Fiebings Pro Oil Dye Vs. Fiebing Regular Dye?

[skyblast]

Soon I will be attempting to airbrush my holsters instead to dipping them.

Question: When airbrushing is it better to use pro oil dye or is the regular Fiebings dye ok? Actually for that matter which is a better dye to use....for any application dipping or airbrushing? Does it even matter or is one better than the other for certain things.

Curious. If I do decide to switch.... Feibings professional is so much more expensive!!

Any airbrush advice before I take the plunge? I think that I have all the equipment I need to get started. Now I'm just staring at it kind of nervously trying to work up the nerve to get started.

Thanks

[MMArmoury]

I have no experience with airbrushing so I cannot help you there specifically. But I was told by an expert the differences between the two products. Spirit dye penetrates deeper than oil dye and dries quicker and with a little less odor, but spirit dye can be difficult to control the evenness of coverage especially in browns I noticed. But that is with sponge or daubers, I do not know how it would affect an airbrush in regards to even coverage.

[ABC3]

Skyblast;

I too am getting into Airbrushing, mostly on belts & holsters. I use Fiebings Pro Oil and was wondering if it's ok in an Airbrush. By the way, which compressor did you end up with and do you use a "paint booth".

It should be interesting.

[skyblast]

Skyblast;

I too am getting into Airbrushing, mostly on belts & holsters. I use Fiebings Pro Oil and was wondering if it's ok in an Airbrush. By the way, which compressor did you end up with and do you use a "paint booth".

It should be interesting.

I ended with the $80 Harbor Freight set up...comes with a compressor. I believe the Pro oil is ok as I already know one guy that is using it. I am wondering if the regular stuff is ok? The pro oil is so expensive.

I made a spray booth out of a cardboard box.

Edited June 8, 2010 by skyblast

[particle]

Hi there! Where are you buying the dye from? I think I paid about $20 for a quart - I believe my wife ordered my dyes from Springfield. When you're airbrushing the dye - it will go a long, long way and you'll get a ton of holsters out of it. If I were you, I'd pony up the extra cash for the Pro dyes, but I would also only buy one quart at a time - at least until you're comfortable with the colors you picked and the results you're getting.

[skyblast]

Hi there! Where are you buying the dye from? I think I paid about $20 for a quart - I believe my wife ordered my dyes from Springfield. When you're airbrushing the dye - it will go a long, long way and you'll get a ton of holsters out of it. If I were you, I'd pony up the extra cash for the Pro dyes, but I would also only buy one quart at a time - at least until you're comfortable with the colors you picked and the results you're getting.

Hey!! Is that you? It's Tim here!! I noticed your web address. So yeah, I have my two bottles of spirit (regular) dye all bagged up and ready to return. I buy from McPherson's Leather in Seattle. I called them up and yes, they are around $20. Thanks, man you are so helpful!

[MADMAX22]

I have not started airbrushing my work yet but on my projects have had the best results with the pro oil dyes or the angelus dyes.

I think you would do good by experimenting a little with the different ones, just buy a couple of small containers of each and try them out. I get mine from springfeild.

[skyblast]

I have not started airbrushing my work yet but on my projects have had the best results with the pro oil dyes or the angelus dyes.

I think you would do good by experimenting a little with the different ones, just buy a couple of small containers of each and try them out. I get mine from springfeild.

Good advice. One can't beat experimenting.

On that note I burnished my first edge on a drill press this morning. You know that plastic wheel with the hole in it that a lot of leather stores sell? It has about a three inch diamemter? I hammered a phillips drill bit into it and attached it into my drill. Oh man! That plastic wheel works really well. I was able to get my first glass edge with it!! First I wet the edge, burnish, then I applied some saddle soap mixed with lexol, then burnished again??? I am I doing this right? I also rubbed in some burnishing wax then burnished again. I worry about the dye not being able to penetrate the wax though. I have a feeling my steps are out of wack?

I also noticed that my edge is a bit cracked looking. I started out by going both directions while burnishing....I'm only supposed to go one direction right? How does one know which direction is right?

[MADMAX22]

I think Bob Parks has a great how to down in the holster making section on burnishing edges. Its kind of a trial and error and personal preference thing. I dont have any power tools yet to do the edges so I do them by hand. Some people dye them after burnishing but I usually dye the edge first, get the edge damp or slightly wet, work in some saddle soap then start burnishing with a cocobolo edge burnisher I made. Once it is nice looking and properly formed I come back with a bees/parafin wax mix and rub that in with some canvas. They turn out pretty good for doing it by hand.

I dont know if the direction matters just I tend to once I get a direction going keep to it but not sure if it is really necessary.

Here ya go http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=16609

Edited June 8, 2010 by MADMAX22

[ABC3]

I spoke with Fiebings this morning regarding the regular oil vs Pro oil. I buy the Pro 2 cases (8 gal) at a time. (for whats it worth I pay $48 gal).

He says the Pro is much better than the regular and both can be Airbrushed.

[skyblast]

I spoke with Fiebings this morning regarding the regular oil vs Pro oil. I buy the Pro 2 cases (8 gal) at a time. (for whats it worth I pay $48 gal).

He says the Pro is much better than the regular and both can be Airbrushed.

I have officially taken the plunge. I returned the two quarts of spirit dye and and now own three bottles of pro oil dye. Thanks everyone for the great advice.

Now time to tackle the airbrush...

[ABC3]

Let us know how you do. Any good advice FOR a newbie would be welcomed.

Good luck.

[katsass]

Soon I will be attempting to airbrush my holsters instead to dipping them.

Question: When airbrushing is it better to use pro oil dye or is the regular Fiebings dye ok? Actually for that matter which is a better dye to use....for any application dipping or airbrushing? Does it even matter or is one better than the other for certain things.

Curious. If I do decide to switch.... Feibings professional is so much more expensive!!

Any airbrush advice before I take the plunge? I think that I have all the equipment I need to get started. Now I'm just staring at it kind of nervously trying to work up the nerve to get started.

Thanks

For what it's worth, I use only the Pro Oil dyes. Tans and browns. I also do all my dying with an airbrush. A little practice and you can get it down pat, even with the Harbor Freight inexpensive airbrushes. The oil dye just seems to come out more uniformly. An example or two done with the H.F. setup. Mike

[ABC3]

Katsass;

Great looking work. I need to learn how to do that. My compressor should be in tomorrow.

I'll give it a try.

[Skald]

Shaking a dead thread to life here, instead of posting a new one.

I can't really grasp the differences here, between oil and spirit dyes. Might be a matter of what you intend to do, I suppose. Anyway, I am about to make some dog collars now soon. And I have quite complex patterns of leather carving on them, and I want to color these. I intend to stain them afterward, and "seal" with Fiebing's Resolene when I am through (or do you have better suggestions?), but what dyes should I use? The colors should preferably not "run" all too easy, as the works are quite detailed. I tried some spirit dyes earlier, and they did the trick, but now I want other colors - and I am not sure whether I should stick to spirit dyes, or try oil based ones?

The most important is "solid covering" and durability, so what are the advantages of spirit dyes vs. oil based dyes?

[billymac814]

I airbrush my stuff most of the time and I tend to prefer the spirit dyes. I can't tell a big difference in the way they cover however the smell of the oil dyes bothers me much more than the spirit dyes. I've used both on the same project too with good results and experimented with mixing the two together, I don't know if it's right or wrong but it worked fine for me.

[joquarter]

Never thought of using an airbrush by coloring the leather .

Learning every day something new here, .

[Sparks]

I used an airbrush for the first time on my last project. The portmanteau that I have displayed in my gallery was airbrush dyed using Fiebing's dark brown. Then I edge coated by hand with brown edge coating--also Fiebing's..

I might have put the dye on a little thick to get it all even looking, and it bled like crazy every time it got a drop of water on it. When I finished it I used a Red Wing Shoes product called "All natural leather dressing." the leather dressing is a combination of pine pitch, mink oil and beeswax. I found the shoe product at the Red Wing shoe store here in town. After putting the leather dressing on the case, it evened out most of the variations in dye (caused by the leather getting wet), and now the dye does not run, period. I haven't tried yet, but I could probably take it swimming with me and the finish would hold up fine. Check my gallery for pics of the portmanteau.

Sparks

Soon I will be attempting to airbrush my holsters instead to dipping them.

Question: When airbrushing is it better to use pro oil dye or is the regular Fiebings dye ok? Actually for that matter which is a better dye to use....for any application dipping or airbrushing? Does it even matter or is one better than the other for certain things.

Curious. If I do decide to switch.... Feibings professional is so much more expensive!!

Any airbrush advice before I take the plunge? I think that I have all the equipment I need to get started. Now I'm just staring at it kind of nervously trying to work up the nerve to get started.

Thanks

[Leerwerker]

Both Fiebings dyes have one huge drawback: In the time that the dye travels from the airbrush nozzle to the leather, a huge percentage of the solvent evaporates. This means that the dye doe not penetrate as far into the leather as would have been ideal. Regular Fiebings is more of a culprit here than the Pro Oil Dye.

The slightest scratches to the leather shows.

The new waterbased dyes are far superior when it comes to airbrushing. Their 'solvent', water, travels all the way to the leather and helps the dye penetrate deeper into the leather. Cleaning the airbrush is also easier.

[RobDude30]

I recently began using the Pro Oil dyes and have had very good luck with them -- I have been able to get much more even coverage than with the regular spirit dyes. I do not airbrush. I use either a rag or a dauber to apply, depending on what I am dyeing.

[th961605]

I recently began using the Pro Oil dyes and have had very good luck with them -- I have been able to get much more even coverage than with the regular spirit dyes. I do not airbrush. I use either a rag or a dauber to apply, depending on what I am dyeing.

Do you cut yours with denatured alcohol? What ratio do you use? I used 3:1 (alcohol:dye) and that didn't seem to be enough of a dilution.