Finishing / polishing off a re dyed bag?

[Kenny202]

Finally got around to doing my project today, re dying an old LL Bean shoulder bag. Results pretty good but can't say it was a satisfying task lol. Prepped with de glazer. I read somewhere rubbing alcohol does the job and a lot cheaper? The first coat all blotchy and uneven. Wasn't the same as the you tube videos where it seemed to just flow on smoothly. The second coat went on a lot better, bit like wood where the first coat seals it up and second coat glides over. it was over full grain nu buck style grainy natural leather so I guess it would apply much better on finished leather. Ended up using the proper Fiebings pro dye. 

A couple of questions......

Most of the people doing the how to videos use a sponge. Maybe I used the wrong sort of sponge but rubbing it over the rough leather ate the sponge up pretty quick and just found it impractical sponge sucking the stain up quicker than the leather. To be honest I reckon a rag might of been better.

Should you be generous filling your sponge / rag with dye? I was being a bit minimalist as I have another project I need to do. 

How should I finish the bag when the dye is dry? bare in mind I am living in country Thailand and need to make do with a lot of stuff, many product not easily available or ridiculously expensive. Do you think neutral shoe polish brushed then buffed up would do the job to finish the bag?

Should I soften with mink oil first or after polishing? Appreciate any help :-)

[Tugadude]

Need photos!  What do you mean "ate the sponge up pretty quick?"  Do you mean literally caused it to crumble?  That shouldn't happen.  All sponges aren't created equal though, so maybe it was not a good one.

[billybopp]

Cellulose kitchen sponges don't seem to work well with dye.  They get hard quickly and can crumble after awhile too.  When I can, I dip dye.  Spraying is a good option if you have the equipment.  I also sometimes use sheepskin, a brush, or a foam brush.

- Bill

[Kenny202]

Was just the soft side of a Scotch brite pad (not the green side lol). It just fell apart as I was using it. Not sure what's in dye if it degraded the foam or texture of the leather.

Hardly ideal I am sure. It was pretty rough grain leather. Are there other options for applying dye apart from foam?

Do you normally just dip in the dye or really soak the foam / rag etc?

And my current issue re applying polish. And will neutral shoe polish work as a wax? As I said in Thailand and bees wax,

floor wax etc not readily available.  Should I mink oil before polish or after. 

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by Kenny202

[Dwight]

Any and all oil should be applied either before cutting the leather . . . or to the completed project before any dyeing or finishing is done.  Otherwise . . . it may not go in . .  . and it certainly won't do the job you bought it for.

Second . . . don't apply your dye directly from the bottle or can . . . all I've ever used needed to be thinned first . . . usually equal parts dye and thinner.  Then when you find the formula that works for your project . . . always use that same formula to get the same color time after time.

The best application is dip dying . . .  dip it in . . . pull it out . . . use paper towels to sponge off the extra . . . if it is a belt, or long something . . . lay it on it's side . . . or the dye will migrate and be darker at the bottom end . . . lighter at the top.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Kenny202]

7 hours ago, Dwight said:

Any and all oil should be applied either before cutting the leather . . . or to the completed project before any dyeing or finishing is done.  Otherwise . . . it may not go in . .  . and it certainly won't do the job you bought it for.

Second . . . don't apply your dye directly from the bottle or can . . . all I've ever used needed to be thinned first . . . usually equal parts dye and thinner.  Then when you find the formula that works for your project . . . always use that same formula to get the same color time after time.

The best application is dip dying . . .  dip it in . . . pull it out . . . use paper towels to sponge off the extra . . . if it is a belt, or long something . . . lay it on it's side . . . or the dye will migrate and be darker at the bottom end . . . lighter at the top.

May God bless,

Dwight

May I ask what you use for thinner? Do you need to use a dedicated product or paint thinner or meths, alcohol etc? I did use the dye raw out of the bottle and it was very dark.

After a bit more research looks like alcohol? Is it rubbing alcohol? I see many alcohol products for sale...all different grades / names. Alcohol Isopropyl? Some are 75%

Alcohol methanol?

Edited April 3, 2023 by Kenny202

[Dwight]

Isopropal alcohol is I believe what some folks here use . . . personally I use a dedicated thinner made by Feibings . . . because I use their dye exclusively.

The key is to find a line of products that you like and that works for YOU . . . you may have to do some experimentation to get it down . . . but once you find the good thing . . . mark it down and then don't deviate from it.  Your products will then be uniform  . . . and easier to duplicate when the need arises.

Just be careful you don't wind up like the English man of a couple hundred years ago . . . traveled to the Orient and became infatuated with a pure white cup he saw.  He asked the maker how to duplicate it . . . the maker would not tell him.

He went back to England . . .  started experimenting . . . weeks led to months . . .which led to years . . . and became his greatest pursuit . . .  and then ONE DAY  . . .  he achieved his goal . . . the cup came out of the oven . . . beautiful pure white.   UNFORTUNATELY  he had not written down how he mixed this product before putting it in the oven.   The rest of his life he was never able to duplicate.  

Long story . . .  but one that all who make individual items for other persons needs to remember.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Kenny202]

1 hour ago, Dwight said:

Isopropal alcohol is I believe what some folks here use . . . personally I use a dedicated thinner made by Feibings . . . because I use their dye exclusively.

The key is to find a line of products that you like and that works for YOU . . . you may have to do some experimentation to get it down . . . but once you find the good thing . . . mark it down and then don't deviate from it.  Your products will then be uniform  . . . and easier to duplicate when the need arises.

Just be careful you don't wind up like the English man of a couple hundred years ago . . . traveled to the Orient and became infatuated with a pure white cup he saw.  He asked the maker how to duplicate it . . . the maker would not tell him.

He went back to England . . .  started experimenting . . . weeks led to months . . .which led to years . . . and became his greatest pursuit . . .  and then ONE DAY  . . .  he achieved his goal . . . the cup came out of the oven . . . beautiful pure white.   UNFORTUNATELY  he had not written down how he mixed this product before putting it in the oven.   The rest of his life he was never able to duplicate.  

Long story . . .  but one that all who make individual items for other persons needs to remember.

May God bless,

Dwight

Just one more thing Dwight, and thank you so much for the advice so far....as a general starting point for a dye thinned down are we talking 50/50 mix or otherwise? I would rather put on several coats to get a darker shade then put the first coat on and already too dark

[Dwight]

I use 50/50 for all of my dyes . . . and it works fine.

What I also did do . . . I settled on a certain batch of colors . . . some light . . . some dark . . . and black of course . . . but those are the only ones I normally offer.  

Someone has to twist my arm to get another color out of me . . . as it is just too expensive to have a large choice.  Mine is 5 choices . . . and so far I've only had 2 folks want something different . . . fortunately it was the same color they wanted . . . and were within a couple months of each other . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[Kenny202]

5 hours ago, Dwight said:

I use 50/50 for all of my dyes . . . and it works fine.

What I also did do . . . I settled on a certain batch of colors . . . some light . . . some dark . . . and black of course . . . but those are the only ones I normally offer.  

Someone has to twist my arm to get another color out of me . . . as it is just too expensive to have a large choice.  Mine is 5 choices . . . and so far I've only had 2 folks want something different . . . fortunately it was the same color they wanted . . . and were within a couple months of each other . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

Thank you so much for all your advice Dwight, and may god bless you too :-)