Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Cameroo on February 26, 2011, 03:28:18 am
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I figured I'd share some pictures of an arm guard that I started today. This is the most intricate leather carving I've attempted yet, so I figured I'd show some of the steps along the way since there was some interest in the other arm guards I made. Almost all of the tools I'm using are from Tandy, but you can find them elsewhere as well. If you are going to be purchasing a lot of supplies/tools, you can score some pretty significant savings by getting a member card. It paid for itself on my first trip there. Anyhoo, here we go. If I don't describe this well enough, feel free to ask questions.
I took a bit of time making a patern for this out of construction paper. It will wrap completely around my forearm. It's kinda hard to explain how I plan on putting it on - it will be a combination of lace (or 1/8 bungee cord), and a couple snaps where it gets wider. Hopefully it will work and you'll see it come together a little later.
I then transfered the outline onto some veg-tanned leather. If you're going to do carving/stamping, use vegetable tanned (or "tooling") leather. After I cut the piece out, I used contact cement to glue it to a cutting board. You can use any solid surface, I use a cutting board because it's easy to move and rotate as I work. I learned early on that if the piece is not glued down, it will actually stretch/warp quite a bit from the tooling - not what you want!
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010342.jpg)
Next I used trace paper to draw the outline of the leather onto, and then proceeded to draw my design on the paper:
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010343.jpg)
Once I'm ready to start tooling, I dampen the leather with a sponge. This must be done to get the tooling to "take". I want to get the leather wet, but not soaking. A little experience will help you to get it right. Then I let it sit a few minutes to let it soak in. The color will change back to what it was before, and then I'm ready to go.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010346.jpg)
I place the trace paper over the leather (and tape it so it doesn't move). Then using a scribe, I trace over every line on the pattern. It shouldn't take much pressure at all to transfer the design.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010350.jpg)
Once I am sure that I covered every line, I remove the paper. Then, using a swivel knife, I begin to cut into the outlines that I just put onto the leather. This helps define the edges of the objects to give them more depth. You want the cut to go approx. 1/2 way through the leather. If you have a lot of tooling to do like this, you will periodically have to dampen the leather again. Swivel knives do not work well on dry leather.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010351.jpg)
After all the outlines are cut, I start the stamping. This is where some books and some trial-and-error come into play, to learn what types of stamps you need and what their purpose is. I didn't take many pics so far while I was stamping, but will try to get some more details before I finish up. Some of the tools used in this picture are:
The "Seeder" - the round dots, usually used for backgrounds, or for seeds on flower designs.
The "Shader" - many different types and sizes, used to add texture and shadows.
The "Beveler" - used to create a more defined edge to give the design depth.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010358.jpg)
Well, this is as far as I got today. I need to pick up a couple new tools for doing textures like grass, leaves, etc. I'll post more when I get a chance to do more work on it. Thanks for looking!
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010356.jpg)
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Very nice carving, Cam. I've done some of that years ago and can tell you it is time consuming work but well worth the effort.
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very nice work
i have never done that kind of work
a guy i work with handed me small box awhle back
it had a bunch of differant types of leather punches
i have no idea whats used for what so i have yet to try them out
but i think i might just grab a piece of leather and give them a try
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Thanks for sharing this carve-along Cam - it's very interesting to see the stages of work being done!
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That's going to be awesome Cam!
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Thanks guys. I figured you older guys would appreciate it ;) Kelly figures it looks "old-timey".
I'm anxious to get back to work on it, but Kelly and I are having the 3rd anniversary of our first date today, so I think it's in my best interest not to work on it today ;)
Maybe tomorrow...
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Nothing wrong with "old timey" in my book! ;D
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I got the tooling pretty much finished up today. I took some closeup pictures of some of the different tools I used in case anyone is interested. Hope I'm not boring with the details, but I had a request on some earlier work for more of a how-to. So, here we go...
This tool is called a seeder. There are different types and sizes. It's called a seeder because it's main purpose originally was to do the seed clusters in the center of flower blossoms.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010366.jpg)
I used it in this case to fill in some empty background space. The texture will soak up a lot of dye and make those areas quite dark.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010367.jpg)
This is one example of a beveler. It gets used a lot to give depth around the outline of objects.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010369.jpg)
Another beveler for getting into tighter areas. I used this lots for the trees.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010371.jpg)
Another tiny odd-ball beveler for tight spaces. Most of these tools can be used for multiple purposes but tilting the tool at different angles and varying the amount of pressure.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010374.jpg)
This is one example of a shader, generally used to create shadows. Areas textured with these tools will generally soak up more stain too.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010377.jpg)
Here I used a pear shader and the modeler tool to put some contour onto the deer.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010381.jpg)
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I found that this type of shader makes some really nice foliage in the trees.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010383.jpg)
The ducks didn't turn out quite the way I wanted, but they'll be better next time :)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010387.jpg)
Used the modeler tool (the spoon end of the scribe tool) to do some work on Bambi
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010389.jpg)
And that's pretty much where I'm at now. Next step is to start dyeing/staining. Hopefully I don't screw it all up. Believe it or not, I've got about 12 hours into this thing already...
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010390.jpg)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010395.jpg)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010394.jpg)
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Bloody impressive work Cam!!
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Nice work! I dabble with leather as well but dang, you're fast!!! Keep the pics coming, they don't bore me and I love to see other's work. Thanks~
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Thanks HatchA and Lee. I didn't realize I was fast :) I figured I was going too slow!
More pics to come when the dye-job starts.
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Naw, if anyone has done any amount of leather work and see's how much space you are filling up completely they'd realize your pace is just fine.
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very talented.like to see finished product.
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Beautiful work,that is going to be one nice arm guard. :)
Pappy
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Thanks Ohma. I really don't think it takes a ton of talent, just the right tools, some time, and a lot of patience :) That's the main point of showing this kinda step-by-step, to show that it's not rocket science.
Thanks Pappy.
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Cam, that arm guard is going to really jump once you dye it. Are you going for a monochromatic finish or multi colored?
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Pat, I'm kinda undecided. I guess I'm thinking monochromatic, but I will use different "strengths" of the dye to get highlights and shadows. I might add some different colors if I think it's appropriate, but it will likely just be different shades of brown. I don't really care for the looks of those opaque paints like the "Cova Color" that Tandy sells. I think they take away from the carving. Dyes look better to me, but I don't want it to look too "busy" with a bunch of different colors. I've only got about 5 different colors of dye right now too, so I'm kinda limited.
I'm hoping it will "jump" with just one color :) What do you think?
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One technique we used to use was to use a sponge(one of those celotec(?) colored dish washing sponges). I cut them into 1" to 2" squares and put some regular leather dye on it and blot it dry then in circular motion go over the design. It will go down pretty light but you can do this over again if necessary or to get the desired darkness out of it. The high spots will pick up the dye and leave the indented part without. Do some tests first to get the technique down before trying it on the armguard. I use this technique for untooled leather too by going around the outside first then into the middle so it is almost like a sunburst effect, dark on the edges and lighter towards the center.
I hope I made sense with this. ???
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That sounds like a cool technique Pat, kinda like dry-brushing. I'm not sure how well it would work in this case because most of the high spots should actually be lighter, and the contoured parts should be darker.
I think I'll try that on another project though. Thanks for the tip.
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That's real nice work. I like to use the leather antique finish that tandy sells. You wipe it on heavy wait a bit and then wash the tops off with a damp (not wet) cloth. It fills in the background/shadow work nicely.......and also any dings scrapes or scars in the hide get highlighted. A bit different look than the dies.
Darcy :)
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Beat me to the punch Darcy! Was just gonna snap a pic of the container and post it up ;D
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Darcy, that was gonna be my next suggestion! ;D
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Thanks guys, that is a good idea. I actually have some mahogany antique gel, but I don't think it would look right for this, it's a little too purply. I'd have to go get a different color I think. I could do that for the majority of it, but I want to put more detail into the deer at least. I'm kinda going by the technique used in this book I got at Tandy (by Al Stockman I think??). He uses different strengths of the same dye (diluted with alcohol, or in my case, I'd have to use water) to achieve different shades. I want to give that a try.
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Wow that is cool. :o
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An old Indian told me that you can dye some of the patterns in your design a certain color and then paint them with Natala. When the Natala dries then you can use a rub on antique paste over the whole pattern. Use Carnauba Cream from Tandy to clean up the excess. The paste will accent the edges of your patterns. You can use Natala on any pattern before dying and it will maintain the original leather color. Natala will not prevent a pattern from losing its color if a regular dye is used over it! Its my opinion that learning to carve patterns in leather is not as has been said "rocket science", but it takes some artistic talent to produce beautiful leather carvings! One last thing that may be of interest--The quality of the leather you are carving has a great deal to do with the good results. Good grade hides cost much more, but when you are going to spend hours working on it with swivel knives and leather tools and having good dye results it is well worth the extra money! An Old Indian--Joe
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For some reason the words Neat-Lac were changed in the post that I just made. Some times I would like to smash this darn Confuser and go back to Smoke signals. Red Faced Joe
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Thanks Joe. I have used that technique on the first arm guards I made ( http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,23397.msg315337.html#msg315337 ), although I used Super Sheen instead of Neat-Lac (never heard of that). It seemed to work pretty good. I just picked up some of that Carnauba Cream the other day, I haven't used it yet but will do a little test piece and if I like it, that's probably what I'll use for a finish. The super sheen is a little too glossy.
Gonna try to get some more done on this tonight!
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I spent a couple hours on this tonight and this is all I've got to show for it :) It took a while before starting to mix up dyes and do some practicing. Of course I had to jump right in and tackle the deer. When I was at Tandy the other day, I showed this to the owner and he told me, "If you spend 2 hours carving something, you should spend 3 hours finishing it". I hope that doesn't mean it's going to take me 18 hours to finish! I thought he was a bit out to lunch, but now I can see why. It doesn't help when I'm running to the computer every 5 minutes to see if I have my name for the bow swap :) I think I'm done for tonight.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010400.jpg)
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Cam your work is incredible to say the least. That is going to be a jaw dropper for sure. Then again so is the one that i already got from you ;D Still going to have to get some pics of it up for every one to see. ;)
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Cam your work is incredible to say the least. That is going to be a jaw dropper for sure. Then again so is the one that i already got from you ;D Still going to have to get some pics of it up for every one to see. ;)
Thanks Keenan. I'm hoping to inspire others to take up the craft. It makes a good winter hobby when it's too cold to be out in the garage.
Ya, a picture of the one I sent you would be nice, I'd like to see how it looks after you finished it off!
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Got a bit more done tonight. Not really sure that the redish stain I mixed was the best choice for the tree leaves :P But it's done now. It must be Autumn :) I'm kinda at a stand-still now though, because I'm thinking the pine trees are going to need some green, which I don't have. Gotta make another trip to Tandy I guess.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010406.jpg)
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With those antlers, It is definately fall! Coming along great.
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That's coming along nicely! Beautifully carved.
Darcy :)
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Incredible!
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wow that does look good. Very professional. Nice fall colors too making me look forward to next autumn deer season. 8)
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I keep coming back to see what you've updated, and it just keeps getting better...
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Thanks guys, I really appreciate the feedback. This is my first attempt at anything this detailed, so it's nice to hear I'm doing something right :)
I decided to add some color, so I went to Tandy after work today and picked up an assortment pack of 12 different stain colors. Set me back $50, but I shouldn't have to worry about not having the right color for the job now. Hopefully I can get some more work done later tonight.
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$50, that's all you spent at a Tandy shop? Man, it's like project overload whenever I stop in at the one near me, thankfully it's 45 miles away >:D
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$50 this trip, but I've been there about 4 times in the last 10 days :) I'm like a kid in a candy store when I go there. The only reason I didn't walk out with more this time is because Kelly was waiting in the car and had to get to an appointment, so I had to be in and out :)
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This seems to be taking forever. I didn't finish tonight, got suckered into shopping with Kelly, and then a guilty pleasure - watching Survivor.
But I got some color on, and things are coming together nicely. I also tried the mahogany gel antique around the outside. I was concerned that when I wiped it of it would smear into the red on the leaves and ruin them. I was happy to see that even when I did accidentally smear it onto the leaves, it wiped right off.
Gotta do something with the grassy area up front, and then something to make the clouds and geese pop a bit. Then a finish of some sort, and the hard part is done. Then it's just a matter of punching some holes and putting a couple snaps on. The end is near!
Here's where she's at now (I wish I could get some better pictures):
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010413.jpg)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010414.jpg)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010415.jpg)
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I think I pretty much finished up the dyeing/staining/antiquing. Now I think I'll let it dry overnight before I apply the finish. I think I'll use Super Sheen again. I bought some carnauba creme to try but realized afterwards that its made more for finishing flat surfaces. It builds up in the crevices of tooled leather and leaves a waxy residue.
With any luck, it will be done tomorrow night!
There isn't a single light in my house that doesn't distort the actual colors on this thing. I added some lighting effects in photoshop on this one that improved it a bit, but I'll have to take some pictures in daylight when it's finished.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010424.jpg)
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Very nice work, Cam. 8)
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sweet, great color selection.
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Beauty! I like how you kept the colors in the sky nice and subtle.
Darcy :)
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WOW!
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I think it's finally time to call it done! I put a finish coat on it last night and another one this morning, put some snaps and eyelets on for the stretch cord, and that about wraps it up.
Here's the end product.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010430.jpg)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010440.jpg)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010441.jpg)
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/cbergerman/Bracer/P1010439.jpg)
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Very impressive Sir. Enjoyed following the work.
Bevan R
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:o :o :o :o nice!
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You have my respect for your talent and patients!
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Sweet! Very nicely done...
And just think, if you every find yourself in a Moose infested woods I think it could double as a Cow Moose Call, it's shape is fairly close to the rolled birch calls I've seen used.
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Thanks guys. It was a test of patience - I probably could have made a couple bows in the time it took to make it, but I"m pretty happy with how it turned out. Every time I finish a leatherwork project, I think to myself "that took way too long, I'm not going to do that again for a while..." and then a few days later I'm planning something bigger and more detailed. That's ok though, because I learn a little bit more every time.
Now it's time to get started on my trade bow!
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That turned out great.
Darcy :)
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Been watching your progress. Turned out real well. I learned the leather craft as a 7th grader. Made a few things and still use what I learned. I understand the patience and skill it takes to turn out nice work. You have achieved them both. ;)
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WOW that turned out realy nice
too nice to have a string slap against it ;D
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Thanks so much guys.
Timo, I admire your work too. I never was a huge fan of the tennis-type wrap, but you make it look REAL good :) And what you do with wood is amazing.
I think I'm gonna give this thing away...
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That is a work of art for sure. Superb work!!! :)
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Thank you BeetleBailey. I'm working on an idea for the next one right now. I think I'm going to attempt a portrait, probably of a native chief.
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That's incredible work Cam!!! You are definitely talented.
Now about not liking the tennis handle wrap...Well, that's just crazy talk...
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That's pretty awsome. I like to do a little tooling myself but I ain't never done anything like that.
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Very nice! 8)