Help

[kytim]

Is my pattern supposed to shrink and go away when I am beveling? What am I dong wrong?

[terrahyd]

Hi Kytim;;

A couple things come to mind;;;carve then bevel;; leather not cased;; leather to wet;; or to dry;; using a craftaid???;

faint transfer lines will move as you carve ,this is normal; to be delt with as a beast of the trade;; hope this helps ...Doc...

[ClayB]

I think Doc is right, your leather is probably too wet or too dry. I'd guess too wet. After you wet your leather, let it dry until the leather is almost back to original color and then cut your design with your swivel knife. Then start beveling. If your moisture content is just right, your beveling will be easier to do (smoother) and your leather will get a nice burnish (slight brown color). Turn your leather over and look at the back side. If the moisture content is right, you should also be able to see your beveled line on the back side as a pretty noticeable brown mark. If your leather is too wet, your cuts can close back up, your beveling might be choppy or mushy (leather moves around instead of mashing down. Learning proper moisture content for carving take some practice, but when you get it just right, you'll know it.