Dyes, Antiques, Stains, Glues, Waxes, Finishes and Conditioners.
The chemical department. Coloring and accenting your work, protecting it from the elements and ravages of time, care and maintainance of leather, and preservation and restoration of old leather.
2,948 topics in this forum
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Why do so many people say mineral oil is bad for leather? Online, there are so many sites, none of which are actual chemists or experts, who go on about how bad mineral oil is for leather. But if mineral oil is fine for baby skin, surely it is good for leather as well. Johnson's baby oil is just perfumed mineral oil and has been used for decades.. Then people say 'petrolatum ( petroleum jelly) and petroleum products are bad for leather - we would not apply it on our skin and should not on leather. Hmm. My mother used pure petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on her skin nightly as a young girl and had skin that looked barely 45 when she was 80. The beautiful skin is…
Last reply by SUP, -
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- 12 followers
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Having spent a good deal of time researching and reading forums, to include this one, I have found that there are plenty of threads on making leather conditioners , but not many actual recipes. People act like it's a secret or are elusive in what ingredients and ratios they use. It's not a secret, I never understood why people act like its some kind of proprietary info on how they make conditioner. It's not like most/any of them are trying to sell it to make a living or anything. Plus its not rocket science. If one looks at most commercial products Material Safety Data Sheets ( MSDS), you can find out what the ingredients are and sometimes even the % of each. A little b…
Last reply by Deeeeeee, -
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I have heard many different peoples steps in finishing a project. Some swear by this or that and others wont do this before they do that. I think if everyone was to post their own process it would help not only me but MANY people in this forum. So lets start with antiquing. How do you get that "perfect" finish, what products, and what tools(wool,dauber,ect.) Lets hear it. I know some of you old timers have to have some tried and true ways that you will do every time and I would love to hear them!!! I want detailed descriptions so that they will be easy to follow for me and others. Thanks alot and I hope this will help everyone!!!!! Phillip Sims
Last reply by JLSleather, -
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I got a chance to use latex rubber as a dye mask on my powercat clock project (yes, I'm finally getting some more work done on it), and decided to snap some photos as I worked so you could see how well this latex rubber works as a dye mask. If you like to spray on your dyes, this seems to be a fairly trouble-free way of keeping the dye off the areas of your project where you don't want it. PLEASE NOTE: Putting this latex product on leather may affect how the leather is able to absorb dye after the latex is removed. It has also been known to cause some discoloration of some leathers. (I haven't had this problem with the leather I use, but some people have reported this…
Last reply by paloma, -
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Hi all; I picked up an unissued pair of third pattern jungle boots, and want to know if I need to do anything special before wearing them? Date of manufacture is 2 70. I’m thinking using neatsfoot oil & conditioning several times over a couple of months. Any thoughts? Thanks! Bill
Last reply by fredk, -
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I bought some Uniters paint and primer and followed a step by step process I saw online with heat and sanding. On two test pieces, I have results I'm happy with. It took 4-5 coats, sanding, and heat to get there, but it looks professional. My previous project was edge painted with bad results. I just smeared it on and it looks far from professional Now that I can do this level of work, I'm much more excited about working with chrome tanned leather going forward. These are my first two attempts. One with two pieces and the other single. I don't feel like I have to hide the edges if I can do this good of job.
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Last reply by Northmount, -
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Hello everyone, I’m new here from South Korea, and I’m facing a big problem with redyeing my custom-made dress shoes. I hope someone can help me figure it out. I bought these dark brown (actually closer to medium brown) shoes two years ago, along with other pairs in black and light brown. Compared to the others, this pair of dark brown shoes seems to have some sort of transparent coating or sealant, like Resolene or Saddle-Lac. Still, I was able to polish them Unfortunately, last year the right toe got scratched. I used sandpaper to smooth out the surface, thinking I could restore it by applying Saphir Shoe Cream (Crème Surfine, Color 05: Dark Brown)…
Last reply by kgg, -
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Hi, I have owned a couple pairs of cowboy boots for about a year and have been conditioning them with only neatsfoot oil. The boots I got have usually been offered to someone a few years ago, this person then wore them a couple times and let them sit in a shoebox for years. So technically they're almost unworn, but rather dry (not to the point of getting cracks however) (if you wonder why I choose that kind of boots its because I get them for about 30 bucks whereas Id have to pay hundreds otherwise wich I cant afford) winter is coming, and I dont want my boots to get dry because of wet-dry cycles, or to rot... they dont seem to ever get enough oil…
Last reply by Northmount, -
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So I have typically finished pieces with antiquing and Resoline. Now, I am doing some purses and bags where I think there will be too much wear on the Resoline finish to stand up well over time. Right or wrong? I like dying, oiling, and almost always antiquing. Before antique I use Pro Resist. So, how to get to a wax finish instead… and is that the way to go? Thought?
Last reply by Dwight, -
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I'm starting a resto-mod on a vintage leather bag. I've got a test piece to the color and finish I'm looking for. At least until I remembered that I wanted to add Mink Oil to keep the wet out as much as possible. I know it will likely turn the end result darker, and I'm fine with that. At what stage do I add a couple thin layers of mink oil? To get to where I am now, I've deglazed, foam scrubbed, 3-4 light coats of Angelus Ox Blood, a couple light coats of Red shoe polish. The leather is fairly solid veg-tan.
Last reply by INSMNYK,
