Dye Problems - Please Help!

[jviles]

Ok, so a little background info first. I use Hermann Oak leather from Sheridan and Fiebings pro oil dye. This particular background is dyed mahogany. I am having trouble getting the dye to be even, if that makes sense. It comes out blotchy and uneven. I have trouble with this using black as well. And it doesn't matter if I do two or three coats. I apply the dye in the background with paint brushes. I have tried different methods such as oiling before and after I apply the dye. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!!

[immiketoo]

Have you tried cleaning the leather with oxalic acid before dyeing ? Also, is it possible you have gotten some resist on the background?

[jviles]

No chance of resist on the background. My process is to case the leather, carve and tool, dye background, oil, neat lac, antique, sew, edges. On the oxalic acid, do apply it before or after tooling the leather? I have the oa, but I have tried using it and really did not notice much of a difference. How much oa crystals and how much water in the solution? Thanks!

[Chief31794]

On OA I use 1 tablespoon to 1 Pint of water. Not sure if that's right, but it's what I use.

Chief

[jviles]

I have done a lot of searching and reading different threads on this site. I notice that many people use an airbrush to dye their leather and they achieve a more even coat. Does this airbrush process work around tooling? Has anybody achieved success with this? Also, do most people apply background dye with a paintbrush? Thanks!!

[JLSleather]

for rich, deep colored backgrounds, I use a brush (anywhere from a 000 to a #1). for lighter backgrounds, I spray it.

[Art]

The only way I have found to cover thoroughly with dye is to immerse the leather in the dye. This is a little hard to do for a background. With really dark dyes, getting a result that won't splotch over time is a little tricky. Even when I flood dye a piece, I let it dry, buff it to get excess dye off, and then coat it with Lexol conditioner with a little dye mixed into it, not a whole lot but enough to color it. Even if you do that, the leather is so compressed where you beveled that the result may be less than optimal in those areas. The real solution for me is to use acrylic paint. It covers completely and evenly. A lot of your top level leather artists use it. See if you can get Bob Beard's cd on coloring, it sure opened my eyes.

Art

[NVLeatherWorx]

^{If you want the background to have a solid appearance versus the relief appearance that you have achieved, you need to go with a spirit dye as the first treatment which will penetrate all areas (beveled or not) evenly, then you can use the oil dye over the top. I prefer to use only spirit dyes to get all of my color and then allow my oil or acrylic finishes to do the rest. Oil dyes don't allow a solid penetration most of the time due to slight imperfections in the leather which is why you have the results that you got.}

Edited November 29, 2012 by NVLeatherWorx