How To Achieve This Dyeing Technique?

[veedub3]

During the holidays my business is pretty slow and will not pick up until after the new year so I thought this would be a great time to start my first project. I am interested in this color technique and wanted to know if this is achieved with an airbrush or can it be achieved by hand? The dye I am working with is mahogany pro oil dye and I want the inside lighter than the edges. Would I simply add more coats to the outer edges or go with a darker color on the outer edge all together? Would the pro oil dye be the right dye for what I am trying to do?

Thanks in advance your your help,

Karina

[veedub3]

I attached the image in my initial post but it is not showing up. I will search to see how to add the image then post it here again. Sorry not the easiest forum to figure out.

[veedub3]

OK got it, here is the image I was referring to.

Thanks,

Karina

[JLSleather]

There are probably hundreds of ways to get that effect. But, from the photos, and a rough guess, I'd say that was done with at least two colors (and possibly a third) and applied with a sponge.

[veedub3]

Thanks for the reply, I am not looking for the exact effect in the picture, my question is about the technique to achieve this look. I am making a bag and the dye I am using is mahogany. I want the outer edges of the bag darker than the center of the bag, my question is do I simply add more coats of mahogany to the edges or should it be a different color all together for example black. Also I am using Fiebings pro oil dye, is this the right die to achieve this look?

Thanks,

Karina

[Chief31794]

You can achieve that look with feibings oil dyes, I would use an air gun or a sprayer system of some type, I would thin the dyes to different shades, for example if I cut the main color by diluting it 10:1 (10 parts denatured alcohol to 1 part dye), then I would probably try cutting the edge color by about 5:1 making it darker. I would spray the entire project with the 10:1, let it dry and then spray the edges with the 5:1 or whatever area I wanted darker. I would test the colors and the technique on scrap before I put the dye to the actual project. Can be done with a sponge as well, just not quite as much control.

Hope that helps, I'm sure others will have alternative solutions,

Chief

[veedub3]

Thank you very much Chief for the information, exactly what I was looking for. I guess I will pickup an airbrush kit at harbor freight tomorrow and test out on scrap leather as suggested.

Thanks again,

Karina

[GlenH]

Go to Springfield Leather's video page (http://springfieldleather.com/content/321/Videos%2525252525253A-Helpful-Hints/) and look for the one called staining leather. He shows you how he gets that look.

[tnawrot2]

I used to use this technique years ago when I made a lot of geometric design belts, it is called dry block dyeing. Take a 6" piece of 2x2, wrap an old cotton t-shirt around it, staple it to the wood. Put some dye in a pan, lightly put some dye on the block, rub the block on some cardboard to get most of the dye off, you might want to tilt the block so you take more off one side than another. Try the block on some cardboard to see the pattern, once you have it like you want, use it on the leather. You want to keep the dryer end of the block in the direction you want less dye, and go in linear strokes.

[JJs Leatherworks]

Not sure the vintage of the picture, but this really looks like a sample of the 'nature tanned' leather that was very popular for all types of projects in the 70's. The leather came in the gold/light brown color that is in the middle of the project, and you could die the edges with any oil dye color to highlight. Using either a sponge or block, starting from the edges and as the applicator dried, moving towards the middle, provided the shading like is shown in the picture. On items that were tooled/stamped, when the dye was applied with this method, all of the depressed areas stayed the natural leather color. Often wish this type of leather was still available.

Anyone else remember working with this type of leather? Anyone else remember the 70's?

[IngleGunLeather]

Go to Springfield Leather's video page (http://springfieldle...-Helpful-Hints/) and look for the one called staining leather. He shows you how he gets that look.

Checked out the vid. Not bad. What is the "X1" liquid he talks about? Didn't see it listed on the site.

[JLSleather]

CT --

The X-1 is a 'medium" brown leather stain, used to be put out by Drake's. Strange that they would use it in a video, but I don't see it listed on their site for sale??

[GlenH]

They call it Goof Proof on their site. It's at the bottom of their stains page: http://springfieldleather.com/category//123/Stains/

[billymac814]

I do a finish similar to that, I first dye the piece with Fiebings pro oil saddle tan, I either dip it or brush that on then use the pro mahogany and airbrush the edges, you can control the amount of color pretty easy that way and gradually go from dark to light. The dry blocking or dry /brushing method works well too but be advised that takes much more skill and practice than an airbrush, I've messed around with it a few times and was successful but it took me a lot longer with not too much benefit over the airbrush so I don't nether too much anymore. I use a two stage airbrush for that, I have much more control with that than I do with a single stage although it can easily be done with one of those as well. I use harbor freight versions and its held up well and I really don't take good care of it. I use the single stage to apply finish sometimes and that you have to clean out better than the dyes or it'll gum up.

After looking at it again that looks a bit more Brown than mahogany, mine turn out a little different shade wise but about the same effect. I usually go with a little more subtle transition but you can do it however you'd like with the airbrush or other methods.

[veedub3]

Thank you all for sharing and I have tried quite a few different techniques except the airbrushing technique and my skills suck big time. Everything I did looked like caca! (LOL) Too ashamed to even post the pics (ha,ha,ha,) I did pick up an airbrush kit but I was hesitant to use it in my shop around the other shop equipment. I am thinking I may need to build a booth of some sort to contain it, or go outside which I am not too keen on.(It's cold out) I did learn one thing though.....wear a mask!! I breathed so much contact cement and dye while tinkering yesterday I still have a slight headache. That won't happen again.

I checked out the Springfield video mentioned above and I have some of that goof proof on the way as well as some leather because I am almost convinced this leather I got from Tandy is part of the problem. I am super new to leather working but I am sure leather is not supposed to be this rough and discolored. It feels like if I bend it too much it will snap in two.

Again thank you all for your help and I hope to post a pic of the project soon (X'd fingers)

Karina

[billymac814]

Karina,

The airbrush method is MUCH easier than the other ways. A spray booth will help greatly with the fumes. There's another thread recently where we discussed this, i got lucky and found a spray booth at an auction for i think 5 bucks and someone else told how they made one for about 10 bucks. Maybe someone can post a link, I'm on my phone and can't easily do it.

Actually I can do it easily.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=44481&view=getnewpost

Edited December 29, 2012 by billymac814

[veedub3]

Thanks BillyMac. I found a spray booth on Ebay for $30 that has a fan & vent hose that vents to the outside so once it arrives I will give it a try. I have been watching tons of videos on airbrushing and I am thinking it will be much easier to achieve the look I am after as well.

Thanks again,

Karina

[TapTapTap]

Hi Veedub3, you have indeed stumbled across a technique that was very popular in the 60's and 70's. Tandy called it the "Nature Tanned" dyeing technique. They published a couple of books on the subject - "Ideas for Leather Belts you can make" 1973 and "Ideas for Leather Projects" 1974. These two books may be available from TLF where they are reprinting the old books and doodle pages. There were various techniques to get the "two-tone" effect such as spraying, using wool daubers or the lint free cloth wrapped around a wood block. The method I used at the time (1962) was to complete all stamping, clean up with oxalic acid, when dry apply background colour with block of wood wrapped in cloth and dipped in the dye (in the flower-power days either yellow or green). When dry, the top coat was applied with cloth wrapped around the block. More coats on the edges and faded into the centre. If you wanted a multi-coloured pattern you used Cova Dyes with a fine brush to highlight certain areas. This was a trip down memory lane - hope it helped in some way.

regards, TapTapTap

[johnatl]

Karina, if you do go to Harbor Frieght, be sure to get the "two stage" air brush. The single stage is not what will give you the effect you want. The two stage will allow you to "feather" in the edges and vary the spray amount. I just tried this recently and after a few practice pieces. its fun actually.. OH be sure you have some kind of ventalation. the fumes of the oil dye get heavy. (cough cough... )

[JLSleather]

This is the 'sunburst' effect made popular by Gibson guitars - about 60-65 years ago. Quite easy to do, which is no doubt why it's been done to no end.

[veedub3]

@TapTapTap, thanks for that info, I downloaded the ebooks of those two books you gave and will read through them today.

@johnatl..To start I got a the regular airbrush kit. Not the deluxe one but the one under that one. If I get the hang of this then I will give this one to my son to use on his model planes and trains, and I will step up to a dual action gravity fed one. As for using a mask, I learned the hard way, I tested a few of the techniques given in this thread and I breathed in so much dye and glue fumes I had a headache all the following day and much into the night. My shop is 2100 square feet and I had the roof vents going so I surely thought I had enough ventilation but I pulled out my respirator and change out the cartridges and I am ready now.

@JL Sleather I am hearing over and over how easy it is to do and for a person that has been doing this for a long time I am sure it is but for a complete newbie to leatherworking...not so much. My spray booth is scheduled to be here on the 5th so I will do some playing around on the weekend and post pictures of the results and hopefully I too will be saying how easy it is to do.

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge,

Karina

[JLSleather]

Oh, perhaps my last post wasn't helpful. My intent was to help you weed through some of the weeds that sometimes grow up around a thread Often enough, it's meant well but stated badly. That said, here's a couple clear thoughts...

I will say this much about this "effect" and various airbrushes. If you can turn a screw and push a button, you can do this look. First time. I don't konw how old your son is, but I'd wager I can have him painting this 'effect' in less than a minute. Kids learn fast, mostly becuase they haven't been too long hearing some "pro" lying to them about how hard it is.

My recommendation for an airbrush you're welcome to, but not included here. FOr now it's enough to say that a single-action, siphon feed airbrush will do this quite well. In fact, the first time I was actualy there and saw this done was in 1984 with a guy using a Paasche Model H airbrush. He did this to everything. It seemed after a while that was all he knew how to do with it (tho that may not be the case).

This gun is still made, and you can get them - the entire set with hose, etc - for $50. This is not the gun I use, but I have seen some amazing art done with one of them. Interesting, that brush comes with a little booklet of lessons. The 'effect' here is like lesson #2 (the fist one is spraying a dot).

So, here's what I do recommend. Do not 'take someones word for it", including mine. Maybe someone on here is from down yer way adn can show you this "technique" . Meanwhile, you could see a video of this kid painting a guitar with this "effect"

...

[glennaycock]

The HF deluxe airbrush kit is pretty nice. I did a review of it a couple years back: http://glennaycockwoodworking.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-harbor-freight-deluxe-airbrush.html

You can pick it up on sale for anywhere between $10-20 pretty frequently.