How Do I Keep The Dye From Rubbing Off My Edges!

[Kcinnick]

No matter what I do I cannot get the dye to stop coming off my edges. Here is a description of my last attempt.

Well, I got some empty "Copic Sketch Markers", they are perfect for doing edges. They are made for comic book artist to ink drawings with alcohol based inks and come with a chiseled tip and point tip that is soft almost like a paint brush.

My lines are now perfectly straight, angling the chiseled tip at the correct angle to the leather and a steady hand makes for a nice clean edge. Now I am still back to my original problem, I have still having dye rub off!

I am able to get a clean edge before or after burnishing with the copic markers so I have tried both ways. So my last two belts I dyed the edges black using the marker then ran an old white t shirt over the edges and got any excess dry dye off.

I then used Fiebings glycerine soap to slick the edges then hand burnished with duck cloth and fiebings white saddle soap.

I then coated the edges with paraffin wax and used my grinder style buffer to shine the edges. The buffer gets the belt hot enough to give the wax a good shine. I would stop there if I could but black will still come off on a soft cloth.

So I had a can of Clearlac, neatlac, whatever the stuff is called and I filled one of my copic markers with it, perfect even coats, great. Well I did a couple of coats and let it dry, got a white T shirt ran it across and I got black marks!

I just tried two more belts and I am going to let them dry overnight this time, well at least until later in the morning. One got 3 light layers with a copic marker, the other got a few layers with an artists brush. Maybe giving an overnight dry time will give me the protection I am looking for. I am probably the only loon who got out of bed at 1 am to go test some new methods to get my edges right. They look really nice, I just can't have black dye coming off if I ever hope to start selling. These are for Christmas gifts, and I have a few people who want to buy but I have to get the edges beyond pretty , they need to be pretty and durable.

I don't really want to coat the entire belts in Clearlac, I really like the look I am getting with a light coat of neatsfoot oil then a coating of Renaissance wax, I put my finishes on before I sew or edge the belt, the stitching gets beat up and gunked up if I finish after stitching and edging.

Thanks for any insight you may have.

Those belts I let dry overnight did not work, still got black marks on my white cloth!!!

I really need to stop the black from coming off.

[Luke Hatley]

This is what i do for my edges....

*DYE THE EDGES BLACK FIRST*..

THEN FINISH THE EDGES

[JoelR]

First question is what kind of dye are you using? I have found that Feibings black spirit dyes are a PITA to keep from rubbing off. I have been using pro oil for a while and they are much better. Try leaving them dry a good 48 hours before touching them with anything else. If not fully dry, the soaps/waxes you are using could pick up the color and that may be what is rubbing off. Other option is to try using just water for your burnishing and once nice and shiny, seal with your top coat. I get very nice edges with a tandy rub stick to initially press the fibers together and get the edge nice and hard, then duck cloth to do the final burnish and polish.

I like the idea of the Copic markers. Where did you find empty ones?

[Kcinnick]

The copic markers are amazing. I got 4 from a dealer on amazon, otaku fuel.

I am using pro oil black, so should wait 48 hours to dry, any tips on saving the couple of belts I am having problems with?

[terrymac]

Just an idea, but recently I bought some Quik Slik from Sheridan Leather to use rather than glycerine and saddle soap. What I have found is I can great edge coverage with one coat rather than two or three. I'm using good old fashion spirit dye in dark brown, and without a lot of rubbing with a cloth, no residue. I also use Neatlac to finish.

Terry

[busted]

No matter what I do I cannot get the dye to stop coming off my edges. Here is a description of my last attempt.

Well, I got some empty "Copic Sketch Markers", they are perfect for doing edges. They are made for comic book artist to ink drawings with alcohol based inks and come with a chiseled tip and point tip that is soft almost like a paint brush.

My lines are now perfectly straight, angling the chiseled tip at the correct angle to the leather and a steady hand makes for a nice clean edge. Now I am still back to my original problem, I have still having dye rub off!

I am able to get a clean edge before or after burnishing with the copic markers so I have tried both ways. So my last two belts I dyed the edges black using the marker then ran an old white t shirt over the edges and got any excess dry dye off.

I then used Fiebings glycerine soap to slick the edges then hand burnished with duck cloth and fiebings white saddle soap.

I then coated the edges with paraffin wax and used my grinder style buffer to shine the edges. The buffer gets the belt hot enough to give the wax a good shine. I would stop there if I could but black will still come off on a soft cloth.

So I had a can of Clearlac, neatlac, whatever the stuff is called and I filled one of my copic markers with it, perfect even coats, great. Well I did a couple of coats and let it dry, got a white T shirt ran it across and I got black marks!

I just tried two more belts and I am going to let them dry overnight this time, well at least until later in the morning. One got 3 light layers with a copic marker, the other got a few layers with an artists brush. Maybe giving an overnight dry time will give me the protection I am looking for. I am probably the only loon who got out of bed at 1 am to go test some new methods to get my edges right. They look really nice, I just can't have black dye coming off if I ever hope to start selling. These are for Christmas gifts, and I have a few people who want to buy but I have to get the edges beyond pretty , they need to be pretty and durable.

I don't really want to coat the entire belts in Clearlac, I really like the look I am getting with a light coat of neatsfoot oil then a coating of Renaissance wax, I put my finishes on before I sew or edge the belt, the stitching gets beat up and gunked up if I finish after stitching and edging.

Thanks for any insight you may have.

Those belts I let dry overnight did not work, still got black marks on my white cloth!!!

I really need to stop the black from coming off.

Why would you use a soap to edge the belt?? Stop wiping the dye off with a white cloth. You need some of Fiebing's Resolene this will seal the edges if you don't want to use Resolene then use gum tragacanth and a slicker stick. Good luck.

Edited December 17, 2011 by busted

[randypants]

Why would you use a soap to edge the belt??

Cause it works and makes your edges look top notch.

OP, i usually dye my edges after sanding them but before starting with the glycerin. looks great every time.

[Kcinnick]

So,

I re-edged the belts, got them down to bare leather. Burnished with wood and water. Dyed the edges. Let them sit for two days. I put several light coats of clear lac let it sit a day. And bam today, tested it out and it just rubs off. I swear I am never dying and edge again!!! They will just stay two different colors, I don't know what else to do.

[TwinOaks]

This is what i do for my edges....

*DYE THE EDGES BLACK FIRST*..

THEN FINISH THE EDGES

this ^

[Phatdaddy]

Cause it works and makes your edges look top notch.

OP, i usually dye my edges after sanding them but before starting with the glycerin. looks great every time.

This is what i do for my edges....

*DYE THE EDGES BLACK FIRST*..

THEN FINISH THE EDGES

I use a combination of these suggestions.

- Use preferred edge beveler if desired.

- Sand edges as needed (dust off any leather dust)

- Dye edge

- Finish edge with preferred method

Kevin