Pennypower

What kind of finish do I use on natural undyed leather that will not turn it dark, but keep the color the same?

Well, major blonde moment. I didn't even think about a compressor. Here I am thinking how awesome it is that I got an airbrush for only $14. Well, looks like I'll be saving up a little longer :-P

I just looked it up and they have one for $11! Also, fwi, they have a huge sale going on this weekend. I'm also going to get the 80 peace rotary tool kit for $8. Can't beat that! Even if it only works for like a week LOL.

Yetiusmc, yes actually, I was at Harbor Freight yesterday getting a ventilator mask. As soon as I get a chance I'm going to run over there and get one! Thanks, I didn't know they had them :-)

Cyberthrasher....awesome. That makes a lot of sense. I'm going to oil first from now on. I can't wait to get an airbrush!

THank you! I just checked it recently and it seems to have evened out a lot as it has dried more. I'm kind of shocked that it was that obvious and easy :-P

Well, I'm not sure I will be much help but.....THAT IS AMAZING!!!!! Since you're motorcycle is mostly light yellow and black, I think you could use a lot of bold/bright colors and it will look really nice. I wouldn't use too much brown, it will be muddy. If you can, try to put accents of the same color yellow as your bike, but keep your colors bright. I say this because the yellow/black you have on your bike is a sharp contrast, looking pretty retro. As long as your colors sink up with the retro feel of your bike, it will really POP. The interesting thing is, I would normally think that the subject matter would demand a lot of naturals and browns. But your bike looks very modern (kind of the opposite of a horse and buggy type thing) BUT....that is what's so cool about it. If you keep you're colors bright, it could end up looking pretty pop-culture, which I think is a very cool concept. However, I am super opinionated artistically, so if what I'm saying makes you want to gag (hehe) no worries!!! You could totally go with shades of gray and ivory with little touches of color, and that would still be amazing! I would just avoid brown, personally :-) I just noticed you posted this Dec. 6th? Have you already painted it? I'd love to see it if you're done!

Dwight, I've been using clean lac, or clear lac, or whatever that's called LOL. I like how shiny it makes it but sometimes it cracks. I'll try Resolene. Is there a certain brand I should get, or is that the brand? Oh I see, Fiebings resolene.

The only thing I did to it before I dyed it was sand the edges and buff the surface with water :-) So there is no soup or oil on it, at least not from me. Could it have just been too dirty? Do I need to clean with saddle soap before I dye it? Oh and one more question....if I use an airbrush, will that control the unevenness entirely? Because this is dip dyed so I'm under the impression that the problem is with the leather it'self. But I've never tried airbrushing so I don't know.

Hi everyone! My dyeing skills are kind of hit or miss, so on this belt I thought SURELY if I dip dye it, it will be even enough right? Does anybody know why it looks like this? This picture is taken a few hours later, so it's not totally dry yet, but I would be shocked if all of a sudden it was even once it's dry. Shocked but happy! Also, it seems to have like a greenish shimmeryness to it, in blotches. Not sure what that is either. Oh and I dip dyed it in Fiebings Oil Dye, saddle tan :-D Thank ya'll for your help!

Wow very nice! Stitched by hand too!!! Looks machine stitched. Great detail!

THank you!!!

Here is a picture of a belt I made for my Dad. I've made a few others, but none of them looked this good. I've had such a hard time figuring out how to do edges and dye. But thanks to this website and these forums, and all the nice people who've answered tons of my questions, it's looking much better. So thank you!!! I have a long way to go but I've learned a ton getting here and that's so rewarding!!!

In the meantime, try Springfield Leather's website. They should definitely have plenty of this stuff.

Hi there! I'm new here so probably not much help. I live in L.A. and I've found several stores that sell hardware like this downtown in the fashion district. I don't know where you live but you might be able to find a local shop that sells this kind of stuff, especially if there is a fashion industry there. Otherwise, you can definetly get this kind of hardware online. But there is nothing like holding it in your hands first, but that's not always possible. If I come accross a good website I'll let you know. I've been looking for one ;-)

I wanna know too!

OOOOOOoooooooo

When I'm finishing a belt, do I have this in the right order? Condition with neatsfoot oil... polish edges with wax.... apply cleanlac.... I'm just curious if the lacquer is ok to put over wax and oil. It sound good in theory, but I just thought I'd ask. I have other steps I do, but those ones in particular I get confused about. Thanks for tolerating my millions of questions lately :-)

Thanks so much! I can't wait to get an airbrush.....someday ;-) Well I've been playing around with dye and trying all kinds of things to get a graduated look. I'm starting to figure out what's working, at least for now. It seems that if I wet the leather, and wet the sponge or cloth, and used diluted oil dye, or even water based dye, then I have pretty good control of the colors. It's not flawless but it's getting better! I'm not sure yet if I like the sponge or the microfiber cloth better. I guess long term, sponges will be cheaper! Also, I tried the felt for dyeing edges and OH MY GOODNESS it works!!! Finally I'm able to do edges without frustration so thank you BillyMac814 for suggesting that!!!

How would you achieve this look?

When you say "foam brush", are you referring to these?.... http://springfieldleather.com/store/search.asp I just got some of these in the mail and they're very flimsy with dye soaked in. It seems like they are discintegrating and falling apart. Are there better ones I can use?

I was wondering what your favorite applicators are for applying dye to edges and also dying leather. I'm making belts, and I've tried many different things but still haven't found a favorite. I'm going to the store tonight to get some make up applicator sponges to try.

I love that Home Depot bench!!! In the meantime while I'm waiting for my hubby to build me a workbench, I brought home a folding table from church. It works! I can't stand up at it, I have to sit, but it's soooooo much better than what I had.

I think my husband is going to build me a workbench! He's measuring spots in our living room right now :-) I'll look into making one that folds up. It's going to go somewhere in our tiny living room but it's worth it :-D Electrathon, thanks for the link! That website is a goldmine.

Hi ya'll. I'm doing my leather work in my apartment, on my coffee table, which is killing my back. I don't have a garage or an outdoor work area. I'm trying to get some kind of work bench that will fit into my apartment, but I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions for comfortable work areas? How have you done it in the past, on a tight budget, and with limited space?