Drying time?

[ukfossil]

Hello to all,

I'm new to posting on the forum infact this is my first,

I,ve been lurking in the background for a few weeks now and I must say it,s great to see how

the members here help each and everyone regardless of how simple or complex a problem may be.

I have only just started to work with leather as a hobby as I am close to retirement age and

need a usefull and possibly profitable passtime.

Well here's my first problem, I have made 3 belt straps for my grand sons who all work in the

construction trade, The belts are cut from 3.5mm veg tan hide, cased, edged, and creased which

all went well then I dyed them with Fiebings Professional Oil Dye, (2 coats) then edged with

Gum Tragacanth and 2 good coats of Carnauba Cream, I don't think I gave each treatment enough

time to dry between but all looks good untill I bend the straps and the finish is then cracking.

Do you think the problem is my drying time or am I doing something wrong.

Thanks in advance if anyone can help or sugest a differant procedure to the way I'm doing things

or sugest differant dye or finishing.

thanks again, mick

[RWB]

I don't why your finish is cracking, but I think that a different finish would be a solution. Don't use the oil dye just get the regular Feibings Leather Dye. Apply it, and let it dye over night, apply a LIGHT coat of neatsfoot oil over the top. Again let it dry overnight and the apply Neatlac if you can get it or Clearlac. RUB it in good with wool skin. This should give you a nice matte finish. I personally have not had it crack on me. Don't forget to really rub that laquer in, and go ahead and put two coats on if you like. Neatlac is better for this than the Clearlac but its not being made anymore so chances are you won't be able to find it. Let me know how that works.

Ross

[hidepounder]

Hi Mick,

What you are experiencing is a fairly common problem. Usually cracking occurs when finishes are applied too heavy. I'm with Ross, I'm also a NeatLac fan....it's all I use. But it also can crack on bends and folds. The trick with NeatLac is, like Ross said, to rub it in. I prefer a couple of light coats. In addition, you are more likely to see fine cracking on a smooth belt like you made as opposed to a tooled belt where the tooling hides imperfections in the finish. I don't any experience with the finish you used so I can't comment on your application. I would think any finish which penetrates the leather would be preferable to something which sits on top of it.

Bob

[RWB]

That's a good point about the belt being smooth as opposed to stamped, Bob. Most of what I do is stamped so I don't have so much the cracking problem. Good insight. By the way I took a look at you gallery. Wonderful flow to you flower stamping as well as the overall lines of your products. I like it a lot. Those spur straps that you have up are really nice.

Ross

Hi Mick,

What you are experiencing is a fairly common problem. Usually cracking occurs when finishes are applied too heavy. I'm with Ross, I'm also a NeatLac fan....it's all I use. But it also can crack on bends and folds. The trick with NeatLac is, like Ross said, to rub it in. I prefer a couple of light coats. In addition, you are more likely to see fine cracking on a smooth belt like you made as opposed to a tooled belt where the tooling hides imperfections in the finish. I don't any experience with the finish you used so I can't comment on your application. I would think any finish which penetrates the leather would be preferable to something which sits on top of it.

Bob

[UKRay]

Hi Mick, I suspect the problem could be caused in part by the dryness of the leather you are using. Some of the veg tan I have seen recently has been a bit too dry to work effectively without some extra TLC - I suspect it has been around for a while. You didn't mention your supplier... Anyway, dry leather is much more prone to cracking when you bend it so I have started to use a leather conditioner (I like Lexol) to add some flexibility to the leather before I apply a finish coat.

The carnauba wax ought to be a good finish over the Fiebings oil dye so I don't believe it can be that although I prefer to use Skidmore's Leather cream as a finish on any dry leather as it seems to 'feed' the leather very effectively. Drop me a PM with a phone number if you want a chat - I'm not too far from you.

Ray

[ukfossil]

Hello again,

Thanks for your answers.

Ross and Bob, I think I do need to feed the leather a bit with Neatsfoot oil

to make it more supple and the next belt I do I'll follow your methods, I do

need more of a matt look as this belt will be far too posh for a construction work

environment.

Ray, You have probably hit the nail on the head, the veg tan I used came from

Le Prevo, Newcastle UK. and I've had it in a warm room for too long so your

probably right,

I'm new to the leather game and consider myself very lucky to have stumbled

upon this forum with such a great bunch of experts willing to help the new

guys,

thank you all for your help, mick.

[Bree]

If you like the finish that you are using try applying the finish to the belt in the bent position versus lying flat. The leather will stretch and the oil will soak in so when it is bent again, there will be finish on the area that has stretched out. That should help some.

[ukfossil]

Thanks Bree, will try that, mick