Can Resolened Leather Handle The Washing Machine?

[DavidL]

How strong a finish is resolene? I hear its the best finish countless times, but can it handle being washed. The back leather patch (if it was veg tan) on a pair of jeans if it was dyed - buffed - then resolene was added (100 percent with 4 coats with a airbrush) can it handle the washer and dryer?

1. Does resolene work well if it is 100 percent sprayed out of an airbrush or does it have to be cut 50/50 like with a sponge. Does it last the life of the product like how clear coat last on a car.

2. Is there a proper way to seal leather so it can be put through the wash. I have seen full (or top grain) aniline (?) or chrome leather that is dyed brown put through the washer and nothing bleeds out or distorts the fur that is on the interior.

How do jacket companies prevent their leather dyes from coming out even through the wash?

[Bob Blea]

My wife has a carved wallet with a butterfly design that was painted with acrylics, and then antiqued. It has survived three trips through the washer without any damage to the painting, and almost no effect on the leather or antiquing. And it doesn't even have a finish coat like resolene. Since Resolene is an acrylic product like the paints, I would think it would hold up pretty well too.

I would recommend trying your finish on some scrap of whatever kind of leather you are interested in and letting it have a few washer cycles to see how it really holds up. Try a couple of formulations on the same piece including one area that is left natural, to see how it is effected and how it wears. Make sure you try a 50/50 mixture too. Generally Resolene is too strong to use without cutting it with water. You can easily end up with a think plastic-y coating that isn't flexible and cracks easily.

If you do this experiment, be sure to post the results. There are probably many here that would like to hear the results, myself included.

[DavidL]

My wife has a carved wallet with a butterfly design that was painted with acrylics, and then antiqued. It has survived three trips through the washer without any damage to the painting, and almost no effect on the leather or antiquing. And it doesn't even have a finish coat like resolene. Since Resolene is an acrylic product like the paints, I would think it would hold up pretty well too.

I would recommend trying your finish on some scrap of whatever kind of leather you are interested in and letting it have a few washer cycles to see how it really holds up. Try a couple of formulations on the same piece including one area that is left natural, to see how it is effected and how it wears. Make sure you try a 50/50 mixture too. Generally Resolene is too strong to use without cutting it with water. You can easily end up with a think plastic-y coating that isn't flexible and cracks easily.

If you do this experiment, be sure to post the results. There are probably many here that would like to hear the results, myself included.

Thanks for the tip Bob.