Members Wayward Shrimp Posted February 26, 2011 Members Report Posted February 26, 2011 (edited) I was just going to ask if I need to remake my batch... I suspect so. I grabbed the nearest steel-wool I could find and turns out it was Stainless. I tried a bit of leather in it tonight (its been brewing a week or a little more) and it only made the leather kinda... muddy looking. I'll try again with regular steel-wool. 2 questions remain... 1. Should I keep the stuff i have and see if it improves? How long would I expect to let it sit before deciding its a lost cause? 2. How should it smell on the leather? I'm betting 'vinegary' is part of it. But I would best describe this as... pond mud and vinegar. Or, old tackle-box and vinegar... Also, while looking around for info i found this forum post http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showpost.php?p=33699&postcount=4 Has anyone tried using ferrous sulfate instead? Edited February 26, 2011 by Wayward Shrimp Quote
Members Wayward Shrimp Posted February 26, 2011 Members Report Posted February 26, 2011 (edited) I was out today to get some steel wool and vinegar to start my batch over (Its bubbling away in the closet now) and looked about for Iron Sulfate. They had a large bag in the gardening section of the hardware store. Maybe I'll go this route next time, but in case it didn't work I didn't want to be stuck with a big bag of it, I got Iron tablets from the grocery store. Anyway, I crushed up 2-3 tablets and mixed it with hot water, and dipped some scraps into the solution. It seams to have worked! I'm not sure if the color is on par with the classic Vinegaroon recipe, but it sure was faster to make. The oval piece was the one I tried to treat with my stainless steel batch... I suspect thats why the color is worse, the scraps are the peices cut out from around it. I am not sure how long this lasts, or how large a project it will treat. Edited February 26, 2011 by Wayward Shrimp Quote
Members lazybum Posted February 27, 2011 Members Report Posted February 27, 2011 I was out today to get some steel wool and vinegar to start my batch over (Its bubbling away in the closet now) and looked about for Iron Sulfate. They had a large bag in the gardening section of the hardware store. Maybe I'll go this route next time, but in case it didn't work I didn't want to be stuck with a big bag of it, I got Iron tablets from the grocery store. Anyway, I crushed up 2-3 tablets and mixed it with hot water, and dipped some scraps into the solution. It seams to have worked! I'm not sure if the color is on par with the classic Vinegaroon recipe, but it sure was faster to make. The oval piece was the one I tried to treat with my stainless steel batch... I suspect thats why the color is worse, the scraps are the peices cut out from around it. I am not sure how long this lasts, or how large a project it will treat. God damn this method might just be a winner. No smell no need to wait for weeks... Wonder if all iron tablets will work? Quote
Members Wayward Shrimp Posted February 27, 2011 Members Report Posted February 27, 2011 God damn this method might just be a winner. No smell no need to wait for weeks... Wonder if all iron tablets will work? I made sure to check the ingredients for 'ferrous sulfate" or "iron sulfate" some said "in the form of" other was just in the ingredients. And like i mentioned you can get a huge (to me) bag at the garden center of a hardware store that doesn't have to be crushed or have the other stuff tablets do. I mostly do small projects so I figured tablets and small batches is fine for me. Quote
Members ChuckBurrows Posted February 27, 2011 Members Report Posted February 27, 2011 Ferrous sulphate will do the job but it is NOT good for the leather...the sulphate form of iron increases the risk for what is known as red rot many fold.... Not all iron in solution is the same....use what you like but beware of the problems or potential problems....what may be safely used on wood is as noted in that article is not necessarily safe to use on leather or recommended.......and if all he's getting is a "filthy black mess" he did something wrong and vinegar black never goes off after a few days as he stated the ferrous sulphate mix does.... and whay folks today are in such a goldarned hurry still escapes me....... Quote Wild Rose Trading Company Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Members Wayward Shrimp Posted February 27, 2011 Members Report Posted February 27, 2011 Ferrous sulphate will do the job but it is NOT good for the leather...the sulphate form of iron increases the risk for what is known as red rot many fold.... Not all iron in solution is the same....use what you like but beware of the problems or potential problems....what may be safely used on wood is as noted in that article is not necessarily safe to use on leather or recommended.......and if all he's getting is a "filthy black mess" he did something wrong and vinegar black never goes off after a few days as he stated the ferrous sulphate mix does.... and whay folks today are in such a goldarned hurry still escapes me....... Wow, thank you for that info! I've no intent to lead anyone astray! D: I'm not looking so much to save time, but space. I don't have much room for my supplies/chemicals/tools and any clutter I can reduce is good. One day I hope to have a shop or something, but now I just have a old entertainment center. Quote
Members ChuckBurrows Posted February 28, 2011 Members Report Posted February 28, 2011 Didn't think you did...and I fully understand about space saving - you can use Ferric Nitrate - available in crystal form http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Ferric-Nitrate-100g-P6384.aspx - mix 10:1 with distilled water - 10 parts water to one part crystal start there and experiment to get the right mix, but the vinegar black is still IMO the best for leather overall with less potential problems...... Quote Wild Rose Trading Company Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Members lazybum Posted February 28, 2011 Members Report Posted February 28, 2011 Thanks for the info chuck! I guess ill stick to the old method. Seems safer. Started brewing a batch yesterday. Dipped a piece of scrap in it today and it turned pitch black! I think it will be good to go in a week or two. Quote
Members ChuckBurrows Posted February 28, 2011 Members Report Posted February 28, 2011 On thing to be sure to do when making this is: 1) Use a closed container with only a small vent hole - it's acid fumes that aids greatly in completely dissolving the iron 2) Once all the iron that can be dissolved is dissolved (you can always add a bit more vinegar too if need be) - open the container for a day or two to vent off as much of the remaining gasses as possible 3) Strain and bottle it up To get rid of the odor not only use the baking soad wash, but after hang in front of a fan or outside in the fresh air...than I like to apply some Montana Pitchblend - this contains pine rosin and thus leaves a good odor behind.... Quote Wild Rose Trading Company Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Ambassador Luke Hatley Posted March 1, 2011 Ambassador Report Posted March 1, 2011 (edited) God damn this method might just be a winner . No smell no need to wait for weeks... Wonder if all iron tablets will work? LAZYBUM WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE........... Edited March 1, 2011 by Luke Hatley Quote Luke
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