Mineral oil bad for leather? Or good? Or neutral?

[SUP]

@Sheilajeanne I have no idea how bacon fat is different from pork fat -  it is the same thing! Probably the smoking of bacon gives the fat that smoky fragrance as well.

Neatsfoot oil smells unpleasant to me, but I like the use of it, so I use gloves when using it. If not, I feel  the smell remains for hours, no matter how much I wash my hands.

That is so true about processing fats. Everything is made, for the most, part, as it has been made for centuries, except for the  packing and the exorbitant prices!

I also plan to add mink oil to my list.

 

[fredk]

I hadn't even thought of lard. Any amount of fat I get from my cooked bacon is not enuf to fill a teaspoon.

Bacon and pork are just the same, one word is derived from the original Anglo-Saxon for pig and the other is derived from the original Norman-French for pig. The same for almost anything about cows

Anyway, I can buy lard in the supermarket. I think its beef lard though as the shops here are catering more and more for the Jewish and Muslim shoppers. Its actually getting harder to buy anything pork-ish in some of our supermarkets.

I think the lard has salt and food preservatives added. But as we are testing commonly available oils that might be ok

4 hours ago, SUP said:

I also plan to add mink oil to my list.

ah, good on yer. I never considered  mink oil. I even relocated several tins of it just on Friday too!

Just another thought; all leather test pieces should be about the same thickness. Yet another variable! I mostly use thin leather. I do have some up to 11oz /4.5mm but my stock of leathers is mostly in the 4oz  to 6oz / 1mm to 2.6mm thickness range. I think I'll use about 2.4/2.6mm thick. And I'm down sizing the test pieces. 6x4 inches is not necessary. Half that size should be big enuf, maybe even just 3 x 3 inches would do

edited to add a PS

This is gonna take up some leather. Make shure you can spare it

Also, the same oil may react differently to a  piece of the leather of a slightly different area. eg when I was making some coin purses all the parts were cut from the same hide. I marked some pieces which were from right next to each other on the hide. When it came to the dyeing they came out different shades, one part might end up a bright green and the other part dark green. On some that I dyed 'light' blue some parts were bright blue but their matching part almost a midnight blue. All dyed at the same time and in the same way with the same dye

The oils might do the same. But we shall see

I have to do some rivet sorting today

Edited September 24, 2023 by fredk

[SUP]

About the leather, I am using 5oz leather, so about 2mm. I am using relatively good leather. but not the best. I have made the pieces of 3 inch by 3 inch size. That should be sufficient, I think.

I have experienced the same thing that you have, with dye.  I plan to apply the oil and wipe away any excess after a set amount of time, maybe 5 minutes. I will label each piece and note the extent of absorption as well; I will not be able to quantify the extent of absorption though, except in the most general of terms. Let's see. We will surely have to modify some of the steps as we go on.

I know bacon and pork are the same but a world of difference in the taste!  I love bacon but not pork in any other form. And don't start on shops catering to one community over others.  Why some think they are more important than others is beyond me and why others listen is an even bigger mystery. Hindus don't eat beef but we do not object to others eating it or it being sold in stores. We just don't buy it. Why can't other communities do the same?  

Leaving that topic aside, and back to leathers and oils.

I will do the sets for mineral oil and neatsfoot oil today and then need to be away for a week or so, so incommunicado. Will continue, both in this thread and the experiment, when I return.

 

[chuck123wapati]

so i cut 5 pieces inch square. then used 1/4 teaspoon of each which turned out to be to much so i soaked some off with a paper towel. Then I applied neets foot oil to the one marked peanut oil, lol switched those around, then ran a thread through all and hung them in my green house. 

1 Neets foot oil

2 peanut oil

3 feibings golden mink oil

4 elk tallow

5 control piece.

NFO and peanut oil are both very light oils so soaked in nicely. The tallow and Mink oil had to be heated with a hair dryer. I can tell already the elk tallow is way to heavy on its own as a liquor for leather however it may work well as a mixture with lighter oils as a water proofing. The golden mink oil I believe has a good portion of petroleum jelly in its mixture.

[chuck123wapati]

12 hours ago, SUP said:

@Sheilajeanne I have no idea how bacon fat is different from pork fat -  it is the same thing! Probably the smoking of bacon gives the fat that smoky fragrance as well.

Neatsfoot oil smells unpleasant to me, but I like the use of it, so I use gloves when using it. If not, I feel  the smell remains for hours, no matter how much I wash my hands.

That is so true about processing fats. Everything is made, for the most, part, as it has been made for centuries, except for the  packing and the exorbitant prices!

I also plan to add mink oil to my list.

 

bacon oil has nitrates and or salt in it which will have a negative effect on leather  imo. plus it usually burns to some degree in the frying process Lard and tallow are rendered by boiling in water so burning doesn't happen.

[fredk]

You're both well ahead of me!  

I'm still getting organised. I got to a shop this morning and picked up a block of lard 

I'll be back, later, dudes   

[SUP]

@fredk that's okay. This will be such a long term experiment, a few days delay will not make much of a difference. So take your time. it should not be a burden.

[TomE]

8 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

 Lard and tallow are rendered by boiling in water so burning doesn't happen.

I thought the main reason to use tallow instead of lard is that tallow resists oxidation/going rancid. 

[dikman]

Yep, tallow lasts almost forever. I made mine from suet (from sheep), the butcher gave me some, I used an electric slow cooker and cooked it on low for a few hours then poured off the liquid which cooled to a nice milky-coloured slab. The remaining bits didn't taste too bad either. I still have some that is nearly 10 years old, the shed it's stored in has gone through hot summers (up to 40C) and cold winters (near 0C) and it hasn't affected it. 

[SUP]

Back. Got everything ready with mineral oil, neatsfoot oil and mink oil; not sesame seed oil yet. Will do that soon.

Also trying to determine what oils are used these days to process oil-tanned leather.  I know it used to be fish oils and some probably use it still, while others use synthetic compounds, my research suggests.   Spoke to people where I get my oil-tans from - Springfield leather -  Angela  has to contact the supplier for that specific  information. Very helpful people at Springfield leather and it is Kevin from Springfield leather who confirmed that fish oils are used in oil-tanning treatment.

Once I know more, I will decide if it is worth while adding oil tanned to my list of leathers to treat with the oils.