Vinegaroon: What's going on?

[ScottEnglish]

I'm having no success making vinegaroon. Whether I use steel wool or fine chips of steel after several days the metal doesn't seem to be dissolving in the distilled malt vinegar! What's going on?

Thanks.

Scott

Edited February 14, 2023 by ScottEnglish

[TomE]

Table vinegar covers a range of acetic acid concentrations.  Might need stronger acid and more time.  In the laboratory we used glacial (pure) acetic acid that was diluted with water.

[jrdunn]

I use just plain white vinegar with good results.  JM2C, Jim

[chuck123wapati]

probably not strong enough,  just use plain white vinegar. i use 0000 washed steel wool but even old nails will work. it takes a while just leave it sit and check it weekly. 

[jrdunn]

13 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

probably not strong enough,  just use plain white vinegar. i use 0000 washed steel wool but even old nails will work. it takes a while just leave it sit and check it weekly. 

+1 on that.  I read somewhere that a few hours will work.  I tried it.  It changed the color of the wood and leather but not as dark as it did after a week.

[ScottEnglish]

Thanks TomE. That makes sense. Thanks also to jrdunn and chuck123wapati for your comments.

[Doc Reaper]

I just started a half gallon, and by the 3rd day it turned the leather light gray. I used paint thinner to clean it, just swished two pads in a large bowl of paint thinner and hung them up to dry. I would of used water but the drying time was too long, paint thinner takes like 7 minutes!

I cut open the pads and then cut the opened pads into strips and plaved into white vinegar. Then I placed a 4 inch bolt on top  so the 0000 steel wool pads didn’t float to the top. Every couple of days I’ll use a piece of wood to knock the air bubbles from the steel wool pads and I’ll check it by dunking a small piece of veg tan in it.
It’s easier to spend a few dollars to make a black dye than it is to spend $45  on 32 ounces of FIEBINGS black oil dye that needs multiple coats and still leaves grayish white marks that can’t be hidden  with neatsfoot oil. 
 

Fiebings must be testing for a cheaper formula, over the last 12 years I have noticed the blotches getting more and more prominent. This last year has been the worst. I did call the company and was quickly dismissed by the manager/owner. It had to be the way I was applying it. I explained that I used dye pre, denatured alcohol, paint thinner, leather cleaner, and a few other items to remove what ever might be on the leather. I realized that I was broomed, which means I’m not the only one having this problem!

the Fiebings company ( like many others) is chasing a bottom line to make things cheaper. Due to the worlds “Build Back Better” plan to become a one world order = communism! I have a backbone to step up and stop this but I’m gonna need help world wide. DO NOT TURN IN YOUR GUNS !!! Folks it is time to mass with arms and use extreme force 

If you are one of the ones that have turned in your guns then use slings and arrows. The rich want you dead or enslaved so they can have free rein to do as they please. This includes making your children wards of the state!

Im done with my rant, but I guess Vinegaroon is a way to fight NWO, lol

[ScottEnglish]

Thanks Doc Reaper for explaining how you make vinegaroon.

I've had problems with dyeing too. It's proven costly, time consuming, and the results have been disappointing. Hence my interest in an alternative.

You might be interested in the thread I started entitled: Iron sulphate to colour leather black. You can buy iron sulphate, also known as sulphate of iron, from a garden centre.

Scott 

Edited February 15, 2023 by ScottEnglish

[Matt S]

If you want a similar effect without the hassle and guesswork of producing vinegaroon, dissolve iron sulphate in water and use that instead. Iron sulphate is sold for gardening purposes and a saturated solution has a very similar pH to veg tanned leather.

Or take Will Ghormely's approach and marinade your leather in a barrel of rusty water.

[ScottEnglish]

Thanks for your post Matt S. You're the unnamed forum member I mention in the thread I started entitled: Iron sulphate to colour leather black.