Replies

1. 
   bettyw_ | Apr 15, 1999 07:12pm | #1

   *
   I think alot depends on how it was tanned. I read a book with my husband "Voyage of the Breandan" (sp). It was about sailing and building boats out of leather. As I remember there was some very good information on leather. my husband was fascinated with it. He even bought a sewing palm to play with.

1. 
   sally_webster | Apr 15, 1999 09:54pm | #2

   *Think you're right Betty. The book I have talks about *vegetable* tanned leather. Bet there is not much of that around these days. By the way, what's a sewing palm?

1. 
   bettyw_ | Apr 15, 1999 10:55pm | #3

   *A sewing palm is a hard leather strap that circles your between the thumb and index finger and the pinky side. At the base of the thumb there is a piece of steel sewing in the leather that is used as a thimble but you use the force of your hand to drive the large needles in to the canvas or leather guiding the needle with your thumb and index finger. Sailing books have pictures. They need to fitting to your hand by soaking them in water and then wrapping it tight to your hand and letting it dry. When they are fitted it is secure and prevent the needles from slipping into the palm of your hand. I have aquired it now and use it for finishing canvas chair seats where the machine will be over worked. It is neat for thick stuff...

1. 
   Judy_Beaton | Apr 16, 1999 11:57pm | #4

   *Hi Sally,I have been trying to remember where I saw instruction for moulding leather. I finally got it.It was at the HUGE and wonderful site for costume makers called The Costume Page. Page? It's more like a tome! The address for the medieval armour page is:http://members.aol.com/nebula5/tcpmake2.html#howto-armorThere you will see instructions for moulding leather using hot wax. You could probably use this technique if you first make a plaster or paper maché base for your mask. I would imagine that this would make a mask with a very lovely burnished texture.The home page address for the site is:http://members.aol.com/nebula5/costume.html#tocHowever, I warn you, -this is one of those sites where one can spend hours!By the way, you don't happen to live in Weatherfield do you? Chuckle!

1. 
   go_fowler | Apr 19, 1999 10:09pm | #5

   *Tandy Leather has kits for masks,using this wetting process and I'm sure they have books too. They sell leather hides and tooling, garment leather. Looks like fun!

2. 
   go_fowler | Apr 19, 1999 10:11pm | #6

   *Tandy Leather has kits for masks,using this wetting process and I'm sure they have books too. They sell leather hides and tooling, garment leather. Looks like fun!

3. 
   Maura | May 05, 1999 06:50am | #7

   *Friends of mine have used the waxed leather process to make armor (I'm into re-enactment). It didn't sound hard, but they weren't trying to make intricate shapes. If you leave a wax hardened item in a hot car, it will soften and reshape itself, though for armor that is easily fixed. I saw someone on TV making fancy leather masks. I missed how his leather was tanned, but he sprayed the area he planned to work with water until it was soppy, then used a hairdryer mounted on a stand to dry it with high heat while he shaped it with his fingers.