Leather Sealer & Top Coat options during winter?

[DieselTech]

Guys & gals, I have been wanting to try Fiebings Pro Dye, cause it looks like good stuff. 

My question is: What Seal or Top coat sealer options do I have? Most all top coat/sealers will freeze. So that wont be a option till spring. 

Can I use the aerosol Fiebings Leather Sheen or the aerosol Fiebings Saddle Lac? 

What options do I have? 

Thanks any & all help will be appreciated.

Edited December 28, 2023 by DieselTech
Misspelling

[tsunkasapa]

Yes, acrylics will freeze. But unless you are having them shipped this isn't an issue. Once it is applied and dry, freezing isn't a problem.

[DieselTech]

1 hour ago, tsunkasapa said:

Yes, acrylics will freeze. But unless you are having them shipped this isn't an issue. Once it is applied and dry, freezing isn't a problem.

Yeah I dont have anything & it's too cold to ship. 

So I was trying to come up with something to use. 

[chuck123wapati]

37 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

Yeah I dont have anything & it's too cold to ship. 

So I was trying to come up with something to use. 

go to the store and buy some acrylic floor wax, mix 50/50 with water. I'm sticking my neck out here the last post from a guy who wanted sealer info didn't really want help.  Many of us suggested using this mixture and he went kind of crazy on us. It is widely used as a sealer but its your choice.

If you don't want to try it then I'm out of suggestions.

Mop and glow or similar, i use pledge future floor wax which works fine too.

[DieselTech]

10 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

go to the store and buy some acrylic floor wax, mix 50/50 with water. I'm sticking my neck out here the last post from a guy who wanted sealer info didn't really want help.  Many of us suggested using this mixture and he went kind of crazy on us. It is widely used as a sealer but its your choice.

If you don't want to try it then I'm out of suggestions.

Mop and glow or similar, i use pledge future floor wax which works fine too.

Lol I think I read that article, where a person went A-wall over other options & suggestions for a leather sealer. Lol I'm not that guy! 

I was going to ask about mop & glo, but was unsure. I'll look next time I'm in the store. 

I got a quart of tandy eco-flo super shene sealer, I just dont know if it will work with the fiebings pro dye. 

Thanks I appreciate your time & knowledge.

[chuck123wapati]

10 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

Lol I think I read that article, where a person went A-wall over other options & suggestions for a leather sealer. Lol I'm not that guy! 

I was going to ask about mop & glo, but was unsure. I'll look next time I'm in the store. 

I got a quart of tandy eco-flo super shene sealer, I just dont know if it will work with the fiebings pro dye. 

Thanks I appreciate your time & knowledge.

 

[chuck123wapati]

2 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

 

The best tip i can give for any unknown combination of products is, always test it first on a small piece of the same leather! 

[DieselTech]

27 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

The best tip i can give for any unknown combination of products is, always test it first on a small piece of the same leather! 

Yeah I learned that 1 the hard way. Had a older side of leather & it took on a deeper dye color than the newer side of leather I cut a few remaining pieces out of to finish the project.

Nothing horrible, but you could tell a slight color difference between the two. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by DieselTech

[DwightT]

4 hours ago, DieselTech said:

I got a quart of tandy eco-flo super shene sealer, I just dont know if it will work with the fiebings pro dye. 

FWIW: I've used Super Shene over Fiebings Pro Dye without noticing any problems.

Question for @chuck123wapati on the M&G or other floor wax products: any concerns with using an air brush to apply it?  The only thing I could think of would be that it might clog the nozzle but I would think that if I clean it thoroughly it would be OK.

    /dwight

[Burkhardt]

SLC ships their stuff out with heat packs that I've had shipped in the middle of Jan. and was fine.

[chuck123wapati]

13 hours ago, DwightT said:

FWIW: I've used Super Shene over Fiebings Pro Dye without noticing any problems.

Question for @chuck123wapati on the M&G or other floor wax products: any concerns with using an air brush to apply it?  The only thing I could think of would be that it might clog the nozzle but I would think that if I clean it thoroughly it would be OK.

    /dwight

Most air brush paints are acrylic based now a days i believe. I have used both super sheen and the acrylic mix in my airbrush with no problems as well as acrylic paints which again are a basic acrylic solution only with pigments added.. I go about 30 psi  As you say just clean real well.

[DwightT]

Thanks.  I was just a little concerned because when I got this air brush it was totally clogged and I don't want to go through de-gunking it again.  It belonged to my wife's late husband and sat in the garage for many years and no clue what went through it then.

    /dwight

[tsunkasapa]

On 12/29/2023 at 10:00 AM, DieselTech said:

Yeah I dont have anything & it's too cold to ship. 

So I was trying to come up with something to use. 

I was going to suggest the M&G, but like Chuck, I remember the last time that came up.

[Mablung]

6 minutes ago, tsunkasapa said:

I was going to suggest the M&G, but like Chuck, I remember the last time that came up.

I thought of it as well. Fortunately, this chap is a little better about considering a suggestion politely, without becoming snarky and insulting. 

[DieselTech]

Lol you guys make me laugh. Just me thinking back when I read that thread. & how someone got soo bent out of shape. 

[chuck123wapati]

28 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

Lol you guys make me laugh. Just me thinking back when I read that thread. & how someone got soo bent out of shape. 

so I'm dinking around today making this doodad and am trying to find a way to harden the tip a bit. I decided to try some of my floor wax ( pledge future) full strength i just used my finger and wiped it across the leather hoping to do a few good coats. It dried almost as fast as it was  applied with almost zero soaking into the leather.  SO that is why it is diluted!!!!  I tried another piece of scrap with a 50/50 mix to prove my theory lol. and yup the dilluted took longer to dry and so it soaked in about twice as far. Next test was with super sheen which I could tell is thinner and has much more water added than the 50/50 mix. The sheen soaked in about twice that of the 50/50 mix.  So an even more diluted mix would be better imo than 50/50 to get the sealer into the leather more efficiently.  Another thing I realize is if the first coat dries then your done anything else is only topical and could chip or peel. As before always test before using your leather may take it differently.

My doodad lol.

[DieselTech]

46 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

so I'm dinking around today making this doodad and am trying to find a way to harden the tip a bit. I decided to try some of my floor wax ( pledge future) full strength i just used my finger and wiped it across the leather hoping to do a few good coats. It dried almost as fast as it was  applied with almost zero soaking into the leather.  SO that is why it is diluted!!!!  I tried another piece of scrap with a 50/50 mix to prove my theory lol. and yup the dilluted took longer to dry and so it soaked in about twice as far. Next test was with super sheen which I could tell is thinner and has much more water added than the 50/50 mix. The sheen soaked in about twice that of the 50/50 mix.  So an even more diluted mix would be better imo than 50/50 to get the sealer into the leather more efficiently.  Another thing I realize is if the first coat dries then your done anything else is only topical and could chip or peel. As before always test before using your leather may take it differently.

My doodad lol.

Thanks for the test & written info. I hear & seen a lot of good leather projects that were sealed with mop & glo type products. 

I found out if you put super shene on too thick, & then let it dry, & try to bend/form your leather it will crack like safety glass. 

I appreciate your feedback & scientific test. 

Thanks.

[Gosut]

On 1/1/2024 at 1:04 PM, tsunkasapa said:

I was going to suggest the M&G, but like Chuck, I remember the last time that came up.

Used it tonight, in a 50/50 dilution. I first used it on a belt that had a bleed through issue I couldn't nail down. Removed the rivets and dipped the entire thing a total of three times, drying in between. The only drawback was I had already used Resolene (tm), and the final result was fine "crackles" that can be felt but not visible. Pretty sure that's a case of over-application, but wanted to stop the bleed through

This time I used it on a vinegaroon dyed checkbook cover. I did the dip method again. Anticipated streaking, and had a section of sponge moistened in the solution and wiped it clear. When it dried sufficiently, noticed there was still light streaking, but it buffed out. Has I not been wanting to make sure the inside of the pockets were sealed, wouldn't have dipped it. This cover will be subject to sweat, and wanted to make sure everything is sealed.