How To Make Leather Dye Using Coffee ?

[morb]

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, hopefully this weekend.

[BDAZ]

The steel wool (iron) in the vinegar (acetic acid) produces ferric acetate which reacts with the tannins in the leather and turns them black through a chemical reaction. It is NOT a dye as the solution is the color of tea and the reaction is almost instantaneous. Ferric Acetate can be purchased but it is very expensive. I have heard that the less expensive ferric nitrate will perform in a similar fashion.

Cya!

Bob

[veedub3]

The steel wool (iron) in the vinegar (acetic acid) produces ferric acetate which reacts with the tannins in the leather and turns them black through a chemical reaction. It is NOT a dye as the solution is the color of tea and the reaction is almost instantaneous. Ferric Acetate can be purchased but it is very expensive. I have heard that the less expensive ferric nitrate will perform in a similar fashion.

Cya!

Bob

We are actually talking about steel wool in coffee not in vinegar.

Morb, I actually did a batch yesterday. I used a dark roast and made the strongest coffee I could. I placed a piece of leather in the batch before bed yesterday. As soon as I get some coffee in me I am going to go to the shop to see what it looks like and I will post pics of the color.

Karina

[BDAZ]

Duh! That's what I get for posting at 2am, BUT coffee is high in tannins and possibly the steel wool is having a similar reaction with the tannins. One trick with vinegaroon is to presoak the leather in very strong tea to add extra tannins to the leather for a better reaction.

Cya!

Bob

[veedub3]

Just made it into the shop. Here is the piece that I placed in the coffee over night. It was 4/5 oz veg tan and I think I placed it in the coffee brew around 5pm yesterday.

It is still wet so I will post another one once it dries to see the final color.

BDAZ you may be on to something, I really would like a darker brown so this weekend I am actually going to try it with steel wool in it. Hopefully I can get a darker brown.

Morb since you said you got a dark brown almost black, I think I am going to try the technique you posted. I didn't boil the coffee, I just brewed the strongest pot of dark roast coffee as possible. I packed the coffee down until I filled the coffee filter to the brim. It was so strong it was giving me a headache. Smelled awful, like burning tar/rubber or something. I am going to take this outside and do it on the stove top on my deck because that smell was in my shop for hours, I had to turn on the roof vents to clear it out. Luckily the leather don't smell bad so I guess that's a good thing.

Karina

[morb]

Karina

Here's a link to the breast collar I made for my horse. The pic doesn't show the color that well but you'll get the idea.

I like the color on your piece, it turned out nice. Be sure to oil it once it's dry, it will make it a little darker as well.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=54753&hl=

[veedub3]

Karina

Here's a link to the breast collar I made for my horse. The pic doesn't show the color that well but you'll get the idea.

I like the color on your piece, it turned out nice. Be sure to oil it once it's dry, it will make it a little darker as well.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=54753&hl=

That color you achieved is awesome! I really wanted mine to be darker so I am definitely trying it out with the steel wool.

I will post a pic of the final color once dry and oiled.

Karina

[BDAZ]

As a suggestion why not brew the coffee with vinegar and then add steel wool, maybe a quarter of a pad, of 0000 and let sit for a couple of days.

Cya!

Bob

[morb]

I read that someone tried that and it turned black like vinagaroon.

[BDAZ]

I guess the coffee would indeed turn black.

Cya!

Bob