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

[fredk]

I can tell you more tomorrow. One piece has been out in the rain since the start of March

[SUP]

I'll wait for your input.

[fredk]

Not a proper report

8 pieces have been hanging outside. It been raining a lot here, including today

All the pieces except vaseline show darkening caused by them soaking up water. The vaseline one is still as light coloured as a non-treated piece. It also show a little  of repelling water. Its lost its slickness which it had before. Other pieces also show water repelling but they are showing as having absorbed water, not a little but a lot, as much as you'd want for wet moulding

Therefore, it looks like vaseline can be water repellent or a mild waterproofer. I'd not dare venture to say it is a waterproofer

[SUP]

That's good information. I will use Vaseline on several pieces and check the extent of water absorption over hours and days.

Right now, I have applied a mixture of mineral oil and coconut oil (10%) to new leather pieces and kept them with the others.

I will prepare a new set for the Vaseline. I need to also record the thickness of the leather very specifically for each piece too, not just a generalized 5oz description.

Today, it is bright and sunny outside. Hope it rains soon.

[fredk]

7 monthly report. 26th April 2024

Pieces treated and kept on the top of the dash in the south facing  windscreen (windshield?) of a car

#1; Baby Oil;  Colour = Dark, Flex = Stiff 7/10,  Smell =  No Smell,  Other (fungus, deterioration ) = 0

#2;  Cooking Oil (rape seed); Colour = Dark,  Flex = Stiff 7/10 ,   Smell = very slightly 'leather',   Other = 0

#3;  Lard (pork fats);Colour = Light, lighter than Control #1,  Flex = Moderately stiff 5/10,  Smell =  A hint of oil,  Other = surface feels a bit 'greasy'

#4; NFO Compound; Colour = Dark, Flex is good, 4/10,  Smell = neutral, Other = 0

#5; Olive Oil;  Colour = Dark, Flex is good 3/10  Smell = very slightly of oil,  Other = 0

#6; 3-in-1 Oil;  Colour = Dark, Flex is stiff 9/10.  Smell = Slight smell of leather and a hint of oil,  Other = 0

#7; Vaseline;  Colour = Light, lighter than Control #1, Flex is stiff 6/10,,  Smell = faintly of 'leather'   Other; Surface feels very greasy

#8;  Control #1; kept with #1 to #7; Flex has stiffened, Colour = mottled light and slightly darish,  Flex = Stiff 7/10, Smell = Neutral, Other = 0  - 

Thats all for now

I'll be back soon with a report on the pieces kept outside, in rain,  sunshine and wind

[SUP]

@fredk That's a good report for a single location. For you too, mineral oil (baby oil) has stiffened quite  bit.

I have used Vaseline on several items that I made for home use - they get wet off and on but do not seem to absorb any. So for leather that will get wet for short periods, Vaseline is evidently a good water repellent.

It has not rained here recently, unfortunately. so cannot do the next test just yet. Keeping watch on the weather. As soon as rain I predicted I will start the Vaseline test. I plan to check after 1 hour in the rain, 2 hours and so on for a few hours, to see what happens. I will be very specific about the thickness of leather used, maybe use different thicknesses. Shopping trip tomorrow for that, methinks.

 

[fredk]

We are getting enuf rain for both of us!  Its raining in between the showers, and when its not raining it teeming down 

I think I will copy you and do several pieces of leather with vaseline on them. I, too, want to check the waterproofing

Having written that now the rain will stop for a few weeks!  

 

[SUP]

That is what happened here too.  

[fredk]

01:30

I just cut a piece of 1.5mm - 4oz into 5 unequal sized pieces and coated them liberally with vaseline, front, back and edges

Tomorrow, later today, I'll figure out how to present them to the rain (if)