DIY leather tool

We all know that leather is a wonderful material for making high-quality shoes and outerwear, as well as various bags, gloves, jewelry and much more. In this article, we will consider the basic tools for working with skin with your own hands. Since the first clothes of our ancestors were the skins of animals killed by them, the method of sewing outfits made of natural material remained almost unchanged. But what tools does the modern industry offer us for the independent manufacture of leather products?

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Skin marking devices

Before applying any marks, the leather flap needs to be leveled, stretched on the work surface and carefully fixed.

Important! Avoid drawing patterns with chalk, because the skin is an expensive material, and the markup in this way will not be accurate enough.

There are special two-tone pencils for working with skin, if you don’t have one, you can use a marker, felt-tip pen or a regular pen.

Important! Do not forget that you are dealing with non-waste material. Even small pieces of leather can once come in handy.

For accurate marking, experts recommend using patterns or templates. Also in the store of goods for sewing you can purchase a tailor's triangle and special rulers.

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What is sanding?

Grinding is an important and delicate process, thanks to which the skin can be given the thickness you need. In the places where parts are joined, it is necessary to uniformly reduce the density of the material, but if you do not have the material of the required thickness, you will have to grind its entire surface.

Important! It is advisable to learn this on small flaps of skin remaining after cutting the product, because in case of an error it is not a pity to throw them away after use.

For this kind of work, you will need a special tool for working with your skin with your own hands - a plexiglass stand that you need to put on the table about like a school notebook - at an angle to the edge of the table about 70 degrees:

• The skin rests on the tile with bakhtarma up, and is located closer to the front and right edges, press it firmly with the fingers of your left hand.
• With the little finger, ring and middle fingers, grab the knife from below, put your thumb on the end, and from the top in the center, press the tool with your index finger.
• The blade of the knife, index finger and forearm, in the process of grinding should be on the same line.
• Work must begin from the edges, gradually moving in the direction away from you.
• The knife should be kept with a slight slope to the right.
• Cut thin layers of skin: to do this, drive the knife parallel to the surface of the plate.

Important! Do not place the fingers of your left hand in front of the knife - so you can easily cut yourself.

• With such work, first cut off the long edges, then short, and last, if necessary, the middle.

Important! It may be difficult for beginners, but with the acquisition of experience and the availability of a good tool for working with the skin with your own hands, the procedure will not require much physical effort.

• Manufactured products can be varnished, shoe polish, mastic or beeswax. To apply them, use a special sponge or a soft cloth, and then polish the surface with a patch of flannel, which will protect the future product from contamination.

Important! To fix the color of the painted product, it is recommended to cover it with a layer of varnish for the skin or egg yolk.

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How to cut the material?

Sharp scissors and a knife will help you successfully cut leather materials. For this purpose, you can use a boot, wallpaper or clerical knife, a medical scalpel is also suitable. Scissors need to have at least three pairs:

• To cut straight lines or cut thick skin - tailors are large.
• For rounding - medium sized scissors.
• For cutting small details - small manicure.

Important! It is best to start cutting with straight lines, because a knife can be cut until the skin is fixed, and then, having disconnected, it can be cut in bends.

Today on sale there are special tool kits for sewing leather with their own hands, which can be purchased as a complete set.

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How to stitch the skin?

Working with leather at home can involve sewing products in one of two ways:

• manual;
• mechanical.

Sewing leather mechanically

At the enterprises that are engaged in the professional manufacture of leather products, there are special sewing machines. Such equipment is more powerful than conventional home counterparts, and is also equipped with two, three, and tetrahedral needles.

One of the most important problems of home sewing is the fact that the skin does not glide well under the foot, because this can lead to distortions, wrinkles, as well as rupture of the thread. Some craftswomen try to independently deal with such problems with the help of the following tricks:

• lubricate the skin with soap;
• add a newspaper;
• pull the material over the edge.

So they try to help the sewing machine. However, our advice to you - do not save on trifles, but buy a special roller foot and a set of faceted needles. Such devices will help protect your product from unnecessary problems and make the work with your own skin pleasant and convenient.

Manual sewing leather

The sewing method depends on the material you are going to process:

• if the leather material is dense, use an awl or boot hook;
• if it is thinner, you can use a regular sewing needle.

Important! To protect your hands, do not forget to use a thimble.

Also, special attention should be paid to the choice of threads, because not every thread is suitable for processing leather. So, it is worth abandoning the use of cheap synthetic or kapron materials. It is best to use cotton or linen threads.

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Skin bonding technology

Correct skin bonding is carried out in several stages:

1. Stripping is performed first.
2. The material is degreased.
3. On the prepared surface of the material, the desired layer of glue is applied.
4. The applied substance should dry.
5. Again a small amount of adhesive is applied.
6. Details tightly pressed against each other.
7. The glued product is placed under the press for a specified time.

Important! If a gap is detected on the material you use, then it can be sealed with tape, however, this is only a temporary measure.

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Stock footage

There is still a large number of auxiliary tools for processing leather with your own hands - curly punches and patterned stigmas, electric burner, etc. Such tools can be tried to make yourself, but it’s more profitable and easier to go to the store and purchase them. If you plan to do more than one thing from the skin, they will definitely come in handy.