I had placed some inch and a half boards on each of the vertical sides and clamped them down on the board on which I had mounted the wood block. These clamps were left in place until the leather had dried sufficiently to hold its shape. The length of time that you need to let your leather dry will vary according to a number of variables that will come into play. These are the air temperature, the moisture content of the leather, and the humidity in the air. In the case of my use of the plastic wrapped boards, it could take even a little longer for the leather to dry.

After the leather has dried, it might look similar to the photo below. You can see that the top edge is not exactly straight. This sometimes happens when I clamp the leather in the manner previously shown. I have found that it works the best for me and that it can be corrected without too much difficulty. In addition, at this point, the leather is completely dry and it may show some marks from wrinkles that may have formed in the plastic wrap on the board. I would not worry about them at this time because the effect should be minimal by the time that the sewing is completed.

Dry multi-tool carrier pocket

The next step in the process will be to measure the width of the pocket and rough cut the width of the back/flap piece of leather. I don’t like to cut my leather too close to the width of the pocket on this type of project because I have found that it can come back to bite me. If you were to cut it exactly the same width, it might not make any difference. I have found that it is better for me if I glue the two pieces together before I cut the back/flap piece for width. That way I will not inadvertently get the pocket off-center from back piece when I glue them together.

I like to use a straight edge to mark and cut my lines. It is relatively easy to place a sharp knife against the edge of a metal ruler or square as the shown in the photo below. It would be ill advised to attempt cutting a straight line with a sharp knife using a wooden or plastic ruler. I say this from early experience and having ruined the nice straight edges on more than one ruler by attempting to use them to make my cuts. If you have a lightweight metal ruler with a cork backing glued on it, you can probably use when making straight cuts.

Small framing square used as a straight edge for cutting the leather

If you use one of the lightweight metal rulers as a straight edge, it is a good idea to practice extra care when getting it near your leather. The thin metal can make some nasty marks in your leather quicker than you know. I do use a metal ruler to measure and mark my projects, but I will generally use one of my framing squares for cutting. I like the weight and the thickness of the metal on the squares for making my cuts. Besides that, I will use fine grit sandpaper to smooth down the edges of my square so that it is less likely to cut or scratch the leather when I am pressing down to hold it in place.

I have a two-foot aluminum framing square that I use for cutting out most of my larger projects. One drawback to using an aluminum square is that the aluminum will oxidize and stain moist leather, which is a real bummer. After much frustration with this problem, I felt that I was wasting time by needing to wipe down my square every time I used it. I decided to try spraying it with clear spray paint. That was many years ago and I have not found it necessary to repeat the process even with repeated use. I also did that with the smaller steel framing square seen in the above photo. You might find this tip to be effective for other tools that you have that seem to get rusty or stained as well but be sure to clean them well before painting them.

Now, back to the project, I like to dry-fit my projects to be sure that I have not cut any of the pieces too short or excessively big. I purposely cut the back/flap for this carrier wider to demonstrate marking and cutting the leather for width as discussed above. The photo below the following paragraph shows that there is a lot of extra leather on the top side of the pocket and that the pocket’s bottom edge is too long. This means that both pieces need trimmed for size at some point.

Trimming can be done at almost any time in this part of the process. For this demonstration, I will trim off the bottom of the pocket to the size that I want it to be before gluing it to the back. I will then cut the back piece approximately one eighth of an inch wider than the pocket to allow a little wiggle room for when I glue the pieces together. For myself, I like to cut the back piece a little wider and trim the excess off after I have glued and sewn the pieces together. It means that I will get a more even edge on the project.

Carrier flap folded over the pocket temporarily for sizing

Before gluing the pocket on the back piece of the carrier it is necessary to attach the belt loop to it. If you plan to use a belt clip you might find it easier to line it up, mark it, and maybe even attach it to the back before gluing and sewing the pieces together. The photo below shows a simple method for determining the width of your belt loop. I measure the width of the top edge of the pocket and cut the loop piece approximately one-eighth of an inch narrower. Notice that the loop piece fits inside the pocket. The belt loop can be cut at any width you would like it to be cut. If you want it to be narrower than what is shown, make it that way. Just do not make it too wide or it might be uncomfortable to wear under your belt.

Belt loop piece inside of the pocket - example of width

It will probably not make any difference as to the functionality of the carrier or the belt loop, but I like to trim the corners on the inner part of the loop. This will shorten the straight edges that the belt tip might catch on. The photo below shows the belt loop with the corners trimmed. I do not take the time to make exact measurements on these cuts because there is no real science involved, just cutting the corners off one end of the piece of leather.

Inner corners of belt loop cropped

Once you have cut the belt loop out it is a good idea to decide how wide of a belt you want it to fit. Generally, I make my belt loops big enough to fit over a two-inch wide belt. That means that you should allow for a little over two inches when folding the belt loop over. The photo below shows one method for making the fold and ensuring that the finished product will be wide enough to accommodate almost any width belt. I moistened the area of the fold with a little water so that the leather would fold easier and so that the grain of the leather would not tear. By using a piece of leather or any other material that is as wide and almost as thick as the belt leather it make it easier to properly size the loop. 

Simple way to fold and size the belt loop

Due to the length of this post, I am going to include the finishing details in the next one, which should be very soon. In that post, we will cover attaching the belt loop to the back of the carrier, sewing the pocket to the back, and marking and setting the snap.

Have fun!

Shaping and Molding Leather - Part Three

I think that the last couple of posts covered sizing the form sufficiently enough that you should be able to wing it well enough to make your own. Remember, the form that you use for molding and shaping your leather does not have to be perfect. Leather is a little forgiving and you can adjust the shape and size at almost any time in the process. I would advise that any changes be made early though. As we move along in the process, I will try to point out any challenges that might come up during the process.

Now with the leather softened by the rubbing alcohol-water mixture, it is time to begin the rough shaping and molding. I begin by pressing the leather down on the two sides of the form with my fingers. In this stage, it is a very good idea to have very clean hands because the wet leather will absorb almost anything on your hands. The photo below shows this first stage of molding the leather.

Rough shaping of leather around the form

It is easy to see the outline of the form under the wet leather after pressing it down. I try to hold the leather down with the tips of my fingers without making impressions with my fingernails. I keep my fingernails clipped short, especially when I know that I will be molding leather. Minor fingernail impressions can be rubbed out with a folding tool, but deep impressions may be there for the life of the item you are making.

During the rough molding process, I do not try to get the sharp/tight corners that you will see at the end of this process. The main idea here is to get the rough shape of the form to show through the leather. I guess that this is in a way a little like kneading bread, you don not throw it on the kneading surface and pat it once or twice, at minimum you will probably be into it for five minutes. If everything turns out the way you hope it will, you might have five minutes in just the basic molding processing.

Something that I will point here as well is that the leather that is wet enough when molding it is not necessary to cut out corners to make the fit good. It is similar to wrapping a package in that it is necessary to fold the wrapping paper at the corners on the package ends to make it look good. If you like the looks of sown corners you can also use this method to shape the corners so you can stitch them but that will have to come in a different post. Basically, it will take a little elbow grease to get your leather molded to the form, but it will eliminate the steps required for cutting out the corners and sewing them, which could be tedious from the word “go.”

One of the tools that I use a lot for molding and shaping leather is my elk antler-folding tool. A friend gave it to me. He also did leatherwork and he used it for shaping the leather for some of his projects. I like it because it was a gift, it has a good surface to smooth out the surface of the leather a little more, and the tip is just blunt enough to help me shape the corners a whole bunch better. If you would like to make your own folding tool from a piece of bone or an antler, you can sometimes find pieces of antler in a pet store or if you happen to be at the right place in the woods you might find a set of antlers that were dropped by an elk at its annual antler shed. Otherwise, you might want to purchase a folder/creaser from a leather craft store.

Piece of elk antler used for folding and creasing leather

The photo below is not the best representation of using the antler to crease the corner folds of the leather but it does give a basic idea of how it is done. Again, it is necessary to hold the leather in as close to the same position on the form as with the rough mold at the start. Press down and hold the leather with the fingertips on one hand and move the edge the folding tool down towards the board on which the form is mounted and against the side of the form. Do not exert excessive pressure on the leather with the antler as it may cause creases in the leather that will be difficult to hide or remove. As in the photo below, I try to avoid using the very tip of the antler because point may cause unwanted creases at the point of contact and might be difficult to eliminate.

Making the lower crease  using a piece of elk antler

It is always a good idea after using the folding tool to allow the leather to dry for a few minutes to an hour. I like to do this so that the leather has a bit of time to “relax after being stressed.” (Please forgive my attempt at humor.) This will also let you take your focus off the task at hand for a brief period so that you can come back to look at with what some might consider “fresh eyes.” By that, I mean that by stepping away from what you are currently doing you might be able to see something that you need to alter a little before you make the final commit. I have found that this works very well for me for almost anything, especially when it comes to programming. It might sound a little funny, but I have had a little experience with database design and programming. I like to work both ends of the spectrum.

After letting the leather relax for a time, I will come back and use my fingers and my folding tool again in the same areas as I had on the first go around. It might not be necessary but it is how I like to complete this part of the process. I have found that it allows me to get a little better fold or crease on the leather after the some of the moisture has had time to evaporate. It also holds the fold better on the second time around.

Even after I have remolded the leather the process is not complete. I then like to clamp the formed leather onto the mounting board. I do not remove the form but leave it in place. If you look closely at the photo below, you will see that there is a bit of a shine on the surface of the board that clamped onto the mounting board. This shine is the plastic wrap that I put on the board to keep it from adhering to the leather. It is very important to make sure that if you wrap your boards with plastic wrap that you make sure there no wrinkles in the wrap. The wrinkles can cause unwanted lines in your leather. Some of the lines can be rubbed out but maybe not completely.

Leather with first clamp applied

When I look at the photo above, I notice a few things that should be pointed out. The object on the left side of the photo is an inexpensive ratchet-clamp. This type of clamp works perfectly well for clamping the plastic wrapped board in place. The leather is wetter than I like to have it at this point in the process but I wanted to get it done quickly for the photos. I may have mentioned it before, but the leather has shifted up a little on the left side. This happened when I put the board in place for clamping. The last things that are visible in the upper right hand corner is some black spots on the board. These black spots are actually carpet tack holes. I used to use carpet tacks to anchor the leather around the form. It was extremely tedious. I would not advise using this method unless you do not have access to a couple of clamps. Carpet tacks are blued and the coating will come off in the leather. In addition, it you are bad a pounding in the tacks you might hit the leather.

The photo below shows how our project looks with the second ratchet-clamp in place. It is a good idea to leave the clamps in place for a few hours. As wet as this leather was when I finished clamping boards down it needed extra time for drying sufficiently. I left is for a few days because I was out of town. I should point out that it is important to have the fold at the bottom edge almost exactly where you want it to be. It will be more difficult to reshape this area of the carrier pocket after it dries. Re-wetting the leather here and reworking it may affect either side of the pocket and cause the leather to stretch where you did not want it. It might be better to accept it as it is and proceed on with the process.

Both clamps applied to the project

In the next post I will cover the assembly of the multi-tool carrier and have a few more ideas on how you can make your project shine a little. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I will be glad to hear what you have to say and if you have any questions I will be glad to help you if I can.

Have fun!