Black Dyes And Finishing, Share Your Wisdom...

[NakedDog]

I'm making bracelets and cuffs, need some advice!

I've been up all night long until 3am reading a zillion posts on leather worker.net to find out the solution to using black dye and also finishes for leather that will be flexible in a bracelet but not crack, peel etc.

I've discovered the oil based Feibings black dye seems to stay on the vegetable tanned leather far better than the water based one, which I think is probably useless in my line of work. I love the smell of the alcohol based dyes, but they don't seem to stay on any better than the water based. But it's 3am so I could be wrong. I'm ready to trash the large bottles of water based dye, feeling a bit ripped off on this.

Finishes- I have the Feibings Leather Sheen and I have Eco-Flo Professional Finish Clear Gloss. I have to coat the leather very well, at least twice to seal the black dye and that leaves the leather soooooo shiny I need sunglasses and very, very slippery. I don't know if I like this so much yet and it looks like it's sitting on top of the leather so I doubt it's longevity.

(I also have the Bear grease, cool stuff but leaves my braided work very wiggly and soft, seems like it could stretch out easily.)

I'm still confused and lacking an answer, share with me what you believe that works and will NOT allow the black dye to come off the bracelet/cuff when getting a little wet from your hands when you wash them and happen to have this bracelet on, or in contact with wrist sweat.

Zzzzzz

Ilene

Edited February 23, 2014 by NakedDog

[Troy I]

Try pro oil dye with a finish of an acrylic wax...like Mop-N-Glow mixed 50/50 with water...put on 2 to 4 light coats of this mixture. After this your dye should not come off...This is what I use on my holsters and have not had a problem. Another thing I do is put Montana Pitch Blend over top of the acrylic wax, just to help out with weather resistance. Of course let everything dry completely before going on to the next step.

[eglideride]

Kevin, at Springfield Leather, has a pretty good tutorial/video on how to apply black (on their web site), I followed his steps with pretty good success. I did not use black for skin contact though, so I cant testify to that particular application...hope this helps in some way.

[cjdevito]

Two things you might try. First, tandy's pro black water dye. It's my favorite black dye, goes on easily and evenly, doesn't dry out the leather and I haven't had any bleed from it. Haven't tried it on anything that would be worn directly on skin like a bracelet, but it's holding up well on a belt I made my wife a while back. Second possibility that comes to mind is vinegaroon.

[Mudruck]

I would go with vinegaroon. It changes the color of the leather through a chemical reaction and once it has been applied, allowed to react and then neutralized and oiled, I have never had issued with the color rubbing off. Another thing that is nice is that the penetration of th dye into the leather is great because as it soaks in, it dyes the leather inside as well. It may smell pretty git dang bad right out of the gate, but the smell goes away after a day or two.

As for a sealant that isnt super shiny, go with the mop n glo. Dilute it down about 50/50 with water and it will give you a nice mellow finish.

[Doozer]

Sounds perfect! Just what I wanted to know.

Edited March 22, 2014 by Doozer

[NakedDog]

Wonderful!

So I found the Vinegaroon link online, followed the simple directions and I have two bottles in the works right now. I believe you may find it quite interesting to know that there is quite a difference between apple cider vinegar and white vinegar!

The white vinegar has not degraded the steel wool and looks exactly like it did when I set this all up two weeks ago. The apple cider vinegar is dissolving the steel wool into pieces and it looks like the solution has become slightly darker.

(How do I attach a picture?)

Both bottles of Vinegaroon work very well to turn the leather black. At first it's a gray-black but after about three dips with about 5 minutes in between, the leather gets noticeably darker. Rinse, rinse, rinse and add baking soda to neutralize the acids and prevent deterioration of the leather. Then,...once it dries and you oil it up, it's a fantastic black!

One reason I love this approach is for a bracelet that is dyed black with Feibings previously, I've left the flesh underside natural to avoid discoloration onto the skin once worn. Some people don't mind, some prefer it to be dyed all over.

There seems to be a difference of opinion in my house on whether the natural underside looks professional or finished vs. the entire leather black. I like both, personally. But now, it won't be an issue anymore.

What do you know about how this Vinegaroon colored leather lasts and if the color fades with time, unlike Feibings oil dye? If there is a tendency for fading then the dye could be used on the outside of the bracelet.

Love to hear people's experience with this.

Happy weekend everyone!

Go play in your leather studio!

[Mudruck]

I have never had a problem with something that was vinegarooned having an issue with the color fading. Even exposure to the sun hasnt changed the color much, if any, at all. I think it is because it is more of a chamical process then an actual pigment dye.

[ToddB 68]

Mudruck,

With reference to your post #5, dated March 21, 2014, what type of Mop & Glo do you use over the Vinegaroon ?

I Googled "Mop & Glo" and the Link I clicked on showed quite a few different types of mop & glo .

Thanks,

ToddB 68

[Tina]

My experience with black....

I'm using Angelus Jet Black spirit dye. I do have objects I'm using at home, more than 5 years old and still as black as the day I dyed them. I use their own Acryllic finisher ontop and I have not decteted any problems with bleeding either so far.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Tina

[NakedDog]

My Vinegaroon is really working great! I love that it goes into the entire piece of leather and if I decide to trim a piece off, it's still black underneath. How long does it continue to smell like vinegar? I've rinsed well and will oil today, I expect that will help cancel out the vinegar smell.

Also, I'm making bracelets and need a flexible finish that won't crack with the action of wearing the leather around your wrist and repeatedly taking it off. Suggestions....?

If nobody has ideas on this I may just need to oil the leather with neats foot or Lexol and leave it at that.

[Troy I]

The smell will last several weeks...I did a rifle sling about a month ago and I can still smell the vinegar. ..faint but still there...I've had the smell stay for a very long time on some projects...and on some only a week or two.

I would recommend for your finish, something like Lexol or Montana Pitch Blend over top of your oil.

You might also want to try an acrylic wax, like Mop and Glow mixed 50-50 with water...and no more than 2 light coats...try on scrap leather first to see how you like it.

[DavidL]

another thing is angelus dyes leave a chemical smell on the leather that doesn't seem to fade, but is not noticeable unless its close to your face. Unsure if fiebings is the same.