1St Time Dying & In Need Of Advice For Finish

[hunteil]

Hello, I just pulled out my old kit of Pro Dye. I don't know much about dying and only read the bottles for how to use. It said to have a clean surface and apply with douber, cotton swobs or sponge. Then rub down again with a clean clothe to remove dried dye. So I adorned the plastic gloves and took a whack at it with a sponge paint brush. The stuff streaked all over the project and dried up each time ofter only covering 5-8 inches (which happens to be 1 brush stroke). ... you can guess the outcome of doing this. It got really dark and looked pretty bad and I had no control on it. I looked up a ton of sites of how to's and found that you supposed to dampen the leather first... 1st question: Is this true with all dyes? is it supposed to be damp first with all types of dyes in general? (I don't know what my dye is... it don't say but it does say it has alchol in it.)

Many places listed a few dyes...but from what I gathered. Theres spirit dyes, oil based dyes, alchol dyes and water based dyes... 2nd Question: Is this true? Is that all of the types or are they not explaining everything or are they mixing things up?

So the next day my project was as hard as a rock. So I took water and used a sponge and soaked it to spread out the dyes... it worked a good bit and evened out the blotches. I then took it and flexed it a bunch to help the fibers... after a few hours of flexing it and letting it dry; it felt somewhat better. So I took out saddle soap and drinched it with a sponge and vigrously rubbed it in. Saddle soap is to help restore the leathers natural properties... So I figured it couldn't hurt as this point. After applying it 2 times. It's now 80% better! I kept it moving as well for hours while it dried. So I hope that part helps out others as well if they find them selves stuck like I did.

Here's my last question... I have few options for finishes and I'm confused on what to do. 1st... the saddle soap helped alot... do I even bother with adding a finishing protective coat? I'm not sure if it is considered a finish or not...? 2nd: I have the following finishes available and they all seem to be just as good as the other and I have no clue what to use and if 1 of them would screw it up again or whatever. and can I use more than one of them?

Here is the list of what I have.

-Fiebing's Leather Balm with atom wax (neutral)

(The side says: ... is specially formulated for cleaning, softening, polishing and restoring smooth leather, shoes, handbags, boots and sporting goods. Buffs to a rich, satiny gloss. Do not use on fibrous or suede finish leathers. Protect from freezing.)

-Carnauba Creame Leather Finish #22012-01 by LF tandy

(The side says: Natural Carnuba Creme - Recommended for fast, easy application on all leather goods. Tandy's carnauba Creme providess a natural wax finish that resist finger prints and scuff marks.)

-Snow-proof Weatherproofing - Orginal formula

(Helps prevent mildew, dry rot, salt stains, and scuff marks.

-Fiebings's Saddle Soap - Clean and Polish in one easy Step. This is not a liquid version

(Bottom says: Cleans thoroughly while restoring the natural preservative leather oils. ... Cleans leather and lubricates the fibres to prevent brittleness... Maintaining suppleness and strength.

[NVLeatherWorx]

First, your Pro-Dye is probably old so the effects expected from these dyes has been lost a bit due to some natural dehydration of the alcohol base and the pigments starting to harden. This is a natural effect, unfortunately.

Moistening the leather before applying dyes, stains and antique finishes helps to ensure a more even penetration and application. This applies to all types of products, regardless of what their base element is. Just make sure the leather is damp, not wet. You should barely be able to notice that it is wet.

Regarding the finish, if these are all you have available and on-hand then the best one to use at this point would be Carnauba Creme. I would suggest that you make sure that you have removed all residue from the saddle soap as it does tend to leave a film, just like regular soap does when it hasn't been rinsed off properly. This is providing that the item being finished will not be exposed to outdoor elements constantly and is not of a heavy-duty use, such as horse tack or such items. If it is a heavy-duty use item or will be exposed to outdoor elements on a constant basis you might want to get yourself some Neats Foot Oil or similar type of oil. You can also use Extra-Virgin Olive Oil as a conditioner. Always let oiled items hang dry until the oil has absorbed into the fibers.

Hope this helps to get you started.

Richard