De-activating Vinegaroon

[OSOK]

OK, I have dyed my first holster with vinegaroon, rinsed it with hot water, soaked it in a heavy solution of baking soda and water, rinsed it with hot water again and air dried it. The smell will still knock you down. What do I do next? A baking soda paste? The pieces are sitting in the sun right now in my living room while I am at work...I hope it doesn't stink up the house, or my better half will have my butt!

[gcollins]

OS,

The vinger smell will leave soon ans, as you treat your leather that will help all so! Everyone ask that, the first time they use vinegaroon! honest, it will go away!

later Greg

[OSOK]

Thanks Greg, I appreciate it.

[NoahL]

I've been playing with vinegaroon quite a bit lately, but I have to say, I haven't succeeded in getting it to stop smelling completely. However, I have gotten it to smell only a little, and the smell was different. I used cold water and baking soda, but that didn't do it, even after a good 10 minute soak. However, I let it air out for a while, then gave it two coats of oil and a coat of Leather Balm and suddenly it smelled like oil with a hint of vinegaroon. I still wish I could get it to completely go away, but I'll take what I can get.

[sodapop]

when your juice ages awhile...the smell will really be at a minimum, as in your nosed pressed against the leather...but ya a fresh batch will be extra funky lol

darryl

[OSOK]

My batch is about 2 months old. I have got it down to the "Stick your nose to it" level now. I gave it another baking soda soak, rinse and is now air drying. I'll let it get some sun tomorrow, as I have read that helps. I am making this holster for a friend, my first piece for someone else, so I would prefer it not smell like a bait bucket.

[MADMAX22]

One thing as mentioned over time the batch of vine will smell far less then when its new. Mines is probably about a 9 months old and still smells but not too bad.

I let my project soak in the vine until its done bubbling. Usually about 15min or so. Then I take it out and rinse with fresh cold water. After the rinse I dunk it in baking soda and water let it sit for a couple of minutes then shake it around in there for a bit and let it sit for a bit more.

Alot of typing but its not that painful lol.

I take it out of the baking soda bath and rinse that off with fresh water. Then set the project up to dry. I use a fan but do it however you want. Once the project is completely dry it will smell but not very bad and not very strong at all. Then you gotta oil it a few times. Apply your sealer and what ever else you wanna do. I usually oil/atomwax/ then aussie wax or similer. Once Im done its about normal smelling as you can get.

I have found the total process of vinegaroon is a little more involved but the end result is outstanding.

[sodapop]

I am making this holster for a friend, my first piece for someone else, so I would prefer it not smell like a bait bucket.

darryl

[Go2Tex]

I don't know, but maybe you are soaking it too much. The stuff I made up reacted instantly and just took a quick dunk or wiped with a sponge or brushed on. I don't see why you need to to soak it for 5 minutes in anything.

[Freedom]

I don't know, but maybe you are soaking it too much. The stuff I made up reacted instantly and just took a quick dunk or wiped with a sponge or brushed on. I don't see why you need to to soak it for 5 minutes in anything.

I am with you...I just use a dawber or a peice of fleece and just wipe a little on. It turns black almost instantly with W&C leather, with import leather it turns more of a blu/grey but still oils up to a nice black.

after dye...I rince, dry, neatsfoot, Skidmores, and then BagKote. The Skidmore's blends with the smell and gives it back a leather smell.

Rince in water, Baking soda can cause alkali burns if used to heavily

I just got some PH strips to check acid/alkali. Here are the results as best as I could compare the little paper strips to the color charp provided. My numbers may be a little off but shoulod be close.

Vinegar (white)= 3-4+/- PH

Vingaroon (about a month old) 4-5 PH

Now I believe that skirting leather is suppose to have a slightly acidic number of 4.5.... as you can seed the vinegroon has nutralized the vingegar to just about a perfect acidity, so to nutralize it further appears to be unneeded or even damageing.

FWIW.. I nutralized some with baking soda to a nutral 6 and it still dyed fine, I also took the solution to a strong alkali and it still dyed the skirting black. The alkali solution was more of a brown/black while the acid solution was more of a blue/grey black.

[MADMAX22]

The only reason I soaked my stuff is so that it was black all the way thru. You can cut and trim if you need to and it will still be black. If the leather gets cut or scratched it will not show any natural color underneath.

Another reason is that on some leathers that dont take to being black as easily, soaking will help the overall effect at the end. WandC seems to take it very very well. Some of the tandy stuff I had didnt as well unless I soaked then after oiling it turned out great.

Just my technique. I am pretty sure for anything involving leather work there are atleast 2 to 20 different ways to do it lol.

[tonyc1]

Why is it necessary to neutralise it, smell?

Tony.

[NoahL]

The 7-8oz horsehide I used soaked in it for about 3 minutes, but it didn't get very deep into the leather--enough to save scratches, but trimming still cut into the natural leather color. Next time I do something black with horsehide I will probably let it sit for 10 minutes or so, despite the smell.

Why is it necessary to neutralise it, smell?

Tony.

If your vinegaroon mixture is too acidic, it can damage/eat the leather over time, from what I've heard, so you have to bring the acidity back to a level that the leather "likes" which, as Freedom mentioned, is generally around 4.5 on the pH scale. From some of the posts on here I've read, though, plain cold water neutralizes vinegaroon plenty, even without baking soda in it **shrug**. There are many ways to do any one thing

[Go2Tex]

I have a batch that I made up recently that has turned a very dark purple tea color. I used straight vinegar and lots of steel, a pinch of steel wool, nails, a chunk of steel plate, used saddle tacks and filings from my grinding bench. It took about 2 days of aging to turn leather black with a quick dunk. It was strong. After about a week, I strained off the liquid from the steel and residue and let it sit. It quickly started getting darker and darker.

So, I'm wondering if the proportion of vinegar to iron (steel) in solution makes it stronger and quicker.

[Bree]

I have a batch that I made up recently that has turned a very dark purple tea color. I used straight vinegar and lots of steel, a pinch of steel wool, nails, a chunk of steel plate, used saddle tacks and filings from my grinding bench. It took about 2 days of aging to turn leather black with a quick dunk. It was strong. After about a week, I strained off the liquid from the steel and residue and let it sit. It quickly started getting darker and darker.

So, I'm wondering if the proportion of vinegar to iron (steel) in solution makes it stronger and quicker.

The amount of ferric acetate is what makes it strong. Active vinegar (acetic acid) in the presence of iron (ferrous compound) is going to generate ferric acetate. If you consume all the iron or all the acid, you can add more and get the process going again.

The ferric acetate reacts with the tannins and that's what turns everything black.