Pre Dye Prep?

[hectron]

Hi all, so ive been just getting my veggie tanned leather from tandy and just apply dye. i notice sometimes that the dye doesnt soak in well or that even after a few days, the dye just comes right off. Im using eco flow dye and prefer to stick with it since the fiebings dye is very extreme, even when i apply it lightly. so what im asking is:

1)is there some sort of prep im supposed to do before just jumping in and applying dye?

2)also, is there a way to make the fiebings dye no so extreme? even when i've used it very very lightly (even on a light color) it seems to just be way darker than it should be.

3) is alot of dye supposed to come off when using a leather sealant like lets say fiebing's acrylic resolene ? i notice some comes off so i tend to apply it very lightly and not rub it in too much until the 2nd coat.

thanks in advanced !

[Chief31794]

I usually use deglazer just before I dye, but before that I may also clean the leather with Oxalyic (Sp?) Acid to remove smudges from hand oils etc.

As to your question about making Fiebings not so extreme, you can cut it with Denatured Alcohol. I have cut light brown by as much as 10:1 10 parts alcohol to 1 Part Dye, but normally no more than 5:1, I keep small sealable jars for mixing the dye and mark them with the concentration and dye color. You might try that and test on scrap for results.

Fiebings dye should be allowed to dye for several hours up to 24 if possible before applying resolene, super sheen, tan kote, etc. That's just my opinion, spirit dyes seem to go on very strong and then balance out and lighten after several hours. If you seal before they are totally dry you will get unpredictable results and yes you might get lots of dye coming off.

This is just what I do, there are lots of folks out here with a lot more expertise than I on dyeing and finishing. The main thing is don't rush anything to do with the dying and finishing of your projects.

Ken