ScottWolf

Yes, scale it proportionately so that you maintain the ratios 1:1:2:.5:.25

I use my DIY leather conditioner. The recipe for it is posted in the forum here.

I have heard it called that as well. Whether one uses oil or water before dyeing will cause the leather fibers to swell and allow even penetration of the dye down into/between the fibers. Doing this reduces the chances of lighter/darker and uneven coloring in the dye job, especially on dry/older leather.I typically clean and wash the leather, so it is still damp when I do my dyeing, after it has dried and I've wiped the excess dye off and have no rub off, I will condition the piece, as dyeing can dry the leather out and leave a flat,dull looking finish. After conditioning the piece I seal it.

Adding more carnauba wax would give it a sheen if buffed out but it will be very temporary as the conditioner is absorbed into the leather. If you want a more permanent glossy sheen, you might want to consider using something like Angelus 4 coat satin or 4 coat high gloss urethane clear coat as a finishing product. https://angelusdirect.com/collections/4-coat

Those look good to go. Glad to hear the recipe is working out for you.

Any color you can fiddle with the hue/shade as I mentioned but colors like saddle tan dye for example, tends to come out of the bottle on to the leather pretty dark with a dauber. But if you cut it and or use an airbrush, you can get a much lighter version of saddle tan. It's more apparent with the darker colors, but you can also see the same results with yellows and reds. A normal airbrush can handle dye. The Badger airbrushes are a good baseline model to start with that are not too expensive and provide good results. and yes, the dye will get lighter when you cut it with alcohol, when using an alcohol based dye.

I have found that colors like blue or other colors where you have different shades of it require a bit of trial and error on a scrap piece in order to get the desired shade/hue. A couple ways that have worked for me are 1. Apply with an airbrush. This I have found will give you the most control of how it looks on the leather from lighter to darker. Using a dauber or sponge, etc always seems to produce a result that is a shade darker than I want. 2. Cut the dye 50/50 with alcohol and test on scrap using dauber,sponge and adjust the cut of alcohol until you get the desired shade. Its a bit of experimenting each time,as each piece of leather takes the dye differently. but once you know your ratios, its typically a small adjustment to get the desired shade. Hopefully that helps you get to the shade of blue you are looking for.

Unfortunately, there isn't a white dye like there are for all the other colors available commercially that I am aware of. White Acrylic leather paint is your best option. If you can apply it with an airbrush all the better, as you can control the application over a large surface and its fairly quick compared to applying it by brush/sponge,etc

I use the liquid out of convenience, but bar also works.

Here are two recipes that I have used that may work for you. You can replace the coconut oil with NFO if thats what you want to use. The glycerin sopa comes out hard while the other one will have more of a firm paste feel to it. RECIPE #1 16 oz of Dr Bronner's Castille Soap(choose the fragrance you want. I used peppermint in this recipe) 1ea 1lb block of beeswax and coconut oil Melt 1/2lb of the block of Beeswax/coconut oil down for a less waxy end product thats softer or melt the entire 1lb block down for a harder but slightly waxy feeling product. **If you cannot find the pre mixed block like the one mentioned, you can buy and add the ingredients individually. The quantities are as follows: 1/2 cup of Coconut oil 16 tablespoons of Beeswax Solid beeswax can be measured by displacing liquid. For example, to measure 1 Tablespoon beeswax use the following method. Since 4 tablespoons of liquid equal 1/4 cup, add 3 tablespoons of water to a clear measuring cup. Add lumps of solid wax until the water reaches the 1/4 cup line. Pour off the water. The remaining wax equals 1 tablespoon. Set the wax aside to dry before using it in any formula.** Once completely melted down and liquified, turn the heat down and add in 16 oz of the Castille soap and stir until mixed thoroughly. Once you remove it from the heat, you need to work quick, as it will start to set up fairly quickly. Pour it into your tins/mason jars or bowls. This will set up fairly quickly and after a few hours be semi solid. After 2-3 days, it will harden even more. The end product will lather up nicely with a toothbrush/shoe brush and water. RECIPE #2 1 ea 1lb of Glycerin 1/2 cup Coconut oil 16 oz Castille soap Cut up the Glycerin into cubes and drop them into the pot and stir until entirely melted, lower the heat. Add in the Castille soap and stir until thoroughly mixed and then add in the coconut oil and stir it in. Remove from heat and begin pouring into your tins/mason jars/bowls and allow to harden. This recipe takes a bit longer for it to harden completely, but is solid to the touch after about 2 days and ready to be used. Using a tooth brush and water, the product produces a moderate creamy lather.

If you are worried about getting 1oz exactly, I would suggest you get a 1oz measuring cup and pour your liquid into it and then into the tin. If you have 1oz tins, simply pour directly into it and eye ball it and don't over think it. If your OCD won't allow that, get the 1oz measuring cup.

Measure out each of the ingredients separately using a measuring cup to the specified amounts. Then add them into the container on the stove, in the order as described in the recipe thread.

OK, have fun storming the castle. Let us know what you decide to use and how it turns out for you. Best wishes with the sandals.

No, you are misunderstanding what I am trying to tell you. YES, those ingredients are oils, but lets look past that for a second. What I am trying to convey to you is that you can use what ever ingredients you choose, using the formula (ratios) of ingredients to one another. If none of your ingredients are oils, thats fine. Don''t focus on the ingredients mentioned, focus on the formula. Hope that helps.

No, those are recipes that have oils in them, which most conditioners do; they are examples. The "Recipe" itself(how to go about making it) allows you to insert what ever ingredients YOU want to use. You don't want oils, cool, use the ingredients you prefer, using the ratios stated in the recipe as a baseline to begin with and then you can work on refining your product from there. The saddlers grease you mentioned, you already have. You said you bought tins of Colorado leather balm previously and the ingredients you just listed above are what is in the Colorado leather balm you have. So give it a test run doing it the way you just described on some scrap pieces and see if it gets you the result you are looking for. Why use a de-greaser in your grease? To be clear, we are talking about solvents, it just so happens that some solvents work well as de-greasers, among other things. A small enough amount of a solvent is used in the product to make the grease easier to spread and so that is absorbed into the leather easier. It's what solvents do and why they are used in most commercially available leather conditioners. You don't have to use them obviously and if you want to rely solely on the water to swell the leather fibers so that the conditioner can penetrate between the fibers, that will work. I even mentioned in my previous statement above, that part of my order of operations is using my Conditioner A while the leather is still damp. I do it for the very same reason, it is a technique that one can use to get conditioners into and in between the leather fibers inside of the leather easier than if it was dry. If you want to use just beeswax, lanolin and coconut oil, use the ratios in the recipe and combine all 3 ingredients. If you want to just use the beeswax and lanolin and apply the coconut oil separately, then start with a 1 to 1 ratio to see if it produces the consistency you want. If it isn't soft enough, up the ratio of lanolin and or reduce the amount of beeswax. If you want more of a true grease consistency, don't be surprised if you end up having to add the coconut oil to the mix, as using just beeswax and lanolin, you may end up with something ranging from the consistency of a Carmex chapstick to a stiff balm as you play with the ratios. If that doesnt achieve the consistency you want, you may also try applying just the anhydrous lanolin by itself, as it has a consistency similar to a sticky grease and then use a conditioner consisting of the beeswax and coconut oil. If you do decide to apply straight coconut oil to the finished product as a final touch, expect the leather to darken significantly at first and remain that way for a period of time before it lightens up.