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I have read that people will wait anywhere from 20 minutes to 36 hours for their pro dye to dry before applying finish. I know a lot can depend on your environment and application method, but I can't imagine that environment and application method will make the drying time go from minutes to several hours. I cut my oil dye 50/50 with denatured alcohol and I apply it with a wool dauber. I usually do 2 coats, but sometimes I do 3. How long more or less should I be letting the dye dry before applying finish?

I work with Scouts mostly on small projects. I have at most 4 hours to complete all the requirements for the Leatherwork Merit badge. The 1st hour or so is discussions on various related topics and tool demonstrations. So 3 hours is the time they have to complete their projects. Including hand sewing. What can I do to really speed up the drying time between tooling then dying then applying top coat then sewing. There is definitely not enough time to allow the proper time for each of these steps. I normally use Saddle Lac because it dries super fast but if I teach in California I'm not sure I can use it since it's not available for sale there. I've been using the Tandy Professional dyes instead of the All-in-One type of finishes because of the color options. I live in Las Vegas and can leave it in the sun after each step. But there are issues if the weather isn't cooperating, especially if it's windy, and I use fans for indoor classes. I'm wondering about other options available no matter how crazy. Here are some ideas I'm spitballing: Microwave Convection oven Food dehydrator Warming mats like the kind used when starting seeds in the winter Heat lamps or heat emitters like the ones used for reptiles Build something that uses a combination of 2 or more of the above. I don't have any idea how the leather would react to any of the above ideas. We don't want to end up with leather that gets too hard or curls too much I'd like to get you opinions along with any additional ideas you have. Thanks, Dale

I am trying to teach myself leather work from books and Utube. I am making progress but my leather tooling patterns seem to shrink up or go away when I dye them. So far, using Eco Flo or Fiebing's water-based. I get nice deep, articulated designs that dry well but the minute I apply color they seem to dehydrate and flatten out. Not sure what I am doing wrong.

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