How To I Properly Apply Finish To My Leather Projects?

[nicholas482109]

I've been doing leatherwork as a hobby for about 2 months now with varying success. I've done mainly belts from belt blanks from Tandy, since there is one near me. Most of what I've done is dyes and finishes. I've had some trouble getting the finishing to look the way I want but I've had good results finishing with acrylic resolene (50% water, 50% AR) in 3 or 4 thin coats. Do you guys have any other sugestions for finishing something liked a belt, made of veg-tanned leather, or other items that generally won't need recoditioning?

I'm moving into making some items for outdoor use, starting with a rifle sling. I've done some reading on here that neatsfoot oil is a good product for outdoor items. I'm unsure how to use it, do oil the peice once I dyed it (I am aware this darken the material) then allow it to dry? Does this still require a finish to make sure the dye doesn't run? Or do I use a non-water based dye after oiling the item? I personally prefer spirit based dyes.

Also, can you give me some info on how Atom Wax and Harness Dressing work? Those are two products I've read about but have never used. I saw them in the belt making tutorial on here and noticed he neatsfoot oiled the belt, applied harness dressing once it was dry, used hi-liter stain then applied Atom Wax. I don't understand that process, just looking for a little explanation.

Thanks!

[Andalusiangirl]

I would also be interested in the reply to this!

[Andalusiangirl]

Particularly interested in finishes to ensure the dye does not run before I attempt my first piece

[humperdingle]

Particularly interested in finishes to ensure the dye does not run before I attempt my first piece

Me too... I've dyed 3 pieces now - Two 'possibles' pouches and a rifle bolt holder - All of which will be worn next to clothing, so i really need to make sure the dye won't run (I used Fiebings spirit-based dyes on all of them, and Fiebings Tan-Kote over the top of that... Just wondering if the Tan-Kote shout stop the dye rubbing off?

[billymac814]

The one thing you'll soon realize pretty quickly is that nearly everyone here has their own concoction for finishing their items. You'll also find that different leathers take the dye and finish differently so you may have to modify your process to work with whatever leather you use.

My method for my belts and holsters is to first dye them with Fiebings Pro oil dye. (If youre still using regular spirit dyes you should really try the pro Oil)When dry I oil with a light coating of neatsfoot oil then finish with a coat of resolene/water. I do one coat.

If I'm doing a motorcycle seat Ill normally do the same process but when I apply the 50/50 mixture Ill normally spray it on lightly, then apply my antique then spray another light coat of finish and then follow up with some type of water proofing mixture like Aussie leather conditioner or Montana pitch blend. I've done these with or without the resolene but the antique wears off faster without it, the dressing type waterproofer does little for the antique.

On occasion Ill use the leather balm with Atom wax but I've found it not to be quite as permanent as the resolene and it usually will need reapplied at some point, I think that its more of a conditioner/polish type product than a "finish" but it can be used as a type of finish considering it'll offer some layer of protection and adds a shine.

I use Wickett and Craig leather and those steps work well with it. I've use other brands of leather before and some feel more porous and take the dye and finish differently sometimes with mixed results and often times ill have to follow up with another coat of resolene.

Just experiment a bit and find a method that works for you and the items you're making. There's more right ways of doing it than wrong ways.

[Andalusiangirl]

Thank you!

[nicholas482109]

Thanks billymac, that was kind of what I was planning on doing once I get back into making some pieces. I'm finishing making a stitching horse since i'm tired of belt blanks. The back of Al Stohlman's "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather" nhas prints on how to make it and it is fairly easy to follow.

[humperdingle]

Well, I was experimenting with Fiebings spirit dye today on a scrap bit of leather...

I tried the mid brown dye, let it dry and then coated half with Fiebings 'tan kote' and the other half just with olive oil (somebody had suggested that on another thread)

The tan-kote gave the same, slightly patchy sheen/gloss finish I'd used on a couple of previous projects, and I wasn't particularly happy with those. Managed to get a finish back on them, but only after some work with a wet sponge to even it out.

The olive oil... Wow! I really love the matt finish it leaves. It does soak in to the leather readily, but 3 or 4 light coats, and it looks nice. So I made a rifle bolt holder and used the same procedure... I think it came out alright. Not sure about how things will pan out long term, but if it gets worn, another coat or two of the oil will freshen it up.

Seems to be colourfast, too, at least with a dry wipe.

[SmokeCigars]

Test the atom wax with a stained piece of scrap first. If you apply it with a cloth, sponge, brush, or anything you rub the surface with, it will remove some finish.

I've heard atom wax works really good with an airbrush applied in thin coats, but I don't have an airbrush.

[Cyberthrasher]

Just remember that Tan-Kote is a finish and Olive Oil (or any oil) is a conditioner. The oil won't protect your dye at all, it will only feed the leather.

Did you try thinning the Tan-Kote? Most finish products will require thinning in order to apply them evenly, which will also reduce the amount of sheen on them.

[billymac814]

I never heard of anyone air brushing leather balm with atom wax. I think it should be rubbed into the leather and then polished once dry.

I never like tan Kote as a finish personally. I also don't think it can be thinned. I would try either Bag Kote, it can be thinned with water or resolene, I get better results with either of these when mixed with water.

[Andalusiangirl]

Just remember that Tan-Kote is a finish and Olive Oil (or any oil) is a conditioner. The oil won't protect your dye at all, it will only feed the leather.

Did you try thinning the Tan-Kote? Most finish products will require thinning in order to apply them evenly, which will also reduce the amount of sheen on them.

Sorry for hijacking thread but to clarify-

the 'finishing' products available are tan-kote, resolene, harness dressing, atom wax, neatsfoor oil? and all prevent dye from running?

[Cyberthrasher]

I would say the finishing products available are any of the "Sheen" products (super sheen, wyosheen), Resolene, Clearlac/neatlac/saddlelac (all lacquer based), Tan-Kote, Bag-Kote, and some others from Bee Natural - but I don't want to quote specifics on that one since I'm not entirely sure of their intended uses for the different products. I'm sure I'm missing a few, but that's a good list.

I don't know about harness dressing or atom wax for sure, but I KNOW that neatsfoot oil is a conditioner, hence the reason I added "or any oil" to the quoted post. In fact, the Lexol bottle of neatsfoot says "leather conditioner" on it. Oil feeds the leather with the nutrients it needs by soaking into it. Anything that soaks into the leather is not a finish and will not protect the dye. I believe atom wax is more of a top coat that could be considered a "temporary" finish because any wax solution will eventually wear off and need to be re-applied. I imagine the same is true for harness dressing. I use Montana Pitch Blend for a leather dressing. When I first started I thought it would work as a "finish", but soon realized that it doesn't really protect the dye long-term. It does give a waxy coating while conditioning the leather, but it will eventually wear off, leaving the dye exposed to be rubbed off or degraded by the elements.

I've never used Tan-Kote myself, so I'll defer to someone like Billy who's used it before. I thought I had read somewhere that it could be thinned just like Resolene, but I may have been thinking of Bag-Kote. The "Kote" in them makes me mix them up all the time

Edited February 5, 2013 by Cyberthrasher

[billymac814]

As per a previous discussion here we seemed to conclude that Tan Kote is resin based and bag Kote is water based and on the bottle is says not to mix anything with Tan Kote, I don't know what would happen if it was mixed with water, I thought I did mix it at one point but I may not have. I only tried it a few times as a finish and never liked it, I just use it to thin antique.

I would agree with everything in the previous post. I know some use Atom wax as a finish but its more of a polish/conditioner. Is says on the bottle that it cleans,softens, polishes and restores smooth leather.

I myself used to use it as well as the MPB and Aussie Leather conditioner as more of a finish and had the same results, it just doesn't last. You may get away with it for certain items but it'll require repeated applications and if its an antiqued item it won't do much to waterproof the antique.

Angelus has a line of acrylic finishes like resolene but they have varying degrees of sheen, 605 is a satin finish if you don't want a super glossy look. I find with the resolene mixed with water its not as shiny unless I get into multiple coats but it does have some shine to it.

I oil most of my items prior to putting the finish on, I use pure neatsfoot. I know some people have good luck with the Olive oil but I personally will save that for my salad. I'm not saying it doesn't work and I don't want to get into any debates here I just feel better using the neatsfoot oil.

Some use Mop and Glow too as a finish, I never tried it though so I don't know how it works.

I also never tried any of the "Lacs", I don't think anything I make really calls for that but maybe someday ill try some.

I'm assuming the harness dressing is similar to the MPB or other wax based water proofer/conditioner but I'm not sure exactly what it is.

[Cyberthrasher]

I know some people have good luck with the Olive oil but I personally will save that for my salad. I'm not saying it doesn't work and I don't want to get into any debates here I just feel better using the neatsfoot oil.

I used it before I could afford to place an order at one time, so it is good in a pinch. But, I don't think I'd ever use it on a high-dollar item. The small stuff that's for friends or family would most likely be it - something where I can come back later and do it right. Actually, one of my friends has a wallet from my "conditioner as a finish" days, so whenever he comes over to my house I re-apply for him and say "one of these days we need to put some real finish on this so the dye quits fading".

[billymac814]

I think I used it once to lube my sewing machine shuttle in a pinch.

Have you ever tried putting a finish on an item after its already been loaded down with the wax type stuff? I wonder if it would take it well. I'd probably try to clean it up as best as possible first.

[Cyberthrasher]

by the time he comes over, the wallet is usually pretty dry, so I don't think I would have too much of a problem applying a real finish at that point. He's another IT guy like me, so he spends a LOT of time sitting on it, wearing everything down

[nicholas482109]

Thanks for all the info guys. I think i have enough information to get in the right direction and experiment with some things to see how it works.

[JollyJ]

I believe Billy said it all well. I'll just add that I would go with Neatsfoot - or possibly mink but I've never used it - rather than olive. Some conditions may cause the olive oil to become rancid and I don't think anyone would want that.

[TomG]

I do the following:

Case

Stamp

Dry

Resist if needed

Dye

Dry

Leather Balm with Atom Wax - apply and buff it dry andglossy.

Antiquing if needed

Dry

Finish

Dry

Mink oil paste to the flesh side.

I get good results with this.

As for finishes - I've used Super Sheen, Resolene ande Saddle Lac

Super Sheen (100%) and Resolene (50/50) give me about the same results. I apply them LIGHTLY with a piece of trimmed wool. If you apply them too heavily, a couple of things happen. You pull the antiquing out of the recesses and smear it onto the leather. Plus, you can get cracking and crazing when you bend the leather. If I have more than 3 or 4 items to do at a time, I might use the airbrush to apply them.... just have to justify the cleanup time. These will all clog an airbrush if not thoroughly purged.

If the item is going outdoors - dog collar, leash etc, I use the Saddle Lac spray. 1 or 2 LIGHT coats is sufficient.

Mink Oil Paste will turn a stiff price of leather into a limp piece of spaghetti <g>.... But if you use too much, it's just like too much of any other oil and will darken the leather. I use the Kiwi that you can get at grocery stores, hardware or camping stores. I've tried the Feibings but it is too soft and is too easy to put on too much.

The reaso I put the mink oil on last - after the finish -is that I've had a couple of times that if I oil paste the back first, and them spray on the saddle lac, when everything dries, the saddle lac flakes off.

Try a bunch of combos. and go light. You can always add stuff. You can't easily take away too much...

One last thing... One of the coloring leather books from Tandy has a cross referecne chart showing which products can be used with which and the effects.

Good luck

Tom

[Dwight]

There is one alternative not mentioned yet: take pure bees wax and the better grade of neatsfoot oil, . . . weigh them so you have equal parts 1 to 1, . . . put them in a jar.

Put the jar in a crock pot with water in it, . . . turn it on high, . . . leave it until you have mixture where all the beeswax has melted. Pour into muffin papers in a muffin pan to make little cakes of the stuff.

First, . . . just grab the edge and rub it on, . . . front/back/edges, . . . all over. Go over it with a heat gun, . . . watch the wax melt and move away with the heat.

Polish with a soft cloth.

Add a second coat, . . . heat, . . . polish. Sometimes a third coat. I often just smear my fingers in it, . . . and rub it on, . . . or you can use a piece of cloth, . . . like using old fashioned Kiwi shoe polish.

1: it is relatively inexpensive, . . . 2: it is easily made, . . . 3: it is easy to use, . . . 4: it makes a really good looking satin type finish, . . . 5: it is water repellant, . . . 6: it is easily "repaired" if it gets scratched up some.

It does darken the leather a bit, . . . but not as much as atom wax or resolene.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited March 13, 2013 by Dwight

[1watersnake]

I like Fieging's antique finish , Its about the cheapest and easiest to use

 

Just now, 1watersnake said:

I like Fieging's antique finish , Its about the cheapest and easiest to use

 

 

[wlg190861]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2013 at 0:45 PM, humperdingle said:

Well, I was experimenting with Fiebings spirit dye today on a scrap bit of leather...

I tried the mid brown dye, let it dry and then coated half with Fiebings 'tan kote' and the other half just with olive oil (somebody had suggested that on another thread)

The tan-kote gave the same, slightly patchy sheen/gloss finish I'd used on a couple of previous projects, and I wasn't particularly happy with those. Managed to get a finish back on them, but only after some work with a wet sponge to even it out.

The olive oil... Wow! I really love the matt finish it leaves. It does soak in to the leather readily, but 3 or 4 light coats, and it looks nice. So I made a rifle bolt holder and used the same procedure... I think it came out alright. Not sure about how things will pan out long term, but if it gets worn, another coat or two of the oil will freshen it up.

Seems to be colourfast, too, at least with a dry wipe.

Olive oil will go rancid, will do more harm than good in the long run.

[JRP430]

I primarily use leather balm/atom wax right after giving my antique overnight to settle.. This method removes the antique that may be dominating the color underneath but leaves the detailing alone.  Buff, then if I want shiny I add super sheen or resolene (diluted). I would never use only leather balm on a piece exposed to the elements.

As an aside, of all the finishes I've used, I like the Super Sheen. Hope this helps, but as mentioned above, try a lot of suggestions on scrap to get to the place you like.

[ryano]

On 2/5/2013 at 3:09 PM, SmokeCigars said:

Test the atom wax with a stained piece of scrap first. If you apply it with a cloth, sponge, brush, or anything you rub the surface with, it will remove some finish.

I've heard atom wax works really good with an airbrush applied in thin coats, but I don't have an airbrush

I apply dye and leather balm with atom wax with separate pieces of shearling, defuzz it first, I use the clothes dryer to do the defuzzing, Be sure to wash the piece of the shearing with the atom wax to reuse it. You can get the atom wax in several colors and I use black for MC bags and it leaves a nice satin finish.l let the dye dry first, wipe off the residue then apply the atom wax finish.

As far as acrylic finished go, I really like Weaver's Tuff Coat, it comes in clear or black.I wet a sponge to apply WT, I squeeze the water out leaving sponge still wet, but not dripping wet, put the sponbe over the bottle and do a quick flip to get the finish on the sponge. 

In my opinion, I truly believe Angelus makes the best dyes and finishes, you can get the finish in any color, they have finish like atom wax and several types of acrylic finishes. Their dye is super penetrating and can even dye an edge slicked with gum tragacanth. They also have great leather paint.They also have an acrylic antique finish.