NYS Guy Report post Posted December 20, 2011 (edited) Hi all, This is my first post. I'm a knifemaker and gun collector, which I think is a path that leads inevitably to leatherworking This forum is an amazing wealth of information. I wish I came across this website about 5-6 years ago when I first started messing around with leather, as that would've saved on some mistakes! Anyway, the reason for my post. I'm making several IWB holsters as Christmas gifts, based on a holster that I made years ago. Now, my own holster I never bothered dying, because 1) I didn't know better at the time, and 2) I'm not bothered by the aesthetic of the thing as long as it functions the way it's supposed to. But gifts have too look nice! So I chose to dye the pieces... like many novices, I went to Tandy Leather. Like many novices, I was persuaded to use the Eco-Flo dyes rather than Fiebings (which seem to have a better reputation, especially for this kind of work). Now, I'm satisfied with the job that Eco-Flo has done coloring, but I'm worried about dye rubbing off on clothes and body parts (these will be IWB holsters). So after googling and finding this forum with all the wonderful information it has, I figured I should use resolene over the dye. Now the reason I'm posting is because no post that I came across talked about this specifically (I went through a lot, but I might have missed something) and I really want to nail the procedure down. I don't really want to screw anything up. So: 1) I would need to buff the pieces to remove excess dye. i've done that. Some dye still comes off. Should I keep buffing until nothing comes off or is that normal until I apply the top coat? 2) I was thinking about dipping into resolene. I need to coat inside and out, and I think I read somewhere on here that applying resolene (which is water-based) over Eco-Flo should not be done with a brush or dauber because the mechanical disturbance will cause the dye to run more... I'm not worried about the outside of the holster, but I'm worried that if I get into the inside of the holster, I'll smear the dye all over the place (though I'm not really sure why I'm worried about that, it's not like anyone will be looking at the inside of the holster much). Or would sponging/daubing the resolene on work just fine? Oh, and I don't have an airbrush. So anyway, in order to dip into resolene, I would dilute it 50/50 with water, dip, pull out, let dry. Does that procedure sound correct? Or would that end in ugly disaster, because Eco-Flo is water-soluble? 3) As an alternative, I was thinking that I could dip the holster into water, let as much of the dye run off as possible, touch up areas that lose color with Fiebings (I've now also purchased Fiebings for future projects), and then do the resolene procedure. Or am I just being paranoid? Sorry for going on and on like this, but I'm really trying to get this right. Thanks in advance for your help! Edited December 20, 2011 by NYS Guy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Suicide Report post Posted December 20, 2011 Hi, I'd rather use an airbrush with 50/50 deluted Resolene. At least for a first coat, to seal dye with no mess. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NYS Guy Report post Posted December 20, 2011 I don't have an airbrush, but I do have a spray bottle. Would that work? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abn Report post Posted December 20, 2011 NYS Guy, I've applied acrylic finishes over Eco Flo dyes for many years, always using a damp sponge and gently rubbing on two or three very light coats. Let each coat dry about 5 minutes, and buff the final coat with a soft cotton rag. Now, I've stayed away from dipping just because a heavy coat of any finish can make the leather look plasticky. But an airbrush (or spray bottle) would work too, since they both apply a limited amount of finish. When working with new products or techniques, I always recommend trying the procedure out on scrap leather first before you do the finished item. That will save you the heartache of putting something in the garbage can over a messed-up finish. Good luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NYS Guy Report post Posted December 21, 2011 I will try using 50/50 resolene/water applied with the spray bottle, and see what happens. One more quick question: should I apply conditioner (like mink oil) to the leather BEFORE sealing with resolene, or AFTER? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abn Report post Posted December 21, 2011 Conditioning should be done before sealing with a top-coat finish. But if you forget, it's no big deal. Oils can penetrate Resolene... It just takes longer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Suicide Report post Posted December 21, 2011 (edited) "Old people"usually say its better to oil leather first. NYS Guy, If your sprayer won't work for 50/50 , just delute resolene more to have it thinner. You need the only first very thin coat to be sprayed on. Next coats you can put with dump sponge with no fear about possible mess - your dye will already partially sealed with the first sprayed layer of deluted Resolene. Edited December 21, 2011 by Suicide Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
