Problems with leather-Help!

Problems with leather-Help!

Postby shorty425302 » January 3rd, 2017, 2:38 pm

leather.JPG


So I just purchased the Silver Bullet 13", specifically for the sole purpose of making leather jewelry (so somewhat intricate cuts). I am using regular old garment leather, 2.5 oz-3.5 oz, nothing weird. The problem I am having is that the leather will not stick to even the extra sticky mat. I wash it with warm water and a drop of dish soap after every piece of leather and remove all the residue per Sherri, I have tried taping the leather down to the mat with painter's tape per Sherri, and nothing works. The leather still slides around in the middle ruining all the cuts. After ruining several nice pieces of leather, I am at my wit's end. I'm sure the machine works great but if the mats can't hold my material it's useless. Please help!
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby Gigi » January 3rd, 2017, 3:50 pm

First of all, there are a gazillion types of leather and some cut much easier than others. I actually don't recall anyone posting with problems cutting leather, but there have certainly been fabric issues and the one of the resolutions was to stiffen the material. But since this leather looks so soft and pliable (and it could be the wrong leather for what you need to do - I don't know) You can also try sandwiching it in between two sheets of contact paper, as has been done with felt to get good cuts. From the looks of it, I think you either need a leather with more substance or you need to stabilize it with a washable starch (try it on a small piece). Not all fabrics are good for all things and sometimes, most times, it is about finding the proper material to get the results that you want.
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby shorty425302 » January 3rd, 2017, 5:07 pm

This is the leather I need to use, and actually I use a variety of leathers, some are more stiff and some are more pliable-the issue is that they just don't stick to the mat. When I inquired if this machine could cut leather for jewelry, I was told "Yes, we have MANY people using our machine for this and making purses, gun holsters and knife sheaths." I guess I would like to talk to those people to see how exactly they are making their leather stick to the mat.
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby Gigi » January 3rd, 2017, 11:11 pm

There are a lot of leather cutters who have posted here on the forum - you might do a search oh here to see if you can find them. You might also go through the masterpieces section as I know there are leather projects in there but it has been a while since anyone has posted - and again - I don't recall getting the leather to stick being an issue. Are you using the regular mat or the extra sticky mat? I know I spoke with someone via email about the extra sticky mat and don't remember if that was you. Sorry but I don't always connect the nickname to the real person. :)

Here is a post about cutting leather jewelry. viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5644&p=93520&hilit=cutting+leather#p93520

I did a search for leather projects and a few things came up , but there were pages of posts when I searched "cutting leather". Granted not everything will be of interest but maybe something will help (and you will see users who you can PM for more info)
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby Thyme » January 4th, 2017, 1:28 am

I've cut garment leather successfully.
I use an extra sticky mat (mine is a different mat to Sherri's as I am in the UK but I would assume they have similar properties) I recommend using the 60 plus blade and if the cuts are very detailed then I suggest two passes at a lower force. Some of the designs I have cut include square holes of 2mm so detailed cutting is definitely achievable.
One thing that makes a big difference is which way up the leather is cut, if you cut with the leather side face down then the stick on the mat will last a lot longer, if you cut with the suede side to the mat then I find that the adhesive needs to be renewed after a few cuts.
If you want to post some samples of your leather to me I will test cut them for you and see what the results are.
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby shorty425302 » January 4th, 2017, 8:47 am

Thyme cutting with the leather side down is an excellent idea! I will try that. I am using the extra sticky mat. What force & velocity are you using for the two passes?
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby Thyme » January 4th, 2017, 10:21 am

I use a 60plus blade and my leather is about 1.5mm thick. For simple shapes I use one pass at a speed of 200 and a force of 100. For small very detailed cuts I use the same speed and force but I turn off the overcut and use 2 or 3 passes. I find that I get much neater and intricate cuts this way.
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby Gigi » January 4th, 2017, 10:52 am

Thanks Dawn for helping out on this one. We all appreciate it, especially since you have cut leather and not all of us have! And great reminder to turn the material over. That even works well with some kinds of card stock which I love.

Happy New Year!
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Re: Problems with leather-Help!

Postby Thyme » January 4th, 2017, 11:04 am

You're welcome. I try to cut any thick media face down, it makes the offset more accurate.
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