Using neatsfoot oil

[Mungo]

Do you oil both the flesh side and the grain side before applying dye? I usually just oil the grain side but was wondering what most of you do.

[kgg]

32 minutes ago, Mungo said:

Do you oil both the flesh side and the grain side before applying dye?

Depends. I use JoJoba rather then neatsfoot oil. What I do is oil the flesh side first using an airbrush to get constancy over the area, let sit, maybe re-oil, then airbrush dye on, let sit and airbrush oil on again. If I'm dying the other side I will follow the same process. I found the grain side will suck up more oil or dye much faster and suck then the flesh side. 

kgg 

[TonyV]

Even on very dry leather it is easy to use too much oil.  I usually apply just a light coat of NFO to the grain side  and give it time to soak in.  If it's still too dry, a 2nd light coat may be in ordre.  Time to absorb is almost as important as quantity.  Remember, you can add more oil if you need to, but it's pretty tough to remove it, and oil-soaked leather is just nasty.

That said, I had a cetain piece of veg that was dryer than a math lecture. I brushed a bit of NFO on the flesh side and it definitely helped.  

[bruce johnson]

Thinner leather - grain side only. Skirting leather - heavier on grain side/lighter on flesh side. The fibers on the grain side are denser and slower to wick through. The flesh side is looser and wicks in faster. Butt and top of the back is denser, lower belly and neck is looser on grain side so that is a factor also. Just because a piece of leather sucks in the oil does not automatically mean it is dry. Likewise oil that sits and does not absorb right away does not mean the leather is well oiled already. Apply light coats and wait.  

I applied my oil to nearly every project with a fine napped paint roller and paint tray. Dip the roller in the oil, roll off the excess on the ramp, and apply. I did 3 to 4 belts side-by-side, spur straps arranged in a single layer, and most other small projects. If I needed to overlap for wider projects I just butted up the next roll to the last one, I didn't overlap and over oil that section. It will wick over to the dryer areas faster that it will wick away from an over applied area. After a few times you develop a feel for how often to wait and decide to reapply and how much oil to leave on the roller for thinner or thicker leather.