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Showing results for tags 'dye'.
Found 188 results
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This question started as a result of having some not-so-high-quality leather, that has some soft dirt marks, but now I’m curious about general prep practices before cleaning the leather. I was considering using denatured alcohol to wipe the leather with a sponge, before doing any cleaning. I understand this is effective, but also that it may dry the leather out. So, is it better to water down the leather first? Will that help to prevent the drying/hardening provided by the alcohol? I was then curious about the wetness of just water, since that tends to be used to help mold/form leather. Wouldn’t the water also cause hardening? Should the process be to: 1. sponge water and remove most dirt that can 2. use a light amount of denatured 3. add water 4. mold to final state 5. dye I’m considering something like making 3-piece gussets, where the molding may be important, yet hard to dye after molded (without dipping). I know it’s not ideal (or as affective) but can the leather be re-watered and molded after being dyed for those pieces? I also use denatured alcohol for cutting my Pro dyes, so there’s a lot of potential for drying out. I’m not sure what the best process should be to clean and dye. I would like to add a cleaning process, regardless if the vegtan leather seems to need it or not, just for consistency between final products.
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Okay, I have been wishing for a way to dilute my fiebings pro dye to extend the dye. It's kind of expensive if you are dying big pieces with full strength dye! And I don't really want it to be full strength anyways. So I've been lurking on this forum browsing threads about the topic of diluting dye. The only way I found was by using alcohol, but as many of us know, the more alcohol you apply to veg tan leather, the harder and drier it becomes. So that led me to experimentation mixing pro dye with water. Pro dye is not an oil based dye, per se, because the vehicle for the pigment is most definitely alcohol. However, the pigment itself IS oil based. Oil is soluble in alcohol, but not in water, as pretty much everyone knows. So if you mix a bit of Pro Dye with water, a lot of that pigment will separate out of the dye and sit on the surface. Then I remembered learning about emulsions and I looked up emulsifiers for oil and water. BORAX is the answer! If you mix pro dye into a solution of water and borax, a stable emulsion is born! That means that the oil will remain mixed with the water permanently--you don't have to shake it up after the oil pigment separates out. I'm just so excited about this, I wanted to find someone else who would care about it (and could use it) to share it with! So, I hope someone gets something out of his post. It's my first post.
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Hi! I am newish to braiding leather dog leads, and am looking for leather lace colors other than the typical bronze, pewter, silver and gold that come as stock colors. So question is...how do I go about getting metallic colors (purples, blues, reds, greens, etc) is there a method that is better holding up to wear and tear? The handle would be the biggest wear. Would I use dye? Paint? Do you have a certain brand that is recommended? I braid 4 strand, witha core, if it matters. Laces are 3mm kangaroo leather from packer leather.
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I have been dying with a wool dauber and paintbrushes for some time now and would really like to use an airbrush. I find that when I use brushes and daubers my dye job is uneven and I end up putting on too many coats trying to even it out which results in my work coming out too dark. I have been looking around the forums for tips on what type of airbrush to buy but I haven't really found much pertaining to a preferred brand and why it is better than another. What kind of tip size is recommended and how much dye should it be able to hold? Also I have never used and airbrush so I don't quite understand the difference between the way it feeds the dye and which is better. Gravity vs Siphon. If anyone has any recommendations it would be greatly appreciated!
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Looking for someone to re-dye a few purses, a leather jacket and a pair of leather boots in the lower mainland...I'm located in North Vancouver, but can drive to you!
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I'm fairly new to leathercraft and one topic that I still have so many questions on is dyeing and treating leather. There's just so much stuff out there and everyone does it all differently. Now, I understand that a lot of it comes to experience and mostly personal preference, but I'd love to hear some tips/ opinions here on a few matters: 1) I currently dye using Fiebing's Leather Dye. I diluted the stuff with spirits since I found that without diluting, the colors are too intense. Whatever type of brown I used would all turn out dark brown for example, and my blue was getting too close to black for my taste too. So, I diluted the stuff. Works kinda.. I know the alcohol makes leather stiff and I'm really considering switching to Fiebing's pro dye. I've heard that this doesn't make your leather stiff although I've also read otherwise. Anyway, in the case of leather dye.. what can I do to prevent this terrible stiffness? Should I do something after dyeing, before, or both? Tips and tricks are very much welcome. 2) I've read quite a lot on this forum about Neatsfoot oil. I've read people use it to treat leather before dyeing and maybe after, I'm not sure. However in many video's I've watched here and there I've never really seen anyone use neatsfoot oil. So I'm curious, does it really help to add this before dyeing, for example? I've owned a bottle once and all I can remember from it is that I thought it smelled really bad.. I really hope someone can share their tips/tricks/opinions/knowledge on these matters. Cheers, Iris -
Hi, In the past few days i thinking about using an airbrush. Some point i "hit a wall" with some question. What kind of dye can i use, with airbush? In my country there is a distributor, who sells Alder airbush dye (25ml each) Is it ok, for leather too? Is there any tandy leather or Cheq-Brill or any specific dye i can use for dyeing? Thank you!:)
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Hello everyone! I currently make blue, green, and purple antiques by mixing Angelus dyes into Eco-Flo Smoke Black hilighter. (I have tried mixing them into Fiebing's neutral antique paste also, but that leaves this horrible chalky finish.) The effect is lovely, but lately I've noticed some terrible fading. The kicker was when a suit of armor I made faded from green to brown while NOT in direct sunlight! I've tried using the Fiebings alcohol dyes instead of Angelus but they seem to be fading as well when left out in the sun. Do alcohol based dyes always fade with exposure to UV radiation, or is there something I can do to prevent it? I have tried Meguiar's gold class conditioner (has a UV blocker in it, supposedly) but it didn't help. What bright-colored dyes or stains do you know of that behave better in the sun? -
I am new to leathercraft. I started buying mostly Tandy products. I started using their water-based dyes but very quickly became dissatisfied with the streaky results. I made the decision to go all in and switch to Fiebings Pro (oil) dye. I ordered a small container of every color they have. I know that it uses an alcohol carrier. I did order several containers of the dye reducer. My questions: 1) What is the best agent to use for cleanup whether it be hands or work surfaces? 2) I prefer to spray whenever possible. Does this need to be diluted to go through an airbrush. If so, what is the best ratio? Is there any other readily available substance that can be used to reduce this such as rubbing alcohol? 3) I always pretreated leather with Neatsfoot oil to aid in dye absorption. Is this necessary with this product? 4) How long does it take to dry and how long should you wait before you begin other work on the leather? Thanks all -
Hi guys! Regarding using acrylic top coat for coating parts of my leather bag, would there be a safety issue? Im using Zelikovitz Acrylic Top Coat in Satin finish. It clearly says Toxic on the warning label. I understand this could mean the fumes while applying it as it does have a strong smell. I have a toddler around and I am concerned of heavy metal exposure because of the coating in some parts of the bag. With regards to it being on some parts in the bag that I routinely touch, would there be a safety issue with skin absorption with the dried up acrylic coat on the leather? thank you! -
I have seen pictures of other people's work where the border is airbrushed in black and fades towards the center. Looks great. I tried to do it on some of my things and they don't turn out so good. I have been using Tandy's water-based dyes. The dye tends to pool up and look really gray when it dries out. I know that I am putting on a little bit too much on but that's in an effort to make it look black rather than washed out gray. I am thinking that I should probably be using a paint rather than a dye. Does anyone have any recommendations about a good product to use for this purpose. I am pretty good at using the airbrush to fade the product in.
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hey Everyone, I was wondering would anyone know of any good european suppliers of hardware and dye? The UK apparently have a law about not sending oil dye in the post so i can't get it sent to me in ireland. Im wondering are there any other companies in europe that sell oil dye . Im looking to buy a 32 oz one. Tandy only have a very small one or a lot bigger one. IT was leProvo who said they would not send it to me btw ..... Any / all suggestions welcome ! thanks!
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Hi, I just joined this forum and hope to be a regular member. I'm self taught leatherworker (youtube videos, etc) for the past 5 years. I mainly make pocket watch cases. I'm trying to sharpen my skills and instead of having the inside of the case smoothed, I'd like to make it suede. So I've been searching for making the Reverse Side (Fleshside) of the leather into a dyed suede type feel, while my Grain Side is tooled on the outside. But everything I've tried has caused the dye to fade if I dye it before I roughing it up, or if I dye it after the fibers that I've roughed up to stick together. I've tried bonding suede to the inside of my cases, but I just haven't had any luck with the small size and I'd rather not add any more hand stitching that I already do to it. Does anyone have any good insight on how I could accomplish this?
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I’ve tried to search the net to avoid asking, but now I must. How does one get theb pooled/woodgrain/streak effect in dyeing or staining?
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Hi everyone, This is my first post here on the forum, so I apologize if I didn’t put this in the right place. Sorry for the length, I just want to give all the info I can to get the best advice. Thanks in advance for your time! I recently picked up a side of matte-ish black Horween Essex for a custom tote order. The tote was made and shipped and I started using the rest of the side for a crossbody bag with an alligator flap. I checked in yesterday with the tote customer to make sure she was happy and she said she was, but she’d noticed that the color was rubbing off on her white pants. She didn’t have this problem with her first tote from me last year and I’ve never had this problem in the 3 years I’ve been working with Essex so I was surprised. Out of curiosity, I went over to the alligator and Essex bag that I just finished up and rubbed it with a scrap of light colored T-shirt and sure enough quite a bit of color came off. Obviously, I’m concerned that not only does a customer have a tote that’s leaving color on her clothes, but in the meantime I have just finished an expensive, fairly time consuming hand-stitched bag (my first using alligator) that’ll be rubbing on someone’s shoulder and hip. I can’t have it leaving big black marks on someone’s clothes. I wouldn’t even try and sell it if I know that’s a possibility. Now that the bag is done, what can I do to try and seal it? The edges are all painted with Vernis edge paint so I’m nervous about getting any kind of solvent on them and having that turn into a big mess. I tried buffing the whole bag with a soft cloth to remove excess color, but the color transfer hasn’t stopped. I thought about using Resolene, but I’m concerned about (a) being able to apply it consistently and not having it gum up since it’s all finished and 3-D and not an easy flat surface and (b) won’t it make the matte black really look shiny and plastic-y? I liked the way it looked before with the soft finish. It made the gray alligator flap pop. Lastly, does it work well on leathers with soft-medium tempers. I’ve used it on heavy veg tan work but not this kind of thing. I can’t afford to experiment with stuff that “might” work, because if it works on a flat scrap and not on the finished 3-D bag, the whole thing’s wasted. Is there any way to salvage it? I loved the way it turned out and would really appreciate any advice. I’d also like to be able to help the tote customer so she’s not stuck with a bag that ruins her clothes. She’s in a different state, so if you have a product in mind that she could buy separately and apply as a non leather worker that’s even better. Thanks again! -Hannah -
I'm looking to buy an airbrush for single color sprays onto leather. The one airbrush that seems to be the best fit for my work (cuffs, belts, and other small items) is the Thayer & Chandler T89K Omni 4000 http://goo.gl/MCGpT. With this I plan on using fiebings leather dye http://goo.gl/K59Ut. If someone can confirm this as the correct choice or point me in the right direction that would be great. Cheers, Benji. -
Had a buddy that found a deal on a $350 pair of shoes for $35, they just didn't match his wardrobe so asked me if i'd take a crack at 'em...here's the result. https://imgur.com/a/6LQd18z -
Hello everybody, i have a problem. I am using fiebing pro dye chocolate and i dont know why it's getting grey color instead of chocolate. It's look like this, each photo is made on different leather.
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I am making a heat shield for my motorcycle, I have my pieces cut out and dyed. After I got this far, I was like "Should I have glued my two layers of 4 oz veg tan leather before dying? When do I add the satin sheen?" I plan on gluing it down then stitching around the edge. I just want to make sure with my next project to do it in the correct order. TYSVM! -
Hello everyone. I am a new leather worker and I am going to be starting a big project soon. I am planning on making a leatherbound journal for a gift. With this journal, I shall have a border and details carved/pounded in. I would like the journal to be black and the details to be red, however I am not sure how I should go about coloring the details. If I dye the details first and then do the base, I'm worried the black would sink in to the details, so I'm a bit wary about that tactic. If I paint the details, first I'd need to know the type of paint but then I'd also need to know how natural it will look. I also am unsure what I should use to seal the dye for each idea. This shall be on vegetable tanned leather. If anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for your time reading this.
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I am getting back into leatherworking now that my kids are getting older. I feel like there are some things I've forgotten, and/or I'm unsure that my old methods are acceptable to me now. Attached is a picture of bracelets I'm making. I am using fiebring dye with those little applicators that come with them and in small packs (a white puff on a little metal rod). I'm thinking that at the very least, they could be a little wider for my wider products, so I'm swiping over the leather one time. I'm reading now that some of you dilute the dye and dip for a better coat, so if you do that, how do you lay it out to dry or hang it without marring the product? I suppose I could apply some sort of resist in the letters? So, after it dries, I'm using Fiebring sheen for the finish, which is a flexible acrylic. I feel like I am wasting/spilling/soaking more of the sheen into the cloth than actually gets on the leather. Does the type of fabric I use make a difference? I also find that it pulls more of the dye off even if I've already rubbed the leather with a wet cloth. Am I doing something wrong? I used to use a spray but I don't remember what it was and I'm not sure I want to use something that might be more toxic and require a mask. What are my options for a good finish? PS. I really wish the reds were less pink! It's a beautiful color but it annoys me that I can't get true red
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So I've never been satisfied with the amount of control I have when I'm putting highlight/gel antique on a project -- it settles into the crevices in a very patchy way, makes my cutlines look uneven in their depth, and it always seems to stain the raised surfaces much more than I'd like, even when it's been sealed with resolene before highlighting. I've attached a picture showing what I mean, how it just looks kind of muddy after it gets the highlight. I've only ever used Eco-Flo products for highlighting, but I'm considering ordering the Fiebings antique paste -- I'm thinking that maybe the paste wouldn't stain as quickly? (And also that Fiebings beats the pants off Eco Flo in every other product they make, why not this one too.) Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had suggestions -- how you prep your leather before highlighting, how you apply the highlight, what product to use, etc -- that might give me better results.
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Looking to make my first purchase of Dye to use on Veg Tan cowhide, have looked at old posts but there seems to be two opposite views on what to use Spirt v Water based Perhaps someone can explain the main difference between the two if any, and if there are any other good consistent makes available in the UK. Resolene, seems well spoken of for the final coat, would that be a good choice for me to start with or any other outstanding finishes
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I've got the six knife sheaths done. Started dying them last week and knocked over the bottle of Fiebing's Saddle Tan. Had enough to do two and more was on the way. The two from the old bottle are streaky. The dye went on or took unevenly. There's mottled patches. I've been trying to even it out, without much success, and they're already darker than I'd like them to be. The knifemaker is cranky and giving me grief. I don't know what to do. I've made a test patch with more of the dye, and I'm prepared to try sanding lightly with 600-grit (I saw that on here somewhere) and I've got some Barkeeper's Friend, but haven't tried that yet. I told the knifemaker today I thought the options were (1) over-dye them black (which the client doesn't want), or (2) start over and make new ones (and he wants to get paid sooner than that). I'll take pictures tomorrow -- too dark now. Thanks in advance. -
Hello fellow leatherworkers. Recently I've been questioning myself into what is better, to oil before dyeing or after? I've been said that before dyeing so dye gets in nice and even and some tell me it's better after. And what could be the best to get an even dye? I've used sponge, dauber, brush and always seem to get blotches in some areas even if caution is used. Sometimes they look cool but others I feel the piece ends up not to my taste. I'm thinking on airbrushing the dye. Can I get your thoughts on this please? Thank you a lot! Joe.
