what happened here?

[tashabear]

I'm making a notebook cover. I just cut out the leather, and went to case it to start tooling the design, and this happened:

(Sorry for the blurry photo, but you can see what I need y'all to see well enough.)

Parts of it wouldn't absorb the water. This has never happened to me before -- why did it happen now, and how do I fix it?

Thanks, folks!

[hidepounder]

I've never seen this before. Wow! Maybe when it dries you could clean it with oxalic acid...I don't know....oxalic acid would make it more difficult to cut, though...I think......what kind of leather and where did you get it?

[tashabear]

I've never seen this before. Wow! Maybe when it dries you could clean it with oxalic acid...I don't know....oxalic acid would make it more difficult to cut, though...I think......what kind of leather and where did you get it?

Just regular 7-8 oz veg tan from Tandy. I may call Froghunter tomorrow and ask him if he's seen it before; it's just way too late/early to bother him with it. So I'm bothering y'all now. :-)

I tried rubbing it down with denatured alcohol, because it's beading up like it's greasy. It didn't feel greasy, though, and I'm pretty sure the surface I placed it on was clean and non-greasy. Haven't tried water on it since then, but we'll see. I certainly can't tool it like this, and I bet Eco-Flo dyes will bead up like straight water does. Spirit dyes might work better, so it might be salvageable for something, but I'd like to not have to cut another piece.

[badger]

Tasha,

Looks like some kind of contamination for sure. Did you check your casing sponge? Just in case? It may have picked up something.

If you have a contaminated scrap, try rubbing it down with acetone (nail polish remover). It'll shift just about anything.

Cheers,

Badger

Oh, this'll cheer you up: http://www.fireflyarchive.com

B

[tashabear]

Tasha,

Looks like some kind of contamination for sure. Did you check your casing sponge? Just in case? It may have picked up something.

If you have a contaminated scrap, try rubbing it down with acetone (nail polish remover). It'll shift just about anything.

Cheers,

Badger

Oh, this'll cheer you up: http://www.fireflyarchive.com

B

It was a brand new sponge. I spent ten minutes just rinsing it out. I do have some acetone, though, purchased for just such an occasion (I've given up on nail polish; I can't find a color that compliments the dye in my cuticles). I'll give that a whirl. Thanks! (And thanks for the link!)

T

[CitizenKate]

If it's something oily or waxy that got on the leather and preventing absorption, maybe going over it with some deglazer will clean it off.

Kate

[tashabear]

If it's something oily or waxy that got on the leather and preventing absorption, maybe going over it with some deglazer will clean it off.

Kate

That I don't have. If the acetone doesn't work, though, I may go get some, but since I'm on a deadline, it looks like I'll also be cutting a new piece. I may try wetting that part of the side before I bother, though.

[Leerwerker]

You just need something to help marry the leather to the water - either a few drops of saddle soap in the casing water, or some of the carve-eaze sold by Tandy.

Hope this helps!

[tashabear]

You just need something to help marry the leather to the water - either a few drops of saddle soap in the casing water, or some of the carve-eaze sold by Tandy.

Hope this helps!

But I've never had leather not absorb water -- it literally beaded up on the surface! And I cut the previous book cover from the bit right next to this. Why is this piece behaving so differently?

[King's X]

I'm making a notebook cover. I just cut out the leather, and went to case it to start tooling the design, and this happened:

(Sorry for the blurry photo, but you can see what I need y'all to see well enough.)

Parts of it wouldn't absorb the water. This has never happened to me before -- why did it happen now, and how do I fix it?

Thanks, folks!

This is what happen to my market bag that I reported problems when finishing it. Same issue. I happen to visit Hidecrafters and talked with George Hurst. He told me that it was probably the tanning process. His best guessimate was that they washed it with too much acid and bleach. He didn't see the leather, but it came out pretty bad. Luckily, you got to see issues of front. I didn't know better and went ahead and craved it knowing that it was very hard to carve. I took the remainder back and got a credit. I now purchase HO and I just received my first hide. It looks and feels much better. Cut a small piece and sample a flower or leaves and finish it to see how it will come out. I don't believe you will like it. Good luck.