Dying Evenly With Eco Flo Professional

[studawg03]

So, I am having some issues with dying using Tandys Eco flo professional dyes. I love the colors and I have found tat the colors are wonderful and go on evenly but when I put the belts on and the leather gets stretched a little it gets veiny looking with the stretched areas looking lighter than the rest. I dampen the leather before dying and apply with a wet sponge before dying and use hermann oak leather. Would stretching the strip before dying help? Any help would be great. Thanks!!!

[Tina]

Where can I start?

Real dye penetrates the leather (all the way if you like) and when stretching you do not get this bad side effect that you're experience.

In my oppinion I think it's a shame to call the product a dye, it's basicly an acryllic paint and only sits on the surface, that's why you get the lighter areas when bending or stretching. You will get the same type product if you take an acryllic paint (artist quallity for the amount of pigments) and delute it with water, it just sits on the surface.

Why not try the good real dyes that you can easily find in your part of the world, you'll notice a huge difference, 2 brands that comes in mind is Angelus and Fiebing, both spirit based...Good Luck :-)

Edited December 3, 2013 by Tina

[studawg03]

Tina,

Thanks so much for your advice. I felt that this was likely the problem but I think I was being stubborn and didn't want to change my whole dying process. Thanks for giving me the push to change. I ordered like 20 angelus colors today. What a great selection of colors. Thanks for your help!!!!!

Stuart

[Tina]

Tina,

Thanks so much for your advice. I felt that this was likely the problem but I think I was being stubborn and didn't want to change my whole dying process. Thanks for giving me the push to change. I ordered like 20 angelus colors today. What a great selection of colors. Thanks for your help!!!!!

Stuart

Angelus dyes is very pigment strong dyes...Get some deluter (like denatures alcohol), you'll need it :-)

Also small glass bottles for all those mixes that you make on your own...

[studawg03]

Hey TIna.

Thanks again! Is there a particular ratio of denatured alcohol/ dye that you typically use most often?

[Tina]

Hey TIna.

Thanks again! Is there a particular ratio of denatured alcohol/ dye that you typically use most often?

In one word, no.

Most of my use of the dye is small/er details, I simply poor some dye in one ens of a plastic coated paper plate and some deluter at the other end. I blend as I go along somewhere in the middle, sometimes 10-1, sometimes 1-10 and everything in between. If I need to blend then a second/third color goes on the plate too...I use very small amounts at a time.

My best advice is to make several layers ontop of each other until you're happy (let dry in between) This is the way to get "most control" over the dying process and the biggest chans to be very happy with the end result.

If you use a color a lot, mix your own and keep it in a glass jar for easy access :-)

[knazim]

I would disagree with Tina on this one. EcoFlo Professional Dyes are not like acrylic paints and don't just sit on the surface of the leather. You are probably confusing them with Tandy's regular ECO FLO dyes.

I use Eco Flo Professional Dyes everyday on products that I make and I have not encountered the issue that OP listed in her message. You need to put your dye in several layers with a dauber or sponge.

Regards

KN

[camano ridge]

I would have to agree with knazim. I have used the ECOflo PRO dyes for over 2 years. They are water based with no acrylic in them. I have been very happy using it. I also have angelus dyes and agree that they are very intense colors and need to be thinned. My questionfor the OP is what part of the hide are your belts being cut from the belly or the backs?

[Cyberthrasher]

In Tina's defense here, I was recently talking to someone who was complaining about having to adjust to using Fiebing's Pro Oil because it's actually liquid and she's used to using the Eco Pro black that's extremely thick like gelatin. I didn't believe her, so she proved it to me with a photo of it in a ball shaped blob on her table.

[studawg03]

Hey Guys!

thanks so much for all your advice. I use only Hermann Oak Belt Bends. When I finish dying the belts and then put a wax on it it looks great but as soon as I bend it to a circular shape to make a belt it looks lightned in the areas that have gotten stretched. I initially wet the surface of the leather and apply with a damp but not wet sponge. I apply dye with a sponge but I don't shape the belt into a circular fashion until it is all dry and has been finished and polished. I wonder if my biggest issue is that I need to curve the leather while I dampen the leather with a sponge to allow more access to more fibers of the leather. I really do like the richness of the Eco Flo Professional dyes. They are like nothing I have ever seen. I have never had this problem btw with the black dye. That color is truly amazing and will not rub off on clothing at all. Has anyone ever tried dying with angelus as a base coat and then putting the Eco Flo Professional dye on top or is that a terrible idea for consistency? I do like the fact that the water based Eco Pro seems to moisturize the leather as it soaks in as well.

[studawg03]

I would disagree with Tina on this one. EcoFlo Professional Dyes are not like acrylic paints and don't just sit on the surface of the leather. You are probably confusing them with Tandy's regular ECO FLO dyes.

I use Eco Flo Professional Dyes everyday on products that I make and I have not encountered the issue that OP listed in her message. You need to put your dye in several layers with a dauber or sponge.

Regards

KN

Do you tend to prefer the dauber or the sponge for your belts?

[camano ridge]

CYber thrasher, not sure if something happened to her dye. as I use the Ecoflo dye as my exclusive black dye it has no to very little rub off unlike USMC black. My Ecoflo Pro black is liquid not thick or gel like at all.

Studawg03 I prefer to use a sponge, just my personal preference. I have more of a problem getting an even coat with a dauber.

[knazim]

Try doing a dip dye forv your belt black. Maybe that would give you better results.

[Sylvia]

I have to wonder if your belt blanks are old or dried out leather.... just saying

[studawg03]

I have to wonder if your belt blanks are old or dried out leather.... just saying

They are new strips cut from a hermann oak entire belt bend from Springfield leather but it seems as if only this hide is the one that has given me trouble so far so it could just be this hide and be dried out.

[Sylvia]

Why not give SLC a call and see what they think.

[cjdevito]

CYber thrasher, not sure if something happened to her dye. as I use the Ecoflo dye as my exclusive black dye it has no to very little rub off unlike USMC black. My Ecoflo Pro black is liquid not thick or gel like at all

Yeah, I've got to echo that. I like all the pro line, but their black in particular I absolutely love and it's my go-to black dye. Goes on smoothly, evenly and no rub off at all. Your friend might have just gotten a bad bottle, the quality control does seem to be a little less than perfect.... I bought a bottle of tan when they first launched the line that turned out to actually have their wine color inside it instead, so I can believe your friend got a bottle that was less than perfect.