what happened here?

[jana]

Actually I have had this problem, after it was all said and done, I went to a pretty reliable source that told me that it was too much tanning oil/fat liquor that was used in the tanning process. I ended up casing the whole piece and sticking it in a plastic bag overnight, I was able to carve and tool it, but it left a greasy residue on my tools, also I could only leave the project natural because any testing I did with any type of acrylic based product was splotchy. I had to use it, at the time I didn't have a choice.

Good Luck to you

[Deno]

I would have questioned the sponge too. Some come with chemicals in them to add to their shelf life. My dad always used a chunk of natural sponge. They are a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive, but that's what he swore by.

[Suze]

I would have questioned the sponge too. Some come with chemicals in them to add to their shelf life. My dad always used a chunk of natural sponge. They are a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive, but that's what he swore by.

aren't the sponges they sell for painting on your walls - natural sea sponges?

I can walk into about any paint department and find them.

more expensive - yes

hard to find - no

[KatieG]

I've seen that happen once or twice on perfectly good hides.. nothing quite that large though.... I'm thinking it might be the tanning as well.

Try soaking it, not sponging it, to case it. Yanno, til the bubbles stop. (I've managed to dunk some oil-tanned before to make it wet enough to carve... soaking helps, in that case. If there's a way in, the water will find it. If it's too wet, well, wait a few minutes.)

I disagree that it should "be replaced" - one part is no big deal. Heck, that water pattern looks really neat! Just dyed and made into a cover or something similar would look wonderfully distressed.

I don't think I've used a sponge more than once or twice.. always been a good dunk or a spray bottle... so I can't comment on that to save my life. ^__^.

[busted]

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!

Sounds as though those someone at Tandy or where ever this piece came from made a

bobo. It sounds and looks like a piece of harness leather if it is harness leather you will not remove

the waxes and oils from the material I think you better find another piece

of leather.

Bussted