Freaking Out

[freak]

Hello my peeps, what's shakin ?

Now dig this, last week or so i grabbed a bag of scrapes at TLF that where mostly coaster. I was thinking they're small and i can tool something fairly fast and get a little practice in, it's been awhile since i've done something and i'm itching too tool. But,,, mostly i wanted to do some dye samples for myself and for when someone wants me to mess some leather up for them, we'll know what color is what. So i did 6 or so and marked them and decided to do more.

Well Friday i stop by TLF to get somemore dye rite . Things have been moved around a little i notice. There's this new stuff "eco - Flo" . So i ask

Anyway i pick up 7 diff bottles , cause now i gotta make new samples. I figure i'm really just getting started in this ( one year this month, whoohoo ) so i might as well start using this stuff now. No one at TLF had any idea what any of the new named colors looked like.

I did some sample pieces tonite and if it's not raining tomorrow i'll take some pics outside for true color and post them so others can get some idea of what they're getting. Mi samples is su samples

I used a lightly damped piece of sponge to dye with. Fisrt off i noiticed that it starts to lather up lightly, wierd. That goes away really fast though. The All-in-One i used was way diff, thick, almost like a thined paste. I liked it.

Anyway i'll share my tale when i add pictures. Just wondering if anyone else has tried them yet and might have some does and don't or maybe a next time i'll try it like this or that.

Holla !

[CitizenKate]

Can't wait to see the results, freak.

Kate

[ClayB]

On Saturday, Jim Linnell, his wife (sorry, I'm terrible with names) Kathy Flannagan and I had a quick 3 hour lunch (really long, sort of funny story) in Sheridan. Jim was telling us about the new finishes and glues Tandy is working on. They are all water based and eco friendly. Water based dyes sounds strange, but Jim says they seem to work very well. He says the colors are more vibrant and consistant, they absorb like spirit dye, not like acrylics. Tony Laier was wearing a belt colored with the new dyes and it looked really nice. Jim said he hoped people would give them a chance, try them and see how they work. In talking with Jim, I felt that Tandy really is working on some of the problems people have with Tandy. There will be some changes in the Craftool stamps in the future. Jim is working with 4-H for a new teaching curriculum. He is a busy man, and working hard to ensure the future of leather work.

I am slowly getting my Sheridan report typed up. Hope to have it done by the end of the week. Also tried to load my disk full of pictures, but that didn't go so well. I am mailing a CD of them to Johanna today so she can do her thing with them. I can say that I had a great time, met up with a bunch of old friends and made some new ones, and gave out the address to Leatherworker.net to a pile of people. Wish I would have made up some cards.

Gotta run, busy week.

Clay

[abn]

Thanks for the updates. Does anyone know if any other manufacturers (namely Fiebings) plan to introduce eco-friendly dyes?

[Art]

The spirit dyes aren't too bad ecologically, they could be reformulated a little to be somewhat better. The finishes are another point and proceeding toward water based formulations could have a lot of benefit. The dye manufacturers like Fiebing can do it and probably already have. Getting the industry to change is another story. Leathercrafters are a small part of the overall finishing business and may be a good testbed. I don't know for sure, but could the eco-friendly dyes be a rollout of a Fiebing's product?

Art

Thanks for the updates. Does anyone know if any other manufacturers (namely Fiebings) plan to introduce eco-friendly dyes?

[freak]

No pics as of yet. I tried to take a few in the house but with a flash or just house lighting the pics don't come out anywhere near true color.

This are the colors i'll be posting. CANYON TAN , RANGE TAN, JAVA BROWN, TIMBER BROWN (I like this color), BISON BROWN, LT MAHOGANY and All-In-One CHOCOLATE CHERRY (which i really like). If i have time i'm gonna stop and grab a few more colors tomorrow.

I did 2 piece of each color. One, a piece of untooled scrap applied with a slightly damp sponge and the other, a piece of tooled scrap applied with a wool dauber.

[CitizenKate]

If they do come up with some really decent water-based dyes, I for one will not miss the fumes from the alchohol-based dyes, and all the safety precautions I have to take when using them. And if they include UV inhibitors (so they don't fade so easily over time), that will be a major plus.

Jeez... I hope they don't just come in 50 shades of brown. How about "kelly green" or "oxblood", or just yellow, blue, turquoise, etc.?

Kate

No pics as of yet. I tried to take a few in the house but with a flash or just house lighting the pics don't come out anywhere near true color.

This are the colors i'll be posting. CANYON TAN , RANGE TAN, JAVA BROWN, TIMBER BROWN (I like this color), BISON BROWN, LT MAHOGANY and All-In-One CHOCOLATE CHERRY (which i really like). If i have time i'm gonna stop and grab a few more colors tomorrow.

I did 2 piece of each color. One, a piece of untooled scrap applied with a slightly damp sponge and the other, a piece of tooled scrap applied with a wool dauber.

Edited May 25, 2007 by CitizenKate

[Clay]

The new ECO-FLO dyes and finishes are in my opinion going to be very good and fun to work with. We have been making some color samples with them and the colors are very nice and there is a wide range to chose from. Each Tandy store is now starting to stock them as they become available. Check with your store and you can ask for the pamplet on the new ECO-FLO dyes and finishes.

Clay M.

[freak]

Kate i'm not sure about those colors. They make a "Leather Dye" . "All-In-One" and a " Hi-Lite". Now the all n ones and hi lites, i've seen in colors like sky blue and something red and so on. The all-in-one look like a stain to me . I have not yet tried the HI-Lites which have some wild looking colors. I couldn't tell from outside the bottle what they are. I kept thinking they must be paint but ,all the bottles read "eco-wise, water based product for leather", "Hi-Lite ( add color here) ".

Anyway i'm having a heck of a time getting a picture to come out in true color. Lastnite , i think it was ClayB that suggested scanning them. We moved almost 2 monthes ago and i've yet to hook up the scanner. I'm so lazy. LOL ! The rain finaily stopped, so i just grabbed the coaster and walked out in the back and just held them in my hand to snaped a few shots.

This is pretty freakin close. Also with it being water based you can "lightlin" it up really easy. The second picture is a case i just did for my sis-n-law. I used a dry brush on the border and a wet one on the rest of it. All done in Timber Brown. All the coasters in the pic are done with a dauber.

Sorry this is getting long here. I just really like to hear myself type. Also i hope my attachment is not to big.

[Regis]

So, where are you buying the eco-dyes to test with? I'd like to try them but, don't see in anyone's catalog.

thanks,

Regis