Transfering stamping/carving patterns

[Finagler]

I've done a fair amount of sewing, cloth, canvas, and leather but up to now, I've not really attempted the carving part.  I've done some free hand stamping but with a basketweave stamp so it pretty much follows it self.   My question is, once you have a pattern for stamping/carving, how do you transfer that to the leather?  Do you wet the leather first and then press the pattern into the leather with a stylus of some sort?  Do you draw it on in pencil or ink?  The beginners bok I have shows the pattern being traced onto the leather but it doesn't really say if the leather needs to be prepped or if the pencil/ink is transfered to follow the pattern.   I'm guessing the leather has to be wet first but wanted to get some feedback from the group before I start.

I've use ink to trace the outlines of patterns but the ink stays after it is cut out.   As a bonus question, what do you use to trace the outline so it doesn't show up after you cut it out but are still able to see it to follow it?

Thanks for the help.

[Rascal Ralph]

Finagler- I case my leather (having it damp) and use either a styles of ballpoint pen over the tracing paper. Buy a good grade of tracing paper, it will last several uses. It dosn't take musch pressure to transfer the pattern. Experament on a piece of scrap first. RR.

[Slowhand Bob]

Finagler, there is a relatively new product line out in the Sharpie Pens, extra fine points in an array of colors.  The 'ink' in these pens do not have the excess oil that is in standard ink pens and seems to disperse fairly well when dyed with a darker color than the ink.  You can use yellow or orange for lighter dyes, brown for darker browns/chocolate and black for black.  I actually have trouble seeing the yellow ink on plain leather before dying.  With all of this said, I do not like the idea of freehand drawing of patterns on the tooling leather and use the pens for cutting patterns only.  For carving patterns, there are techniques to be found in several books on making leather transfer 'plates', plastic tracing/transfer sheets, there are metal transfer pattern plates available on EBAY and there are the Craftaid plastic ribbed variety offered by Tandy.   They all have drawbacks and plusses but one day I invision someone improving the Craftaid idea to make it much more versatile for allowing design freedom.  You can already do a bit of custom design with these by marking and shifting to break away from the orriginal patterns limitations.

[Tommy tornado]

I just use a good old #2 pencil and tracing paper.  I trace the pattern on both side of the paper, and then put it correct side up on the leather.  After that it is a simple matter of tracing back over the pattern on the leather.  So far this method has worked for me.  Of course I do this on undyed leather. 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I got a roll of the plastic transfer sheet material. It's smooth on one side and matte on the other. The matt side takes a ball point pen nicely and the other side doesn't mark the leather or anything. The patterns last a long time with this stuff. I use a plain tipped stylus  to transfer the pattern, but a ball point pen works great, too. In a pinch, I've used those plastic sheet protectors foir three-ring binders opened out. They're basically the same stuff but more costly and you're limited to 8 1/2" x 11".

[CQMD]

There are as many ways of transferring designs as there are leather workers. The stylus or pencil is probably the best method when using paper or clear transfer material. The paper patterns will not work long as the moisture from the leather break them down quickly, the transfer material will last much longer.

Another method I use a lot is the knock off. In making saddles what is done on the near side has to be reversed on the off side as it was done exactly. The design is laid out by what ever method on one side and cut with the swivel knife into cased leather. After this the leather is allowed to fully dry. If you do not allow the leather to dry then you will mess up the cuts that you just made. After the leather is dry and the opposite side is cased you place the dry piece onto the cased one face to face. At this time I make sure that they are secured with clamps. The slightness movement with throw off the pattern. I use a good quality cobblers hammer with wide face and start pounding the back of the dry leather. This pushes a slight amount of the cased leather up into the cuts and leaves the design on the new leather just as if you had drawn it. You now re-case the first design and you are ready to start stamping both designs.

This method is great if you have one design that is used over and over. I lay out the design say for a holster, case the leather and make the cuts. The cuts include the design and pattern with the leather cut larger than the pattern calls for.  I then allow the leather to dry and make a knock off on another cased piece of leather. The second is a mirror image of the first. The second design is then my pattern for further projects. This is then dried and coats of varnish are applied to make it stiff and water proof. This is then kept for any further holster projects using the same size and design and I just knock off the pattern and design at the same time. I cut the pattern with the round knife and then cut the design with the swivel knife, do my stamping and its ready to put together.




one of the biggest things to remember is to try it out on scrap first. A new design might look good on paper but may need adjusting to make it work cut into leather.


Bobby Rose
CQMD  linkstrap.com
Cattail Creek Saddlery cattailcreeksaddlery.tripod.com

[Finagler]

Man, you guys are good.   Thanks for the great ideas. 

[Klondike]

As was said mylar tracing paper is great, use over and over, even modify the pattern if need be. But if you get repetitive, have a craftaid made, dampen the leather and rub the pattern on with a spoon. Some of the old timers I knew way back were so good they did not have a pattern per say, they just carved, mostly oak leaves and acorns, but they were excellent, especially belts.