First Leather Project on the Glowforge

[Tim_Ung]

That’s a great question. Based on my current process, it takes about 20 minutes per wallet from cutting the side of leather to finishing the edges.

[nathan_burley]

Wow, that’s really good. You’ve obviously got it down to a bit of an art - stitching particularly! Impressed, sir.

[dinaneem]

amazing! love the leather… can you tell us where you sourced it from?

[Tim_Ung]

Thank you! Yes, I get my leather from a company in Maine called Acadia Leather. They source their leather from a larger group called Tasman Leather, which is one of the largest tanneries in USA. Great quality leather and customer service.

[jbaia]

what string and needles do you recommend for a first timer for veg. leather.

[Tim_Ung]

There’s a standard leather stitching needle that you would use for all leather projects. In terms of the thread, you’ll have to decide based on what your design. If you’re making a large item like a tote bag, I’d recommend using a medium to thicker thread. If you’re making a smaller item like wallets and pouches, a thin thread will work. It all depends on the aesthetic of your product. Good luck!

[dan]

Definitely not what I was expecting for a first project. You hit the ground running! Thanks for sharing your process with us all.

[dave5]

Tim,
I’ve read through the whole post hoping to find an answer to a simple question. Do you know of a way to finish the leather after engraving/cutting so that the burnt material doesn’t smear all over the leather with handling?

[geek2nurse]

I just wipe off the edges with a soft rag before starting any finishing.

[dave5]

Well, that wasn’t really the question. The edges aren’t a problem. I am engraving on the piece and that is what is smudging the piece.

You mention “finishing” - what do you use to finish the leather?

Thanks

[geek2nurse]

@dave5

I am engraving on the piece and that is what is smudging the piece.

Ah. I use masking paper to prevent that.

@dave5

what do you use to finish the leather?

I’m pretty much still a beginner with leather, so you might not want to totally rely on me, but here are some posts with the finishes I’ve used:

Leather Day

I played with leather today. People at work have been asking for bracelets with words on them. They didn’t really say WHAT words, so I just came up with some. Then, of course, I had to figure out how to finish them. (Before you read any farther you should know that I know absolutely nothing about working with leather, so I’m pretty much making it up as I go along.) There’s a recipe using rusted steel wool and vinegar that supposedly makes a really nice black on leather, but since it actually …

Leather Feathers

Some of them are metallic acrylics, and some are regular acrylics with shimmery alcohol ink highlights, and some are all alcohol inks.

Acrylic paint on leather safe?

Acrylic works great on leather, and it’s fine to paint and then cut. Alcohol inks also work well. One of my favorites for gray / black on leather is to soak 000 steel wool in apple cider vinegar for a few days until it disintegrates, then paint the liquid onto the leather. [IMG_1696] The bracelet with the cutouts was colored using the vinegar mixture. The “Resist” bracelet was too, but then I topped it with some pewter-colored alcohol ink to give it a metallic sheen. I finished both of them…

"Fleather" Bracelet

I haven’t made any of these in a while. This one was a custom order. I like how it turned out! [IMG_2708] [IMG_2709]

[connieshearing]

Nice!

[ekla]

Try masking tape well burnished (lint roller even) or silly putty. Might take a couple passes depending on your engraving.

[tony.deno]

Wondering what settings you used to cut these, and did you use masking tape, mine looks a little burnt around the edges. Any tips you could offer a newbe?

Thanks!

[Tim_Ung]

Hi Tony,

Great question - check out this post and let me know if you still have questions!

Good luck!
Tim

[chroni]

Confirmed on the acrylic paint.

I was chatting with the guy at Tandy. I was about to buy some expensivish leather acrylic paint… he said to just use regular latex acrylic. This what I have been using on my wallets - and they wear quite well.

And the paint is cheap.

[aktcw.gomes]

Amazing !

[alicialong]

@Tim_Ung I’m curious about the design process for your wallets. I’m working in AI as well, and I’m wondering how far apart your stitch holes are and what size they are. I usually do a dotted line with a specific point size and distance between dots when I’m cutting something similar. TIA!

[deirdrebeth]

Tim hasn’t been around for quite a while, so he may not see your message.

The holes in leather depend on the floss and needle you’re using. Using waxed thread and a Tandy Leather stitching needle my holes are 1.5-1.6mm diameter (they’re also slightly oblong, but only that .1mm difference.)

My distance between is just more than double the hole diameter - about 3.3mm.

I also use a dotted line, and then enlarge the dots to be holes - but I use Inkscape so my specific method won’t help in AI!

[alicialong]

Thanks @deirdrebeth !