Has anyone tried this?

[wolvenstien]

Thinking about water proofing outdoor use leather products such as motorcycle items, it occured to me, i have a parifin wax bath thing that was bought some years ago but never really used.... how would the leather do if dipped after antiquing or dying?

[Hidemechanic]

Not sure, but antiquing is kind of waxy so I'm not sure if it would fade your antique. I presume you are talking about vege tan. For some items I use hot stuffed waxy latago which is impregnated with wayes and oils at the tannery. I bet it would be messy to do at home. As for tooling, if that's what you're wanting to do, latago doesn't tool much like non-oiled vege.I've never done a full basket or anything but I have done border stanps and it takes it pretty well. The saddle pics here(sorry for the poor shots and lighting) are of an endurance saddle i build using amost all waxed latago. All borders have that little rose X tool(craftool D616). I think it would be great for bags, cause all you have to do to treat the stuff is rub on some mink oil now and then. GH

[howardb]

Paraffin as it is in the bath ain't the same stuff as finishing waxes. Probably not even the same compounds. Paraffin = candle wax and is hard & flaky. Mixed with other things and solvents it might be made into finishing wax, but not as-is.

Brent

[wildrose]

I used Aussie Wax on my English saddle and it restored it beautifully, also kept the dust off it longer. I'd recommend it.

[Hedge]

I used to hang around with a group called the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). They used paraffin on their leather. But, the

purpose was to make it hard and to hold shape for leather armor. It doesn't give you the nice result I think you're looking for. Not

only that, but melting paraffin and hot dipping can be a hazardous activity. Those are petrol vapors you'd be exposed to...very flamable.

Best bet would be a good water proofing cream containing bees wax like the Aussie wax wildrose mentioned.

Gary

[SCOUTER]

Wolvie- Brent is right on... Paraffin is hard candle type wax. Melted it is like candle wax but if put on flexible leather it will crack. I teach my scouts that we don't want to "waterproof" leather... The whole reason for using leather in the first place is it's ability to exchange vapor. If you "waterproof" boots for example, you will sweat so much inside that your feet will be wet anyway. The use of leather on motorcycle goods is just for tradition and aesthetics. Vinyl would be a much better choice but you deal with the factor. Truth is that we try to adapt leather to do everything.

[leatheroo]

i like my quivers to be waterproof and have been using this product for years

http://www.belpard.com.au/ProductDetails/906/Renaissance

It keeps the leather soft and supple but repels water...it also brings out the color of the dye more (the photo is on undyed leather)...it can be buffed to a nice shine ....a little bit goes a long way!!!

[The Major]

After your finishing, give it a couple coats of Pecards leather dressing.

[Sharpshooter]

I do a lot of sheaths for "hard use" in the woods and several for active duty military.

We've tested several "wet proofing" treatments including the time tested paraffin hot waxing.

Paraffin actually seems to work well... for a while.... then the sheath deteriorates quickly compared to one that didn't get a hot wax job. I'm thinking it's partially the "Hot" and partially the fact that paraffin is a petroleum product so it may well be damaging the leather fibers.

What I have arrived at is Obenauf's LP. There are no petroleum products in it only natural oils and Beeswax/Propolis.

Great stuff.

[pete]

Montana Pitch Blend. Pure pitch and beeswax.

pete

[Duke]

what I do with my leather goods is oil it down with Bee naturals #1 saddle oil, let it sit for an hour or two, and then treat it with thier RTC. this provides a finish which seals in the dye and helps resist moisture. check it out, its worth it. bee natural has some very good items on the market for leather goods, including leather amore, and pro carve casing concentrate.

[fishguy]

Montana Pitch Blend. Pure pitch and beeswax.

pete

Some mink oil in there too

[Rayban]

I've always found it kinda amusing how folks are so afraid of their leather getting wet....after all, the cow stood out in the rain half of it's life....and we wet the leather to stamp it, carve it....wet mold it....etc.......if it gets wet, let it dry, oil it and get over it....

[Timothy]

I've used plain beeswax to make hot wax to treat boots and saddles. You can get it at craft stores for about $15 a pound in the candlemaking section. All I've used on saddles for years is cheap (generic brand) olive oil after learning that from a saddle maker. When I was doing a lot of riding in the rain I would melt beeswax into the oil as a final coat to seal the leather. I also use the same mixture exept thicker ( less olive oil) as my boot oil in the Winter and spring when mud gets deep around the barn. Idon't mind the leather getting wet but wet feet just ruins my day. Wipe it on and use a hair dryer to melt it in. It doesn't darken leather as bad as mink oil, and buffs better.

As for parrafin I was taught never to use petroleum products on leather.

Check out the sno seal website. They have good info on waterproofing.

http://www.atsko.com/products/waterproofing/sno-seal.html

Boot care article:

http://www.atsko.com/articles/footware/boot-care.html

Leather care article:

http://www.atsko.com/articles/footware/pro...ng-leather.html

Hope the links work. It's the first time I've tried to post them. Sorry to get long winded. My day job is selling boots and hats. I see lots of leather that's not taken care of properly so I made it a point to learn about the subject. I hope this helps.

Timothy

[okie44]

I have used a mixture of parafin, and mink oil on several holsters. Used 2 boxes of parafin and 1/2 bottle of Tandy's mink oil. Heat it in an old crock pot to about 220 F. and dip the holster after it has been finished. I carry a small pistol in a wallet type holster, and I sweat a lot, which causes the gun to rust, after awhile, from all the salt. I also some times heat the holster about 2 min at 180 to 200 deg. in a toaster oven, then dip it while it is still hot. Using veg tanned leather, and it will get very hard. The wax soaks in to the leather, and does not come off when rubbing the surface. This same process works on latigo leather, but it only gets a little stiffer, and not hard. I'm not worried about waterproofing the leather, just protecting what's inside it. So far, I've not had any problems with leather deteriration.

Hope this helps

[Bree]

I am a fan of mink oil with some Aussie wax I use on my oilskin coat. I keep my mink oil in the fridge until I need it which prevents it from going bad. I do a lot of riding and more than my share of it in the rain. But I'll tell you one thing... ride 750 miles in the rain at highway speed and in my experience there is nothing that will "waterproof" your leather. Water is almost certainly going to get in... maybe not a lot but there will be some leakage.

I think it is best to start with leather that is oil/wax treated in the drum, if you want to really repel water. Then keep it well treated to maintain its resistance to water.

My $.02.

[TwinOaks]

Ragweedforge(dot)com has instructions for hardenining sheaths using parafin and oil in a hot bath. That, with other comments here, makes me think that it probably isn't the best idea for riding gear.

Edited August 19, 2008 by TwinOaks

[wolvenstien]

Wow.... I posted this back in January, and totally forgot abotu it.... LOL.

The wax that is in the bath is a very soft, non flaky wax. It is formulated to be used on skin.... you put the wax int he bath, turn it on, and let it melt, then put your feet, hands, elbows or whatever you want into the mix, leave them there for a minute or two (not so hot to burn you) and pull out, allow the wax to harden and either dip again to add more coats, or not.... then cover with a plastic bag, wait 15-30 minutes and remove bag and wax.... put wax back into the tub, and reuse.....

with this wax being flexible, is why I considered it as a low cost water proofing method....

[JustWakinUp]

Wow.... I posted this back in January, and totally forgot abotu it.... LOL.

The wax that is in the bath is a very soft, non flaky wax. It is formulated to be used on skin.... you put the wax int he bath, turn it on, and let it melt, then put your feet, hands, elbows or whatever you want into the mix, leave them there for a minute or two (not so hot to burn you) and pull out, allow the wax to harden and either dip again to add more coats, or not.... then cover with a plastic bag, wait 15-30 minutes and remove bag and wax.... put wax back into the tub, and reuse.....

with this wax being flexible, is why I considered it as a low cost water proofing method....

I use what Paul Cox uses for water proofing. It's actually called motorcycle leather dressing.

[UKRay]

IMHO, my two cents would have to be spent on Skidmores - it does exactly what it says and waterproofs better than anything else I have tried. It isn't expensive and is made from good natural materials. Well worth a try I think. They ship pretty well anywhere too.

[whinewine]

I use what Paul Cox uses for water proofing. It's actually called motorcycle leather dressing.

Actually, it's the same as regular Pecards' dressing- just put up in a different container, marketed to the cycle crowd. I know, because I emailed & asked the difference between regular & the mc dressing. Under whichever label, however, it's still fantastic stuff.

russ

[okie44]

Wow.... I posted this back in January, and totally forgot abotu it.... LOL.

The wax that is in the bath is a very soft, non flaky wax. It is formulated to be used on skin.... you put the wax int he bath, turn it on, and let it melt, then put your feet, hands, elbows or whatever you want into the mix, leave them there for a minute or two (not so hot to burn you) and pull out, allow the wax to harden and either dip again to add more coats, or not.... then cover with a plastic bag, wait 15-30 minutes and remove bag and wax.... put wax back into the tub, and reuse.....

with this wax being flexible, is why I considered it as a low cost water proofing method....

I have one of these baths, and it is called a paraffin bath. The wax in it is a scented paraffin that melts at a low enough temp. to not burn your hands. I don't know if I would use the scented wax on my holsters, but normal paraffin should work. I think it works better when mixed with the mink oil tho. I use the crock pot because it is bigger, and I want the higher heat to help harden the leather. This only works on veg tanned leather. Latigo, will absorb the wax, and become a little stiffer, but will not harden, no matter how hot I get it. I agree that this would not be best for straps or harness leather. I use it to harden holsters and knife sheaths only. I haven't tried it, but have read that on objects too large to fit into the bath, you can heat the leather at about 180 deg in an oven for about 2 min. and then brush the hot wax on the surface. While the leather is still hot, it will absorb the wax.