Dying advice for belt making

[gmulherin]

Hi,

I am relatively new to leather working and have mainly made knife and axe sheaths and i am starting to work on some larger project. I have been working mainly with Veg Tan leather and recently switched to Fiebings pro dye. Right now i am working on trying to make some basic belts and noticed after dying i started to get some striations and uneven coloring along the belt. I wanted to see if anyone has and advice on what could cause this, The leather im using, dying process, ect..

 

Thanks  

[Dwight]

1.  Take a very serious look at the piece of leather you are using.  Cutting it from the top . . . back section of a side produces good belts usually  . . . just watch out for scars and brands . . . cut them length ways from the tail towards the head . . . use the tail part for the buckle end.  I then do whatever sewing and edging I need to do to begin the "look" I want in the belt.  The only time I hang back on the sewing is when the customer wants white thread.

2.  Give your belt a light coat of neatsfoot oil (not the cheap compound . . . the REAL stuff) . . . on the hair side . . . lay it on it's edge in a circle . . . let it lay about 20 minutes . . . turn it to the other edge . . . let it lay for 24 hours . . . the natural color should just about totally come back.

3.  Use Feibings dye reducer . . . and your dye . . . mix it 1 to 1 in a glass jar . . .  pour it into a  flat pan . . . and dip dye your belt . . . this takes about 50% more dye per belt . . . but the results are night and day different from using a piece of sheep wool . . . a dauber . . . or some other inferior process.  

4.  Lay the belt on the bottom edge on a piece of cardboard . . . let it set for 15 minutes or so . . . flip it over so it rests on the top edge . . . allow it to dry for 24 hours.

Then remember that this is not vinyl or plastic . . . the color will not be perfect all the way down . . . simply because it is indeed leather . . . that had wrinkles . . . muscle folds . . . bruises . . . etc when it was on the cow . . . and that transferred to your belt or other project.  The only way around that . . . and it does work . . . is to make another one . . . keep the one you like best . . . dye the other one black . . . and hang it up waiting for a second customer who likes black.

Oh . . . and yes . . . I use all vegetable tanned leather for my belts.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Wepster]

I just learned a whole heck of a lot. Thank you Dwight!

[gmulherin]

Dwight, 

Thanks I really appreciate the input!

As for your comment about neatsfoot, are you saying you do this each time before dying your projects or are you saying to remove the dye that has already been applyed?

[JLSleather]

there are some things you'll learn about dye / dyeing as you go... called 'experience'.

But first things first, it looks like you could benefit from a GOOD piece of leather -- that should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be step 1

To obtain a piece that you can see and use, so you know what GOOD leather should look and feel like, contact BRUCE GIBSON.

Couldnt' resist, Bruce....

Seriously, though... PM me with an address and we'll see kin we git ya a GOOD piece you can use... call it a welcome gift

[Dwight]

6 hours ago, gmulherin said:

Dwight, 

Thanks I really appreciate the input!

As for your comment about neatsfoot, are you saying you do this each time before dying your projects or are you saying to remove the dye that has already been applyed?

After all the "creation" work is done . . . and dying is next . . . THAT is when you apply the oil.  Oiling ALWAYS comes before dying.

I actually learned that trick years ago . . . had one heck of a time with saddle tan . . . it always appeared wavy in the appearance.  Someone on here said some thing . . . somehow mentioned the oiling . . . I tried it on my next project . . .  was absolutely amazed at the different results.  

You cannot remove dye once it has been applied and dried . . . 

Cut, . . . create . . . stitch . . . trim / sand edges . . . bevel edges . . . and here I do a perfunctory dressing of the edges with water only . . . then oil . . . dye . . . super finish the edges . . . apply finish coat . . . 

On a "more or less" basis . . . that is the list and order of steps I use to make all my pieces.

Others do differently . . . this one works for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

[gmulherin]

On 6/15/2023 at 6:27 PM, Dwight said:

After all the "creation" work is done . . . and dying is next . . . THAT is when you apply the oil.  Oiling ALWAYS comes before dying.

I actually learned that trick years ago . . . had one heck of a time with saddle tan . . . it always appeared wavy in the appearance.  Someone on here said some thing . . . somehow mentioned the oiling . . . I tried it on my next project . . .  was absolutely amazed at the different results.  

You cannot remove dye once it has been applied and dried . . . 

Cut, . . . create . . . stitch . . . trim / sand edges . . . bevel edges . . . and here I do a perfunctory dressing of the edges with water only . . . then oil . . . dye . . . super finish the edges . . . apply finish coat . . . 

On a "more or less" basis . . . that is the list and order of steps I use to make all my pieces.

Others do differently . . . this one works for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

ok that makes sense. thanks for the advice, will defiantly try that on my next project. Neatsfoot oil is now on my shopping list.