Top Coat/finishing Methods And Products?

[RAWhideLeatherWorks]

Hello everyone, im pretty much a newbie to leathercraft and this is my first post so be gentle please. I started a few months ago with a bit of veg tan, a craft knife and an old nail that i filed into shape and just taught myself through trial and error. I have come along way since then and got a reasonable collection of tools, alot of which are homemade, altho i have splashed out on some of the more essential stamps n tools, but iv always been the kind of person who prefers to make something rather than buy it anyway. Untill i can start selling peices, my budget is at bare minimum so recycling stuff i already have is a definate bonus. Iv got the hang of the tooling now n im getting to grips with the dying and painting but everything goes wrong on the finish.

I have no doubt that i am to blame and im just using the wrong method so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

After tooling and drying time i use a black water based dye for all the background areas leave it to dry and then paint the tooled design with acrylics and up to this point everything looks great. i then leave it overnight to dry and when it is, iv been using eco-flo super shene leather finish as a top coat. The problem is, as soon as i touch the super shene to the leather it moistens the colours iv used (dyes and paints) which then spread n bleed to the other lighter colours more and more with each stroke of whatever i use to apply it. usually a brush or sponge. Eventually i will invest in an airbrush but for the moment my budget will not stretch nearly that far.

I thought that maybe if i used some kind of wax sealer it might work better as it wouldnt soak in to the water based dyes and paints and cause them to spead but then again maybe im completely wrong... regardless, i would like to get away from the super sheen as iv had rubbish results and for the price that it is i would be suprised if there isnt a cheaper or better alternative out there.

Iv seen a few posts where people metion using 'mop n glo' as a finish which sounds like the cheap and cheerful method im after as i can source all the materials i use so far ( except for the veg tan) from local stores which suits me coz i dont have regular internet access and would prefer to be able to buy it there and then rather than have to order and wait. Problem is i dont think uk stores stock mop n glo so does anyone know any uk products with the same properties or any other easy to find products that would suit my needs? I know cheap isnt the best way but its the only way i can go for the moment.

I know... im not askin much am i..

Sorry for the long post but iv spent days googling and searching forums but cant quite find the answer im looking for so any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Jackson

[Red Cent]

Since I just invested in a paint gun and some parts, I await the answers with bated breath.

[Red Cent]

Rawhide, they didn't answer because I posted, they are all asleep, or the question has been asked a lot before now .

[Northmount]

You need to buff off all the "loose" pigment on the top of the leather after it dries. That's the stuff that didn't soak in. That will reduce the amount that gets spread around when applying a finish on top of it. Water based dyes dissolve easily with water based or alcohol/acetone or other strong solvents. So as you say, air brushing is you best answer to avoid mixing it up again. But really buffing the surface stuff off will help reduce the spread.

A waxy finish is really a conditioner, not necessarily a sealer. But might be adequate for what you want.

Mop n Glow is just an acrylic floor wax/polish used for vinyl tiles and such. Should find many other brands that you could use. There are some additives in the acrylic floor wax that helps to clean the floor. So rubbing it around on your dyed surface will lift the dye as well.

You may be able to find an atomizer spray bottle that will work for you to spray the finish on with. It needs to emit a fine mist. Any droplets will leave marks on the leather. Windex window cleaner spray bottles are supposed to be good. The misting type for plants or ironing that I picked up are not fine enough.

Tom