Need Advice With My Beeswax Finish

[Vianeth]

So I'm using pro oil dyes and antique paste (the stuff from Fiebings) for my work and I'm still in search of the best finish. If I'm not extra careful, pretty much everything rubs off the antique paste because it's not oil based. I can spray on Saddle Lac but that stuff ends up cracking and peeling off all the layers to expose the dye (I spray 2 coats, as I don't feel like a single thin layer gives it enough water protection). Spraying 50/50 water + acrylic resolene with the preval sprayer doesn't rub off the antique, but gives the work a milky white appearance in dots and puddles and never seems to be applied clear or evenly. I've created a beeswax finish which is 50/50 turpentine and beeswax. Applied as a thick mixture, I use a hairdryer to melt it down to a thin layer over the leather, allow to dry for a day then I buff it in shiny. I love the shine and protection it gives, but it doesn't seem to ever dry, it always feels slightly tacky. Anything I can do to make it dry hard and not tacky? I need the high polish shine and waterproofing, no flat finishes. Thanks

[mlapaglia]

Buff it more, Currently its too thick. If you can feel it tacky then you need to take some more off. Better than Turpentine would be neatsfoot oil. 50/50 with the bees wax. I use 2 parts, by weight, of neatsfoot oil, 1 part bees wax and 1 part carnuba wax. The carnuba wax is harder and not as tacky as the bees wax. Rub it in well with a hair dryer and then buff it and buff it and buff it.

Does a great job as a finish and as long as you dont get crazy with too much its not sticky at all.

Michael

[TwinOaks]

So I'm using pro oil dyes and antique paste (the stuff from Fiebings) for my work and I'm still in search of the best finish. If I'm not extra careful, pretty much everything rubs off the antique paste because it's not oil based. I can spray on Saddle Lac but that stuff ends up cracking and peeling off all the layers to expose the dye (I spray 2 coats, as I don't feel like a single thin layer gives it enough water protection). Spraying 50/50 water + acrylic resolene with the preval sprayer doesn't rub off the antique, but gives the work a milky white appearance in dots and puddles and never seems to be applied clear or evenly. I've created a beeswax finish which is 50/50 turpentine and beeswax. Applied as a thick mixture, I use a hairdryer to melt it down to a thin layer over the leather, allow to dry for a day then I buff it in shiny. I love the shine and protection it gives, but it doesn't seem to ever dry, it always feels slightly tacky. Anything I can do to make it dry hard and not tacky? I need the high polish shine and waterproofing, no flat finishes. Thanks

1. Some antique paste SHOULD come off if you do things right. It's designed to get down in the crevices, nooks, and crannies....not a top coat. Go to YouTube and search "Keithvalleysaddlery", or "Antiquing Leather" ....there is a video on antiquing.

2. If your Saddle Lac is cracking, you're putting it on way too thick. Don't spray it on the leather. Spray it on a piece of sheep's wool and rub it onto/into the leather.

3. If the resolene gets dots and puddles, and builds up to a milky appearance, you're putting that on too thick. Sure you can use the preval, just MIST the leather and let it dry. Then add another coat if you need to.

With either of the two finishes, you should not spray until you have a liquid layer, as that indicates it is too thick.