Here are the instructions for the leather covered frames, along with a few things I do a bit differently.

     The tannery whose leather I used for the article shut down. I now prefer the tooling leather from HideHouse. I have tried using Herman Oak, and it is just a bit stiff in the lighter weights. It doesn't mold as well. It can be used, just a little more effort.

      I now apply the cement to the dry leather first and let it dry. Then I wet it from the front side and get it pretty wet. Not sopping, but wet for sure. When I am ready to start sticking it down, I add another coating of glue, and work while this glue is still more to the wet side. The glue will be drying as you are molding, and it will all work out. I use Barge.

      I stick and mold the inside corners first still. Then I have the whole inside to work the excess on that side down into and can compress along the whole length. I do this on the outside too, although the article is a bit off in the description. I stick the corners first, and then work the rails between the corners. That way you are not trying to compress an inch bubble of slack into a corner, you have the whole length to work it into.

      I keep my surface leather to the wet side all while I am molding. If it dries some, you end up with burnishing marks. Let it totally dry and the glue set before you go back to recase and tool it. May take a couple days.

      All of this molding is really not much different than forming leather to saddle swells. A lot of similarities. Some pieces of leather will just fall around the frame. others will take kicking and screaming.

      I sew them on a machine now, and haven't used 415 thread on anything for a few years. I use a right toe foot and narrow center foot to sew the lip. Each machine sews them a little different, just have to play with it. Handsewing will get tighter into that channel, and result in a narrower lip.