Casing Solution

[Tkleather1]

I just started using Lexol in my Casing solution and found that the Burnish I get is twice as nice and dark. Can anyone tell me why this is. I love it. I do nothing different Casing time and Tooling is all the same. I would like to say that it was the new Barry King knife I used to carve the pattern but that would just be silly. any way still the same side of 7/8 h.o.

Have any of you others had any experience with this?

Tim Worley

TK-Leather

[teamroperdad]

Tim, I to have recently started useing lexol in my casing solution along with the baby shampoo, and I think it has

made life a whole lot easier. My guess would be the oils in the lexol. Maybe someone will give you a definite answer

and then I'll know too! I do have a question for you, can you carve longer without stropping? I don't know if it is the solution

or I finally got my knife sharp! LOL

G. Robbins

[MADMAX22]

I gotta try this out. I know lexol on its own will darken the leather a bit and I would assume the oils and conditioners would help with burnishing so sounds about right.

Also the little bit of oil and conditioner will probably act as a lubricant for the knife while carving or atleast I would assume it does which would allow for easier cutting and longer blade life.

Ofcourse this is just my guess on why it would work like it does.

[Tkleather1]

Tim, I to have recently started useing lexol in my casing solution along with the baby shampoo, and I think it has

made life a whole lot easier. My guess would be the oils in the lexol. Maybe someone will give you a definite answer

and then I'll know too! I do have a question for you, can you carve longer without stropping? I don't know if it is the solution

or I finally got my knife sharp! LOL

G. Robbins

Well I wish I could give you an answer about the carving but I just tried my new knife so I am thinking that I finally got a sharp blade that I seem to really like.

I would think that it would help because of the oils and whatnot but I am not sure.

Tim Worley

TK-Leather

[bruce johnson]

I have been using the water/lexol/baby shampoo formula for almost two years when it was first resurrected by Ben. In the last year I started adding the listerine called for in the recipe. Not eveyone has had the same experience I have had, but here's mine. I case for 8-24 hours. These are all my impressions compared to previously using water or ProCarve only or either with saddle soap as a top coat prior to slicking.

1) smoother cutting with less stropping.

2) better burnish

3) longer tooling time without adding more moisture compared to the water or Procarve only - about the same as with the topdressed saddle soap.

4) A little less oil needed to get the same color as with water or Procarve.

5) Smells nice.

6) The stamped leather is more flexible afterwards than cased with plain water or Procarve.

[TZHunter]

Bruce,

Could you either post this "recipe" for Casing or post a link to it somewhere else?

Much Thanks,

Doug

TZHunter

[bruce johnson]

Doug,

Here's how I mix it - 1-1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup lexol conditioner (brown jug), 1-2 tbs baby shampoo, 1 tbsp listerine (brown). Actually I mix it in a two liter bottle and measure by eye now.

[TZHunter]

Thanks Bruce, will have to try it on my next project.

Doug

[bex DK]

Will any baby shampoo work or only a particular one?

Casing is something I have a lot of problems with. Even with letting some things sit overnight, I don't feel like I'm getting burnishing like people on here do. I'm doing SOMETHING wrong obviously.

[Randy Cornelius]

Will any baby shampoo work or only a particular one?

Casing is something I have a lot of problems with. Even with letting some things sit overnight, I don't feel like I'm getting burnishing like people on here do. I'm doing SOMETHING wrong obviously.

Use Johnsons No more Tears formula

[bex DK]

I was afraid you'd say that. Never seen the stuff over here. Lexol we brought back from the US on our last trip...

[rcsaddles]

With casing and carving being a weak point in my leatherwork, I will try to get a little info here also. When you have the formula, do you sponge it onto teh leather and then put it in a bag in the fridge? I have a fairly big carving project coming up and would like to know rather than make my own mistakes that others have made. Always better to learn from others mistakes rather than make them also.

Thanks

[bruce johnson]

I have used a couple bottles of Johnson No More Tears and one generic in between with no differences I can tell.

Joe,

I slather it on with a woolskin scrap used like a sponge (another way to use up those scraps). It depends on the weight of the leather how much and how many applications. Usually I go over it pretty heavy once and let it sit for about 5 min. Apply another coat if needed and see how fast it soaks in. If it goes pretty fast I'll hit it again. My general rule of thumb is about one good application for every 4 oz of leather. One of those things that experience with your own leathers will dial it in for you. I put it in a ziplock with enough air to keep the plastic off the face of the leather. Those big blue storage ziplocks are great. Next day or that night, it is usually ready to go. If too wet I leave it out under a fan. Too dry and I mist on some of the mix with a spray bottle and just leave it sit out for a while checking for more needed or not. I don't refrigerate anymore.

[gtwister09]

Joe,

I have pretty much used No More Tears over the years. However with that said like Bruce I have tried "generics". I have only found one bottle that didn't work when my kids were younger and we purchased some generics. When I looked up the listed compounds on that brand there were a lot of differences between it and No More Tears by Johnson. By the way that generic one that I used burned the kids eyes as well...so that may have only been a coincidence but something to think about. From that point on Johnson's was the only one purchased for the kids.

My suggestion is to start off with No More Tears and see the difference and then you can gauge others against that. However if you cannot get it in some places then try the other. I stick with it now after that one bad batch of generic (I cannot remember the name of the brand because I pretty much stuck with Johnson's after that) but you never know that could happen with anything that allows QC to diminish.

Your mileage may vary as always...

Like Bruce stated, I had about the same impressions as he did (maybe not exact but similar). I started off with water/overnight casing and top dressed/slicked saddle soap and have tried Procarve on several occasions over the years only to return to this formula.

Regards,

Ben

P.S. I have also used it as a quick casing solution as well for teaching kids but prefer long term or overnight casing to quick casing. In some ways quick casing may seem like a misnomer and elicits some strong passions...

[terirae]

Do the ingredients in the casing formula ever give you a problem when applying the final finish since the lexol has oil in it?

[bruce johnson]

In a word, "no". I have not had problems with any finish or dye after casing with this mix. I had problems with dye on some of the other formulas I have tried - never with this. All of my stuff has had additional NF added to it before I finish anyway, so a little Lexol in the case is no concern. I finish with Tankote, Bagkote, and Leathersheen. Not sure how true it is, but guys have written on some of these forums that one of the "fat liquors" used to treat the leather in the tanning process is the same as Lexol. It already may have some in it to begin with.

[hidepounder]

I have been using Ben's casing formula also. I keep it in a big plastic bottle and when I want to use it I pour it in a big pan and dunk my leather just as I did when using water with Joy soap. When I'm finished I pour it into a really wide mouth pitcher that I found and then pour it back into the bottle.

I think it makes some difference when cutting tough leather and a big difference when cutting leather that doesn't have a tendency to be sticky. I agree about stropping. I think I strop less. I haven't experienced a big difference in burnish, however I think that is due to the size patterns I've been tooling recently. I suspect when tooling an average size pattern on skirting leather where you can put some "heat" on your tools that there will be a big difference in burnish. I have not seen any impact on finishes either.

[sdkid]

I have always used straight water foir casing. I believe I will try this. I have two questions though. 1) What is the purpose of the listerine? 2) I usually start soon after the water is applied, what is the best solution for this method?

[bruce johnson]

The listerine has thymol which has antifungal properties and helps prevent mold. I have used it for (forgive the semantics Bob)"quick casing" on little things out of thinner leather and it does alright. I have used Procarve and my feeling is that the Procarve penetrates a little faster. That makes sense, since the Lexol probably slows the absorption a bit over just a surfactant like the Procarve. My other impression is that Procarve will evaporate faster too though.

[oldtimer]

Doug,

Here's how I mix it - 1-1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup lexol conditioner (brown jug), 1-2 tbs baby shampoo, 1 tbsp listerine (brown). Actually I mix it in a two liter bottle and measure by eye now.

Is that Listerine mouthwash ??? brown ????

[gtwister09]

Yes to the brown mouthwash... On a side note I had someone share with me the other day that they used this to keep something cased for 2 weeks with no mold or marking of the leather.

I have to agree with Bruce on the quick casing penetrating more quickly with Procarve.

I also agree with Bob's comments on the stropping and tough/hard leathers.

Regards,

Ben

[oldtimer]

is it tha bottle or the content that is brown?

[hidepounder]

I tried the ProCarve and just didn't see where it was helping me. I don't think it held the moisture in the leather any longer than water with Joy dish soap added. While I'm not quite as excited about the Lexol solution as some others are, I do like it and I have to agree with Bruce that my leather stays moist longer....longer than Pro Carve and longer than plain water. I can't help but think that's the Lexol holding moisture in the leather.

I'm not sure that if you are wetting your leather and going right to work that you will realize as much benefit from the casing solution, however it certainly will not hurt anything at all. You might achieve an increase in burnish color but probably not as much eaze in cutting as the leather will not contain the same amount of moisture as cased leather will.

Bobby

[RandyScott]

is it tha bottle or the content that is brown?

Oldtimer, remember way back.. way back before there were all these orange and mint flavored (blue or green) Listerine's? The 'Original' Listerine is the one the formula was based on. In my part of the world there is a grocery store chain that carries Listerine and their house brand. The formulation is almost identical, it works just as well and is a little easier on the wallet also. And to specifically answer your question, I believe the bottle is clear and the contents are brown. I will be at the grocery store in the morning and check it out. I will edit this post if a correction is needed.

[TimKleffner]

Hi Ya'll

Someone needs to register the recipe with the patent office. There's money to be made.

Thanks for the info. I'm looking hard at this recipe, I've got a problem with black spots [mold].

Thanks for the help

Happy tooling

Tim