I think one or both are edgers but I haven't gotten past stamping with a camouflager yet. Now lets take a good look at the result. We all know that having a good quality leatherworking slab is important as it affects the quality of a leatherworkers craft. So when I'm really ready to do my swivel knive work, I just remove the 12x12 in. Im looking to build a simple tooling workbench, and would probably be content to have my marble slab resting on top. It probably weights about 20lbs. And thats all there is to it, now lets see whether or not it is an improvement. Not only did you get yourself a couple of pieces that look like they will do fine, you also demonstrated that you are a good person. What do you think? Sometimes, the leatherworker would also apply dyes to enhance the appearance of the leather hide. Maybe a dumb question to someone used to building stuff, but as a beginner: would the design of this bench change significantly if the recessed portion was dropped? So plan B, which should have been plan A was to use the track saw on a track and gently ease into the cut, getting as close as possible to the drilled holes. It can withstand consistent striking and close contact to the leatherworking tools. After cutting butt stitch it up using a regular saddle stitch, but instead going from front to back, go from side to side. Granites rock formation is more compact and solid compared to marble. The why includes 4 stitches! True butcher blocks are glued together with the end grain facing up. What follows is the story of how I came upon them, so no one needs read it, but this is what I found. But its also expensive. There are times that we strike the leather a bit too hard and we wonder if the slab can handle it. Should I buy a thicker block of granite, such as the 3 one you used? Leatherworkers use a slab for several reasons, mainly for protecting the surface of their work tables and workstations while they are busy honing their craft or working on some leather pieces. I attached the top to the apron using small L-brackets placed in the center of the table. Cutting granite is also challenging since it is so hard and tough, but these properties are exactly why I chose granite over marble. I have heard a lot of bad things about the chincy tools in the kits so I'm glad I put off buying them as long as I did. I'm going to go to a stone place I know of near me and I'll take whatever scrap piece they'd be willing to give me, but given a choice And what's a good size if I'm not making a whole table out of it? I also used a little help from some store-bought 1/32 plastice wedges placed under the legs to balance everything. Heres a closer view of how the granite block fit. Then I mark where the stitches have to go. Paste as plain text instead, Take a look in a Cemetery at the older marble stones the names and dates will be hard to read because their worn so bad and that's just from the weather. The result doesnt need to be a shiny polished surface, but all the sharpness needs to be gone to prevent the granite scratching the leather. Marble slabs come in so many colors from the usual white to black to gray and even green and light blue. I dont punch the hole chisels all the way through because later Im going to cut all the stitching holes individually at an angle, since this is going to be butt stitched. The leatherworker will not experience any bounce or whatsoever to the striking tools. The white marble has some scratches on it (it was in a dumpster after all) but I think it's ok for leatherworking, no? It's certainly a place to start! It can be a bit tricky at first, but just give it a go and you will get the hang of it. http://www.leatherworker.net/Bob%20Park/Casing%20Leather.pdf. It is now officially a leather tooling table / tank. As you can see, its finished. All I have right now is a stylus and swivel knife from Tandy and they're good enough for what I need them for. I did not get a kit. Marble might be heavier than granite slabs but we can assure everyone that we can see ourselves using the same marble slab for the years to come. I am a guy from the Netherlands who speaks bad English with an even worse Dutch accent. Buckaroo equipment, helping and getting told off usually. I can put this last into the piece and then flatten the stitches without damaging the piece. They work better with an angle built in. Life is easy now! Hi Zach, thats a good question actually and if you are putting a heavy marble slab on top you want to make sure you do it right the first time! Granite is much better than marble because it requires not a lot of maintenance, is heat resistant, and is much more durable than marble. But dont forget that the main topic of this video was finding a cheap piece of granite and cutting it to size to be able to do all the other stuff. So I find another place not far from here. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Thanks for clarifying. He did it in a PDF file so you can download it and print for your file. Yep, that dark one looks about like what I got. Mike516, January 1, 2012 in Getting Started. I have to work on my depth which is much better than it was and proper casing which I'm not totally clear on how to do properly. A nick on the tip of the swivel knife blade sure would make a difference. Oh and needles, books and what not. Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tony Needs Hobbies. I asked her if they had any broken pieces, anything they were throwing out I could buy and she tells me this was scrap she's talking about, they sell everything. I may try posting some pics and see if someone can tell me what they're for. So I ask for a small piece of scrap granite, marble, whatever they have. Even though marble is a very durable material for leatherworking slabs, none can ever match the durability of granite as a leatherworking slab. Wow, never imagined such a fast response! I guess that is what happens when we have limited space or budget and have to squezee the juice, its not going to be perfect in all areas. Marble slabs are known to handle the striking from the mallet to the leather tools due to its very hard and solid composition. One can easily go to the nearest Home Depot and ask if they have marble or granite cutouts they can buy for cheap or get for free. For example, if someone spills some chemicals on it, the spill would be noticeable because of marbles paler colors. In this video I am going to try leather carving and tooling for the very first time. There's actually 2 tools in the set I'm not really sure what they are. What Im making will be a coffee sleeve to fit reusable Starbucks cups to shield the heat and provide grip. I have this beautiful half hide of deer tanned cow that I want to make moccasin boots out of but I am afraid to cut it. Some people prefer using marble as a slab for their leatherworking projects. By Of course, the leatherworker is responsible for preparing the slab they got for free in the hardware store, which is a good price to pay for a high quality slab they can use for their craft. It is way too big and heavy, 35 kilograms, so it has to be cut into a more usable size. Now I tried two new skills for the very first time today: carving and tooling leather and butt stitching. What color is the "micro fine? The track saw made easy work of cleaning up my first unfortunate cut with the other saw. Oh by the way, would you change anything now after you have worked at this table for a while? Granite provides the leatherworker assurance that it will not break down or sustain any damage because of the chemicals being applied to the leather on top of it. She comes back and tells me she can cut me a piece from scrap unfinished granite 2" thick 2'x2' for $250! Let me know in the comments. Your link has been automatically embedded. I don't have any heavy duty tools so I couldn't cut it myself. If you got a kit, I recommend watching the DVD if yours came with one or go onto Tandy's site and click the banner for "80 free how to videos" I think these "foreign made" stamps in the kits have an issue with being flimsy from what I've read here so holding them properly will help keep them from bending and breaking. I use a 1 3/8" piece of 12" x 24" piece of granite I picked up at a place that makes counter tops, it was in their scrap pile and I paid $20.00. My name is Tony. Now its time to try out another totally new skill to me, which is butt stitching, where you stitch the edges together without leaving a line of stitches at the back. Im going for 30 by 40 centimeters, or 12 by 16 inches, that I mark with a thick marker that will be easily visible during cutting. I'm pretty sure they're sink cut-outs so that's probably about the size they all were in there. Aside from its known durability, granite is also more heat resistant compared to marble. Whatever type of stone you want to use Mike. Display as a link instead, Either way, it is a must to have a slab for reducing inertia and putting the leather in place. Yes I would probably re-think the two center legs in front just below the tooling block. I went to a couple of granite/marble places and right away, first place I go to, I find the Grinch that stole Christmas. The things I like to do are very random so I try to try out as many hobbies and crafts as possible and take you with me on that journey by making these videos. Good luck! After tooling and drying its time to prepare the edges. Granite easily wins in this one because it has a lot more advantages than marble. This makes it an ideal material for shock absorption underneath punching, stamping and cutting tools. Almost anything is better than the 3/16" piece of Masonite that Tandy sold and I'm sure a lot of us started out with. Thanks Chuck, I bought that block several years back on the big online retailer whos name is unmentionable here. Marble countertops last a long time for a reason, and that also applies to marble slabs in leatherworking. Your previous content has been restored. Lets see how that turns out. We will also discuss the advantages of using granite as a slab for leatherworking. Thank you all again for the advice. It was a manmade product that was cement based, looked like granite. Certainly not as chincy as these ones from the kit I got recently. Thats it for now. Most leatherworkers want a slab that does not require them to spend a lot of time in maintaining it, so granite is the more suitable choice for this one. It is also sturdy and gets little damage from long time use. Both are made of rocks, but granite is more durable than marble. Hi Mr. Lentz! YES! The tools are obviously well used but they're in pretty decent condition and certainly good enough for a beginner. The marble slab sitting on the working table can effectively enhance the overall appearance of the workstation by several notches. I couldn't find an answer to my question so I figured I'd just ask; What's better for a stable surface to work on, granite or marble? And no I am not sponsored by any of the tools shown on these posts! I would like to thank you for watching. You can mar the surface of marble with steel tools. She says to me; "you mean you want me to cut you a 1 foot square from one of my big slabs out there?" To cut the final inch or so on each edge I used a fine tooth hand saw. Thats where the angle grinder comes in. The darker the granite, the more dense it will be, the stronger it will be. I use a 6" grave stone turned over for my tooling, I went to a grave stone maker and asked for one that was scrap (misspelled name) and bough it for $10.00. Thank you very much. I am looking to build a workbench like this, and I have a piece of granite that is ~1/3 thick, if I were to use a router to inlay it into the butcher block, would that be strong enough for hole punching, or would I need to worry about the granite cracking? It is important to remember that this tip is to prevent the additional price and struggles in shipping for the granite or marble slab. I am not sure myself, but I would try posting that question in a woodworking forum like sawmillcreek.org there seems to be a lot of experienced people on that forum. If you did, then let me know by hitting the like button and please also consider subscribing to the channel for more content like this in the future. It doesnt look fantastic yet but its going in the right direction and cut me some slack, this is my very first attempt. Any brand will do. I haven't learned to stamp yet, so I'm just practicing cutting straight lines, half circles and esses on a couple of really small pieces of scrap right now. The best natural stone for that purpose is either marble or granite. Meanwhile this leather, which was soaked in water to prepare for stamping, has to dry for 24 hours before the next step, edge finishing and butt stitching. Then I will make a coffee sleeve, suitable for reusable Starbucks coffee cups. 3. But it's heavy like 30#'s for a 19x17 oval 1" thick, and hard it sounds like your hitting a steel plate when your working. It is also a good option for those who appreciate aesthetics in workstations. (No bounce at all) My husband went to a granite counter top place and got me a sink cut for free. The white one with the scratches can be a pattern weight if you want. Ooh, and while youre still here, there are two other videos right there and there that might be interesting for you too. I start with 40 grit, move up to 100 grit and finish with 240 grit. Granite and marble are two very durable materials. Which One Is The Better Leatherworking Slab? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Building a Leather Tooling Table Part 2. My name is Tony and I have been trying to develop my leatherworking skills. I am going about building one for my self, and was wondering what dimensions is the granite block apart from the thickness? The free template for the Coffee Sleeve for Reusable Starbucks Cups can be found here:https://www.tonyneedshobbies.com/plans/leatherworking/. Between the two, granite requires lesser maintenance compared to marble as a suitable leatherworking slab. That is why a lot of houses use either marble or granite for their floors and kitchen countertops. Of course, if the slab is thicker, it is also heavier, so there would be additional fees needed to be shouldered by the customer to get it shipped to their house. They kind of get in the way of accessing the shelf below and I am sure there is a better way to engineer it with less! I'm going to go with what I have for a while and maybe if I find that neither of these is big enough I'll do that, thanks for the suggestion.