I've been doing leatherwork as a hobby for about 2 months now with varying success. I've done mainly belts from belt blanks from Tandy, since there is one near me. Most of what I've done is dyes and finishes. I've had some trouble getting the finishing to look the way I want but I've had good results finishing with acrylic resolene (50% water, 50% AR) in 3 or 4 thin coats. Do you guys have any other sugestions for finishing something liked a belt, made of veg-tanned leather, or other items that generally won't need recoditioning?
I'm moving into making some items for outdoor use, starting with a rifle sling. I've done some reading on here that neatsfoot oil is a good product for outdoor items. I'm unsure how to use it, do oil the peice once I dyed it (I am aware this darken the material) then allow it to dry? Does this still require a finish to make sure the dye doesn't run? Or do I use a non-water based dye after oiling the item? I personally prefer spirit based dyes.
Also, can you give me some info on how Atom Wax and Harness Dressing work? Those are two products I've read about but have never used. I saw them in the belt making tutorial on here and noticed he neatsfoot oiled the belt, applied harness dressing once it was dry, used hi-liter stain then applied Atom Wax. I don't understand that process, just looking for a little explanation.
Thanks!