Problem with Fiebings Pro Oil dye:

[ABC3]

When we dip leather into a pot of  Fiebings dye (light Brown or Saddle Tan ) for 3 to 4 seconds and hang to dry it comes out very dark brown or almost black. Does anyone have an idea of the problem?

[DieselTech]

3 hours ago, ABC3 said:

When we dip leather into a pot of  Fiebings dye (light Brown or Saddle Tan ) for 3 to 4 seconds and hang to dry it comes out very dark brown or almost black. Does anyone have an idea of the problem?

Are you thinning your pro dye 50/50 or using it straight up out of the bottle. 

 

Also instead of hanging your project, try laying it flat on some cardboard. 

Also when you dip dye it takes a good 24hr or longer to fully dry. 

[ABC3]

Thanks for your reply. I do not thin the dye. It's 100%  out of the gal jug. All the other colors do fine hanging - just the lighter browns are having problems. And we let everything hang over night.

Light Brown and Sad Tan we spray and then come out fine. Just a pain.

 

 

 

[FrankHester]

16 hours ago, DieselTech said:

Are you thinning your pro dye 50/50 or using it straight up out of the bottle. 

What do you use for thinner?

[Cumberland Highpower]

You don't really need thinner for the pro dye.  

I've dip dyed browns for years in 5gal buckets....And had the same problem at the begining.   The first thing to address is having your dye at room temperature or above.  If it's 20degrees where you dye, it's not going to absorb well and you'll get those results.

I realize it's August and I see you're in GA, so that's probably not your issue.

the other thing to address is working the dye into the leather.   the Browns/tans are the worst colors to get a good even tone with.  You are probably oversaturating the leather (I feel like your 3-4 seconds is probably more like 6-8)  AND not working the surface excess into it.  After you pull it out of your dye you need to "work" the dye into the leather for a few seconds until it vanishes.  if you pull it out of the bucket dripping with dye and it stays that way very long you'll get lots of dark/black/streaks/blotches, etc.

Thinners make it absorb more quickly (Alchohol) but you'll generally get a lighter shade that takes more dips to darken to the desired one.  Browns usually take 2 dips.  2 seconds in, wipe excess, dry completely then repeat   

In hot GA sun I'd say an hour or 2 would be enough drying time.

Makes sure your dye is well blended.  It seems to separate a little with time.

Last bit of advice is to use a QUALITY leather for the browns.  Mexican/Argentinian/Turk import sides don't absorb or dry as evenly with browns as Herman Oak or even W&C.

By the way are you sure you have the right color of dye?  Any chance you dumped the wrong jug into the blend? 

I once did that and made a whole batch of holsters that were supposed to be brown.  I had dumped a gallon of black by mistake, forgetting what I was working on.  The results were actually a charcoal color.  Much to my surprise they were the first ones to sell.....!

Edited 7 hours ago by Cumberland Highpower

[DieselTech]

4 hours ago, FrankHester said:

What do you use for thinner?

I thin my pro dye 50/50 with denatured alcohol. 

I do this because of cost & as well to lighten the pro dye. 

 

I think pro dye is too dark using it straight from the bottle. 

I also lay my dyed projects flat on cardboard & put a fan on it for at least 24 hours. 

 

[FrankHester]

Thanks for the info you all.