Making a leather steampunk clock

[GregC]

Hi all, I'm kind of new to the horology world sort of. I've made scrollsawn clocks but installed quartz movements in them and never really looked at repairing them until recently when I did the sister courses here. This is my project here. I mostly finished tooling it and have to paint it and install the movement. What do you guys think?

 

[watchweasol]

Hi  A very nice piece of art work.  like to see the finished article

[GregC]

Finished painting and antiquing it. Have to mount the movement and fit it into a suitably sized frame.

 

[GregC]

Finished with a working movement and mounted in a frame. I had a few issues with the frame and need to do some touching up.

 

 

[GregC]

I guess this must be in the wrong place. Nobody seems to like this sort of thing.

[jdm]

47 minutes ago, GregC said:

I guess this must be in the wrong place. Nobody seems to like this sort of thing.

Please don't feel like that. You made a great work of art and posted just 11 hours ago, members here are spread across all the world  and may haven't got the time to see or comment about it. But even if they don't all what matters is that we recognize the passion and dedication that goes is in any hobby, art or trade.

[Squiffything]

Agree with JDM it’s a lovely piece and very unusual. A lot of skilled work and imagination have gone into it.

Also remember it’s a public holiday weekend in the UK so people tend to be doing things. 

You could hide the frame blemishes with some cogs and wheels from old clock movements. Readily available from art supplies or off the Bay

[JimmyD]

It looks good to me, Squiffy's idea of getting some cogs for the frame can be taken futher? Pick up an old movement and knock out the pinnons and use the wheels to make a skeleton clock (search google to see one if you don't know what it is). Just heat them up and press them into the leather, you could leave a few in and take some out. I would love to see one like that.

[AndyHull]

I'd certainly be interested in a fuller description of the technique. I've got various leather punches and other tools, but haven't used them much.

I may have a crack at custom watch bands at some stage, so using leather dyes, embossing and surface finishing techniques are more than welcome.

 

[GregC]

I have to make another frame for it, something that will be deeper with a more elaborate profile where I can have 2 levels, one for the glass and one for the leather and backing board. That will get done sooner now that the clock is completed.

Its based on a pretty basic leatherwork technique. You come up with a pattern which you transfer to the leather and carve into the leather. You then proceed to bevel it so not many leatherwork tools involved. It is then painted and antiqued and a final finishing coat is applied.  I'm a leatherworker but I'm not crazy for floral designs so I prefer to do things that other mainstream leatherworkers wont do like leather art which is in itself a dying art form cos ppl basically dont want to pay for handcrafted stuff and that basically is why I'm here. Leather stuff aint moving so I did Mark's courses.

 

[Squiffything]

Unfortunately Greg it seems to be the way of the world these days. People do not want to pay for craftsmanship. They can get mass produced stuff from China or Turkey or India go a fraction of the price. When it breaks they throw it away.

I live near to a town called Newmarket which is known as the headquarters of horse racing. Whilst I’m nothing to do with the industry we do have some old school saddlers and blacksmith in the town and the skills still run deep around here. Because of the horse money there is also the country set. Shooting hunting etc and they still like their leather work. Gun cases cartridge bags and the like.

[GregC]

When you're dealing with horses and other large animals you have to get real genuine full grain leather as those things undergo lots of stress and even break.  Cheap made in China fake leather wont last long. 

What it is, is the general population cant afford to pay because their wages arent going up. As you saw last year, Trump and the Reps gave a huge tax cut to the rich, the working class got a pittance as normal and they are the ones who have to pay for the rich to get their tax cuts. 

[GregC]

I made a new frame for this clock, sort of a shadow box so the dial and hands are not open and entered this in a show along with a few other pieces of leather art in a show.  If anyone in Toronto is interested the link is:

www.bist.ca/art

[Squiffything]

That suits it much more. How did the show go? Any prize for your work?

[GregC]

I just took it yesterday. The show doesnt open until next Tuesday so in the meantime they will be setting up the various pieces. This show is highlighting the work of people who have survived a brain injury. I'm one of those people and is the reason why I am here in this forum. I cant work at the job I had before as I have serious issues related to my injury so I'm trying to find things to do to keep me occupied. Theres no prize but maybe somebody might like my work and buy it or maybe some critic might see my work and write about it and get me started on this new path. 

[Squiffything]

Pm sent. Clocks can be relaxing but at the same time frustrating. You have to be methodical. I’m guessing the leather work is similar. Pity about the no prizes I recon you’d have had a good chance of a win. 

[yankeedog]

Hand tooled leather? Very unique very cool.I know for sure,it's beyond my ability to do such things.I am of a less artistic bent. Can't sing a note either. Good luck with this endeavor.nice to meet you.

[yankeedog]

Only thing I might suggest would be different color hands.It might just be my aged eyeballs,but they are a bit hard for me to pick out right away.

[GregC]

Leatherwork is not so difficult as you might think, it just takes practice. I've only been doing it a little over a year now and its been therapeutic for me (calmed my mind) and then I made the pleasant discovery that I'm good at it. You dont have to be artistic to do leatherwork, its all about copying and following lines and staying on them. The tools are expensive tho and good leather isnt cheap.  Sewing it gave me a hard time in the beginning, the stitch lines would be straight on one side and all over the place on the other side but eventually I got the hang of it.

I thought about painting the hands but I needed to get the frame built so as to have something to cover the hands and then I found how much problems I have when under stress. I managed to get the shadow box built but it was not as good as I would have liked but I had a deadline to submit the art so that was that.