Decreasing Dye Transfer

[bex DK]

I need some advice. I've been working with spirit based dyes for a while (ROC Narvsværte--I'm in Denmark in Europe). Lately I've been having more and more trouble with dye transfer, even while working on a project. Was just working on a small one. Dyed blue with the alcohol-based dyes. Then stamped letters accented with white acrylic paint (very thinned, used 6 coats to get the letters completely white). Topped the letters off with supershene to make them shine and seal the paint. Used wax and a wooden wheel on a drill to buff the edges and reverse and while doing that, some dye (or wax mixed with dye) transferred onto my fingers and from my fingers into the white letters. So I probably need to make a new one, but luckily it is small and not too much expensive although a lot of time from the careful coloring.

I do the dying by dip dying then try to buff with the soft cloth.

But any tips for minimalizing the risk of transfer like that? I seem to have more trouble with some colors than others and try to be extra careful, but this is only the second time I've used the blue for complete piece dying, but I still think it is worse than last time. And the past several times I've done the acrylic letter coloring I've had trouble with the dye color coming up in the paint when I start applying it. This is also a problem I don't think I used to have (at least not to this extent), but we can't find anything that has changed in our process.

I have shifted to different containers of dye with some colors when I ran out of the old ones and I do know some of my dyes are a little old because I got extra when a local shop shut down (do spirit dyes break down with age?). But I'm getting really frustrated.

I like to keep my leather as natural as possible, so do not cover the entire piece with any kind of top coat, beyond a leather treatment with a good bit of beeswax in it. I want my leather to still be able to breathe naturally and absorb the types of treatments that are common here. We also have an extremely moist environment (tons of sea air) and the beeswax treatment holds up far better under these conditions than oiling. We've compared things before and it definitely is slower to mold and I much prefer the feel. Just have to be careful not to let the wax build up too thick in tooled areas, but that can be resolved with a soft toothbrush if a cloth can't do it.

I am pretty sure the worst of the transfer will stop once the piece has had a few of the beeswax treatments and plenty of time to dry, but that doesn't help me while I'm working on the project.

One idea I intend to try next time is wiping the surface down after dying with a cloth with a little alcohol on it in the hopes of easier removal of excess pigments on the surface. But I'd appreciate any suggestions for limiting my problems.

[Harry Marinakis]

Bingo

One idea I intend to try next time is wiping the surface down after dying with a cloth with a little alcohol on it in the hopes of easier removal of excess pigments on the surface.