Fiebings Tan Dye

[jpowell1989]

Bought the Tan leather dye by Fiebing's but it looks way darker than it should. I'm ok with the color but was expecting something lighter. Do I need to continue to buff the hell out of it? Or did I apply too much dye?

[electrathon]

dilute it with alcohol

[jpowell1989]

should i apply it straight to the leather with a cloth?

[electrathon]

I either dip dye things or apply the dye with a piece of sheepskin. I almost always need to dilute it or it will be way dark. Wear gloves.

[jpowell1989]

ok i'll give alcohol a try. I'm just hoping it will not make it splotchy.

[whipstitchwallets]

I use fiebing's tan dye non-diluted all the time, and even after I apply mink oil it isn't that dark. I dip dye and wipe off the excess. Has that item dried for 24 hours?

[jpowell1989]

it has not.

[Chief31794]

I dilute all feibings dyes at least 1:1 some even more except Pro Oil Black, that I leave undiluted. I have cut Medium Brown 10:1 with the 10 being the alcohol, but that was for a particular look. Most of them work and look really nice at 1:1 or 2:1 and it makes the dye more economical. I think that diluting them at least 1:1 makes them penetrate the leather better, but I have no scientific proof of that.

Chief

[snubbyfan]

Give it some time to dry, it should lighten up a bit with time.

The holsters were dyed straight from the bottle and the sheath was diluted.

These two holster were dyed from the same bottle of saddle tan. They're made from two different hunks of leather.

[Jaymack]

I dilute Fiebings tan dye 2:1, and 4:1 when I'm applying antique on top of it.

[Twisted 66]

when your diluting with alcohol what alcohol is best? standard rubbing alcohol?

[TomG]

I use denatured.

[lranger]

I think people use standard rubbing alcohol, but I've always used Fiebings dye reducer.

I don't have lots of experience with dying, but some, and I've never been able to use it straight out of the bottle. I've always cut it 5, 10, even 20 to 1, reducer to dye. If you're applying it with a dauber or cloth, it's going to be very dark and streaky, in my experience. If you keep putting on more coats to even it out, it just keeps getting darker. What I've always done is to weaken it so much that I can apply enough coats to get it even without getting too dark. Absolutely, the only way to do dying is to cut some small pieces of the exact leather you're using on the project, and mix different ratios of dye until you can easily get the color you want. Just make sure you can duplicate the ratios exactly, every time. I use a syringe.

Having said all that, it just happens that I just finished doing some testing with dying by using an air brush. It is infinitely easier and better. I mixed a small amount of Fiebings tan dye, 10:1, and sprayed the leather evenly. It was a very lite tan,,,, perfect. Then, I changed to some darker tan, 2:1, and sprayed around the edges to get a sunburst effect. It was very easy to do, and looked beautiful. With the airbrush, you can easily control how much dye you're putting on the leather, and it doesn't put too much on like a dauber or a cloth will do. I'm in love with this airbrush already. Can't wait to get started on the project I'm testing for, a custom cue case.

[keplerts]

lranger,

What air brush are you using? Where did you get it and what is the cost. I'm about to throw in the towel and buy one.

Thanks,

Tom

[NVLeatherWorx]

Also keep in mind that some of the top sealers that may add over the top of the dyed piece once it dries will remove some color as well, no matter how much you have buffed it. Still, it isn't a bad thing to reduce it and I, like others, only reduce my Fiebing's dyes with the dye reducer that has been blended to match the spirit make-up of the dye. Other substitutes can be used but there is no guarantee that they will be fully compatible with the product.

If you start to dilute, always make your blending adjustment and then test on a piece of scrap leather and allow to dry overnight. Once you buff it the next day you can see where you end up and adjust as needed to where you want to be. And always make sure that you note the blend once you find the hue that you want, just like that favorite mixed drink recipe.

[BDAZ]

I use tan 1:1 with Methyl Alcohol and apply with a touch up spray gun.

I use a few light coats and I allow to dry (10-15 minutes in AZ) in between coats.

Cya!

Bob

[zikman]

I only use fiebings pro oil dyes, diluted with denatured alcohol in my airbrush set up. Check harbor freight for a small pancake air compressor and a quick change air brush set. It's dead simple. Not a fancy airbrush by any means. Best for dyeing pieces one color, not for intricate patterns/designs.

[lranger]

keplerts,,,,,,,, it's an S62 Master Airbrush Kit with a TC-20 Series compressor. I bought it over a year ago and haven't tried it until now. Everything you need comes in the kit. It has a dual action airbrush, which means you can control the amount of flow. I'm lovin' it.

The web site is www.tcpglobal.com. The Air Brush Depot. It's $132.00 on the site right now.

[BDAZ]

Try the Prevail Sprayer, available at home depot...

Cya!

Bob