James Revell

“ Pour a little oak varnish stain into a small vessel, and brush the leaves all over, using a hog’s-hair tool for the purpose of laying on the stain, taking care to cover the edges, and brush it well out of the veined parts; should the leaves, when dry, not be so dark as desired, another coat can be given, but in no instance apply thick coats of stain, it will, if put on thick, most likely dry darker in one place than another, and will never have so smooth an appearance as when two thin coats have been applied; take care always that one coat must be dry before another is applied. ”

“ The lily has six stamina, with oblong anthers, which are made in the manner described for the convolvulus; the pistil, with its swollen base or germen, lengthened style and heart-shaped stigma, should be carefully imitated from nature, being a very prominent feature in the flower; the stamina should be placed round the germen of the pistil and fastened with liquid glue into the centre of the flower; it must be recollected that the smooth side of the leather must be inside the lily as in the convolvulus; some flowers require the smooth side of the leather inside, and some outside ”

“ Gold Leather Work looks remarkably well upon a blue or crimson velvet ground, and makes very rich frames, fire screens, &c. When tastefully arranged, the flowers and leaves upon these grounds have a very magnificent appearance. ”

“ Leaves all the same size would have a very formal appearance, as they must be veined before they are allowed to dry; too much leather must not be wetted at a time, nor more leaves cut out than can be veined. To vein the leaves, mark them with the veining tool on the smooth side of the leather strongly, by pressing heavily on the leaf, where a thick vein is required ”

“ Those who would prefer to have an entire piece of Leather Work, can paint landscapes or flowers upon white leather, using the same medium which is used at the School of Design for body colour painting, mixed with finely powdered colours. ”

“ The Daisy is formed by making two pieces of leather, like the pattern, one larger than the other, and putting the wire, for stalk, through both of them. The little golden centre of the daisy, can be well imitated by [55] placing a round piece of leather, rather thick, in the centre, shaved off at the edges, and marked with the veining tool full of dots. ”

“ If all the work is to be left dull, give the frame or bracket, &c., a coat of Oak Spirit Stain, which dries in dull if put upon new wood, not prepared in any manner. To prepare wooden frames, &c., so that the Oak Spirit Stain shall assume a polished surface, it is necessary to size the frame well and leave it to dry; when dry, give it one or more coats of Oak Spirit Stain. ”

“ Cut strips of basil leather about one-third of an inch wide and as long as the leather will allow; soak them well in water for a few minutes until they feel very soft, take them out, wipe the water from the surface, then roll them round as tightly as possible (the smooth side outwards) on a table or any even surface, and dry them; if required very stiff, add inside a piece of wire; when very thick ones are required the leather must be proportionately wider. ”

“ This flower belongs to the class Enneandria, having nine stamina; they are to cut in one piece of leather. To put the fuchsia together, proceed as follows:—Cut the nine stamina, and attach to them the wire, to form the stalk; then roll the four petals firmly over the stamina; they must be moulded and glued round the stamina and stalk, then take the calyx and roll round the whole; the leaves must be expanded and moulded as in the engraving, taking care that the stamina are left out as in the natural flower, and that the inner petals alternate with the leaves of the calyx ”

“ The quickest mode of staining the Ornamental Leather Work is as follows:—Procure a bottle of Revell’s Chymical Oak Colour Stain. This preparation will not soil the hands, or the finest linen or woollen fabrics; will not stain wood or any other substance than the leather to which it is applied, to which it imparts the perfect appearance of old oak without any gloss, at the same time hardening the leather without injuring it. ”

“ The vine and the convolvulus pattern are much used with very beautiful effect. We intended this design to exhibit old oak: it should be stained very dark, the oak stems being very thick, while the stems of ivy can be formed of tendrils. To make the oak stems [59] get very thick wire, and have it cut to the desired lengths, then cover the wires with leather, and bend them to resemble knarled oak; attach, as naturally as possible, oak leaves and acorns at the back of the wires, and on the wood work as shewn in the skeleton bracket in a former part of this work ”

“ Leather work gilded by the above process will bear washing, and is the most durable kind of gilding known.
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TO BURNISH GOLD.
Acorns and any wooden part attached to leather work can be burnished, which adds much to the variety of the work, and is done in the following manner:—that part of the work intended to be burnished must be prepared exactly as above, except that instead of using the prepared oil gold size take the white of an egg and give the work a coat of it, let it dry, then give it another coat, and when nearly dry see that it lays on evenly; apply the gold leaf all over ”

“ The Passion Flower has five stamina with ladle-shaped ends, or anthers, and three stigmas a little elevated above and turning over the stamina; the anthers and stigma are made of one piece of leather. ”

“ To imitate the tying seen in hives, mark with a pen, or a camel’s hair pencil, with the darkest stain, lines and dots from top to bottom; cut a small piece out of the lower tier to make the entrance, and put a little handle at the top with a piece of stem. ”

“ Common pins can be used with advantage in keeping in its proper place that portion of the work where glue [27] only can be applied for the permanent fastening. When the work becomes firmly attached, the pins can either be withdrawn, or they can be cut off, close to the ornaments, with the nippers. ”

“ A narrow gold beading we have generally added inside, as the gold gives a more finished appearance to the frame.
[29]
WATCH STANDS,
Can, like one below, be made by every carpenter; they must be strong to bear the nailing and gluing on of the leather ornaments. ”

“ Procure 1 lb. or more of white starch powder, dry it well in an open dish before the fire, put it on one side to cool, when quite cool, put a layer of half an inch at the bottom of a small box, observing that the box also is dry ”