janaka Report post Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) is this seems light brown to you? sigh, wonder what went wrong. :head_hurts_kr: :head_hurts_kr: Edited January 28, 2013 by janaka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 28, 2013 The dark one or the light one? If it's the light one, something on your leather is resisting, really badly at that. If it's the darker one, it was put on too heavy. That's my analysis anyway. But, who knows how much pigment ended up in your bottle. Was this a test piece or the real thing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted January 28, 2013 Get some denatured alchol and mix it 3 to one in another bottle and it will be lighter. Good thing is you have more dye in the end. I use a syringe and needle from the feed store one for each color and one for the alochol. Write what each is used for on the syringe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 28, 2013 The dark one or the light one? If it's the light one, something on your leather is resisting, really badly at that. If it's the darker one, it was put on too heavy. That's my analysis anyway. But, who knows how much pigment ended up in your bottle. Was this a test piece or the real thing? it's a real thing, a 36 inches strap i cut to make me dad a belt, it's the darker one. the first dip i brushed on was uneven, so i ran another brush with a second dip. my bad. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 28, 2013 yeah, i've done that before. For now, just let it sit for a few days to see how it evens out. It might surprise you. I've found that for larger areas it's better to use a rag. Brushes and daubers just go on way to heavy and uneven at times. They're kind of unpredictable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 28, 2013 Get some denatured alchol and mix it 3 to one in another bottle and it will be lighter. Good thing is you have more dye in the end. I use a syringe and needle from the feed store one for each color and one for the alochol. Write what each is used for on the syringe. 3 parts are alcohol? what's a denatured? can i use those methanol from the drug store? good thing i have another spare piece of strap. by the way, is it each bottle with same color labeling will end up with different tone? i mean huge differences, i was expecting lighter brown, something like biscuit kind of brown. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 28, 2013 yeah, i've done that before. For now, just let it sit for a few days to see how it evens out. It might surprise you. I've found that for larger areas it's better to use a rag. Brushes and daubers just go on way to heavy and uneven at times. They're kind of unpredictable. oh, fascinating, color might change after days? i'll hope for miracle... fingers cross. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 28, 2013 oh, fascinating, color might change after days? i'll hope for miracle... fingers cross. Yeah, I'm not real sure on the regular dyes, but on the oil dyes they can even out pretty well after sitting for a while. At this point it's one of those "what do you got to lose" moments But, if all else fails, it's still a really nice color of brown. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 28, 2013 Yeah, I'm not real sure on the regular dyes, but on the oil dyes they can even out pretty well after sitting for a while. At this point it's one of those "what do you got to lose" moments But, if all else fails, it's still a really nice color of brown. yes, i like this color too, i'll make into something else if it doesnt go lighter. thanks mate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) 3 parts are alcohol? what's a denatured? can i use those methanol from the drug store? good thing i have another spare piece of strap. by the way, is it each bottle with same color labeling will end up with different tone? i mean huge differences, i was expecting lighter brown, something like biscuit kind of brown. Denatured alcohol is found in your household paint isle. It's used as a thinner for lots of things. I even use Isopropyl in a bind. If that's spirit dye though, you should be using mineral spirits instead. I usually start with 50/50 and then go from there depending on the shade I want. The bottle's can end up with different amounts of pigment, or the pigment that's there can settle over time. They'll all be fairly close, but it's good to run a test piece. But, when it's put on heavy it just builds up. If you look in the bottle and see the color of the dye, it's probably the same as what you're seeing on the leather. That's a good sign that it was put on really heavy. Edited January 28, 2013 by Cyberthrasher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chief31794 Report post Posted January 28, 2013 That is the color I normally get if I use Feibings Light Brown full strength, I normally cut it with denatured alcohol at 3:1, 4:1, or 5:1 depending on what tint I'm going for. You can find denatured alcohol anywhere they sell painting supplies. I get mine in the gallon can from Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart carry it as well. It comes in quart containers if you don't think you'll need a gallon. I mix lots of dyes with it. Chief Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 28, 2013 That is the color I normally get if I use Feibings Light Brown full strength, I normally cut it with denatured alcohol at 3:1, 4:1, or 5:1 depending on what tint I'm going for. You can find denatured alcohol anywhere they sell painting supplies. I get mine in the gallon can from Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart carry it as well. It comes in quart containers if you don't think you'll need a gallon. I mix lots of dyes with it. Chief thanks Chief, i must stock up the denatured thing as i like dyeing a lot, thanks for the tips. Denatured alcohol is found in your household paint isle. It's used as a thinner for lots of things. I even use Isopropyl in a bind. If that's spirit dye though, you should be using mineral spirits instead. I usually start with 50/50 and then go from there depending on the shade I want. The bottle's can end up with different amounts of pigment, or the pigment that's there can settle over time. They'll all be fairly close, but it's good to run a test piece. But, when it's put on heavy it just builds up. If you look in the bottle and see the color of the dye, it's probably the same as what you're seeing on the leather. That's a good sign that it was put on really heavy. oh, it's as dark as coffee in the bottle. i'll get some of the denatured thing tomorrow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 28, 2013 oh, it's as dark as coffee in the bottle. i'll get some of the denatured thing tomorrow. They're always darker in the bottle, which shows how saturated with dye the leather is. That's what I meant about comparing them. Grab a scrap piece and dip a paint brush in your dye then blot it off onto a piece of paper. NOW put it on your scrap leather and see how much lighter it is. That one step of blotting it on paper will help your brush dying a lot. I'm not saying the dye isn't too rich in pigment, because it definitely is (Fiebings is known for that), but it's a way to really help you get more control of the color coming off of your brush. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 29, 2013 gee, i wrongly got a bottle of thinner instead of denatured alcohol, i even wrongly told the shopkeeper that i want "un-nature alcohol".. how silly i am. :head_hurts_kr: :head_hurts_kr: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 29, 2013 Ooops. I have several of those moments a day. Heck, who knows when you might need some thinner If it helps, I usually see the denatured alcohol in a square can, even at walmart. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humperdingle Report post Posted January 29, 2013 I was experimenting with a bottle of spirit-based 'Mid brown' Fiebing's today... Ended up putting half the small bottle into an almost full 500ml bottle of methylated spirits. The result is a much lighter, antique tan (that's how i'd describe it!) So i've got 1/2 bottle Fiebings and a full 500ml of tan for an extra £2 ($3?) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 29, 2013 Ooops. I have several of those moments a day. Heck, who knows when you might need some thinner If it helps, I usually see the denatured alcohol in a square can, even at walmart. no fear buddy, the shop owner changed for me, i had did what you guys taught me, tried on scraps until i get the tone i want, and i even got up to 9-1 mix. also i used rug as you suggested, the result is awesome, color is even too. thank you thank you thank you mate. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I was experimenting with a bottle of spirit-based 'Mid brown' Fiebing's today... Ended up putting half the small bottle into an almost full 500ml bottle of methylated spirits. The result is a much lighter, antique tan (that's how i'd describe it!) So i've got 1/2 bottle Fiebings and a full 500ml of tan for an extra £2 ($3?) perhaps the pigments of your bottle of fiebing's somehow ended up in mine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 29, 2013 no fear buddy, the shop owner changed for me, i had did what you guys taught me, tried on scraps until i get the tone i want, and i even got up to 9-1 mix. also i used rug as you suggested, the result is awesome, color is even too. COOL!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 29, 2013 on the other hand, have anyone tried before using wood shellac onto leather? the paint shop owner told me someone did that, i'm eager to try. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 29, 2013 I've heard of people using different wood products. I would only try it on piece that's not going to see a lot of flex and movement - like a wall hanger or coaster or something. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 29, 2013 I've heard of people using different wood products. I would only try it on piece that's not going to see a lot of flex and movement - like a wall hanger or coaster or something. i cant help myself thinking that whatever we use onto wood are applicable onto leather. :x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted January 29, 2013 Test it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
janaka Report post Posted January 29, 2013 Test it you bet I will. Haha Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites