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KINGSMERE CRAFTS
HAND-CRAFTED LEATHER GOODS
Hand-tools used in decorating leather
Drive punches:- The most common types are the round ones for making holes (large ones are sometimes called wad punches), and oblong ones (bag or crew punches), for making slots. Both types can be bought individually in a range of sizes or in sets of sixteen. There are also oval ones. Always remember to strike these punches with a maul which has a rawhide or polymer head on it. It will preserve your punches from being ruined, which is what would happen if you struck the punch with a metal hammer. Get about a 4 lb maul to make your job easier. A lightweight maul such as you would use for stamping a design on leather won't have the heavy impact you need to drive the punch through the leather.
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Imperial Wad Punch Kit with |
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Metric Wad Punch Kit with |
Pricking iron:- is a steel tool used to mark the position of stitches but not to completely penetrate through the leather. Every tooth has a chisel shaped tip angled at 45°. The number of teeth is determined by the width of the iron and the number of stitches to the inch. You can get them in sizes according to this ratio, numbered 4 – 12.
Pricking wheel:- is used for marking out stitch marks like the iron, but is a small wheel in a stirrup-like frame and it is rolled along the line to be hand-stitched.
Punching:-
The same basic action is used to punch with both round, and oblong, punches.
Hold the punch in the left hand and strike it firmly with a rubber-head mallet held
in the right. Hit just hard enough to completely penetrate the leather
while at the same time cutting slightly into the scrap leather placed beneath. Even if your
supporting surface is comparatively soft, the scrap underneath will help your punch last
longer. Keep the punch perfectly upright to get a clean cut. A solid
work surface will make punching much easier.
Punching will result in a small piece of leather (the bit that used to fill the hole) going somewhere. A round punch holds about four of these circles, whilst subsequent pieces will usually pop out of the slot in the side. The oblong punch holds these pieces inside, so it must be emptied now and again for it to be used successfully.
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Revolving punch, ¹/16"–¹/4" |
Pricking irons, ¹/8" and ³/32" |
Sewing palm |
Revolving punch:- is for making neat holes in leather, in size, approximately from ¹/16"–¹/4". The cutting tubes of carbon steel are screwed into a head that can be revolved, and as they are attached individually, so they can be replaced as they wear out. Tube sizes are from 00 – 7, and the best frames are of forged steel. The brass anvils are also replaceable
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Punches |
Pricking wheel |
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Sewing palm:- Made from stout vegetable-tanned leather, it slips over the palm of the hand, with a separate section for the thumb to go through, with a dimpled metal insert for pushing needles through the leather, and to prevent you getting sore fingers.
Sharpening stone:- is an absolute essential, it is usually a combination of oil stones with a coarse and fine layer bonded together. A necessity for keeping your knives sharp. Jeweller's rouge on a strop (a piece of leather flesh side up stuck to a wooden backing) can be used for finishing.
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