Hello everyone, im pretty much a newbie to leathercraft and this is my first post so be gentle please. I started a few months ago with a bit of veg tan, a craft knife and an old nail that i filed into shape and just taught myself through trial and error. I have come along way since then and got a reasonable collection of tools, alot of which are homemade, altho i have splashed out on some of the more essential stamps n tools, but iv always been the kind of person who prefers to make something rather than buy it anyway. Untill i can start selling peices, my budget is at bare minimum so recycling stuff i already have is a definate bonus. Iv got the hang of the tooling now n im getting to grips with the dying and painting but everything goes wrong on the finish.
I have no doubt that i am to blame and im just using the wrong method so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
After tooling and drying time i use a black water based dye for all the background areas leave it to dry and then paint the tooled design with acrylics and up to this point everything looks great. i then leave it overnight to dry and when it is, iv been using eco-flo super shene leather finish as a top coat. The problem is, as soon as i touch the super shene to the leather it moistens the colours iv used (dyes and paints) which then spread n bleed to the other lighter colours more and more with each stroke of whatever i use to apply it. usually a brush or sponge. Eventually i will invest in an airbrush but for the moment my budget will not stretch nearly that far.
I thought that maybe if i used some kind of wax sealer it might work better as it wouldnt soak in to the water based dyes and paints and cause them to spead but then again maybe im completely wrong... regardless, i would like to get away from the super sheen as iv had rubbish results and for the price that it is i would be suprised if there isnt a cheaper or better alternative out there.
Iv seen a few posts where people metion using 'mop n glo' as a finish which sounds like the cheap and cheerful method im after as i can source all the materials i use so far ( except for the veg tan) from local stores which suits me coz i dont have regular internet access and would prefer to be able to buy it there and then rather than have to order and wait. Problem is i dont think uk stores stock mop n glo so does anyone know any uk products with the same properties or any other easy to find products that would suit my needs? I know cheap isnt the best way but its the only way i can go for the moment.
I know... im not askin much am i..
Sorry for the long post but iv spent days googling and searching forums but cant quite find the answer im looking for so any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jackson
