Vanguard Leather Stunts

Vanguard Leather Stunts By A. A. ANDERSON Scout Executive, Timpanogos Council Leather Stamping First Step ONE of the most fascinating of simple handicrafts is leather stamping, especially if every step from the making of stamping tools to dressing up the finished article is followed in de- tail. The wide variety of articles that can be made and decorated adds to its attraction. Belts, camera cases, ax and knife sheaths, first aid kits, archery quiv- ers, arm guards, blotter corners, photograph mounts, bill folds, purses, bag tag holders and watch fobs are projects in this art. Making Tools for Leather Stamping \AATERIAL and Tools: 20 • •■ penny common wire nails, one 8 in. flat mill file, one No. 4 jeweler's three-cornered file, one jeweler's rat-tail file. One center punch. Procedure: If a vise is not avail- able, drive the nail into a good sized stick of wood or a stump of convenient height. (Fig. 2.) Use the flat mill file to shape the nail head into the outside dimen- sions; be sure to work the head down to small shapes or your work will be out of proportion and look bad. The No. 4 jewel- er's file is used to work the fine lines into the face of the stamp. The rat-tail file is used to shape the hollow rounding lines on the stamps. When the stamp is fin- ished it may be removed from the Fid -a- F/ri-3- wood with a pair of pliers. (Fig. 3.) 'T'HE stamping tools used in decorating articles shown in Fig. 1 are six in number. (See Fig. 4.) A — pine tree; B — shell; TTiE pine-tree and the shell' stamps, (A and B in Fig. 4) have a wide variety of uses. As a border decoration along outside lines on belts, camera cases and other decorated areas requiring a border effect, also as rosettes many C — basket weave; D — three dot; E — one dot; F — star. While there is a much greater variety of stamps made these six will com- prise a good all-round working set to start with. Method of shaping and filing the nails illustrated in Fig. 5. FtGS- combinations are possible, such as: represented on the articles illus- trated in Fig. 1 . Fig. 6 also shows combinations. Rosette (B) is produced by stamping nine inside the circle and nine outside the cir- cle. Rosette (D) is made by stamping twelve impressions, six inside and six outside alternately. The basket-weave design shown in panels C, and F, if carefully done and properly lined will have a woven pattern which is very ef- fective for designs needed for cov- ering considerable space. The star stamp (F in Fig. 4) is used for terminating the inter- section of a double creased border. (See Fig. 6.) The three dot background" stamp (D in Fig. 4) is used in- carved ornamentation for stamp-

338 The Improvement Era for March, 1930 r/ff-7- ing down the back-ground surface of the leather which makes the design and initials stand out as shown in Fig. 7. The back-ground stamp one dot (E, in Fig. 4) is useful in making initials having corners of less than a right angle as found in letters, A, M, N, V, W, X, Y, '"THE creased design , (shown in ■*• sketches A, E, F, G, H, Fig. 6) are made with a creaser or tracer, made from a nut-pick or a piece of hard wood worked into a blunt knife-like shape. This meth- od of decoration may be used alone or with stamped designs. The lines are first traced with pen- cil and ruler, then made deeper by- retracing when the leather is moist so that a lasting impression results. (See Fig. 8.) the end of a corset steel or other hard metal. Moisten leather with water using only such amount as will be readily absorbed, as leath- er too moist will not retain impres- sions permanently. Round the beveled edge with the creaser. Sketch G, Fig. 10. A good creaser may be made out of a nail by ham- mering and filing it into shape in- dicated in sketches A to F, in Fig. 10. V ^ 131 3} A 8 t^r^nZ> — ' G C D E P FIG 8 [^EATHER to be stamped should be as moist as specified in the creasing operation. If the water oozes out when the stamps are ap- plied, it is too wet and should be laid aside until water has disap- peared. For stamping the leather should be placed on a smooth, hard sur- face which will not dent under the stamping tool. A slab of marble is excellent; hard wood is also suitable. Use a wooden mal- let to strike the stamp in making impressions. A metal hammer will mushroom the stamps and spoil your work. Drive the stamp- ing tool into the leather to a depth that will give a clear impression, but not so deep as to cut it. Third Step Coloring HT HE surface decoration of the leather should be completed before making application to the design or background. The sur- face should be slightly moistened before applying the color. Liquid dye or a wash of water color paint may be applied with a soft camel's hair brush. Permit each application to dry before suc- cessive ones are made. Experiment with scraps of leather till the de- sired shade is obtained. Polish when dry with soft flannel cloth. (Fig. 11) Dennison's colored sealing wax liquified in wood alcohol makes good coloring effect on leather. Ap- ply with a soft camel's hair brush, let dry and repeat the application until desired shade is obtained. When dry polish with soft flannel cloth. (Fig. 11) A/S-// . Bibliography: Handbook of Craft- work ($.50), Lester Griswold 623 Park Terrace, Colorado Springs, Colo. ; Leath- ercraft ($.10), Graton 8 Knight Co., Worchester, Mass.; Leatherwork ($.85), Mickle, Manual Arts Press, Peoria, 111.; Leathercraft and Leatherwork Merit Badge Pamphlets ($.20) each. Boy Scouts of America, 2 Park Avenue, New York City. Second Step TW"ITH the tools now made, the next step is leather and its preparation for stamping. Cow- hide strap leather, sometimes call- ed light saddle skirting, is best for stamping. Tooling calf is also good if a heavy quality is used, but with the latter care must be taken not to stamp too deep and cut through. In making belts, camera cases, sheaths and similar articles, place the leather on a table or other level hard surface and remove the up- per edge on the strap with a bev- eler as in Fig. 9. Beveler can be made by filing a sharp notch in Leisure Hours T\7 HAT shall America do with ** her increasing spare time? As working hours grow shorter, what opportunities shall our towns and cities offer to help people use their leisure to the wisest and hap- piest advantage? Children are growing up to a new world. How can the school and the community best train them not only for vo- cations, but for hobbies and recre- ational interests that will stay with them through life? How much and what kind of guidance in play will best help both grown-ups and children to find self-expression through activi- ties for their spare hours? At the 16th National Recreation Cong- ress, held recently, six hundred del- egates exchanged their ideas and experiences. They included not only professional recreation direc- tors, but educators, social workers, public officials, and men and wom- en of many professions who are serving on recreation boards or otherwise advancing the movement for public play in their communi- ties. (Continued on page 360)