Effective Resist

[DrGull]

I wanted to do a resist finish with the flower an scroll work with Fiebings British Tan followed by Eco-Flow Mahogany Antique gel. I figured it would give the carved portion a nice burnished look against a darker background. So I paitnted the flower and scrollwork British Tan followed by Super Sheen as a resist. The results were less than impresive: (see Wrong.jpg).

Only the tip of the flower came out as it should. Super Sheen didn't resist anything.

So what to do? I went online to Springfield to buy a product specifically for resist dying. I figured the problem with super sheen was that it was water soluable and so is the gel antique which must have simply pushed the super sheen out of the way. I was all ready to purchase the resist product when an idea occured. I make models as well as doing leathercraft. Modelers use Future floor finish for all sorts of things. Turns out a bottle of Future is simply a huge bottle of pure acrylic.

Would Future make a good resist? It dries a hard acrylic gloss the gel antique should not be able to get through. So I gave it a try on another practice piece. First the british tan onver the flower and scrollwork, followed by a coat of Future. It worked perfectly (see Right.jpg):

It also worked as an overall finish. I bent the leather severly and there was no cracking or "whiteing."

So, give future a try. Like I said before, it's just a big bottle of pure acrylic gloss -- no soap or other ingredients. It is a good resist and a good overall coat -- its flexible and strong.

[TwinOaks]

At Katsass' recommendation, I've been using Mop-n-glo. I think the two are nearly the same thing as Acrylic Resolene, but in bigger, cheaper, and probably less concentrated bottles.

***A note about acrylic waxes: There has been a good bit of discussion about them in saddle making, and the general consensus ( first hand reports from saddle makers) is that you can't oil through it. Other finishes allow a person to periodically condition the leather as needed, but once it's sealed with the acrylic, it's sealed. For carvings, this doesn't have much consequence, but for working items that need to be maintained, it could mean a shortened overall life of the product. I'm not saying don't use it, but be aware of what it does.***

[DrGull]

At Katsass' recommendation, I've been using Mop-n-glo. I think the two are nearly the same thing as Acrylic Resolene, but in bigger, cheaper, and probably less concentrated bottles.

***A note about acrylic waxes: There has been a good bit of discussion about them in saddle making, and the general consensus ( first hand reports from saddle makers) is that you can't oil through it. Other finishes allow a person to periodically condition the leather as needed, but once it's sealed with the acrylic, it's sealed. For carvings, this doesn't have much consequence, but for working items that need to be maintained, it could mean a shortened overall life of the product. I'm not saying don't use it, but be aware of what it does.***

I believe Mop n Glow has a soap component. . . .. .