How Long After Using Oil Dye ?

[Invasion]

I am in the middle of making a slip case for Kindle touch. I have dyed it with Fiebing's professional oil dye and was wondering; how long I should leave before I stitch together ? It is dry to the touch now, but obviously not properly dry.

Thanks

[Tree Reaper]

It should be good within 3-4 hours, longer is always better.

[Cyberthrasher]

If you have the time, I'd give it a couple of days. It doesn't really matter though if you're just looking at assembly. As long as you can get to any area that might settle out to be not-so-good, it shouldn't be a problem. I usually wait at least overnight before I do anything else after dye.

[Dwight]

Cyberthrasher beat me to my rule, . . . overnight.

May God bless,

Dwight

[billymac814]

I've stitched stuff up within a couple hours. As long as its dry to the touch your good to go, it won't get any dryer. I've even done it when its still slightly damp but I try not to do that if I'm using white thread just to be safe. The good thing about the oil dye is you barely get any run off so it won't bleed on your stitching. Regular spirit dyes almost always bleed on my stitching during wet molding if I'm not careful. Most of the time I dye then let them dry over night but it doesn't always work out that way.

[Invasion]

Thanks for the replies much appreciated

I will try to leave overnight in future as you guys suggest. I am a little eager at the moment as this is all new

My original thinking as if the leather is damp (although touch dry) it is going to flex about more when stitching and create more wrinkles/creases/lines on face of leather ?

I went ahead yesterday and stitched when it was touch dry. It seemed to go ok but, I think I will leave overnight in future. More than anything just to slow me down and stitch in the morning when not so tired out that way I might do a better job!

Thanks

[humperdingle]

Thanks for the replies much appreciated

I will try to leave overnight in future as you guys suggest. I am a little eager at the moment as this is all new

A little tip from a fellow newbie...

Where you will be dyeing stuff, and waiting overnight to dry, have another project or two on the go... It'll take your mind off the other one whilst waiting.

[Dwight]

Invasion, . . . I am not sure how you are doing your project, . . . but there are a couple of things you need to pick up on.

1. Most, . . . indeed the MAJOR majority of all leather projects should be cemented or glued together before they are stitched. You did not mention this.

2. You cannot successfully cement or glue these pieces together until the dye is fully 100% dry.

3. Many people put stuff together without glue or cement, and most of their stuff can be found in the bargain bin at Goodwill or on the free table at the local flea market.

4. You also need to bevel and clean up the edges before you stitch the thing together, . . . and again, that is made possible only by cementing or glueing, . . . which must wait until the dye is dry.

On a personal level, that is one of the reasons I don't dye most of the time until the project is completely assembled.

Anyway, . . . welcome to the forum, . . . have fun, . . . don't take leatherwork seriously, . . . keep it fun, even if you are working at it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Cyberthrasher]

4. You also need to bevel and clean up the edges before you stitch the thing together, . . . and again, that is made possible only by cementing or glueing, . . . which must wait until the dye is dry.

I see a lot of people who stitch things up before they trim and edge. Are they just being extra careful with their lines and spacing? I always thought the way you stated it was best, but seeing them do it (and recommend it) the other way always makes me wonder. I just haven't done enough stitching to really form my own conclusion

[Dwight]

Well, . . . honestly, I have stitched first, . . . sanded and beveled, . . . burnished.

BUT, . . . by getting the outside edges done first, . . . it gives you a really good edge from which to gouge your stitch line (which I almost always do, . . . ) and then your stitches will naturally be the proper distance from the edge with no trouble.

I have occasionally ran into a bad piece, . . . wrinkle, . . . whatever in sanding the edge, . . . and had to go deeper than I planned from my original edge. Since I had not stitched, . . . I'm the only one who knew. If I had stitched first, . . . uhhh, . . . it would have been ugly.

My reasoning isn't perfect, . . . but it works to save me time and leather, . . .

May God bless,

Dwight

[Cyberthrasher]

My reasoning isn't perfect, . . . but it works to save me time and leather, . . .

Sounds right to me

I just wanted to make sure I was on the same page.

[paprhangr]

I have read that after oil dye has dried, the leather needs a coat of neetsfoot oil helps moisten leather, because the alcohol in the dye Drys it up?

What do you guys think

Edited May 10, 2013 by paprhangr

[Dwight]

This is another one of those "some do, . . . some don't" situations. I usually do if I use one of the spirit dyes, . . . because it usually does feel dryer.

But if I used oil dye, . . . especially the black, . . . I very seldom do that.

There is a catch 22 deal there, . . . the oil "should" prolong the life of the leather, . . . but it also softens it, making the item less useful if not useless. One maker who is on here sometimes said he gives it one light coat, . . . on the hair side, . . . then allows that to fully absorb before he does anything else.

It's not a "must do" either way.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Cyberthrasher]

I prefer to give things a light coat of oil - nowhere near soaking it. If you're using it to soften the leather, you're actually going to help speed any rot because it's going to over saturate (hence the softness). I also find that it helps to even out some dyes as well when applied lightly. But.... if I have a piece with some aspects left natural, or even parts that are drastically different in dyed color, I always apply it to the flesh side and let it soak in that way. Otherwise, the oil can darken my natural stuff too much, or the act of oiling can lift pigment and spread it around into other areas - even after rigorous buffing. Then there are other "cheap" pieces that I oil because the leather is pretty dried out, just enough to put some of the life back into it since it's either been sitting too long, or it was just a poor tanning job (sometimes you just gotta have some leather and therefore cheap is all you can afford).

[cmantz]

If I am doing a piece of veg tan and I want to darken the leather slightly (so I end up with a light oil finish), what type of oil would you recommend? I tried to dye it a scrap piece with Fiebings Pro Oil in Lt Brown but I am not sure what I did but it is more of a med brown. And I oil after I stamp it, correct?

[Dwight]

A couple of things you can try, . . . because I don't know your definition of "light".

One simple and quick pass with a brush of neatsfoot oil darkens it somewhat.

The same goes for one coat of Resolene, though the Resolene is only about half the oil.

You can also lay it out in the bright sunlight, . . . that will darken it some.

Personally, . . . I don't like doing browns, . . . it is really hard to match 1 for 1 unless the pieces all came from the same hide, . . . dyed the same day, . . . out of the same bucket, . . . etc.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Cyberthrasher]

Oil dye is still dye, so you're going to get that color out of it. It sounds like you're wanting to get an oil tanned color. In that case, just apply neatsfoot oil (pure) to the project and let it darken.

here's an example of one I did where I just used oil on it, no dye.

[cmantz]

yeah...definitely on this I think I will just use NFO. I tried a scrap where I stamped it and then tried to apply pro oil dye with sponge. Didn't work out. Too dark on top but no color in the stamped areas. I have also played with the Fiebings Antique stain but didn't want that look. I know the veg tan with darken over time but trying to get somewhat close on a headstall to an existing breast collar....this is my first attempt at stamping a BW and my first attempt at using veg tan. All the other stuff I have done has been with colored leather and overlays and such. It doesn't help that I way UNDERPRICED this job!

Ok....just to clarify. I stamp the BW and then oil. let dry and apply something like resolene or leather sheen, correct? Should I do that to all the piece before I actually construct the headstall? or do I do the finish last after sewing?

[Cyberthrasher]

I don't know anything about headstalls, but normally I would try to completely finish an item before assembly. But yeah, you will want to apply some kind of finish over the top to protect it. That strap has Resolene on it. Also, be sure to give the oil quite some time to soak in before adding more to adjust the color. I like overnight, if not a full day. And remember, don't saturate it with oil. Just put light coats on to change the color. If you saturate it you'll run the risk of destroying the leather's integrity.

The reason your sponge job didn't work is probably because you didn't have enough in it to squeeze out and into the tooling. You were essentially block dying it.

[cmantz]

What is the difference between Neatsfoot Oil Compound and 100% pure neatsfoot oil?

[Cyberthrasher]

What is the difference between Neatsfoot Oil Compound and 100% pure neatsfoot oil?

I summed it up here. Pure is pure, compound is neatsfoot plus whatever else they decide to put in it - no standard

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=47642

[cmantz]

Thank you! I guess I should have done a search first