Thread: Leather stabilization??

Hello,
A long term project needs two 6x 14 thin leather pieces stabilized and cooked very flat for a project.
The top surfaces are rough the back suede smooth. Vac onto a flat plate during cooking i would guess.
Has anyone done such a thing?
Thanks!
~Richard

I've never done anything like that but I wouldn't be surprised if vacuuming down the leather for the cure resulted in most of the "rough" being pressed/filled out...

From what I have read on this is 1 sand leather 320 grit. 2 dye leather 3 seal leather. 4 dry leather 5 buff after dried. then stabilized leather is ready for use. what is the application ??

I want it for a restoration and I need to cut strips of it to take the place of a wood inlay within a Nickle silver backing and edging. It should be hard and waterproof before affixing it the the project. I do not want to boil it in bee's wax to get a proper hardness and stiffness and it would be difficult at best to epoxy into place.. I will not cut the leather down prior to use as I do not know what shrink etc. it will have.
Thanks!
~Richard

The product used by saddle makers is a brand called Fiebing. This hardening process seal leather before drying.
Fiebing - LEATHERCRAFT, TOP FINISHES, Bag Kote.
I called a friend who does this said "sand it before all the drying otherwise it will feel like 60 grit after. But if you afix that side down the rough dry suede would provide more surface area for adhesive. which as you know provides a stronger bond. The order of operation listed is what is used for both saddles and knife making applications.
Hope this helps.

Thanks. I can do that but it does not solve the problem i have.
I want the leather to be hard all the way through its thickness, like a stabilized wood. That is why I am asking! The material is similar to Ostrich hide
I would expect the process to be similar to stabilizing wood, using the yet to be determined solution to do it..

1. roll up the material
2. put it into a chamber with the "Solution"
3. apply vacuum for long enough to fully saturate the leather.
4. Remove the material and drain off excess liquid.
5. Lay the material out on a slip sheet on a flat sheet in a vac bag and draw a vacuum.
6. place into oven and cure the material while maintaining the vacuum.
7. Remove from oven and cool
8. peel the material off the slip sheet when cool

Any answers?
~Richard

I don't know why regular stabilizing resin and procedure wouldn't work. I would think about stretching the leather flat rather than vacuum.