Study On Resists With Eco-Flo Waterstains

[NVLeatherWorx]

There have been a few questions in past weeks about how the Eco-Flo Professional Waterstain's react when being applied over a resisting treatment and the responses were a mixed bag at best. So, to help those who have this question get a more proven answer I did a test in my shop to show the results. Here we can all see for ourselves exactly how it turned out.

The conditions were simple: a scrap piece of leather, segregated into 5 sections, with each section having received two applications of a known finish that doubles as a resisting agent (with 24 hour dry time between applications), with a final application of a waterstain as per the manufacturers directions (i.e. with a damp sponge, applied 24 hours after last resist application). The color of waterstain in Dark Brown.

The finishes used as resisting agents are: 1. Eco-Flo Professional Finish (manufactured by Fenice, also the maker of the waterstains); 2. Fiebing's Acrylic Resolene (full strength, no dilution); 3. Eco-Flo Super Shene; 4. Eco-Flo Blockout Resist (never worked as it was intended to anyway); and, 5. LCI's Clear-Lac (the same product that was once called Neat-Lac and sold through Tandy stores).

As you can tell from the image there were some products that resisted slightly (and inconsistently) and some that never did anything at all (the Blockout for example); but the most interesting result is that the products that are under the same branded name as the stain itself (especially the finish from the same manufacturer) had the worst results across the board. The Acrylic Resolene had a partial positive effect and was consistent while the Clear-Lac had the best result of all and actually gave the resist result that we as craftsmen are looking for. I have also tested this same process with adding additional applications of these products and the only changes are that the Resolene resists slightly better with each application but peaks after the 5th application; the Clear-Lac ends up creating a total resist block at 4 applications.

Here is the image of the first test; see for yourself how it ends up and make YOUR decision based on fact, not preference.

[lightingale]

Very nice experiment! I'd given up trying to resist with the stains and dye that I normally use, and just paint around with a brush or use liquid latex.

This experiment makes a very good case for Clear-Lac. I've never seen it in Canada... where do you get yours?

[Chief31794]

Very nice experiment! I'd given up trying to resist with the stains and dye that I normally use, and just paint around with a brush or use liquid latex.

This experiment makes a very good case for Clear-Lac. I've never seen it in Canada... where do you get yours?

Clear Lac is available from Springfield Leather Company.

Chief

[Studio-N]

Thanks NV, I was just about to take on a project using the water stains and was wondering about the resists.

Now I can go straight to work and not have to run the same test. cheers!

[terrymac]

Isn't is amazing how the old, tried and proven products work better than others. Maybe those old time saddle makers knew what they were doing after all. It is good to know about the Waterstains as I have just started playing with them.. I tried Clearlac with the Ecoflo antiques and ended up with a mess, bunch of the ugliest colors I have ever seen. I threw them all away. Clearlac is also available from Sheridan Leathers except they label it "Wyosheen"

Terry