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I think this is it. Thanks again Bob Park for this information. Casing Leather.pdf

Without seeing the type of leather you are using its hard to completely answer your concerns. It sounds as though you are latigo leather. Which is a dyed waxy leather that isn't good for tooling and doesn't case. It's used for harnesses or items that may be exposed to weather or heavy use. I imagine when you wet it the moisture was trapped against your granite because it doesn't absorb into the grain. Call SpringfieldLeather Co. and get one of their veg tan remnant bags. Then, wet it on both sides either with a quick dip or sponge.... I'm sure you will experience a difference with it. Good luck!

I too, live in the west Valley and would be interested in getting together. I'm in Avondale

You can wet leather but just that simple act is not cased. When casing leather you want the moisture to reach the inner most fibers of the leather and that take's time and a bit of planning. Once the leather return's to its normal color and is cool to the touch the moisture has swollen those inner fibers and then it's ready. Cased leather will cut easier and your impressions will be crisper

As a side note, I recently was doing a clutch back and didn't have any illustration board. So I went into the kitchen and found an UNUSED, plastic, flexible cutting board and lightly applied my rubber cement to it. I carved my piece and when I went to remove the flexible cutting mat, it peeled off with ease.

Thanks for sharing your tutorial and finishing techniques.

I think this may be the correct place for this discussion. I had fun making a field note cover for a friend of mine and posted it on facebook leather workers group and shortly incurred a comment that I shouldn’t lay claim to my work, design version because it was listed as a pattern for sale and copyrighted over a year ago. I am new to leather work, started about 6 months ago. I purchased some field note blanks and started laying out a pattern I thought my friend would use and enjoy. I didn’t go looking for examples past the Leathercraft Library and the Field Notes page. I posted when I was finished and then got slammed by a member of one of the forums. I have since gone to the internet and found the hundreds of examples of similar work. What have I done wrong?

I haven't received any information about the dog harness. I don't know if Jimdad has been back on since before thanksgiving? Let us know if you still need the work done or better yet, let us know if you are ok?

I would be willing to look at it and see if I can help. Photos? Location? additional info?

I am pretty new to wet forming myself but saw that no one Had offered any suggestions so I thought I'd let you know what I've been doing. First of all make sure the leather is very wet. I put my leather under warm water until all the air bubbles stop coming. Then I lay it over my form. I staple a paint stick down on the outer edge on one side. Then I start stretching and darting my leather. This all takes time. You have to give the leather time to strech to the form. You're gonna mess with it, let it settle, then mess with it again and again. After I get it close, I flatten it down with paint sticks and let it settle and dry some more. Mind you I will check it several times by opening and closing the form to make sure the folds are where I want them to be. I will try to figure out how to show an example

Nice work. It's amazing how quickly one gets hooked.

Have you looked or called Ohio Travel Bag? They have or can get just about anything you need.

Thank you Bobby for taking the time to pass on your knowledge to us newbies out here. I am learning as I go and I appreciate getting good advice from a pro like yourself.

Very nice. The cherry is beautiful. Much nicer than mine. What did you do on the right side to let the jaws open? I can't tell from the photo.