Help! Did I ruin my project?

[NicoleM]

Hello all! I’m JUST starting out & have learned so much reading in the group! I’ve found myself in need of some help! Im making a photo album (3 ring binder) for my new baby niece. I’ve spent a lot of time so far & looks like I may have ruined it with dye. I’m using 4-5 oz CRAFTSMAN VEG-TAN from Tandy & dyed with Fiebing’s Pro Dye in yellow diluted with alcohol. I was trying to get a light yellow color. I cleaned the leather with alcohol first to remove any oils. What did I do wrong? It’s dried for 24 hours & so splotchy! Can it be fixed? I had planned on dying, tankote, then painting with Angelus, then another coat of tankote. Please help! Thank you!!!

Edited July 8, 2022 by NicoleM
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[fredk]

An extreme measure; mix up a big basin of water with lots of alcohol in it. Dunk your piece in it for a while. Agitate every so often. You should see the dye staining the water after a while. When the water is quite yellow, change it for a fresh mix. After a few goes of this there will be less dye in the water. Lay your piece out to dry naturally. It should/might dry out with a more even yellow tint to it

or

start again. wet your leather before dyeing, this helps with the distribution of the dye through the leather

[Frodo]

Hi Nicole

I am not a Pro.But have learned that I do not like using a dauber on big pieces of leather

I pour my dye into a pan and dip the leather. I do not get blotches using the dip method

 

[NicoleM]

20 minutes ago, fredk said:

An extreme measure; mix up a big basin of water with lots of alcohol in it. Dunk your piece in it for a while. Agitate every so often. You should see the dye staining the water after a while. When the water is quite yellow, change it for a fresh mix. After a few goes of this there will be less dye in the water. Lay your piece out to dry naturally. It should/might dry out with a more even yellow tint to it

or

start again. wet your leather before dyeing, this helps with the distribution of the dye through the leather

Thanks so much! What kind of alcohol do you suggest? 

16 minutes ago, Frodo said:

Hi Nicole

I am not a Pro.But have learned that I do not like using a dauber on big pieces of leather

I pour my dye into a pan and dip the leather. I do not get blotches using the dip method

 

Thanks! I tried to avoid that by using the tshirt with a rubber band around it since I have had some streaking with the daubers. I’ll definitely try the dip method next time! Thanks! 

[Frodo]

4 minutes ago, NicoleM said:

Thanks so much! What kind of alcohol do you suggest? 

Thanks! I tried to avoid that by using the tshirt with a rubber band around it since I have had some streaking with the daubers. I’ll definitely try the dip method next time! Thanks! 

Oh Stop it !!   LOL  Are you tie dying shirts and dying leather at the same time?

Talk about multitasking !!!!!!!!

[NicoleM]

9 minutes ago, Frodo said:

Oh Stop it !!   LOL  Are you tie dying shirts and dying leather at the same time?

Talk about multitasking !!!!!!!!

LOL! I can't even get one task done correctly Ha! Ha!

[fredk]

22 minutes ago, NicoleM said:

Thanks so much! What kind of alcohol do you suggest? 

IPA, vodka, beer, . . . . but not wine, unless you want it red

+ 1 on the dipping to dye

[NicoleM]

1 minute ago, fredk said:

IPA, vodka, beer, . . . . but not wine, unless you want it red

+ 1 on the dipping to dye

LOL!

[MtlBiker]

3 minutes ago, fredk said:

IPA, vodka, beer, . . . . but not wine, unless you want it red

+ 1 on the dipping to dye

I too was going to suggest vodka, or my favorite, London Dry Gin. 

Preferably in a Martini.  Have enough of those and you don't care if the dye job is blotchy.

Edited July 8, 2022 by MtlBiker

[fredk]

[NicoleM]

1 minute ago, MtlBiker said:

I too was going to suggest vodka, or my favorite, London Dry Gin. 

Preferably in a Martini.  Have enough of those and you don't care if the dye job is blotchy.

Ha! Ha! Very true! However, my sister in law is pregnant so no alcohol for her. She may notice the splotches on her baby shower gift! LOL!

[fredk]

Work it over so the splotchiness is more even. Then it becomes 'artistic' !

 

[Campleathergoods]

When I was hand dying my projects, I found great results in a pair of latex gloves and dye gel, a couple different manufacturers make it. After using it I never went back to "traditional dye" Especially useful for larger pieces of leather, you can just massage the gel in, let it sit for a few minutes and wipe it dry. 

https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/c/product/fiebing_s_vintage_gel_8_oz_light_brown_50250_08_41/50250-08-41

 

[NicoleM]

7 minutes ago, Campleathergoods said:

When I was hand dying my projects, I found great results in a pair of latex gloves and dye gel, a couple different manufacturers make it. After using it I never went back to "traditional dye" Especially useful for larger pieces of leather, you can just massage the gel in, let it sit for a few minutes and wipe it dry. 

https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/c/product/fiebing_s_vintage_gel_8_oz_light_brown_50250_08_41/50250-08-41

 

I will check that out for my next project! Thanks!

[NicoleM]

I have read on other posts that neatsfoot oil or Bick 4 could help? Anyone had experience with that?

[fredk]

NFO wont help now

[Frodo]

 

 

1 minute ago, NicoleM said:

I have read on other posts that neatsfoot oil or Bick 4 could help? Anyone had experience with that?

6% neat's-foot to 94% alcohol based dye   will help soften the leather

I have  heard it helps control the dreaded blotch but I do not know it as a fact

 

 

[NicoleM]

Thoughts on using Fiebing's Deglazer? 

[fredk]

Fiebing's Deglazer is very expensive for what it is. I can't remember just what it is actually made of but I use cellulose thinners, aka lacquer thinners. Costs me under £10 for 5 litres

NFO in the dye doesn't really help prevent blotchiness. It helps a wee bit. Wetting the leather first helps more

[MtlBiker]

2 hours ago, NicoleM said:

Ha! Ha! Very true! However, my sister in law is pregnant so no alcohol for her. She may notice the splotches on her baby shower gift! LOL!

The martini suggestion was for YOU and not your sister in law!

I may not have much more experience than you, but I've learned (after "blotching" some dye jobs) that your leather really needs to be dampened before you apply dye.  I bought some Fiebings product (can't remember what it's called and I'm at work now) which I've used, but I also found that water works well.  But to rescue your project, how about dampening the leather and re-applying more dye?  That would probably even things out but at the cost of making it darker.

Good luck!

 

[NicoleM]

13 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

The martini suggestion was for YOU and not your sister in law!

I may not have much more experience than you, but I've learned (after "blotching" some dye jobs) that your leather really needs to be dampened before you apply dye.  I bought some Fiebings product (can't remember what it's called and I'm at work now) which I've used, but I also found that water works well.  But to rescue your project, how about dampening the leather and re-applying more dye?  That would probably even things out but at the cost of making it darker.

Good luck!

 

Thanks so much!

 

[tsunkasapa]

39 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

The martini suggestion was for YOU and not your sister in law!

"Stirred, not shaken."

[JREESER1]

Friebing's dye reducer smells exactly like isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, so I use the store bought Isopropyl. It comes in 75%-78% alcohol solution, at Walmart, and costs less than a dollar per pint, as opposed to $4.00 for 4oz. of Friebing's. You can dilute with water. The alcohol/water mix will dry the leather out when dry. I then treat the leather with Friebing's Aussie Leather Conditioner , it has never failed me. Good luck!

jr

[NicoleM]

2 hours ago, JREESER1 said:

Friebing's dye reducer smells exactly like isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, so I use the store bought Isopropyl. It comes in 75%-78% alcohol solution, at Walmart, and costs less than a dollar per pint, as opposed to $4.00 for 4oz. of Friebing's. You can dilute with water. The alcohol/water mix will dry the leather out when dry. I then treat the leather with Friebing's Aussie Leather Conditioner , it has never failed me. Good luck!

jr

Thanks so much! Do you suggest soaking the leather in the solution? 

[JREESER1]

Try using a liberal amount on a clean cotton rag or white terry cloth towel. You can use quite a bit on the darkest spots while rubbing lightly and rinsing the cloth often. If this does not help considerably, dipping might be the only solution. Bear in mind you will not be able to get all the dye out or even be very consistent. But it may lighten up the worst areas. When you are ready to retry the dying use a very diluted color and apply the dye solution with a good sponge not the dauber that comes with the dye. Hand dying is a practiced art on large areas. Practice on scraps until you get the coverage and tints you want. Springfield leather used to have a series of YouTube videos on dye and dying techniques. I have not tried to view them, lately. Try to find them, they helped me a lot. 

Good luck

jr