How to Tool Custom Leather Seats
You can turn any piece of leather into a work of art by designing a pattern and then applying it to the leather. Tooling is done by carving, embossing and punching a pattern into the leather. Tooling is most often done to leather belts and handbags, but it can also be applied to leather clothing and even furniture. By custom tooling your leather seat, you can create a unique piece of furniture and a wonderful work of art.
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Things You'll Need
- Razor blade knife
- Vegetable oil-tanned unfinished leather
- Cloth
- Chalk
- Beveler
- Wooden mallet
- Textured metal plate
- Embossing wheel
- Leather dye
- Paint brush
- Stitching punch
- Needle and thick thread
Instructions
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1
Cut out the pieces of leather you will assemble over the frame of your seat using a razor blade knife. The leather should be vegetable-oil-tanned hide and should not be finished leather.
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Dampen the leather using a wet cloth. Wet leather will be easier to work with and will keep the tooled pattern better than dry leather.
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3
Mark the design for your seat onto the leather strips using a piece of chalk.
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4
Use a beveler to gently carve out the area of the pattern. Use a wooden mallet and textured metal plate to imprint the stamped pattern into the leather. You can also use an embossing wheel to press down a long pattern into the leather.
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5
Apply leather dye to the tooled pieces of leather using a brush. Apply in long even strokes and leave the leather to dry.
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Punch stitching holes along the seams of the leather using a stitching punch for leather. Place the leather strips over the seat frame and sew them into place using a needle and thick thread.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Black leather chair with a marble wall behind image by Da Vynci from Fotolia.com
