Ladyface

Has anyone used the new eco flo pro water stain in black yet? If so... what kind of buffing was required? How did you seal it? Did you have to put anything underneath it? And lastly, did it give you a nice black?? Sorry for all the questions,....just wanted to get right to the point.

I only put it on really thin.. but maybe even that was too thick?

Hello, I have dyed my leather with USMC Black. I used NF oil first, then dip dyed with the usmc black, then acrylic resolene that was cut 50-50 with water.... But my black leather pieces are getting these white spots on them... spot of white that are from 1" to 2" in diameter or so, and composed of tiny little white dots. ...I'm not sure what I've done wrong. It will wipe off, but it comes back! I'm so frustrated. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may have caused this or how to go about fixing it? I've never seen this before. Cheers

I forgot to add.. I'm not carving his name into it.. but he's asked if I could stitch his name into it. I was thinking lace.. If I could figure out how to dye lace silver, that's what I'd be doing. I'm under the impression that I can stitch his name at the very end. @ Charlie: This really IS an awesome place, isn't it?? I've learned so much here. I love this site. I'm never leaving!

Dwight I can't tell you how much I appreciate your in depth response. I'll definitely be dipping my leather now. I'm stitch ammo loops and flaps to the belt... should I dye all the leather and finish it first so as not to miss crevices and whatnot... I'm assuming that's how I would do it... unless the dyeing buffing and finishing is all done after. Lucky for me, there's no actual shaping involved, save for the end where the buckle goes. I was under the impression that I should use a very thin layer of resolene to avoid having the leather look like plastic and to also cut down on the tackiness... I've also read a fair bit of good things about Leather Sheen, but it seems that resolene is more flexible. So in putting on the multiple layers of resolene, would I wait in between coats? Or once I get to the end, go back and start the next coat? As for the brushing on of the resolene, I'm not sure what pig would feel like.. but I assume you just mean soft (since nylon is frequently a bit stiff)? Would a soft hair, small paint brush (for artists, not painting walls) do the same trick? It also sounds like I would apply multiple coats of resolene over itself, working into a lather each time.. and then brush out any bubbles AFTER all coats have been put on. I just thought of something else: does it matter when I punch my holes for stitching? re: casing: I'm not doing any tooling.. but the leather for the loops will obviously be rounded... if I finish the leather will sewing on the loops make the leather finish crack? Would I case the loop leather and sew it to the belt first, and then continue with the dyeing and finishing? Again, thank you for your response. Happy Easter to you too

Hello! One glance at my zero activity profile will tell you I'm new here... I know these questions have been posed before in a few ways or other in different forums, but after doing nothing but reading forum posts for weeks now, I still have questions, so I hope it's ok if I ask. A little background: I'm making a friend a belt-like product that will be worn solely outdoors, and will definitely be exposed to the elements, including much sun. I need it to be waterproof - or close - and I'm not looking for super gloss, so I think based on what I've read, using the shoe polish after the resolene will help with that a smidgen. I'm starting with veg tanned cow, and plan to dye it black. I don't want it to crack, or the dye to fade, or to mix products together that will react negatively with eachother... obviously. So... 1) Do I cut, edge bevel, make holes, tool, oil, case, dye, oil, resolene, shoe polish? I'm a little messed up on the dyeing and finishing. There are so many products, and it's not always clear what they're all for... I've read plenty to know which ones not to use earlier on, so as not to seal the leather before putting on the dye... My plan as it stands is to case (until no bubbles appear?) and dye using Fiebing's USMC Black; do it with one long stroke in one direction in a medium coating and let dry for an hour or two, then put a second coat on in the opposite direction in one long stroke; let that dry for 24-48 hours, and buff the hell out of it with a Kiwi cloth until I have no residue (or very, very little); then apply Neatsfoot Oil; let than dry for 24 hours and then apply acrylic resolene (I need it to be flexible too, and I've read that resolene is good for that); let that dry until it feels like being nice - days probably; and then buffing with black shoe polish and a kiwi cloth.. or maybe my fingers. ..I would love to try the mop and glo method that seems to be so popular.. and I've read a few times that oiling BEFORE dyeing will help the dye to absorb evenly... but would you oil then case then dye? Or Case then oil then dye? 2) There are a few loops, and flaps that I need to sew on (planning to do that with an awl by hand, using waxed linen thread from Tandy), so.. do I completely finish all pieces and then assemble? Or do I dye the leather, then oil it, and then assemble everything and put resolene on the final product... Again, I apologize if these are repetitive questions... but rest assured I tried my hardest to get this out of the posts in forums... I just haven't been able to find anything conclusive.