help on vinegaroon!

[rawhide1]

Hello all

Yes I need more help. I'm trying to make some vinegaroon (sp) And it aint working worth a darn! I did search the forum and didn't find the answer or completely missed it. So here's what I have done.

I put a 000 steel wool pad in a plastic container with not quit 1/2 gallon of vinegar and set it outside with a piece of board on top for a lid. It's been four days now and the vinegar is just as clear as when I put it in there on day one. So questions I have- I'm I being impatient, is the plastic container all right or do I need glass, do I need more vinegar or more steel wool, and it's been pretty over cast these last days do I just need more sun. Thanks for any and all help.

Mike

[westtxcowboy1979]

Hello all

Yes I need more help. I'm trying to make some vinegaroon (sp) And it aint working worth a darn! I did search the forum and didn't find the answer or completely missed it. So here's what I have done.

I put a 000 steel wool pad in a plastic container with not quit 1/2 gallon of vinegar and set it outside with a piece of board on top for a lid. It's been four days now and the vinegar is just as clear as when I put it in there on day one. So questions I have- I'm I being impatient, is the plastic container all right or do I need glass, do I need more vinegar or more steel wool, and it's been pretty over cast these last days do I just need more sun. Thanks for any and all help.

Mike

First thing did you wash all of the oil off of the steal wool? I let my roon sit for at least two weeks. I shake the mixture every couple of days and let the gas out. It will begin to look like brown water. I then use a coffe filter and strain the mix into a clean container. Then it's read to go. I hope this helps.

[TwinOaks]

If you prefer to not wash the steel wool, you can just burn it. Toss in a few old nails, give it a little time.

You can also prep the leather with a light washing of black tea- it adds additional tannins with which the ferric acetate reacts.

[rawhide1]

Thanks fellas

I didn't wash or burn it. I reckon I didn't know about the oil. But that clears it up. I'll start over in the morning.

Thanks again, Mike

[MADMAX22]

I never bothered with the nails but what I did was get a bucket with a plastic lid and poked a few small holes in the lid. Grab your steel wool and lit it on fire. Burns nicely for a minute or so. I did about 4 or them and thru in the bucket. Put about a gallon or so of vinager and let that sit and it was ready in about a week or two.

Ive had the same mix and must say that now after its been sitting for a while, probably had it 8 months it is all black and turns the leather black as night.

[rawhide1]

MADMAX22

Thanks for the reply. I burned some this morning and got a new batch going. Which brings up another question. Does a fella need to neutralize the piece he has dyed. Or is the roon not strong enough to bother the leather. And what do ya do to neutralize the piece if ya need to. I know ya use baking soda. But what is the mixture and do you just wipe the piece down with a wet rag or do ya need to dunk it.

Thanks, Miike

[MADMAX22]

Hey Rawhide I would PM ChuckBurrows as he has been doing the vine technique for a long time.

Ill tell ya what I do.

Smaller pieces I usually dunk in the vine, larger I take a sponge and wipe it all into the leather till you are sure its soaked in a good bit, youll be able to tell when you get a good coat going on. Once I do that I let it sit for a couple of minutes.

I fill a clean sink with warm water (not hot) and put some baking soda in and swirl it around to get it to disolve. Then give the leather a quick bath, not too long as the baking soda will change the ph too much from what I have heard. I just swirl it around for 10-15sec.

Then I give it a quick rinse with fresh water.

I then let it dry and when its allmost dry give it a coat of neats foot. Usually I need about two coats, Ill do another one when its completely dry and depending on the leather this is usually good enough.

In my case I usually will give a good rub down of sno seal or picards or similer and that will usually absorb in real good. Then I like leather balm with atom wax. This finishes it off and usually turns out a nice jet black with a slight sheen to it.

Thats just what Ive come up with. As allways experiment with your leather that your using.

[rawhide1]

MADMAX22

Thanks a bunch! I'll give that a go and see what happens.

Mike

[jnewburry]

I am by nomeans an expert, but for anyone having difficulties, make sure you do not have stainless steel wool pads. I have been doing quite a bit of basket weave practice, then vinegaroonin' it and have been finishing with 2 coats neatsfoot, then i give it a light coating of shoe wax then buff and it makes it fairly shiny.

just my 2 cents worth.

jim

[DUDDY]

Ive never used the vinegaroon, so I have a question. I have had spots of a blue haze when useing store bought black dyes and stains. Will this blueing happen with vinegaroon?

[MADMAX22]

Ive never used the vinegaroon, so I have a question. I have had spots of a blue haze when useing store bought black dyes and stains. Will this blueing happen with vinegaroon?

Ive heard and havnt tried yet but will that dying brown first then black will save you from the blueing effect.

With vinegaroon you wont get that effect unless you dye ontop of the vinegaroon and even that has variouse effects. Some good some odd. I will touch up a bad vinegarooing with black dye and it works great allthough the only time I have to do that is if I make the mistake of wetforming before I vinegaroon.

[quadrary]

Ive never used the vinegaroon, so I have a question. I have had spots of a blue haze when useing store bought black dyes and stains. Will this blueing happen with vinegaroon?

You can avoid the blueing by putting down a coat of red before the black.