Airbrushing Dye, Etc.

[Eaglestroker]

Not great... However, I think the penetration is directly proportional to the amount of coats you put on it. You'll probably never get as thick an application as you would by dipping/daubing it, but with the headaches I've had the last 3 days resulting from applying dye with wool patches - I'll take an airbrush application ANY day!! I'll just start putting it on heavier, or using more passes. I was using 3 passes on my previous work. I'll double that, if not more.

Did I miss a post? Are you having issues with that not holding up or is it just a preventative thing?

[particle]

I haven't any complaints from my customers, but I did receive one back recently that I needed to remake for another reason. He'd had it for a few days, and somehow managed to scuff the the trigger guard area in one tiny spot - it looked like maybe his ring was turned around and the diamond scraped it or something along that line. Or perhaps it was his watch band - don't know. That scuff, along with other comments on this board about dye penetration while airbrushing got me to thinking I need to try a different method. I tried a couple other methods (wool patch, and also dipping), but I'll stick with airbrushing and just put it on heavier. For my base coat, I usually use 3 fairly heavy passes (with my dual-action brush, I spray about 3/4 flow of dye). I'll probably use 100% of the flow now, and 4-5 or 6 passes.

[Eaglestroker]

I had been having a conversation with someone elsewhere pertaining to this so I'll put it here as well. Obviously I'm no pro but it seems to me that the dauber penetration is so inconsistent I'm not sure if it really wears any better or worse than just the airbrush assuming all else is the same. This picture is a few test pieces done, then cut in half. Top is the brush with 3-4 heavy coats, middle is a dauber and bottom is bare:

Now that I've ended up with an airbrush you'll be hard pressed to get some sort of sprayer out of my hands, it just looks better!

Edited March 30, 2011 by Eaglestroker

[particle]

Interesting photo. It's hard to tell how much the airbrush is penetrating. The dauber certainly seems to have penetrated much deeper, though it obviously comes at a price (uneven application).

You might take that same airbrushed sample and do one third with twice as many passes, and another third with triple the passes. Leave one third just like it is already. Then cut it again to see if you can tell a difference in penetration with increased passes.

Not sure - this test might need to be initially when you start with natural, undyed leather. I don't know if it will penetrate the same now that it's completely dried...

[Eaglestroker]

My workspace is limited to a kitchen table - but next time I have the airbrush set up I'd been happy to oblige as I was going to attempt the same thing anyways! I'd be interested in seeing other methods such as dipped or your wool. I haven't attempted dipping for the simple fact of mess/clean up in my little area. Without a doubt the dauber has better penetration though. I recently tested some coffee based dyes and will include a sample of that as well.

[The Grizzly]

Eagle, that was me you were talking with on Bladeforums

I think I'm still going to pick one up and give it a try.

Here's an idea. For the 2 tone holsters/sheaths couldn't you swab/dip your item in the lighter color first, then airbrush on the dark accents that fade into the center?

[Eaglestroker]

I gambled that it was going off the name Grizz! I think that would work fairly well IF you could get even enough coverage with a light shade (maybe that's just a problem I have?). You would need to pop for a double action brush off the bat if your only using it for detail work though.

[Spinner]

Here's a quick tip on airbrush penetration and concentration...

First 1-2 coats use the thinned to 50%, this will help the first coat penetrate better (more water or alcohol) and open up the pores.

Next couple of coats use full strength. On the full concentration coat following the thinned coat, don't wait for the thinned coat to dry completely before the next coat.

Airbrush tip: lowering the air pressure below 'normal' recommended values (30psi for bottom feed, 15-18 psi for gravity feed) to about 1/2 and then using the brush at 3/4 open will create a similar effect as a HVLP gun...more dye, less air so it atomizes less & penetrates more.

For a stipple type fade, lower the air pressure to 1/3 of normal and hold it back a bit farther, you'll get a stipple or granular pattern like the black spots in granite.

Here's an example of a quickie two-tone fade I did last night using the techniques above with Fiebing Black over a custom mixed Cranberry/Burgundy with Eco-Flow. (Yes, that is spirit based over water based). The lighting contrast is a bit off (they are actually much darker) but it illustrates the idea well enough.

~Chris

Edited March 31, 2011 by Spinner

[dickf]

I dip dye my colors now and there is no comparison to using a dauber or airbrush. The dye penetrates to nearly half the thickness of a 7-8oz piece of leather. If the leather gets scuffed or scratched, the color will still remain. The airbrush can produce some of the best looking and more even shades of brown, but it comes at the price of having an easily scratched holster, which happens all the time. I've found that the Angelus line of dyes penetrate the deepest and are the most even colors. I use them exclusively and dip dye them all.

Here's one that was dip-dyed cordovan and the shark dip dyed black. The cordovan comes out even, deep, and rich looking. Pity I botched the photos with this direct sun

[The Grizzly]

Thanks for the tips Spinner!!!

Dick- That cordovan looks wonderful!! Great color!