Need Some Help With Getting An Even Color

[renegadelizard]

Hey All,

this is gonna sound stupid, but could someone post a video of applying brown dye?..every time i try, it come out mottled looking....i can get a even coat for the love of all things holy...i usually spray on with an airbrush, and that works, but sometimes production is halted due to my air compressor sounding like a steam engine and the kiddos bed time...but i would really like to get stuff done...time is money and all. black i can do okay, anything else is a crap shoot....

thanks for all the help

Don

[electrathon]

I dip the leather in the dye, very consistant.

Aaron

[Chavez]

Hi,

Sorry to cut into your thread, but Aaron, do you cut your dye before using it for dip-dyeing? What proportion of spirit to dye do you normally use?

Thanks!

[particle]

Don - I'm with you. I hate applying dye with anything but an airbrush. Check out satansbarber on YouTube - he does most of his stuff brown, by hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTNJSOEwPUs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[electrathon]

Hi,

Sorry to cut into your thread, but Aaron, do you cut your dye before using it for dip-dyeing? What proportion of spirit to dye do you normally use?

Thanks!

I usually dilute it. Depends on the item and the color, but about 50% is what I have been doing lately. Sometimes full strength, sometimes up to 2/3 diluted.

Aaron

[Chavez]

Thank you!

I've been diluting 50-50, but I haven't tried dip-dyeing yet.

[katsass]

From the grump: IF applying dye manually (dauber, rag, sheep's wool, etc) The best I have been able to get was with those cheap foam brushes. Dilute the dye (Fiebings dark brown is DARK!) at least 25% dye to 75% denatured alcohol. Lay the dye on in one direction, keeping the brush wet with dye, follow with a second coat at 90 degrees to that and (usually) a third coat at 45 degrees to that. That (almost always) results in an even finish, depending on how the leather wants to accept the stuff.. Mike

Edited August 19, 2012 by katsass

[renegadelizard]

Don - I'm with you. I hate applying dye with anything but an airbrush. Check out satansbarber on YouTube - he does most of his stuff brown, by hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTNJSOEwPUs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Too funny...after I posted this I found this video..very informative,..i just wish he was doing bigger pieces...have you tried Block dyeing?...i wonder if that will work

[renegadelizard]

From the grump: IF applying dye manually (dauber, rag, sheep's wool, etc) The best I have been able to get was with those cheap foam brushes. Dilute the dye (Fiebings dark brown is DARK!) at least 25% dye to 75% denatured alcohol. Lay the dye on in one direction, keeping the brush wet with dye, follow with a second coat at 90 degrees to that and (usually) a third coat at 45 degrees to that. That (almost always) results in an even finish, depending on how the leather wants to accept the stuff.. Mike

Hey Mike, have you ever tried using sponges?...someone here made a refernce to using small kitchen sponges and applying in small circles...i tried the foam brush, and it worked okay on smaller pieces, but still streaked where my brush overlapped...i think the dye might be suspect as well..one of the batches i cut with mineral spirits instead of denatured alcohol...

[katsass]

Hey Mike, have you ever tried using sponges?...someone here made a refernce to using small kitchen sponges and applying in small circles...i tried the foam brush, and it worked okay on smaller pieces, but still streaked where my brush overlapped...i think the dye might be suspect as well..one of the batches i cut with mineral spirits instead of denatured alcohol...

Well, mineral spirits is oily, and IMO does some strange stuff to leather. I only use sponges to dampen my edges for burnishing - and I use my hands almost as much

With the little foam brushes, the trick is to work fast and keep the brush loaded with dye. Don't apply dye with a half dry brush. Mike

P.S. Should go without saying, allow to dry - at least 24 hours, then buff the snot out of it and apply oil.

Edited August 20, 2012 by katsass

[renegadelizard]

Well, mineral spirits is oily, and IMO does some strange stuff to leather. I only use sponges to dampen my edges for burnishing - and I use my hands almost as much

With the little foam brushes, the trick is to work fast and keep the brush loaded with dye. Don't apply dye with a half dry brush. Mike

P.S. Should go without saying, allow to dry - at least 24 hours, then buff the snot out of it and apply oil.

Thanks Mike..ill try that method...dip dyeing just seems so wasteful to me...you cut your dye 5 parts denatured alcohol to one part dye, right?

[katsass]

Thanks Mike..ill try that method...dip dyeing just seems so wasteful to me...you cut your dye 5 parts denatured alcohol to one part dye, right?

Yes, but that's just where in start - sometimes, to get a lighter shade, I'll even go as far as 1 part dye to 10 parts denatured alcohol. I do a bunch of dabbing on scrap to test.. Mike