Help With Antiquing

[amh421]

I've antiqued leather before, but I can't figure out why this looks so patchy... I went over it once, and buffed it off and this is how it looked. So, I thought I should do it again, maybe I didn't use enough or something. I used it again and it looked a little better, but still somewhat patchy. So, finally, I decided "it is what it is" and went ahead and finished with Leather Balm/Atom Wax (which I've used before), then a few days later I noticed that the antique finish was flaking off. Like, flaking in a way that the original color of the leather was showing through. I ran over it with some wool and pretty soon, my counter top was covered in dry, antique flakes!

I've never experienced this before... then I decided to try and take the balm off and re-do it, so I went over it with saddle soap, which removed the balm pretty well. However, now the antiquing isn't in the places I'd like it to be, it's only in the cut lines and background:

So, I decided to try again. I put the antiquing over a spot, let it dry, and buffed it off- and it looks the EXACT same as it did the first time I did it- patchy! Especially in the flower petals:

What am I doing wrong?

* I just realized this should've been posted under another catergory... sorry guys, still trying to figure the forum out. :/

Edited December 28, 2014 by amh421

[NVLeatherWorx]

First question I would have is what leather are you using? And for that I would more specifically ask: who are you buying it from, what grade is it, and what (if any) brand is it? This would, believe it or not, make a very big difference in how this question may be answered in more detail. It is very common for veg-tan that is of the "value" class as well as just about all of the Tandy leather line to have blotchy areas when finishing them; this even happens with dyes not absorbing evenly. Another thing I have noticed over the past years is that you need to pay close attention on how well the grain structure appears on the leather.

I have worked with some beautiful, high-quality veg-tan and found that when there is a grain surface area that appears to be a little tighter (appears to be smoother than the surrounding areas) that the penetration of the dye/stain/antique is not equal and tends to come out lighter than the rest. Most of the time this is just a natural characteristic of the hide and there really is nothing to do about it aside from work around it when cutting (increasing waste) or do what I have done and make it clear up front to every client that each piece of leather will accept dyes and finishes differently and that there may lighter and/or darker spots (depending on the finish technique) which are natural to the materials being used and unavoidable.

Doesn't sound like much help but this is an issue that we may just have to deal with sometimes and I just use it as an added way to promote the fact that I use real leather that has not been specially treated in way to make it appear perfect and that these naturally occurring things are what gives each item its own unique character.

On the issue of the antique flaking after having applied the leather balm, what type of antique are you using? There is a big movement towards the water-based lines of products and I have done some of my own testing and found that they just don't mix well with the more traditional (and longer lived) leather conditioners/finishes that we older (by time in the trade) leatherworkers use. I have seen everything from total color bleaching after applying top finish, to crackling effects, to straight flaking like you have seen. My final findings (for my own personal business use) is to stick with the brand I know and trust and to continue to do things the way that I was taught decades ago. How does that go? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Good luck with this and hopefully it is just a one-off issue for you.

Edited December 28, 2014 by NVLeatherWorx

[thefanninator]

You say "the antiquing isn't in the places I'd like it to be, it's only in the cut lines and background."

I could be wrong but isn't that what antique is supposed to do? Make your tooling and carving stand out.

What has worked for me is in this video...

Edited December 29, 2014 by thefanninator

[amh421]

Thanks for the tips LeatherWorx- the leather I used is definitely Herman Oaks. My family owns a business that sells leather, so I know the good from the bad. I hear ya on that being a factor in the outcome of people's work, that's definitely true, but not the issue here.Thanks for pointing that out

I used Fiebling's Sheridan Brown paste. I think I just didn't do it correctly, I messed up somewhere in the drying/buffing process. And I applied the balm before the antiquing wasn't 100% dried. I wiped out the patchy spot and it looks like the top pic now. I think I'll just call it good. The other thing, in my stamping, I didn't use a textured shader in the flower petals and I should have used the checked beveler MORE in the flower center, so that the paste had more to stick to. On my first project i posted, the antiquing turned out way better - on that one I used a lined pear shader in the petals and used the modeler enhance it. This one here, I mainly used the modeler in the flowers, rather than a textured shader. Live and learn I'll be sure to put some texture in the petals so it'll stick better next time.

Fanninator- I know it's supposed to be in the cut lines and background lol but I'd like it to be where the petals meet the flower center and in the petals also. But like I said above, I think that problem goes back to my stamping. Thanks for the video post!

I'll do another post when it's complete. Thanks guys!

Edited December 29, 2014 by amh421

[Treed]

It somewhat looks like the resist isn't doing the job... It allowed the paste to get in an dye the leather instead of going into the cracks and cuts and laying there. The stamping looks fine.