is there a way to fully cover a belt (1 1/2" wide), a belt bag and leather belt cover on a ligther shade?

[Patrice]

Thank you for your patience! I will try to dye my leather the way you do.

So, you mix you dye/reducer in a large pan, put non-powder latex gloves, take the leather piece by the side( the one that wll be sicked or cover by edge coat), dip or dunk in leather, take it out, wipped the leather of the dye surplus, then let-it dry.

Once again, thank you very much for your help! This will improve my dying skills

[Art]

Hi Patrice,

Don't make this any harder than it is. Wear kitchen gloves, use a spirit dye, "oil" dyes are spirit based. Get a tupperware tub (or Rubbermaid) and fill it an inch or two deep with dye thinned to the desired color. It is not necessary to apply the "grip of death" to the piece. Hold it (the leather) lightly in your hand and have a t-shirt rag ready, it will get full of dye in the next operation. Put the leather in the dye and flop it around and take the leather and rub (splash) dye all over the piece for like 10-15 seconds, drip off excess and wipe with rag. If not dark enough, go at it again. If you have the dye thinned out a bit with DEA you won't get the darkness you are fearing. After you have rubbed off the excess, hang to dry overnight (less in Arizona). It is easier to apply more dye than to take excess off. After piece has dryed, rub it vigirously with a clean cloth to get excess dye off. This is important as dyes are usually saturated and will have dye particles in suspension which will settle on the leather and will bleed under a finish if not removed. I spray most everything now but still do holsters this way.

If you use a sprayer that will blow heavier finishes (spirit dyes are very lightweight and even an airbrush can spray them) and you use a standard color, you can apply the dye to a neetsfoot oil or blend and this gives a beautiful one step finish. Some of the one-step dye finishes (made for non-professional use) are water based and not as durable as two step although they are enviromentally safer.

Probably more than you wanted to know,

Art

So, basically, you put on latex gloves, hold the piece by the edges then either dip-it or submerge the whole piece?

But, what about the leather where your fingers was? It must leave a blank spot? Do you change side and dip the part you where holding the moment ago?

Sorry for being so stupid, but i can't figure it

[K-Man]

Another suggestion would be to take some small scrap pieces of the same type of leather you're going to be using. Take one piece and dip it once; take another piece and dip it twice; etc. Once they dry you'll see what the different "shades" are based on the amount of times dipped.

My experience has been that you're not going to be able to tell right after you dip it what the final shade is going to be. This is because the leather is wet from the dye and actually appears darker.

I use the non-powder latex gloves because they're easily put on/taken off and easily disposed of. A box of 50 costs around $5.

Best of luck to you.