Problems With Drum Dyed Buffalo Hide

[Handstitched]

G'day,

At the beginning of the year, I bought about 5 sides of 5mm drum dyed ( black) Buffalo hide for heavy belts & dog collars etc.

I'm not sure which part of the globe that they actually came from, but they were a 'new year special offer ' from a regular supplier in Melbourne Aust.

They certainly made some beautiful 1st grade belts, dog collars etc. , that was until a customer asked for a refund at one of my regular markets today.

The dye came out on his white dog, he was not happy. I tried giving him a different ( cow hide) collar, which he didn't want, so in the end I had no choice but to give him a refund. ( under Aust. consumer law) . It was obvious that the hides were not sealed.

So, I took off all the Buffalo hide belts & collars from my rack, went into my workshop tonight.

I sealed them...BUT .... black residue kept on coming off on the polishing cloth. No matter how many coats of sealer I put on ( I tried chemical & water based ), black residue still came off.

All was well when the sealer was dry, BUT....with just a tiny bit of moisture ( ie simulated sweat), black residue came out on the cloth.

I tried oiling them ( just as I have with harness cowhide leather without any problems at all) , but still no joy.

No matter what I try, I keep getting this black residue on the cloth. I can't have black dye coming out onto a customers clothing.....or their dogs.

Any suggestions??

Thanks

HS

[Thor]

Would it be an option to strip a scrap piece and redye it with vinegaroon? Maybe the tanner didn't work well.

[DavidL]

The supplier may of just spirit dyed the leather and did not do the proper steps to prevent dye from bleeding. From the samples I received from tanneries, only one has bled, a piece of latigo . Drum tanned leather from what I on hand has zero tendency to bleed if you submerse in water, its almost permanent.

From what I read spirit dye on veg tan there needs to be rubbing with saddle soap plus water or water alone after the leather is dried to fully remove the extra dye. Let the piece dry fully and then seal it properly with a finisher. To further the chances of the leather not bleeding a bone folder or smooth boxwood can be rubbed to glaze the leather. I haven't had too much luck with spirit dye and prefer to use pre dyed DRUM tanned leather for time saving (Front dyed by drum and back pasted).

If you manage to fix the bleeding issue I would like to know your method...

[Handstitched]

G'day, thank you for your reply.

After messing around for a good ( frustrating) hour or more today, the only thing that seemed to work is

'Neat-Lac' .

I used it very sparingly as I don't have very much left , ( I've been making it 'stretch' by adding a little bit of solvent).

But anyway, it seemed to work. But, I have 5 of these Buffalo hides, certainly not enough Neat-Lac' to seal the lot.

I let it dry completely, rub the back of the belt with a cloth...nothing, no residue. I add a bit of moisture ( with a spray bottle) to 'simulate' sweat, and so far, I haven't seen any residue come out on the cloth.

Tandy's here in Oz, no longer supply 'Neat-Lac' , and I'm having difficulty finding a subsitute.

I don't use a lot of 'Neat-Lac', but when I do , I always seem to have a good result....so I would like to get some more,... of a similar product

'Clear-Lac' seems to be a good subsitute from what I've read on LW.Net, but suppliers in the US won't ship it O/S ( Australia) as it is flamable. I have yet to find any Australian suppliers

HS

[Troy Burch]

Tandy has saddle-lac which is basicaly the same thing. It only comes in a spray can. It's what I use for resist and works good.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Troy Burch

[Handstitched]

G'day again,

After much searching, I have finally found a product that is as close to 'Neat-Lac' as I will get, here in Australia ( according to the info I received) . Its one of my own suppliers. I should have looked there first eh? Duh!!

But it is still as flammable, so it will have to come by road, not by air. Approx 2 weeks, which is better than none at all.

http://www.birdsall-leather.com.au/DLL500w/Leather-Lacquer-500Ml/pd.php

I will order a 1 ltr tin ( or two) , put some into a spray gun ( with a dash of thinner),

and spray the backs of the hides with two coats to be sure,

so I don't have to seal each and every item/project I make....one at a time.

Hope this helps any other Aussie leatherworkers that are used to using 'Neat-Lac',

and are having difficulty finding an ( Aussie) substitute.

All the best,

HS

[Handstitched]

G'Day again,

Just when I thought I'd found a product to replace 'Neatlac' , I ordered some, only to be told that it can't shipped by air to my state ( to Western Australia) from N.S.W because its highly flammable.

It could come by road, but the freight will far exceed the cost of the product.

O'h well, back to square one, but I'm open to suggestions.

I'll have a look around at other laquers , that are not meant for leather. Maybe I'll get lucky .

HS