Do You Dye The Back Of Belts?

[Pennypower]

Hi everyone :-) I'm new here. This is my first post. I've been reading everything I can find on here for weeks. I have a question, here goes.

I just started making belts and I'm wondering if you dye the back of your belts, and with what? I don't want that really light look, but I don't mind it being not quite as dark as the top side. But the problem is I feel like I'm using SO MUCH dye when I dye the back. It just absorbes so much. I need to be as economical as possible. I've been using Eco Flo waterstain or Feibings spirit based dyes.

Also, when I dye it, no matter how much I buff it after, I still have color rubbing off and I don't want to ruin people's clothes.

So, what do you do to the back of your belts to make them look nice and professional?

THanks ;-)

Penny

[Dwight]

Well, Penny, . . . I'm just a lazy old coot, . . . and while there are a bunch of ways of doing belts, . . . the main ones I do are 2 layer, . . . usually run around .220 thick when they're finished, . . . and they are built so an old geezer like me can put a full size 1911, . . . 2 magazines, . . . key chain, . . . cell phone, . . . on it and it not sag.

I cut my blanks, . . . do both ends, . . . cement them together, . . . dress the edges, . . . punch the holes in the tongue end, . . . and run em through the dye pan. I use a 9 x 14 cake pan, . . . pour about a half quart in there, . . . run it through like a snake, . . . about 3 to 5 seconds is all it gets. I also cut my Feibings oil dye about 20%, . . . it seems to penetrate better that way.

Let it dry 24 hours, . . . don't mess with it, . . . leave it alone, . . .

Get an old wash cloth you never want to wash your face with again, . . . and start polishing on that belt, . . . laying flat on a counter, . . . use some elbow grease, . . . rub it hard. When the pigment is not coming off any more (use a white paper towel to check), . . . quit rubbing.

I then come back and burnish the edges, . . . and apply the final coat, . . . finish coat, . . . 50% Resolene, . . . 50% water.

That belt will not bleed color, . . . will stay color fast for as long as it is a belt.

If you buy your dye by the quarts, . . . and cut it a bit like I do, . . . it is not "that" expensive. Though I have never guaged it specifically, . . . I'd say I'd get probably 20 belts out of a quart.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Alamo]

Personally, I don't dye the backs of belts. The main reason is because it saves me some time and dye, but also because it prevents the wearer from EVER having the dye bleed into their clothing.

That's just me though, and I'm very new to leather

[Pennypower]

Thank you both for the great advice. I'm going to start by buffing it more and using very watered down die on the back and see how that goes. I can't dip dye anything unfortunately because I am working in my apartment living room and I have to be SUPER careful not to spill anything on the carpet....sigh.

I've never wanted a garage so bad in my life!!!!

[Cyberthrasher]

Also, be sure to slick the back of your belt. I slick it by lightly dampening with a sponge and then running my bone folder over it briskly in one direction - a glass slicker would probably work better but I don't have one. Once it's slickened though, it won't suck in the dye as much. Some projects look fine with a natural back, but other times it just looks off. Then there are the times where I accidentally get a little bit of my dye on the back, or a bit of antique - forcing me to dye the back anyway. Once dyed, I use a the 50/50 resolene after buffing. At this point, it's never going to bleed off onto clothes.

[Pennypower]

Cyberthrasher....

When you say 50/50 resolene, does that mean you mix it with water?

[Alamo]

Yup, mixing it 50/50 allows the resolene to soak into the leather better and requires you to use many light coats

[Cyberthrasher]

That, and Resolene straight from the bottle is WAY TOO thick to apply evenly. All it will do is smear, blotch, and go on so thick it will have a good chance of cracking. Just apply it with either an airbrush, or a lightly moistened sponge (NO water coming out when you squeeze) and make sure to get rid of any bubbles. Lately I've been running my sponge over a section of the project then going back and rubbing it in little circles to even things out.

[footrat]

I dye the backs. I also use two or more coats of my finish- either Fiebing's Saddle Lac or Fiebing's Resolene 50/50.

If you decide not to dye the backs, make sure you're careful when dying edges, holes, and buckle tongue slots so you don't end up with anything running over to the other side.

[sifuleatherworks]

Any experience from anyone with Fiebing's Aussie Leather Conditioner on belts? Finished one today for my self and applied per directions. Would you still use Resolene 50/50? If so, before or after the Aussie stuff? Belt is pictured below...first time doing a basket weave pattern...I'm waiting on a better maul as I type this.