Finishing Problems

[ShawnM76]

Thanks prc77ro, I think I might try the saddle soap, but I'm gonna keep my ears open for a bit and see if anyone else has any suggestions. I also found this stuff from Fiebings called deglazer https://www.tandyleatherfactory.ca/en-cad/home/department/liquids-n/2105-349.aspx

I wonder if it would work?

[Northmount]

Acetone (fingernail polish remover) will dissolve many finishes. Fiebing's dye thinner removes some. Deglazer also. Toluene (contact cement thinner) is another. Look at what is recommended for thinners and try that one first. They may remove some of the dye as well. They will dry out the leather so it needs to be conditioned again.

Most water-based dyes are very sensitive to being dissolved by the stronger chemical thinners used in non-water based finishes. Even alcohol dyes can be lifted too, but not quite as easily. Hence the instructions to always buff the dye off the surface before putting anything on top of it.

Your dye started out in a dissolved form when you used it. Any solvent stronger than water is likely to lift it. Of course water can lift water based dyes too.

Tom

[ShawnM76]

Acetone (fingernail polish remover) will dissolve many finishes. Fiebing's dye thinner removes some. Deglazer also. Toluene (contact cement thinner) is another. Look at what is recommended for thinners and try that one first. They may remove some of the dye as well. They will dry out the leather so it needs to be conditioned again.

Most water-based dyes are very sensitive to being dissolved by the stronger chemical thinners used in non-water based finishes. Even alcohol dyes can be lifted too, but not quite as easily. Hence the instructions to always buff the dye off the surface before putting anything on top of it.

Your dye started out in a dissolved form when you used it. Any solvent stronger than water is likely to lift it. Of course water can lift water based dyes too.

Tom

Wow Tom, this definitely gives me some hope. Thank you so much for posting this for me. I'm going to give some of these a try for sure. I don't mind if it takes off some off the dye, and that I have to recondition the leather and restain it. I'd much rather do that then to have to do the whole project all over again.

[Half Goat]

i had the same problem with supersheen lifting my ecoflo antique gel so switched to resolene watered down 50/50 and getting the same problem, which i found out whilst using it on a project infront of the customer unfortunatly

[Cyberthrasher]

i had the same problem with supersheen lifting my ecoflo antique gel so switched to resolene watered down 50/50 and getting the same problem, which i found out whilst using it on a project infront of the customer unfortunatly

I haven't worked with the antique gel at all. I use Fiebing's paste. How long are you letting the gel sit before applying that first coat? Pretty much anything you rub over the top will lift at least some, but the longer you let it dry first the less it will pull out. I prefer to use my airbrush for that first coat after antiquing, if not for all the coats. Sometimes if I'm feeling lazy and don't want to pull out the airbrush, or can't run it because the kids are in bed, I'll just use the lightly moistened sponge and use virtually NO pressure to apply it. That really helps to keep my sponge out of the tooling while still depositing some Resolene in there to cover the antique a little bit.

[jessebeckham]

this is all good info... i too ran into these problems when i started out not too long ago... I have been trying to get away from Tandy super sheen experimenting with some other finished, but dont really have enough experience in any yet to make a big suggestion.

I can't contribute too much, but just for your sake, I would defiantly recommend taking a piece of scrap ( if you have any left from the same piece you cut from) and use the same steps to try the different methods suggested above. That way if for any reason something goes terribly wrong, it wont be on the item you have already invested so much time in... carpenters always say measure twice, cut once..... I always tell my self, practice on scrap before the main project. just my 2 cents.

Edited May 31, 2013 by jessebeckham

[LeatherHead99]

I just started out in leather craft and made a pair of suspenders for work. I thought veg tanned leather was all the same, so. I actually bought one of those belt kits they sell in a bag. I cut the belt and used it as one of my suspender straps. I used Tandy Eco-flo Professional black and the Pro clear gloss on both the straps. The other strap was bought from the Tandy store. I use the suspenders for work only, and the cheap leather strap looks like $h!t with wrinkles on the surface and cracks . The other strap still looks great. Both straps were treated with the same products and technique, just one was cheap leather.... Lesson learned... No more cheap leather sold in a bag.

[lightingale]

I have experienced the cracking at the buckle, and that's from bending dry (and cheap) leather. I fold the buckle end over when the leather is still cased. If it's dry, I spritz it with water to make the leather pliable enough to bend without cracking.

If you're going to get Tandy leather, get the European Single Bends. They're a much better quality than Tandy's standard stuff. They've even on sale right now (in Canada, at least)