Leather cracked after dying and finishing

[Wolf]

I'm not sure what I did wrong can anyone explain to me what I did wrong?

Here it goes:

I tooled my leather, gave it a couple of coats of Neats Foot Oil and then let it sit overnite, then I dyed it with Black Tandy Pro Dye, let it dry and then applied 2 coats of Tandy Satin Shene. When I started to attach the buckles and bent the leather down in order to rivet it together I noticed that the leather cracked at the bend. Now I have to start all over on these pieces again. What a drag!

What did I do wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Wolf

[TomSwede]

Is it small cracks in the finish only or really cracks in the leather??

I had some small problem with cracks in finish today.

Tom

[bruce johnson]

Wolf,

If you used firm leather (like is recommended for straps/belts - from the butt or top of the back) and didn't case and prebend it while cased, you sure can crack the grain after finishing. By casing it first and then folding, you can stretch the grain leather and make the fold. The fold will also stay tighter later on. Sounds like that is what happened.

[BillB]

I'm not sure what I did wrong can anyone explain to me what I did wrong?

Here it goes:

I tooled my leather, gave it a couple of coats of Neats Foot Oil and then let it sit overnite, then I dyed it with Black Tandy Pro Dye, let it dry and then applied 2 coats of Tandy Satin Shene. When I started to attach the buckles and bent the leather down in order to rivet it together I noticed that the leather cracked at the bend. Now I have to start all over on these pieces again. What a drag!

What did I do wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Wolf

Wolf, You may want to change the order from oil, dye, satin shene to dye, satin shene, oil from back side. The Tandy Pro Dye is an alcohol base dye and will dissolve or thin the neats foot oil and make the leather stiffer and depending on how much dye used, even brittle. Did you dip the belt into a bowl of dye and let it soak in? That would have removed all of the neats foot oil. Bruce is also correct in that if you pre-bend or form the leather while it is still cased, that will usually solve the problem.

[TracyMoss]

I agree with bruce. You must shape those ends with the leather still damp and do not sew them too close or too tight.

[Wolf]

Thank you all for your help!

Tom, no it is not small cracks in the finish it cracked thru the finish into the flesh. Sorry to hear that your project cracked a little.

Bruce, I did case the leather before I tooled it but I didn't bend the leather when it was cased. I can see how the grain would stretch when it is cased versus when it is dry. Thank you so much for your help!

Bill, I applied the dye by hand but before I dyed it I applied the neats foot oil to both sides of the leather. Is it Feibings Pro Dye that has the oil in it versus the Tandy Pro Dye that has the alcohol in it? Or does the Feibings have alcohol in it as well? I forget.... Thank you very much for your help!

Tracy, what happens to the leather if it is sewn too close or too tight? Does it crack?

And I have a question for all of you.... Do any of you use the Tandy Pro Dye? If not, what dyes do you prefer to use and why?

Thanks again,

Wolf

[TracyMoss]

I mainly use Fiebings Professional Oil Dye. As for the sewing, yes if you sew too close to the buckle with a machine, causing the leather to bight down tight, it will split the flesh.

[Wolf]

I mainly use Fiebings Professional Oil Dye. As for the sewing, yes if you sew too close to the buckle with a machine, causing the leather to bight down tight, it will split the flesh.

Tracy,

Thanks for your reply about the dye and sewing, I think I am going to use Fiebings Pro Oil Dye from now on.

Wolf