Any tricks to oiling leather a darker shade?

[pete]

I have about 1/4 hide left to do projects with and it's a little too light for me. I'de like to darken it at the oil/pre-finish time but want to know the best way to do this.

I like RTC saddle oil but have neatsfoot. How can I tint the oil- it doesn't want to mix with Feibings dye too well nor does it with stain.

Any tricks to oiling leather a darker shade? Chan Geer told me to CAREFULLY blend oil with a tiny bit of dye in the microwave as it will mix- too long and it boils and separates again.

pete

[Art]

Hi Pete,

RTC (from Bee Natural) is a finish rather than an oil. You can tint neatsfoot with Weaver's oil darkening liquid for black and Weaver Oil Stain for brown; these products are made specially for that purpose. Some conditioners like Bick's #4 and Lexol will take Fiebing's spirit dyes, please test before you do a major piece.

Art

I have about 1/4 hide left to do projects with and it's a little too light for me. I'de like to darken it at the oil/pre-finish time but want to know the best way to do this.

I like RTC saddle oil but have neatsfoot. How can I tint the oil- it doesn't want to mix with Feibings dye too well nor does it with stain.

Any tricks to oiling leather a darker shade? Chan Geer told me to CAREFULLY blend oil with a tiny bit of dye in the microwave as it will mix- too long and it boils and separates again.

pete

[pete]

thanks- appreciate your fast reply.

I meant to say that I use the Bee Natural saddle oil(not rtc)

any luck with it combining with dye?

pete

[bruce johnson]

Pete,

I darken all of my oil pretty much. I can get the color I want without overoiling. I use pure neatsfoot, and darken with Tandy ProDye. I am using the "old" spirit dyes that I stockpiled. No particular reason for the ProDye other than that is what I started with, I know which colors and concentrations do what, and what the mix will do with my leathers. The Feibings dyes of the same name were not even close in color to the ProDye, so I stuck with what I knew. They would have worked, but would have required some experimentation to get the same colors.

I just mix the dye into the gallon of oil, and give it a shake. I am using mostly the medium brown and the dark brown. If you uncap the mix, the solvent evaporates off pretty fast, and then it can be recapped. I have used it straight after mixing with no problems too. This works with the Bee Natural oil too. I have used some in the past.

I know the new water based dyes probably won't mix with the oil, so all this is a bit academic right now. Some guys I talked to are using (and have used for a while) wood stains for tinting. Once I start to run low on the dyes I have, I will be mixing and seeing. Wth all the product changes, I am not sure what Weaver is doing with their labeled products. I have usually found the phone reps less than knowledgable about products, and a bit reluctant to find out or refer me up the foodchain there. I have been told their mauls are made by Barry King - a local Amish craftsman.

[pete]

I just went upstairs and tried the dye again without heating it. Sure enough it stays seperated in beads. It goes on that way too. Dark and splattered. But I tried the golden oak STAIN and although it doesnt really mix with the saddle oil it goes on great, smooth, and no streaking. I mixed a little oil with just a drop or two of the stain, stirred for a moment and poured onto a paper towel. Even though it was speckled on the towel it spread evenly onto the dry leather.

pete

[fortysomething]

Just a thought from a different perspective. Woodcarvers frequently use artists oil colors to tint oil finishes for carvings (usually boiled linseed oil).

I have not tried this for leather applications, and I do not know how well it will mix with neatsfoot oil. I cannot speak from experience. Just thought that I would throw the idea out there. Maybe someone has tried this before and will have comments.