The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - New pancake hot off the stove for my Colt SA

HighValleyRanch · December 16, 2010, 10:45 PM

Hi Lashlaroe,
Here are some tips to help on your carving.
I do the predrawing on some regular bond paper, and use my scanner to work up the sketches to add details but save it as I go along. That way I can make changes, cut and paste with the copies.

Then I wet the leather with spray. Only get it wet enough so that it is darker, and then it start to dry, but before it turns light again. When the leather is still slightly dark, i put the drawing over the carving area and trace the major cut lines. The pen or pencil indents the moist leather enough so that you have the clear cut patter. No need to add all the little details, as you work those in at the end. Just the major outlines and needed reference points.

Once the imbedded lines are in the leather, it's just a matter of using the swivel leather knife to cut the leather. I use a 1/4 inch slant knife and cut fairly deep, depending on the thickness of the leather I am working.
Cut all of your original tracing lines and now you have a pretty good start.

Next I choose either to stamp the back ground and use the beveling tool to contour. Keep track of what is in front and what goes behind when using the beveling tool. With all of the cut lines, it is easy to forget the relationships of the front and behinds. I found that it is not necessary to bevel to lower the background with the beveling tool before stamping the background texture. You can do both at the same time. I use a small triangle ahape background texture tool for most of it. Remember that the stamping of the background ends up with the dark contrast needed for the carving to stand out. I have a few other background tools as the antique swirls in the bearcat holster. Once most of the background is stamped and lowered, it is a matter of contouring and beveling and using some of the embossing tools for depth. I go back and do the stem cuts on the flowers, hair lines on the animals, whiskers, etc. with the swivel knife for the end details.

When the leather is perfect for carving, it will be fairly light, but as you carve, the beveling will cause the leather to darker from the burnishing and the stamping and any tool work will darken the leather.

I still have a lot to learn about the finishing. Still no happy with some of my results, and the carving can disappear with a black finish, or at least only be a subtle part of the piece. Just depends how much you want the carving to stand out. Myself, I don't like the leather too light, and prefer the carving to be something that people notice as a after thought detail, rather than the main thing. The whole look of the holster is more important to me than the actual carving detail.

GOOD LUCK,
DON'T HESITATE TO ASK ME MORE, AS I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE ANYTHING I CAN.

Here is a good color rendition of the two holsters.
My buddy is going to give his fiance the finished bearcat holster i made for her lending me her gun for over a month. I just dang felt so guilty for keeping it so long, i had to do something for her. He wrapped it up and put in under the tree (from me and the wife). It is just like the cross draw in this photo, but is made for strong side foward cant and does not have the studs and is slightly smaller, but still the "slim pancake" design.

(Billy Jack Leather is the name I am using for now for my leather work)

HVR

December 16, 2010, 10:45 PM	#41
HighValleyRanch Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2005 Posts: 4,066	Hi Lashlaroe, Here are some tips to help on your carving. I do the predrawing on some regular bond paper, and use my scanner to work up the sketches to add details but save it as I go along. That way I can make changes, cut and paste with the copies. Then I wet the leather with spray. Only get it wet enough so that it is darker, and then it start to dry, but before it turns light again. When the leather is still slightly dark, i put the drawing over the carving area and trace the major cut lines. The pen or pencil indents the moist leather enough so that you have the clear cut patter. No need to add all the little details, as you work those in at the end. Just the major outlines and needed reference points. Once the imbedded lines are in the leather, it's just a matter of using the swivel leather knife to cut the leather. I use a 1/4 inch slant knife and cut fairly deep, depending on the thickness of the leather I am working. Cut all of your original tracing lines and now you have a pretty good start. Next I choose either to stamp the back ground and use the beveling tool to contour. Keep track of what is in front and what goes behind when using the beveling tool. With all of the cut lines, it is easy to forget the relationships of the front and behinds. I found that it is not necessary to bevel to lower the background with the beveling tool before stamping the background texture. You can do both at the same time. I use a small triangle ahape background texture tool for most of it. Remember that the stamping of the background ends up with the dark contrast needed for the carving to stand out. I have a few other background tools as the antique swirls in the bearcat holster. Once most of the background is stamped and lowered, it is a matter of contouring and beveling and using some of the embossing tools for depth. I go back and do the stem cuts on the flowers, hair lines on the animals, whiskers, etc. with the swivel knife for the end details. When the leather is perfect for carving, it will be fairly light, but as you carve, the beveling will cause the leather to darker from the burnishing and the stamping and any tool work will darken the leather. I still have a lot to learn about the finishing. Still no happy with some of my results, and the carving can disappear with a black finish, or at least only be a subtle part of the piece. Just depends how much you want the carving to stand out. Myself, I don't like the leather too light, and prefer the carving to be something that people notice as a after thought detail, rather than the main thing. The whole look of the holster is more important to me than the actual carving detail. GOOD LUCK, DON'T HESITATE TO ASK ME MORE, AS I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE ANYTHING I CAN. Here is a good color rendition of the two holsters. My buddy is going to give his fiance the finished bearcat holster i made for her lending me her gun for over a month. I just dang felt so guilty for keeping it so long, i had to do something for her. He wrapped it up and put in under the tree (from me and the wife). It is just like the cross draw in this photo, but is made for strong side foward cant and does not have the studs and is slightly smaller, but still the "slim pancake" design. (Billy Jack Leather is the name I am using for now for my leather work) HVR __________________ From the sweet grass to the slaughter house; From birth until death; We travel between these two eternities........from 'Broken Trail"