Eco Flo Satin Shene on top of Fiebings Leather Dye

[xlr8tn]

I really wish there was a local leather shop around me...cause buying all of my dye from ebay not really knowing what works is not fun. I just received some Fiebings Leather Dye and have a question about application. Can I apply Eco-Flo Satin Shene on top of this dye? Do I apply Hi-Liter on top of the finish? How long should I wait before moving on from step to step?

Thanks,

Brent

[CitizenKate]

Yes, acrylic finishes can be used with spirit dyes. (The Eco-Flo satin sheen and super sheen products are still acrylic finishes, by the way. Acrylic finishes have always been water-based. Tandy just re-labeled it.)

I wouldn't recommend putting highlighter on top of it, though. It should go on before the finish. If you want something to resist the highlighter, lacquer, wax, or latex-based Block-out will not break down as easily as the acrylic.

If you're new to using acrylic finishes, be careful not to rub it around too much when applying it. Just wipe over the area to be finished once. Or better yet, spray it on.

Kate

[xlr8tn]

How many coats of finisher is recommended? Thanks for your help.

[CitizenKate]

What finish are you using (Satin Shene, I presume?) and are you wiping, or spraying it on?

Kate

[xlr8tn]

Yep...Eco-Flo Satin Shene Finish and I am wiping it on with a wool dauber.

[TwinOaks]

A note about latex block outs:

I picked up some liquid latex from Hobby Lobby to use a a block out when spraying a purse. I applied it in several thin coats per the directions. When I removed it, every last speck of the spirit dye I'd airbrushed on before the block came up with it. Yep, back to naked leather. So if you use liquid latex, I suggest using a sealer on the dye before applying the latex. Then again, I may not have followed some directions right, and the HL latex probably isn't the same as the Tandy block out. YMMV.

[TrooperChuck]

Brent,

I use Tandy's satin shene on top of Fiebings dye all the time. I found that three light coats of the satin shene gives a good finish to my projects.

[CitizenKate]

A note about latex block outs:

I picked up some liquid latex from Hobby Lobby to use a a block out when spraying a purse. I applied it in several thin coats per the directions. When I removed it, every last speck of the spirit dye I'd airbrushed on before the block came up with it. Yep, back to naked leather. So if you use liquid latex, I suggest using a sealer on the dye before applying the latex. Then again, I may not have followed some directions right, and the HL latex probably isn't the same as the Tandy block out. YMMV.

Sounds like you unwittingly found a way to remove dye, which can be a good thing to know if you accidentally drop some where you don't want it!

I think you may be confusing a resist with a mask. If you're using something like Block-Out as a resist (to keep antique from absorbing into the leather, creating a lighter antique effect) you leave it on, and put the antique on over it. This type of product is a very thin, light liquid that absorbs into the leather and is not meant to be peeled off. If you're using the heavier liquid latex as a mask (to control where dye goes when you're spraying it on), then you do peel it off before applying anything else.

Incidentally, someone found out it's also very difficult to get dye to absorb into leather where liquid latex has been peeled off. So you probably only want to use it where no color is going to be used.

Kate

[ClayB]

If that really works (liquid latex removes spirit dye) somebody could make a pile of money re-labeling it and selling it for that purpose. I've never found anything that would do that before so I'm going to have to get some of that and try it out.

[TwinOaks]

Incidentally, someone found out it's also very difficult to get dye to absorb into leather where liquid latex has been peeled off. So you probably only want to use it where no color is going to be used.

You don't say....

Something is tickling my memory about reading all the instructions before beginning....

Yes, I had the two terms confused. I remember seeing the latex used in matted areas to mask the area because lighter color would be used later.

Oh, and the latex to remove dye is apparently "intent" sensitive. It didn't work to peel a boo-boo, but I'd already used the latex in that area as a mask.

[calanneh]

I had good results with Feibings USMA black and super shene, HOWEVER, each time I use satin sheen on the same USMC black, the sheen pulls the dye up and leaves blotches on my projects....

It never did it with the super, just the satin. At first I thought I was using too much satin, so I did a few test pieces and no matter how I did it, satin and the USMC black did nto work together..... My shop manager thinks there is still issue with the new satin sheen formula.

I now use the Fiebings sheen spray. It is a satin finish and I have had no problems with it.

By the way, Tandy just updated their website. You may try it instead of getting your dyes off Ebay. There are a few other sites out there to use for buying dyes and leather supplies. I would suggest looking around over using Ebay for this kinda stuff.