Hi all! I’m new to the forum, and I just have to say thanks for all the wealth of information! I appreciate everyone sharing the things that went well…and not so well
I’ve been working on some prototypes for guitar straps. I’ve always been a fan of Souldier straps (handmade in Chicago), but they’re pricy and I have 18 guitars. Yeah…I might have a problem.
So this was the mock-up, cut and tooled with traditional means.
This is where I am now after redesigning the pattern in Adobe Illustrator. All I have to say is…WOW!! 1.5 minutes to cut a pair of strap ends, complete with holes for sewing. Multiply that by 18, and I just added years to my life!
I’m also working on a logo- I plan to sell these from my online shop. Jive Ramono is something my dad used to say, and his nickname was Pike (hence the fish) He taught me to play guitar and always wanted me to learn leather work. Thought it would be a nice tribute
I’m debating between etched (right) or embossed (left) leather emblems
Those are great! One thing you can do with a laser is have both cut and tooling.
If you have the design at a light score you could also cut or engrave exactly the same design in Delrin and shape a stamp that would exactly match. What’s more it can be much more detailed than you would want to do by hand
Awesome- thanks so much for the tips! I like the idea of the Delrin design stamp. Still figuring out the arbor press (just picked it up a couple days ago) and how to get nice even pressure for embossing. I need to get a longer lever…
Thank you for that! He was an amazing guy. It’s been 13 years since he left this place to jam somewhere else, but I keep his love, laughter, and music close always
Quick update regarding leather impressions. I’ve tried different methods and found a clear winner!
I just got this machine in the mail- it’s called an Xcut Xpress, and it was originally intended to be a die cutting machine for crafters. Printmakers have adopted it as an inexpensive tabletop etching press (I’m reeeeally looking forward to some glowforge assisted printmaking!!)
So here are results of the leather stamp mock-up with various means of stamping. I’m looking forward to getting some Delrin & seeing if I can get a deeper emboss on the words.
Thanks! Yes, I think any of those would work great for leather. I chose the Xcut specifically for the printmaking applications, but it’s not as readily available in the US as the others. (Got mine on eBay & it’s also available from the Home Shopping Network)
I like that it has a dial to control the width between the rollers. I believe the cuttlebug and big shot are adjusted by adding material to the bed- but I haven’t used them myself so not quite sure. They’re both a little less expensive than the Xcut, and the cuttlebug is nice and small…uh oh…I’m talking myself into more gadgets…
Those look awesome, I’m torn between the emboss and the etch. I like how the emboss looks but I like that the etch provides some contrast. I may have to get one of those XCut now. The Glowforge and the XCut could have saved me so much time when I was making luggage tags as wedding favors two years ago. I was really hoping back then to get the Glowforge on time. I’m still happy with the Glowforge even though shipment was delayed.
I guess I’m thinking more in production terms. I like the engraved. You could even name your guitars. (Doesn’t everyone secretly want their own “Lucille”?)
Welcome to the forum! Your work is wonderful - I especially love the embossed logo and the story behind it. Can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve.
