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View Full Version : Yet another use for Corian



Chuck Stone
03-02-2014, 8:16 PM
Playing with things again.. getting in over my head, but learning
more about what I can and can't do..

I was asked to make a sheath for a knife. I've never done anything with
leather except engrave it, but I guess I'm going to learn to sew.
But why sew plain leather when you can tool it?
(um .. because I don't know the first thing about tooling leather?)

So I set out to see if I could press it instead of tooling.
I have ZERO artistic ability. Stick figures are an aspiration, and
look like Picasso's to me. But .. I can work Photoshop and have
an idea what I'd like to see.

I wanted to try a basket weave pattern, so I created the file in Photoshop,
did about 5 passes in a piece of Corian. Then flipped the file and inverted
it, did another sheet of Corian. When I put them together face to face, they
locked. Cool! I have a positive and a negative and they match.
So I wet some leather and clamped it up. Don't know how long I should have
done it, but 15 minutes worked OK.
It opens up some possibilities for those of us who can't draw..

Bill Cunningham
03-02-2014, 8:46 PM
Cool..I've never thought of using corian to make a leather stamping die.. Hmmm one more thing to play around with.. Thanks Chuck..

Chuck Stone
03-02-2014, 9:02 PM
next project.. making a mask that looks like damascus steel..

David Somers
03-02-2014, 9:02 PM
Very creative Chuck! And a nice looking treatment for leather! As Bill said.....Cool!!

D

Scott Shepherd
03-02-2014, 9:13 PM
Very nice Chuck! Did you use the positive and negative for that one? If so, do you think you need both, or could you do with just the negative?

Chuck Stone
03-02-2014, 9:32 PM
if I had the proper leather and tools, I could probably use just the negative.
But instead of an arbor press, I used Irwin clamps. And since the leather
is treated with something (I don't know what, but it is hard and waterproof)
I wasn't sure if the pressing would take. So I used both.

Once I get my vegetable tanned stuff I can experiment a bit more and know
a bit better what to expect. For now, I'd have to file it under 'playing'..

David Somers
03-02-2014, 9:34 PM
For what it is worth, my guess would be just the top piece. Something flat that you are pressing against on the bottom side would be find. The wet leather would take the imprint if enough pressure is applied for a long enough time. This works with the stamps used in normal leather tooling and should be OK here too. Try it with a scrap Chuck and see. That would save you a bunch of effort if it worked well for you.

Dave

David Somers
03-02-2014, 9:37 PM
Chuck,

Be really careful with vegetable tanning. Especially if you use carrots. You could end up with skin tone like the speaker of a large legislative body!
<silly grin>

D

Dan Hintz
03-02-2014, 9:46 PM
Wow, that pattern really took well, Chuck. Nicely done.

Chuck Stone
03-02-2014, 10:25 PM
For what it is worth, my guess would be just the top piece. Something flat that you are pressing against on the bottom side would be find. The wet leather would take the imprint if enough pressure is applied for a long enough time. This works with the stamps used in normal leather tooling and should be OK here too.

Yes, but what sizes are typical stamps? This one was 1.5" x 6"
With that much area, I don't know if the clamps and vice will provide
a good impression with one plate.

Well .. the leather is almost dry now.. hardened up a bit.
Tomorrow I'll give it a little dye and maybe some wax and
see if it fools the eye.

Or should I try forming it around something before I do that?

Mike Null
03-03-2014, 6:56 AM
Very nice work Chuck. I've done a little leather tooling and making a lasting mark is quite easy. Making something that has artistic value is something else again.

I'd like to see the Corian pieces.

Dee Gallo
03-03-2014, 8:51 AM
I love your brain, Chuck.

Keith Outten
03-03-2014, 11:01 AM
Chuck,

Your leather project looks great. I hope it will maintain the detail over time, if so it opens up a lot of doors for similar projects.

Aaron experimented with Corian dies to emboss paper wedding announcements. He used a hydraulic press but I don't remember how well it went as I was busy with something else. I'll have to ask him if it worked ok.
.

David Somers
03-03-2014, 11:19 AM
I don't know Chuck. You might be surprised how much pressure you can apply with your clamps and a 2 x 4 turned on edge to help evenly spread the pressure along the length of the Corian. Maybe eventually switch over to some stout metal C clamps instead of the Irwin Clamps. Though those ratcheting style clamps can really apply a lot of pressure.

This really is a cool idea. Very good thinking and very nice work!! <grin>

Dave

Khalid Nazim
03-03-2014, 11:20 AM
This is great Chuck. Very creative idea!

I see varying heights on the pattern embossed on leather. Did you do some sort of 3D engraving on the corian positive/negative to achieve this effect? If not, what is causing the variance in height on the leather?

Regards
Khalid

Chuck Stone
03-04-2014, 11:14 AM
Hi Khalid .. yes, it is a 3D file.
I didn't think it would work so well with just a black/white or high/low file
so I used gradients. It just seems to have more 'structure' that way, if you
know what I mean. The test was 1.5 x 6"

So far it is holding shape after drying and some hot wax. I have another
test that has no wax and we'll see how that does. If this works, I'll have
to invest in some 'real' leather working materials

Michael Doyle
03-04-2014, 5:56 PM
That looks terrific. That is an impressive amount of depth you achieved.
I use corian for small leather embossing projects, with excellent results.
If I was going to do a project like that. I would consider engraving a cylinder, I think it might be easier to apply the required pressure.

Chuck Stone
03-04-2014, 6:26 PM
If I was going to do a project like that. I would consider engraving a cylinder,
I think it might be easier to apply the required pressure.

Believe me.. I've been thinking about that! Don't know how to make it
happen yet, but I'm looking at my neglected pasta machine and thinking
that if I could just make my own roller...

David Somers
03-04-2014, 6:40 PM
Chuck,

Did you mean pasta machine? If not....what is a pasts machine?

Personally, I vote for homemade pasta over a leather press any day!! But that is just me! Good food comes first after all!

Dave

Dan Hintz
03-04-2014, 6:54 PM
I have no doubt he meant pasta machine... 's' right next to the 'a'. I even typed "pasts" when I first wrote this post, had to go back and correct it.

Chuck Stone
03-04-2014, 6:59 PM
Of course I mean pasta!
That's what I wrote!
See? Check for yourself.
It says Pasta!

tee hee