Ragnar’s Crow – Modern Way of Tooling Leather

Welcome to today’s post on the Modern Way of Leather Tooling! We’re exploring an innovative approach to leather crafting, using high-tech tools like lasers—and even a converted tattoo machine! Sounds pretty awesome, right? I’ll be walking you through the process of creating Ragnar Lothbrok’s iconic crow, inspired by his chest armour from my favourite show, Vikings.

But that’s not all—I’ll also teach you how to transform tattoo machine cartridges into powerful leather tooling tools. If you’re into step-by-step guides, stick around. Prefer watching instead? Check out the full tutorial on our YouTube channel HERE!

What You’ll Need to Convert Tattoo Cartridges:

To get started, I recommend using F5 cartridges for detailed work (about 2-3mm tooling bits) and F7 cartridges for larger, more pronounced designs (around 3.5-4.5mm tooling bits). You’ll also need a few simple tools: a Dremel, pliers, wire cutters, super glue, a lighter, sandpaper, and extra tool bits to replace the needles in the cartridges. Keep in mind, once you mount the bits, they’re permanent, so use spares or ones you won’t need in the future!

Step-by-Step Guide to Converting Cartridges:

1. Remove the Rod: Start by taking out the rod that holds the needles. Use pliers to gently pull it out from the cartridge.
2. Remove the Needles: Warm the needles with a lighter to loosen them from the plastic holder. Pliers come in handy here, too.
3. Adjust and finish the Tip: You can trim the bit to your desired length using wire cutters, round the end of a bit by filing it into to dremel tool and run it over the sandpaper.
4. Fit the Tool Bit: Drill the cartridge to the correct size so the tool bit moves smoothly. Then, glue the bit into the slot where the needles used to be.
5. Reassemble everything: and you’re good to go!

And here’s an exciting bonus! I’ll be giving away a tattoo machine along with three custom tooling cartridges. More details are in the video and on our Facebook page!

Let’s dive into the Modern Way of Tooling Leather together!

thanks for stopping by

and keep on being creative!