Paste wax removal? Need to touch up...

[happycat]

I just finished my first belt. I did a celtic knotwork design and painted the knotwork green (green dye) and the rest medium brown (brown dye). I went to extraordinary lengths to make sure that there were no light spots where the undyed leather showed through. Hours with a little paint brush....several coats...

Then I threw a coat of Johnson paste wax on it becasue thats all I had (and apparently becasue I'm an idiot). I really should have waited. Now it looks like crap. The brown around the edges of the knotwork where I beveled it and in a lot of the textured areas inside the knotwork has lithtened up to where it looks like I missed it with the dye.

So, my question: Can I get rid of the paste wax and touch up those areas? If so, how and with what?

Any advice would be appreciated. I was so happy with my work and how it turned out, until I did this to it.

Thanks,

Ed

[CitizenKate]

I was once able to remove a wax finish and the underlying antique with deglazer. This allowed me to touch up the dye job, and re-apply the antique and finish. Remember, always test, first.

Hope this helps...

Kate

[happycat]

Hi, I just did my first belt with a celtic knotwork pattern. I very carefully painted the knotwork green and the rest brown (suing fiebings leather dye). Afterwards, I was in a hurry and wanted to wear it. I put johnson's paste wax on it and it seems to have done something to the dye as it now has all sorts of places that look like it was never dyed. I had just spent an hour with a fine brush going over and over it to make sure it was all even and I had total coverage with no undyed leather peeking through.....So, on to my question...

Is there something I can do to get rid of this wax so I can go back and touch up all the parts that now look like crap? If this looka a little familure its because I posted in the how to forum before I realized there was one devoted to finishes.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

[happycat]

Thanks Kate. I'm not crazy about having to order something special, but if alcohol or acetone won't do it, I'll be ordering me some deglazer.

Thanks for the advice,

Ed

[CitizenKate]

Well, the smell of deglazer reminds me an awful lot like rubbing alcohol, so maybe that's all it will take.

Kate

[barra]

Try Gum/spirit of/oil of Turpentine

A sticky oleoresin which exudes from Pinus spp. trees.

t. oil — commercial extract from turpentine used as a solvent for waxes and varnishes.

Please be aware that this is not the usual 'mineral' turpentine commonly used to clean paint brushes but gum turpentine is still common in most hardware stores.

Barra

[ChuckBurrows]

1) The light areas may be just nothing more than residual wax that's dried - try using a using a stiff bristle brush to clean it out of the grooves before using any chemicals...a scrub brush or finger nail brush from the local store will do fine

2) Deglazer per the MSDS is a mix of acetic acid and alcohol - denatured alcohol will work just fine as will rubbing alcohol about 95% of the time and is less noxious........

[happycat]

Thanks everyone! Chuck, that bit of advice just made my day. I just took an electric toothbrush to it and WahLa, my dark brown is back! I may still have to get in there with alcohol in some of the nooks and crannies, but the tooth brush seems to be doing pretty good so far.

Anybody have suggestions on what I should put on a belt to finish it?

By the way, I am familure with Chuck's work from Bladeforums. Beautiful frontier stuff. Chuck not only are those sheaths inspirational, but the knives rock as well. Keep up the great work!

Ed

[TwinOaks]

Glad to read that the color loss seems to be from build up. Before you get break out the chemicals, have you tried a hairdryer?

If not, try it out. You might just be able to melt away your problems.