Resoline Finish "cracking"

[chiefjason]

My preference is neatsfoot oil and then leather balm with atom wax. I like the results but I'm not sure about the durability since I have just started working with leather a few months ago. You say you went to oil and wax, can you perhaps share what type of oil and wax you use to finish your projects? Thanks.

I melt beeswax and neatsfoot oil together. 50/50 by weight. At one point I was using toilet bowl rings as the wax. Thanks to Dwight, I switched over to beeswax that I buy in a bar at Hobby Lobby. Check the candle section. I melt them together in a small crock pot and pour the mixture in a plastic container to store it. The end result is similar to shoe polish. If you want it thinner add a touch more oil. I rub the wax on the edges and outside of the holsters. Then I use a heat gun to open the leather pores to absorb the oil/wax mixture.

With the toilet bowl ring, I had to use atom wax because the finish was dull. With the beeswax bar, I don't need atom wax anymore. The finish is clear enough on it's own. It's every bit as effective as what you are doing. I find that it wears well and no issues with cracking. Basically, it's an old technique that has made a comeback. Kind of like a sno seal for boots.

Also, it doubles for burnishing wax too.

This is one I finished up the other day with just the oil/wax as the finish coat. FWIW, I do use 50/50 mop and glo as the finish on the inside. The oil will darken leather slightly and I want the more natural color left. And it's easier to apply the M&G on the inside of the holster.

[vaalpens]

I melt beeswax and neatsfoot oil together. 50/50 by weight. At one point I was using toilet bowl rings as the wax. Thanks to Dwight, I switched over to beeswax that I buy in a bar at Hobby Lobby. Check the candle section. I melt them together in a small crock pot and pour the mixture in a plastic container to store it. The end result is similar to shoe polish. If you want it thinner add a touch more oil. I rub the wax on the edges and outside of the holsters. Then I use a heat gun to open the leather pores to absorb the oil/wax mixture.

With the toilet bowl ring, I had to use atom wax because the finish was dull. With the beeswax bar, I don't need atom wax anymore. The finish is clear enough on it's own. It's every bit as effective as what you are doing. I find that it wears well and no issues with cracking. Basically, it's an old technique that has made a comeback. Kind of like a sno seal for boots.

Also, it doubles for burnishing wax too.

This is one I finished up the other day with just the oil/wax as the finish coat. FWIW, I do use 50/50 mop and glo as the finish on the inside. The oil will darken leather slightly and I want the more natural color left. And it's easier to apply the M&G on the inside of the holster.

ChiefJason, thanks for the excellent insight in how you apply the oil/wax. Now we know why some of us are Chiefs and some are Indians. I am definitely going to experience with your oil/wax method. I just have a few clarifying questions regarding how you apply the oil/wax; Do you apply the cooled down mixture with a shoe brush or pad to the outside of the holster (not just the edges) and then heat it with the heat gun, or do you apply the liquid mixture? With this mixture, do you apply neatsfoot oil after dying, or do we now have enough oil in the mixture to replenish the oils in the leather?

[chiefjason]

Apply the cooled and hardened mixture with your fingers. I find it easier to do one side, then heat it. Then do the other side. I do that twice on each side. Sometimes I'll wave the heat gun over the container to soften the top of the oil/wax. The only additional neatsfoot oil I add is with vinegrooned holsters. I add the neatsfoot oil earlier in the process though. After it has dried from the groon. With anything else, I let the oil in the oil/wax mix stand alone.

Don't give me too much credit. Dwight set me straight on using real beeswax a couple weeks ago.

[vaalpens]

Apply the cooled and hardened mixture with your fingers. I find it easier to do one side, then heat it. Then do the other side. I do that twice on each side. Sometimes I'll wave the heat gun over the container to soften the top of the oil/wax. The only additional neatsfoot oil I add is with vinegrooned holsters. I add the neatsfoot oil earlier in the process though. After it has dried from the groon. With anything else, I let the oil in the oil/wax mix stand alone.

Don't give me too much credit. Dwight set me straight on using real beeswax a couple weeks ago.

I have learned a lot today regarding finishes. Now it is up to me to practice and apply what I have learned. Thanks again for all the great advise.