Need Vinegaroon Help

[mrdabeetle]

Is there a way to lighten the color of vinegaroon after it has been applied? This is my second attempt at dying a hat and I'm trying to get a medium grey color. The first time, I used a dauber to apply the color and it was almost black. This time, I diluted the vinegaroon and sprayed it on with a spray bottle. The color is much lighter, but it is still too dark. If I dilute it any more, the natural color of the leather shows through. Can I bleach it?

[Macca]

dont think so, its a chemical reaction with the tannins in the leather that gives the colour rather than a pigment dye

Also, diluted usually means you get different shades of blue rather than grey

[mlapaglia]

You may find that in a week your deluted section will still turn black. As noted its a chemical reaction not a dye. You will need to get some dye and figure out the right mixture to make a grey. I have not tried a grey before so Im not help.

[NicoleAlaine]

I have been working on a grey dye for some time and have not had a ton of luck so far. If I don't put it on strong enough the natural color of the leather comes through, and if I put it on too strong it is black. I sometimes even get the leather color showing through even if I don't apply full strength black heavily enough. I am going to continue working on this, but I suspect that there is a reason you don't see grey dyed leather very often, unless it is dyed at the tannery. I have never worked with vinegroon, but this has been my experience with dye. Good luck!

[camano ridge]

Because of the chemicl change that goes on in the leather you will not get gray you want with vinegaroon. How ever you will have success with iron and water instead of vinegar. See Will ghormelys instructions on making the hand of god holster http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=50728&view=findpost&p=322986 scroll down to the iron barrel.

[mrdabeetle]

Sorry for the late update. I've been working. The color came out great. My mixture was 8 oz. vinegar with 2 new steel wool (rinsed with hot water). The mix set for a week. I diluted the mix 50% mix 25% water and 25% vinegar. I strained it through a coffee filter and put it in a spray bottle. I misted (is that a word?) the vinegaroon onto the hat as evenly as possible and then freaked out as it started to appear dark grey.

Here's the hat while it is still a bit damp. It dried a shade or two lighter.

[mlapaglia]

Looks good. With that much fresh vinegar in the mix make sure you neutralize the acid with a baking soda/ water bath. You could have problems down the road if you dont kill all that excess acid. Dont go crazy with the baking soda in the water or you could have problems with an alkaline overload. Too much of either thing is not good.

Michael