How I blend Traditional handwork and modern technology

One of my USPs is that I blend traditional handcraft techniques with modern technology. Blending old hand tools and modern equipment in the form of Cricut machines, lasers and printers to create a one-of-a-kind product that is unique to each customer, whilst at the same time can be scaled production-wise and be sustainable, conscious of energy use and waste. In every craft, there are basic tools that one must have to start. Of the eight crafts that I am a craftsman of, Leather, I have the most, yet if the studio all burned down and I started again I would only need a select few to get back to where I was and have more space to buy anything new. Being an Ex- Technical Fellow at Kingston University, I wanted to create a smaller-scale workshop that could produce a huge variety of products but with a smaller footprint. Having run the laser cutter, Zund and Plasma Cutter in the workshop, run the large format printer in the computer suite and helped students with software such as CAD, Adobe Suite etc and choose the right camera, projector and computer equipment. I had a clearer idea than most people of what processes overlapped, what equipment and software were a must. Throw in my Interior Design hat on, I could design my studio and furniture to make the best use of space. Then throw in my GCSE electronics and A2 Physics knowledge to really hone in on lighting the studio well, but also run it with the least energy use, and fix electrical plugs so I keep equipment running.

With leather work in essence, you need light, water, and your hand tools, to work on Vegetable tanned leather. Light to see what you are doing; it can be a candle, sunlight or artificial light. Water to case the leather to get it ready for tooling, clean your brushes or wet form the leather around a mould. Finally, your hand tools: needles, tooling stamps, mallets, stitching chisels, knives, stationery, etc.

Most leatherworkers start with some sort of basic kit, as they begin to enjoy the craft more, they invest in better tools, such as going from a 30 pence scalpel to a box cutter knife to potentially a "Head Knife". Each upgrade improves the speed at cutting leather for example. I looked at the old shoe industry to see how they cut shoes out of leather by hand fast and found out about "Clickers" who used a "Clicker" knife to cut leather which made a clicking sound as it cut. This hand knife, especially the curved blade, allows me to cut leather like butter and round curves easily with minimal leather waste. This is not to be confused with Clicker knives, which are sharp metal cookie cutters which need a hand press from 4ton - 20 tons to punch the leather shape out, depending on its size.

Speeding up production time with modern technology whilst still delivering a handmade product is looking at the processes of making the product and working out hardlines that you will not cross and working out the ROI (Return on investment). Most of the equipment that I have bought looks at speeding up the making process by making physical templates and jigs that enable me to reduce errors and create consistent products on a medium that changes due to wetness.  These jigs and templates could be made by hand but, by involving machines such as the Cricut Maker 3 enables me to replace worn jigs quickly and accurately. The best piece of modern technology that is the perfect example of blending the two is the LaserPecker LP1, being a small 5W laser, it cannot cut, but can engrave and has a small 10cm square engraving area. Its job is to lightly engrave the swivel cutting lines that I would of marked out in pencil, enabling me to batch produce coffee sleeves, that 1 tool saving at least 4 processes if I was doing it by old school by hand.  I also use it to laser more complicated designs, logos and create a lower price product range that has a USP that is has been laser-engraved by the sun! As I power the Laser using a power bank that I charge using a solar panel. Choosing this Laser compared to a larger one avoided the wastage and cleaning involved with a larger laser, in terms of applying a special masking tape to avoid laser splash back (waste-unrecyclable), sanding edges to remove the burned edges (So that it can be sealed properly with burnishing).

Another blend, was taking a Chinese manufactured Green Machine Hand press and getting a custom-made Silver steel ram made that would accept more Dies for setting snaps (durable dots) of various sizes. I got my friend to machine two rams, and he used his lathe that he built from scratch 40years ago. That alone sped up coffee sleeve production as I was able to set AB and CD snaps quickly, convert a 4 out 6 completion rate from setting the snaps with hammer, setter and anvil to 99% completion rate and less than a minute, all still set by hand. The obvious carbon saving, for the business, this one improvement meant that I did not have to buy new presses per different die set, saving space and manufacturing and delivery.

Having a multipurpose printer and scanner is another piece that is essential in my workspace. My Brother A3 ink printer and A3 Scanner, with its two trays, bypass tray and office-style scanning features. It enables me to create bespoke packaging prototypes, price labels, signage, templates, leaflets, labels etc, before I decide to invest in professionally printed items. Having maintained it for the last 10 years, it has been one of the best investments for my design work and now my business. Last year, the bypass tray came into its own as I bought printable temporary tattoo paper! Having the A3 scanner allowed me to quickly modify large pencil designs and rapid prototype new ideas before touching the finished material or either leather or cork.