TomG

What dye? What color? How are you applying it? Are you diluting the Resolene 50/50 with water? Are you putting it on in 2-3 VERY thin coats and allowing to try for several hours between coats (preferably overnight)

What tip size? .010 or bigger?

Dwight.. Do you remember what size/type of bit you used on the engraver. I have one and have been playing with it but still not 100% satisfied with the results.

I use denatured.

Sorry you're almost bling <g> Did you try Rio Grande? Tom

Does anyone have a source for Stainless snap swivels in 1"? Thanks

Note the key words... 50/50 Resolene... Same with the Mop-N-Glo.... 50/50 with water. And several thin coats, letting them dry between.

Get some double ended foam makeup applicator sticks from a beauty supply place. Easy to control and if you clean them, can be reused 5+ times on each end.

Has anyone heard of Coblers leather Shoe Dye? Is it suitable for Veg-tan? Pros/Cons?

When airbrushing fine or small items like this lettering, how do you hit the inside of the letter and not outside?

I've got the Fiebings Black, Green, Red, Royal, Saddle and a few others in oil, and the Light Blue, Medium Brown, Red, Green, Purple, Navy, Yellow, and a few others in regular spirit dye. I have never had any one of them dye leather those colors straight out of the bottle. They are always darker, whether I use a sponge, dauber, or dip dye on the leather. I'm a bit swamped right now, or I'd make you some swatch strips. If no one else helps you with them in the next week or so, PM me and we can see where I stand time-wise. Tom

Or straight up if resisting. Or 100% Resolene. Or 100% Leather Balm with Atom Wax.

Here are a few other samples. I stretched it out to about 10" long and 1-3/4" tall. Using the Small rivets (7.3mm) for the first one. Still looks bad, especially when I remove the black lettering. That's the second photo. The M is the main problem I set it for a standard rhinestone pattern using SS6 (2.3mm) stones and center line.. Same problem but not as bad.. Still not usable.. The last one, is SS6 stones using outline. Looks nice. But unless you can find some extra small rivets, you may just have to use the graph paper idea that Billy suggested once you see the actual rivet size.

I used CorelDraw X6 with a Macro called DrawStone3. We mainly use it in our Embroidery/Screen Printing business. I have thought of heat pressing some rhinestones onto a belt, but haven't gotten time to do it yet. One of these days....

Well, I ran it through my programs and the issue is the rivet size. Figuring a 1" tall x 7" long name, using the Tandy Small rivets, they just don't fit. The heads are a tad over 7mm. Most rhinestones are in the 2-3mm range. Here's what it comes up with. Even moving and adding rivets, you still have spots that they just don't fit. Now, you could use the small crystal rivets, or even heat press stones and manually place the stones on the adhesive transfer paper. I have done that before and it's OK for 1 or 2 items of small to moderate size.

There are a number of programs and/or macros to programs that do that. Primarily used for Rhinestones or LED's. The primary drawback is the cost. $200 and up. The Macros go into things like CorelDraw and start around $50. You would have to measure the particular rivet heads that you wanted to use and pick an appropriate crystal size.

Yes. Thin with water. Tandy's online catalog has directions and stuff on the product pages for the Eco-Flo dyes.

Bwhahahahaa.. I actually moved my garage shop into our home office. It's where we spend most of our time anyway. this way, I can keep the heat low in the majority of the house unless we have company (seldom) and just heat/cool this room and the bedroom. PLUS... trying to heat/cool a whole garage for one small corner is not efficient. By the time I fired up the heater(s) and got it comfortable, I could have had 4 or 5 tasks done upstairs. I DO try to do my dye work in the garage, though. In addition, some of your dyes/finishes, etc don't do well if they freeze, do there's that. IN addition to heating up the garage, now, you have to go pull whatever fluids/pastes from wherever you've stored them to keep them warm, use them, put them back and so on. I have used a variety of electric space heaters, kerosene heaters and propane torpedo heaters. All have pros and cons... electric is highly inefficient for large areas, kerosene and propane need ventilation in the work area, which negates some of the heat. You may have to ventilate some of the IR heaters as well, since it's a burning gas.. not sure though. If I was going to be in the garage again, I would put up walls and a door, and use an electric heater.. Ideally, I would build the garage room with a window and use a combo window air conditioner/heater. Good luck

Go to a beauty supply store (around here, it's Sally's), and get some foam tipped applicators. Mine have a foam pad at each end. You can use paper towel to remove the excess out of the pad after use and reuse them many times. I paid about $3 for 30 of them. They lay down a nice coat and are easy to control.

What rivets? What setter? What leather thickness? I usually struggle with Glove snaps, line 20 and 24 if the leather is not the right thickness. The posts have to be a certain length above the leather or they either will not roll (too short) or they will bend or shift (too long), which it sounds like you are getting. I think the proper length is 1/16" above the leather, if memory serves me. Use a file to cut it down if it's too long and try it. Tandy has a couple of good videos on setting various rivets. Note how he rolls the tool on some of them as he hits it.

Well, I was interested in answers as well. I have had sporadic results in using denatured alcohol to strip off the Resolene and adding a light coat of dye. But, make very sure the alcohol has totally dried out before dying. I'd do some light dye tests first. Light dye, resolene, then strip and touch up. I think you're going to find it hard to control the levels. When I did it, I was dip dying with Fiebings brown oil dye cut 50% with DA. After I striping the Res, the surface of the strap had a rough, mottled look as it was pulled out of the dip pan. It did even out as it dried, but was a lot darker than I wanted. What I think is happening is that the Resolene gets into the pores of the leather but the alcohol just can't get it out evenly. But I ramble.... Let us know how it works out.

I've achieved a similar effect using a sponge to wipe a light overall coat of dye on then use more dye to dab it on in random areas to darken them. You can vary the effect by how much you dab on the a given section.

I've used lemon juice cut 50/50 with water and rubbed in with a rag. Then rinsed lightly with a rag dipped and wrung out in clean water. I haven't done a saddle, but I would think getting into creases and layers is going to be an issue unless you disassemble it. I'd also toss any fleece or shearling on it and replace it.

I personally don't use that, but my understanding is that it's more of a stain as opposed to a dye. It's meant to be put on and rubbed off. The little bit that I've worked with stains, the color is usually not a deep , but is great for showing off the grain and texture of the leather.. The few items I have stained, I've had no problem with. I still seal with 50/50 Resolene. But I'm sure more knowledgeable people will be helping you out here.

How about a respirator like they use for painting or chemicals? Check Home Depot or a Safety Supply store.