“At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security."
The safety is really important for us and it should be important to you too. Here 5 tips you should follow when leatherworking.
Whether you are a beginner or a professional leatherworker, safety is essential. The individual skills required in leathercrafting can be quite dangerous if proper care is not taken.
Here 5 essential tips for you:
1) Put on Protective Clothing
The first step you can take to protect yourself is to put on clothing that will protect you from any unexpected incidents. Wear protective eyewear, especially when punching or stamping leather. Steel-toed shoes are helpful if working with heavy machinery. Finally, a thick apron will protect your body from any stray material.
2) Be careful when Cutting
When cutting leather, utensils need to be sharp to handle thick leather. Sharp utensils will not only cut leather, but can also injure your delicate skin. Always cut in the direction away from your body an be very careful when grasp shears, scissors, and knives.
Never use bent or broken needles or sewing awls to sew leather.
3) Keep Fingers Away from Machinery
Super careful when working with machinery and keep your fingers away from its components. When using awls, punchers, edgers, and bevelers, leave a space of at least one inch between your fingers and the tool.
4) Ventilate Your Workshop
Some leather projects may need some chemicals to achieve certain styles or to do some specific operation. Some dyes or rubbers can be not great for your health so open some windows and let the fresh air come in.
5) Clean Up When You’re Done
Finally, when you finish with your leathercrafting , you should clean up your workspace and put all leather crafting tools and supplies away. Not only does this get your work area ready for the next leathercrafting session but it also keeps these tools from causing damage. An awl or knife left where it shouldn’t be can injure an unaware foot, hand, or other parts of the body. Cleaning up also avoids the risk of a child finding these tools and mistaking them for toys.
Do you have other tips for your fellow leatherworkers?
