Blog post 2-Material preparation for projects post 1 of 5
Blog post 2-Material preparation for projects 1
So what is material preparation and why is it important? The next set of blogs will discuss my interpretation of material preparation based on the people who inspired me in Blog Post 1 and other sources.
I have taken many jewelry classes and there is minimal material preparation discussions hence this blog post. In order to make wearable, long lasting jewelry you must treat/prepare your materials prior to use. This is as important as the design and making of the item. In many cases you can get away with not preparing the materials to save time but adding these extra steps will make your items more durable so highly recommended to do preparation.
Leathers
Use conditioners/protectants on all leather including leather cording prior to use. Conditioners/protectants keep the leather soft and supple and helps prevent the leather from becoming stiff and brittle especially if exposed to a lot of sweat, rain or other types of moisture.
I make various macramé bracelets, leather cuffs, leather bracelets, leather earrings and I treat all my leather prior to use. One crucial item to remember is you cannot use one conditioner/protector for all the various leathers available. For example what you use for suede will not work for reptile hides.
There are many opinions on what to use and what I have found is as the artist you need to pick what is best for the projects you create. I have researched, gathered recommendations and experimented with various types and here is a partial list of what I use and they work on most Leathers except for Suede and NuBuck.
Note: Important to test on a test piece prior to use. If you are going to be applying any glue to the leather, I recommend gluing prior to applying the treatment since at times it affects the effectiveness of glue.
· Refined odorless Jojoba Oil-I mainly use if a customer makes a request for addition of an essential oil. It blends well with them. Important to test on a test piece of the leather due to its effect on the color of the leather.
· Natural Beeswax- Need to ensure it is natural beeswax not one that has a lot of fillers. This is by far my most used item for all types of cord and leathers. Many benefits in addition to protecting the leather. It makes it easier to work with leather cording. For leather punch tools allows the punch to penetrate much easier.
· Pure Neatsfoot oil- Another must have but only need a small amount. I use this often but mainly on dark leather since it does usually darken the leather.
· Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP 4oz - Preserves and Protects –I use this primarily on leather cording.
· Leather Rescue Leather Conditioner and Restorer brand-This is great for large leather projects like purses, bags, and clothing. I also use it on my shoes that I wear.
· Tandy Leather Eco-Flo Super Shene-Protects and creates a great shine on your leather. Also great to seal paint on leather.
· BickMore Exotic-I use this on all my exotic leather and besides softening, it protects against the peeling effect.
Next blog will be material preparation focusing on cording.