Leather Conditioner Recipe?

[lightingale]

I sell tooled dog collars online, and I think it might be nice to send along a small container (like a lip balm container) of homemade leather conditioner with each purchase.

I'm imagining something with the consistency of butter, that you can dip your fingers into and rub in with the warmth of your fingertips. I've dabbled in making hand balms for the skin (beeswax, shea butter and almond oil), and the recipe could probably be modified for leather.

My thoughts for leather conditioner ingredients are:

Beeswax (just enough to get the butter consistency, maybe 30-40% of the total?)

Oil - Olive? Peanut? With a touch of neatsfoot?

Vitamin E drops - a preservative

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[humperdingle]

Whatever they put in Fiebings Aussie Conditioner... It's a great product.

[Alamo]

Personally, I would stay away from oils that come from plants like olive oil; I feel as though they might potentially go rancid, expedite stitch rot, and encourage bacteria and mold growth in your leather. Stick with neatsfoot oil for sure.

[Dwight]

I use a 50/50 by weight: virgin beeswax and neatsfoot oil for some of the rigs I make, . . . especially if the owner enjoys "period correct" stuff.

That (at least I was told so many moons ago) is an ooooold recipe for a leather finish / conditioner, . . . and whether my info is correct as to age or not, . . . I do know it is a wonderful product.

If you fudge just a bit on the oil, . . . a bit too much, . . . it can have a consistency similar to wax shoe polish, . . . and works in really nice. Give it a while to set up a bit, . . . hand polish, . . . works great.

I do mine in a glass jar warmed in a thrift store crock pot.

Try it, . . . you might like it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Andrew Chee]

Google British museum leather dressing. It's basically fats and waxes emulsified in a solvent (I use mineral spirits instead of the nastier hexane). You can vary the recipe with different amounts and types of waxes to get different properties. My current batch has some carnauba wax in addition to beeswax which gives it a shinier finish. It looks and feels very much like bridle leather but with a slightly drier hand. Try it out. At least it will be a good starting point into what should go into a conditioner.

Andrew

[lightningad]

I use a 50/50 by weight: virgin beeswax and neatsfoot oil for some of the rigs I make, . . .

sorry in advance - i just can't resist asking...how do you know your bee is a virgin?

[Chief31794]

sorry in advance - i just can't resist asking...how do you know your bee is a virgin?

You have to ask them!

Chief

[Cyberthrasher]

That's great!!!

Are you set on having a homemade conditioner??

Montana Pitch Blend is GREAT stuff!! They offer cases of sample size jars like you're mentioning - perfect for sending out with your items.

[Alamo]

If you want to go with stuff that's already made, I would also recommend Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP

From their website, they are offered in 8oz jars and gallon buckets, but I have seen them in 4oz jars and sample sizes. Might be able to order some of the sample sized from them direct to package with your items.

Checked eBay, and there is someone who is selling the sample size, but the shipping on them is killer

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Obenaufs-Heavy-Duty-Leather-Preservative-Sample-/160991220875?pt=Apparel_Merchandise&hash=item257bd3148b&vxp=mtr

[shtoink]

sorry in advance - I just can't resist asking... how do you know your bee is a virgin?

According to me sources, the only one getting after it in the hive is the queen?

Did this whole bee thing make anyone else think of

?

You know, since the bee communicate through dancing...

Maybe it's just me with my off-beat sense of humor.

[pupweb]

I have a secret......... Don't tell any one

It's not really a secret but if you want to know how to make your own search for your favorite product MSDS (material safety data sheet). The MSDS will tell you what's in the product. It may not tell the ratios but with a little experimentation you can nail that down.

My brother and I at 712gear.com make our own resolene, oil based conditioner, and silicone conditioner.

Hope this helps

-Dave

[Bob Blea]

Great info, as I've been thinking of sending along a conditioner as well. One (dumb) question: Where do you get virgin beeswax, other than asking around the bee hive?

Bob

[Alamo]

Just get regular beeswax; I'm fairly sure that the virgin stuff was supposed to be a joke.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Alamo

[lightingale]

I have a secret......... Don't tell any one

It's not really a secret but if you want to know how to make your own search for your favorite product MSDS (material safety data sheet). The MSDS will tell you what's in the product. It may not tell the ratios but with a little experimentation you can nail that down.

My brother and I at 712gear.com make our own resolene, oil based conditioner, and silicone conditioner.

Hope this helps

-Dave

This is a brilliant idea. I checked the sheet for my favourite conditioner (Aussie leather conditioner), although the ingredient list was... not what I expected:

Petrolatum USP 55.0 – 70.0 8009-03-8 > 2000 mg/kg (rat) Not applicable

Natural & synthetic wax blend 10.0 – 15.0 Proprietary None established Not applicable

Aliphatic hydrocarbon 15.0 – 35.0 64742-47-8 5000 mg/kg (rat) Not available

Petrolatum? Isn't that vaseline?

I'd rather not buy pre-made sample tins, as they're still pretty expensive. My profit margin on most of my collars doesn't enable me to send an extra $4-$5 product along. Plus, I like the idea of making a conditioner from scratch. I happen to have beeswax bricks on hand, and it's only $10 for 32oz of neatsfoot oil. I ordered 50x 10ml lip balm containers for about $0.45 apiece, and I figure each sample will cost me roughly $0.55.

I can understand staying away from vegetable oils. I haven't heard of them going rancid on the leather or in the stitches, but better safe than sorry. The beeswax/shea butter/almond oil/vit E oil recipe was attractive to me as a leather balm because it can be used on the skin too, but it doesn't stay fresh for too long. I'd like to stay away from tallow and lard for the same reason.

Right now I'm leaning towards using beeswax and neatsfoot oil in proportions that yield a butter-like consistency (like the aussie conditioner, but maybe a little stiffer). There aren't a lot of other leather conditioner recipes online, but some call for ingredients such as lanolin, glycerin, tea tree oil, mink oil, etc. Any thoughts on those ingredients?

Technically, since only the queen bee and a few select drones actually "get any", all beeswax must be virgin because the worker bees are too busy to bee "getting busy".

Edited March 27, 2013 by lightingale

[Alamo]

Glycerin can be found in any half-decent pharmacy, and is used as a skin protectant and softener. Adding some glycerin to whatever mix you'll be making might be a good idea, it definitely can't hurt to experiment with it. Tea Tree oil is the stuff of legends, it's got some amazing properties when it comes to skin, so I would assume it would also be helpful for leather. Google it and see how much awesome stuff is reported to be linked to tea tree oil! Mink oil is meh; it is reported to expedite stitch rot and is somewhat expensive. Lanolin comes from wool bearing sheep. Google took me to the Wiki page and it might be something to experiment too if you can get it for a price that is cost effective for you.

[particle]

I stumbled across this a while back. I'm going to make some as soon as I get my hands on bulk beeswax. And yes, he didn't cook his very safely - use a double boiler instead.

[Alamo]

The thing with this recipe is that it is more for waterproofing instead of leather conditioning. Turpentine is a solvent, and putting that into your leather may cause it to dry out faster than it normally would.

I've made this before, and it becomes a product very similar to SnoSeal. Excellent for waterproofing but not the best for conditioning leather.

[Cyberthrasher]

For reference, Montana Pitch Blend's Leather Dressing is a mixture of Mink Oil, Beeswax, and Pine Pitch. So you could experiment with the ratios there and see if you can come up with something.

If you're worried about cost of the pre-made samples, remember your time in creating the mixture then filling and labeling all those little sample jars as well. I don't have a price yet on the case of samples for MPB, but a 4 oz jar is about $11 - so $2.75 an ounce without the jar.

[Alamo]

Also, you can always just mark up the price of your product slightly to cover the cost of the premade samples.

If you let your customers know that their item is slightly more expensive because you're adding in a product that will extend the life of their purchase, the majority will still buy your stuff.

[Zooker]

I make a finish for my native american style flutes, from beeswax and walnut oil. I take one part beeswax and five parts walnut oil and microwave it until liquid, stir it until mixed and let it cool into a solid kind of like shoe polish. When I am ready to apply it, I melt it in the microwave and brush it on my piece with a foam brush. I then let it harden/cool and rub it out with a soft cloth. It leaves a very nice finish and walnut oil will not go rancid.

While i was reading this and typing, I made a sample piece from a scrap of pre-cased veg tan and it softened it very little and darkened it quite a bit. I then treated a piece with straight walnut oil and it darkened it quite a bit more and softened it pretty good.

I am not sure of what your color/suppleness level goal is, but these are a couple of options.

and +1 on what Alamo just said.

Good luck,

Ken

Edited March 28, 2013 by Zooker

[pupweb]

Here's what I found from Fiebing’s Aussie Leather Conditioner MSDS. I have never made Aussie Leather Conditioner but I'll do my best to translate it for you.

BTW SECTION 2 in any MSDS is were they have to list what the stuff is made of. Notice Fiebings is holding their cards close with the Natural & Synthetic wax blend .

From their MSDS

SECTION 2 – COMPOSITION / INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS

Hazardous ingredients (Specific) % CAS#

Petrolatum USP 55-70% 8009-03-8

Natural & synthetic wax blend 10.0 – 15.0% Proprietary

Aliphatic hydrocarbon 15.0 – 35.0% 64742-47-8

Dave's translation for your test batch. Work in small amounts for your test batch and scale up when you have the correct ratios.

Hazardous ingredients (Specific) % amount in grams What is it and were can I get it

Petrolatum USP 70% 175 Petroleum Jelly procured at any drug store

Natural & synthetic wax blend 10% 25 Dave's Secret Wax (See below)This is the most complicated part and probably the most important

Aliphatic hydrocarbon 20% 50 this is Mineral Spirits maybe sold as White Spirits(UK and EU) found at Hardware stores.

Dave's Wax

This stuff or something similar to this is used in a lot of leather products.

P.S. Don't tell my brother Cam I gave our secret away but we've learned a lot from this forum so it's something we can give back.

!! FIRE HAZARD - MAKE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK !!

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU MAKE THIS OUTSIDE USING A CAMP STOVE.

MATERIALS

• 100 grams. of Carnauba wax
  
• 100 grams. of virgin bees wax
  
• 1 quart of Mineral Spirits
  
• 10 oz of boiled linseed oil
  
• 4 oz Castor oil
  
• Wooden Spoon
  
• Pot and stainless steel mixing to make a double boiler
  

Gather your materials. When choosing your cooking pot and bowl, pick sizes that will work together well as a double boiler. The pot you use for the wax mix will have to be dedicated to the wax, in other words I wouldn't use it for anything else.

Create a double boiler by putting the cooking pot on the stove and adding several inches of water. Place the mixing bowl over the top of the pot to ensure that it's the right size. The right size bowl will be larger in diameter than the opening on the pot, allowing it to sit on top of the pot and be heated from underneath by the steam from the boiling water. When your double boiler is ready, remove the bowl and bring the water to a boil.

!! DANGER:: Mineral spirits is flammable, keep away from the heat source !!

While the water is coming to a boil, combine 10 oz of mineral spirits, 10 oz boiled linseed and 4 oz castor oil in a container and set the mixture aside for later.

Put the bowl over the cooking pot of boiling water. Add the beeswax to the bowl and allow them to melt down, stirring them occasionally with a wooden spoon. When the beeswax is completely melted, add the Carnauba wax. When the Carnauba wax is melted, mix with the beeswax and remove the bowl from the heat using pot holders and set it on an insulated pad. Turn off your heat source and allow the wax to cool for about a minute or so.

Carefully and slowly pour the mineral oil and linseed oil mixture into the bowl of cooling beeswax creating and emulsion. Stir the mixture together thoroughly with a wooden spoon. As the wax emulsion cools add mineral oil to mix the emulsion until the rest of the quart is added.

Pour the evenly blended mixture into a large, airtight container. An unused metal gallon paint bucket found at hardware stores works well. You have made enough to last awhile so store unused wax in a cool, dry place with the lid on tight

Let me know how it turns out.

Edited March 28, 2013 by pupweb

[pupweb]

Virgin Beeswax - This beeswax is white in color and is collected from hives shortly after bees lay down the wax. This wax has never seen baby bees so it doesn't have pollen and other debris bees bring to the wax that make it yellow.

[humperdingle]

This Carnauba wax... I have a bottle of Greased Lightning Showroom Shine car wax stuff... If left overnight, there is a clear yellow liquid that settles on top. Would this be the wax?

If so, I might siphon some off to use in a conditioner!

[pupweb]

Humperdingle,

The carnauba car wax isn't pure carnauba. Pure carnauba is a very hard wax.

[humperdingle]

Humperdingle,

The carnauba car wax isn't pure carnauba. Pure carnauba is a very hard wax.

Aah... Thanks Could have been messy :D