If you are new to leather craft and don’t have a dedicated workshop with plenty of storage space, you may have encountered this problem before. Storing your leather hides by rolling them up until they are needed again. What’s the problem with that I hear you ask? If you’ve ever tried to unroll vegetable tanned leather after its been stored for any length of time, you will quickly realize that it won’t stay flat. In the post i discuss if you can flatten leather.
Yes, vegetable tanned leather can be flattened after it has been rolled up and stored using various methods such as rubbing, wetting or even steaming your leather hide with an iron in order to re-flatten it.
Due to the tanning process of vegetable tanned leather, it is much tougher and stiffer than chrome tanned leather which results in leather that tends to keeps its shape once rolled and stored for a while.
Here are a few methods you can use to flatten vegetable tanned leather.
- Firstly you can try unrolling your leather and putting weights on each corner and then begin cutting out your template pieces. This method may work but you might find that once the individual pieces are cut
out and separated from the hide they will still tend to curl up. This will make the leather cut outs difficult to work with.
2. You can also dampen/wet the leather and allow it time to dry (up to 24hrs depending on the climate) and it should flatten out after its dried.
3. You can use a normal household iron with a low steam function to steam your leather flat. This is my preferred method if any of the previous methods fail.
4. You can scrub your leather in a circular motion with a scrubbing brush in order to build up friction/ heat to help flatten the leather.
Let’s take a more detailed look at each method of flattening leather.
Method 1 Scrubbing the leather with a brush in order to flatten it:
This method involves a lot of scrubbing with a soft brush. You should scrub in a circular motion and create enough friction on the surface of the leather. This heats up the surface and gently allows the leather to
straighten and flatten out. This method is by far the most laborious and involves quite a work out so be prepared to work up a sweat!
Method 2 Wetting/dampening your leather in order to flatten it:
Dampen your leather with water and a soft cloth and allow it to dry for a few hours. This may take as long as 24hrs depending on the climate. Place heavy objects or weights on each corner of your leather so that it stays flat while drying out.
Be careful not to damage the leather with the weights. The leather will need to be turned over every few hours to make sure that it dries evenly on both sides. Make sure the leather is 100% dry before you put it back into storage. If its even slightly damp mould may form when in storage.
Method 3 Steaming the leather with an iron in order to flatten it:
All you need for this method is a household iron with a steam function and some paper or a piece of fabric. Your iron will need to have a steam function and you will need to set your iron to its lowest temperature setting to prevent burning the leather. There are also special irons designed for use on leather. They are pretty useful so check out Amazon to see their options.
Place a piece of paper or thin fabric between the iron and the leather before you steam it. The paper/fabric acts as a barrier which prevents any damage to the leather. As you steam the leather it will begin to soften and flatten. It’s also good idea to place weights on the corners to keep the leather flat.
You need to allow some time for the leather to dry after it’s steamed. This method is relatively easy and pain free to perform and my preferred method to use.
Method 4 Cutting out your leather pieces without flattening:
This method may work, but it depends on your leather, its thickness and how long its been stored. Unroll your leather and place weights on each corner so that it is completely flat. Now cut out your template pieces from your template. If your pieces are small enough they will hopefully be unaffected by the roll in the leather and stay flat once they are cut out.
Try one piece first as a test and see if it works and then proceed with the rest. Please note this method doesn’t always work and you might need to use one of the other 3 methods above to flatten the leather.
How to store rolled Vegetable tanned leather?
You need to make sure that the area where you choose to store your leather is moisture free and has some form of ventilation. If your leather is stored while its still damp then it may grow mould. You will also need to store your leather in a space that has a relatively even temperature during the day and night. It shouldn’t be stored in an area that has high temperature fluctuations, like the attic roof space or a basement below ground level. The leather should be dry and clean. Check out this post i wrote on the best way to store leather if you would like to learn a bit more about it.
If the leather is going to be stored for a long period of time you will need to oil the hide every few months in order to prevent damage or mould growing.
Another handy tip for rolling your leather is to roll it so that the grain side is on the outside of the roll. The grain side is the outside face of the leather that you see when its attached to the animal. The flesh side is the side that faces the internal organs of the cow. Hope that makes sense? Storing the leather this way will cause the leather to bend down towards the table when unrolled, instead of rolling up when the grain side is on the inside of the roll. This will make it easier to cut out and work with.
How long will it take to flatten stored leather?
Depending on the size of the leather and the process you use, it could take up to 24hrs to flatten/straighten out. The leather normally takes a few hours to dry depending on the thickness and the climate. It will also depend on the kind of leather and what season it is.
Advantages and disadvantages of flattening leather?
The main advantage of flattening rolled up leather is that you can use it again and again. This will save you money as you won’t have to buy more leather. It will also help you to save space if you don’t have a dedicated
leather workshop.
Disadvantages of flattening your leather is the amount of time it will take before its flat and usable. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem as you will get a good idea after you have done this a few times.
Conclusion
It is definitely possible to flatten vegetable tanned leather that has been rolled and stored for a length of time. Using any one of the methods mentioned above will help you to flatten your leather so that it can be re-used. This will save you money and allow you to re-use your old leather offcuts. Good luck with your future leather craft projects!