How tan IS tan?

[Hilly]

I'm curious as to just how tanned a piece of sun tanned leather will get? Will it achieve a saddle tan color? How long does it take?

I'm sort of experimenting right now with a project. I've had it out in full sun for about the last 6 hours, and I've misted it very lightly with plain water several times during the day. So far, it's gone from a pasty looking VERY pale piece of leather, to almost the color of the brown surrounding the "Leatherworker!Net" logo. At the end of the day, I will post a photo of the color change you can get from one day in the sun.

If I can get a decent medium saddle tan color, I think I will just stop trying to achieve that color using dyes and use the sun, followed by a light coat of pure neetsfoot. A more "green" approach, if you will.

Does anyone have an example of just how tan a piece of leather can get from pure sunshine? Can you post a photo of it, next to a piece of pale, un-suntanned leather?

[Hilly]

I'm curious as to just how tanned a piece of sun tanned leather will get? Will it achieve a saddle tan color? How long does it take?

I'm sort of experimenting right now with a project. I've had it out in full sun for about the last 6 hours, and I've misted it very lightly with plain water several times during the day. So far, it's gone from a pasty looking VERY pale piece of leather, to almost the color of the brown surrounding the "Leatherworker!Net" logo. At the end of the day, I will post a photo of the color change you can get from one day in the sun.

If I can get a decent medium saddle tan color, I think I will just stop trying to achieve that color using dyes and use the sun, followed by a light coat of pure neetsfoot. A more "green" approach, if you will.

Does anyone have an example of just how tan a piece of leather can get from pure sunshine? Can you post a photo of it, next to a piece of pale, un-suntanned leather?

This is after 7 hours of full sun. These are from the same piece of leather. I did not expect to see this much difference. Tomorrow if the sun shines again, I'll put it out for another 7 hours and see what happens.

Edited June 18, 2008 by Hilly

[TwinOaks]

Hi Hilly,

I left a piece of test scrap on the porch a week or so ago, and it's significantly darker. There's a little swath of it that didn't get sun, and the difference is even more pronounced than what your pic shows. I don't hesitate to think you can achieve at least 5 shades darker. Of course, this will depend on the leather itself, and how much tannins is got at the tannery, but you knew that.

I do really like the effect though, it just looks better than an applied tan.

[Elton Joorisity]

Y'all oughta try oiling it first and then giving it a sun tan.

[Hilly]

Y'all oughta try oiling it first and then giving it a sun tan.

I was thinking about doing that. Have you done this? How did it turn out?

[dbarleather]

IMO oil and sun is the easiest and most beautiful way to add color to your leather.

[Ian]

I have never tried letting the leather darken naturally, but I was wondering on something like a saddlebag, you'd get a light area under the flap 'where the sun don't shine' wouldn't you?

[abn]

I'm certainly not an expert on this topic, but I will say that I put olive oil (and no dye) on one of the keyfobs I made a few years back. Over time, the color has gone from pale to tan to a deep, rich brown -- and darker than I really like. It's certainly not tan anymore.

Nowadays, I use Eco-Flo Ranger Tan when I'm going for a tan finish. The good thing about using a dye is that it locks in the color just the way you want it. You don't have to worry about a project that's exposed to sunlight getting darker and darker over time...

-Alex

[Hilly]

Once I get my project to the degree of "tan-ness" I like, will sealing it with supersheen or tankote keep it from tanning further?

[abn]

I don't think so. My project was sealed with Satin Shene and the sun goes right through it. Maybe there's someone that knows of a different finish that might work?

[Kevin King]

This is the first seat I ever made and all I did on this one was oil it up with neatsfoot oil. Most of the color came from

a full day in the Arizona sun.

KK

[carr52]

I left this out for almost a full South Carolina day. Neets foot oil only.

Tom

Edited July 6, 2008 by carr52

[ChuckBurrows]

As noted oil first not last - the oil will oxidize and increase the darkness.

To speed things up make a sun box - a box with at least glass in the face and top - use tin foil to line the rest - I like to hang my piece whenever possible so the sun hits all sides. This will direct and intensify the sunlight. I live at 6500' above sea level in the SW high desert and we get LOTS of sunshine and even in winter it's VERY intense, but I still use a sun box to speed things....

[SCOUTER]

Chuck should know, he has been kicking out awesome stuff for years!

Great topic!

[Leather Bum]

Here are some examples of "Old Time Coloring" techniques from the South Central Leathercraft Guild: Old Time Coloring.

Also relevant are these tests performed using Neat Lac and two different oils. . . These are from the FLASaH (Free Leather Artisans Sharing a Hobby) Yahoo! group files area. I think they were put together by Hidehandler from the Nashville, TN TLF.

L'Bum

Edited July 10, 2008 by Leather Bum

[Leather Bum]

Here's the last Oils Test picture.

Edited July 10, 2008 by Leather Bum