countryalltheway Report post Posted March 20, 2013 Hi guys,newbie here! I know there's a few posts about this kind of stuff,but can't seem to find the info I'm looking for specifically,so any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Sooo,here goes..... (1) Is there REALLY any difference between "leather" paints,and acrylics(say,FolkArt)? (2) Can one/does one condition/oil leather anywhere in the process? If so,before or after painting? (3) Is there a REALLY GOOD sealer available? I'd prefer satin finish rather than stark high-gloss,but.... Thanks so much in advance for any help and I would love any other info/knowledge you might have about the whole painting/finishing thing!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Blea Report post Posted March 21, 2013 Hello Country, and welcome to the forum! I'm not an expert in this area, particularly when it comes to horse tack. However, I do have experience with painting things other than leather plus some experience using acrylics on leather. You will find much better recommendations from members here like Spinner who does a lot of work with acrylic on leather for bike gear, which also needs weather resistance. Try looking through his posts because his knowledge will be better than mine. When it comes to acylics, there are differences in quality that might affect how well they work with leather. I haven't used FolkArt myself, but I have used Liquitex for both leather and non-leather things and I find them OK. I know there are better higher end products out there though. I usually oil projects before doing any coloring or finishing, so I will oil with neatsfoot and allow it to dry overnight (24-48 hours preferred) before trying anything like painting. As for a final seal, I use a spray on acrylic called Blair's Artist Fixative, and I get the matte finish one. It is intended for fixing artist chalk drawings to the canvas, but it's an acrylic so it works well with the acrylic paints. There are other spray acylics out there that work OK too. You can brush acrylic on too though you want to be careful not to get too thick of a coat and not to accidentally rub off any paint or especially dye. The product that the motorcycle folks seem to use the most is Acrylic Resolene, and it seems to give them a good water resistant finish. With Resolene you want to cut it 50/50 with water and put it on in several thin coats. Be careful of finishes like Clear Lac or Wyosheen, as apparently they can dissolve acrylic paints and ruin your artwork when brushed on, or so I am told. I haven't experimented with that yet. Hope this helps, Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countryalltheway Report post Posted March 21, 2013 Hi Bob, Thanks for the welcome and info Guess I'll wait for Spinner or someone to see and reply about outdoorproof sealer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Blea Report post Posted March 22, 2013 One other suggestion for you: try using the search box in the upper right hand corner and search for threads on 'sealing leather' or 'waterproofing leather'. It will bring up many past threads discussing how to seal leather, probably more information that you can stand. Also, I wanted to make sure you knew that the sealer I use wouldn't work for tack at all. It's OK for small personal items that won't get a lot of wear, but it probably wouldn't hold up too long for horse tack. Resolene would be the much better choice. Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
