Tandy Gel Antique

[IngleGunLeather]

So, I've had a bottle of this stuff sitting on the shelf for at least a year now. I guess I bought it for a project that never got completed. So anyway, I decided to give it a shot on a scrap piece that I had tried some new stamps on. Wow! What a difference it makes on the stamp impressions. By the way, my last cowboy rig was my first stamping and I died it black. So, stamping and antiquing is a pretty new application for me. All of my previous holsters have been dyed solid color with no stamping. But now I am diving head first into cowboy rigs.

Now my question is....How long should this stuff dry for before I buff and apply some carnuba cream on it?

[electrathon]

I tried gell a couple times, always hated it. But with paste it is ready to go as soon as you finish wiping it.

Aaron

[IngleGunLeather]

I tried gell a couple times, always hated it. But with paste it is ready to go as soon as you finish wiping it.

Aaron

not seeing a paste on tandy's site. can you be more specific with brand? and what didn't you like about the gel?

[electrathon]

Fiebings paste. Tandy does not carry it, not sure why.

The gell is all runny, the paste is more like shoe polish. Just seems more controlable to me.

[Chief31794]

So, I've had a bottle of this stuff sitting on the shelf for at least a year now. I guess I bought it for a project that never got completed. So anyway, I decided to give it a shot on a scrap piece that I had tried some new stamps on. Wow! What a difference it makes on the stamp impressions. By the way, my last cowboy rig was my first stamping and I died it black. So, stamping and antiquing is a pretty new application for me. All of my previous holsters have been dyed solid color with no stamping. But now I am diving head first into cowboy rigs.

Now my question is....How long should this stuff dry for before I buff and apply some carnuba cream on it?

I use the Gel a lot, I have the paste as well but I use that more for real antiquing (when you use a resist like Clear Lac and then apply the paste), that works with the Gel as well but not as well as the paste. I use the gel to achieve coloring and antiquing (highlighting), for that it does a great job. I let it dry at least 3-4 hours, better if over night, you want to make sure all the gel has dried down in all the depressions. One note, you want to wipe it vigorously with a soft cloth immediately to remove most of the antiquing agent from the smooth surfaces of the leather, depending on the look I'm after, I will wipe it with a damp cloth being careful not to get it so wet that it removes the antique from the depressions. If the depressions get "cleaned" you can always resist the whole piece with clear lac and then apply the paste to darken the depressions or reuse the same gel after the resist and it will only darken the depressions after you wipe it.

Chief

Edited November 27, 2012 by Chief31794

[Bluesman]

Never cared for the gel. You can get the paste from Springfield Leather. I was told Tandy did't carry it because of VOC content and it being outlawed in California.

[IngleGunLeather]

Never cared for the gel. You can get the paste from Springfield Leather. I was told Tandy did't carry it because of VOC content and it being outlawed in California.

That being the case, I won't be able to order it either. I'm in Cali, for now, and they won't ship a lot of the Fiebing's products to me because of the VOC.

Fiebings paste. Tandy does not carry it, not sure why.

The gell is all runny, the paste is more like shoe polish. Just seems more controlable to me.

Thanks. That makes perfect sense. I'm in the military so I know shoe polish. Or at least used to before they gave us the crappy suede boots.

Edited November 27, 2012 by CountryTrash

[Bluesman]

Call Springfield and ask them if they can ship to Cali, I could be wrong. So a phone call clears it up and you may luck out.

[IngleGunLeather]

I guess I should have posted this photo in the beginning. But, the photo below is the look I'm trying to achieve. To have an over all color and the stamping to be darkened. I'm only assuming an antique did this. Will the gel work for something like this?

This photo is from Brigade Gun Leather.

[Chief31794]

That looks to have been done traditionally. Dye a base color let dry 8 hours or more, Buff lightly, coat with Clear Lac (replaced Neat Lac) let dry for at least 8 hours, over night on both the dye and the neat lac if you have the time, then apply the fiebings paste (preferred) or the gel (if that's what you want or have to use) and work it in, wipe off any excess and let dry. Then buff well, apply the finish of your choice, i usually use clear lac, very light coats and buffing in between. I could be wrong, about how this was done, that's happened before. The dying could have been dipped or airbrushed, I suspect dip dyed. Again, I've been wrong before.

Chief

Edited November 27, 2012 by Chief31794