Leather Stamps Rack....

[BrokenolMarine]

I started messing with leatherwork so I could make a sheath for a knife. I started CARVING so I could decorate a sheath I got conned into making for my OK daughter. I got suckered into stamping when that same evil child in OK sent me the stamps and cheapo plastic rack for them she found in the house she bought there. Man... it's addictive. Now, several hundred dollars later, I have been carving, stamping, and even dying the practice pieces, and adding stamps and tools ... the stamp rack is too dang small. It arrived with a half dozen basic stamps in it. We have added a couple. Five more arrived in the mail from Tandy today.

plastic rack is full.jpg (280.96 KiB) Viewed 4496 times

Time to make a new rack to organize and accommodate the new stamps and make them easier to find when I'm working.
First step is to laminate a few pieces of oak to form a block. First I'll need a few of these...

cabinat clamps.jpg (262.89 KiB) Viewed 4496 times

Cabinet makers clamps apply even pressure over the surfaces they are applied to... ah.. four should do it.

Then I'll cut four, 4" x 12" 1/2" oak sections and glue them up.

laminate.jpg (291.23 KiB) Viewed 4496 times

That should get the project started. I'll allow that to set up overnight. Then it will just be a matter of laying out the pattern for the holes on the top board, and setting the depth on the drill press we don't go all the way through. I'll use a good bit, take my time, and git 'er done. Of course, I'll have to roll the edges, add some stain, and make a nice mount for the block after.

[JEBar]

outstanding as usual ..... nicely thought out, it should serve you well

[RanchRoper]

Santa's workshop should look so good...

[BrokenolMarine]

Santa's workshop should look so good...

Thanks my friend. After Miss Tina went to bed, I sat down in my office and played with the numbers, trying to figure out which bits I needed to use for the holes. I'm thinking 5/16", 3/8" and 9/16". Then I had to figure out how to space the holes based on the bit size, I wanted to move them just a tad closer, maybe. I might just space them all 1/2" on center, or not. I'll figure it out in the shop in the morning when I can actually lay it out on a piece of thick paper, with the actual size of the block and the bits there with me. Don't want to crowd it.... but don't want to waste too much space. I'll probably end up adding a few more stamps as our skill levels increase and we add more complicated leather work down the road.

[BrokenolMarine]

Worked on this project for three hours this morning.
Dismal failure.
Yup, it happens.

Everything seemed to go wrong. The bit wandered, wood chipped out between the multiple holes.
The freshly drilled holes seemed to swell. I guess what I thought was well dried wood had a high moisture content.
Firewood.
I found a nice piece of cedar, and I will give her another shot.

[BrokenolMarine]

In hopes that you can learn from my failures... ... or at least get a good laugh... let's look at that first.
I marked the first block after spending over an hour laying it out, then tossing the first overly complicated layout and then going with a simple 1/2" block out.
(Turns out the 1/2" blocks were TOO close, as we'll soon see.

01 marked the first block.jpg (250.32 KiB) Viewed 4472 times

I spent the next HOUR drilling the dang block, cursing the first 1/4" forstner bit for it's failures.. and using a standard 1/4" bit which wandered and danced. I found out the 1/2" spacing didn't work when the closely spaced holes caused the material between the holes to fly up into the air, laughing as it flew off into space, crying Free, free...

02 first block failure sigh.jpg (265.45 KiB) Viewed 4472 times

Miss Tina, loyal as she is... said, "It's just a tool rack... use it anyway."
Ah.... the holes didn't work as they seemed to SHRINK..
Nothing wanted to go right.

So, I came in and sat down to rest... WAY too much time in the shop this morning. I had lunch and watched an old movie.
Then, because I can't STAND to lose...
Tried again.

This time I cheated. I copied the layout of the top of the existing rack. Doubled the size, and used IT as my pattern.
Sigh... the start didn't bode well. The cedar piece was warped. No matter, I found a nice DRY piece of oak, and cut that but refined the design. I used the same design as the plastic rack, just enlarged it. (Ah, cheating again.)
Taped the two pieces, top and bottom together and CAREFULLY taped the pattern in place.

03 second pair taped marked.jpg (250.19 KiB) Viewed 4472 times

I punched the center of each hole, cut the pattern away but left the two pieces taped, and DRILLED.
After sanding away any roughness, I glued the sides in place, clamped the assembly and left it to dry overnight.
THIS might just work.

04 second pair assembled after drilling.jpg (294.77 KiB) Viewed 4472 times

In the morning? More sanding, final cleaning up of the edges, apply finish and done.
After all, it's just a tool rack.

[BrokenolMarine]

I went out this morning to start work on finishing this project, but got interrupted, but that's another story.
I finally got back to it, and did that bit of sanding, then applied a coat of Watco medium walnut, then a coat of Watco Natural stain with made the Walnut look Warmer.

stained with Watco oils.jpg (283.95 KiB) Viewed 4465 times

I had planned to put a pedestal base on this puppy, but much of the morning was put aside for that hijacking of my time... that "other story."
so I ran out of time and I decided to use it as it is for now. I might just add an angled base in the future to make the choosing of stamps just a tad easier.

I took the stand in the house and filled it. Now it's ready to use.

filled and ready to use.jpg (272.13 KiB) Viewed 4465 times

Oh, and there are empty slots. Guess that means I can BUY more leather stamps.