How Dry Should Leather Be, Before Oiling?

[MrLentz]

Hello,

I just started dip dyeing my leather and I set it out to dry in front of a fan. I am wondering how dry it needs to be before oiling it?

Once I left the leather in front of the fan too long it seems and the leather became pretty stiff and very dry. Is it ok to oil with a light amount of moisture or does this repel the oil from even penetration?

Thanks!

[r lenna]

You can oil any time. I oil just after I finish tooling. Then I oil again before I dye. I use a pro oil dye. I will not dye before the leathers dry. That will cause uneven dyed places in the leather. If you're using a water based dye you need to wait till the oil has a chance to soak in, or wait to oil till after you dye.

[MrLentz]

How about if the leather dries out in front of the fan to the point where it is hard? Should I add moisture back into the leather before oiling?

[oltoot]

My experience has been that oil will penetrate better and achieve a more uniform distribution when leather is slightly moist. In repairing used items, sometimes the only way you can get oil into hardened areas is when it is soft from water.

[MrLentz]

Interesting! I am also having the problem where the leather dries and curls a bit too much. Looks like it even did that after I oiled a moist piece. Is there a way to prevent that by creating some sort of even drying technique?