Resolene Problem.

[venator]

So about half the time when I attemp to resolene a dyed piece of leather it destroys it. Streaks, mystery colour changing, it's bizarre. I'm using various tandy pro water stains and antique gels.

The pic below was from today, it was a tan dye job, now it's garbage.

I put on two coats of dye, let sit for a day, Polish with a cloth, and it looks great. Add resolene and its garbage.

Help?

[Basically Bob]

Man, that has got to be frustrating. I have never had a problem like that but don't use water based dyes.

I get really good results with the following method:

1) cut the resolene 50/50 with water

2) wet a sponge (I normally use something about 3" x 3") and squeeze the water out of it so that the sponge is just damp)

3) wrap the sponge with a soft cotton cloth

4) dip the cloth wrapped sponge into the diluted resolene and squeeze it out so that the cloth is just damp

5) wipe the item with a continual stroke, in one direction, very, very, lightly

6) wait for an hour or so, until it is dry and then repeat

I find that three coats like this is sufficient to seal the dye and yet it does not alter the feel of the leather

Once I have coated the leather to my satisfaction, I let it sit at least overnight before I flex or work with it.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Basically Bob

[BDAZ]

Like dissolves like, so resolene being a water based acrylic will tend to dissolve any of the water based dyes you have used. Use a solvent based sealer on water based dyes.

Cya!

Bob

[Sluggo001]

Bob is correct. Resolene is OK for oil dyes, not water-based dyes.

[Chief31794]

I use Resolene on Water Base and Spirit Based dyes, never had a problem, particularly not anything like the pictures here. That looks like something else all together. If Resolene caused that, I'd throw the bottle away, it's gotten contaminated or something. Resolene is water based itself.

Chief

[cgleathercraft]

Out of curiosity, which dye did you use on the pieces in the picture? Was it the pro waterstain?

[texback]

My questions would be how did you apply the resolene and how many coats did you use and how soon between coats. The way it's streaked looks like it might have been brushed on and with multiple coats . Try applying resolene cut 50/50 with an airbrush. One light coat, let sit an hour or so then another light coat and let sit for 24 hours. If you wish to build up the resolene just apply more light coats. Just give it time between coats. This method works well for me.

[Green Man Leatherworks]

HELP!!...Ok, so I had the same problem...resolen sealcoat over water based dye. I won't do that again but does anyone know how to fix it? Is there a stripper of some sort that can be used? Then Maybe I could restain properly. I hate to throw this out or leave as is. WAS turning out to be some of my best work. HELP, HELP, PLEASE!

[Green Man Leatherworks]

Ok, here's the mess...any suggested means of fixing? Stripper of some sort?

[silverwingit]

I hate Resolene for this reason! I will never use it again.

After all the positive recommendations about Resolene I made a tooled piece that I worked on for hours and then I antiqued it with Fiebing's antique paste. I made the mistake of applying 50-50 Resolene with a piece of sheep's wool. The Resolene dissolved the antiquing and the wool spread it all over the piece, including areas that it wasn't supposed to go on. The piece was totally ruined.

I was absolutely crestfallen! I actually retrieved the piece from the trash when I got an idea. I decided that "stressing" the piece might cover my mistake so I took the piece and kicked it around the pavement in the street in front of my house. Since I had made the piece for myself and actually had thrown it away once, I wasn't too worried about the outcome. To my surprise, it actually turned out quite well. It now has the appealing look of a well-worn western saddle.

But, lesson learned! (YMMV)

Michelle

[Dwight]

I've used Resolene for however many years, . . . have never had a problem like that.

Here is my process:

1. Cut the resolene 50/50 with water, . . . stir it well, . . . keep it in an air-tight container.

2. I use a cheap, 1 inch bristle brush from Harbor Freight, . . . and while I do not put it on "sparingly", . . . I don't "slop it on" either. Maybe kinda like painting with water colors???

3. I have enough of it to brush it around, . . . and create a bit of bubbles, . . . sort of like a froth, . . . just not too much.

4. I then brush it back and forth, up, down, left, right, etc, . . . till the bubbles disappear.

5. I hang it in a warm spot to dry, . . . and I'll go in and mess with it in sometimes a couple of hours, . . . sometimes it takes a bit longer, . . . depending on weather and humidity. I always flex it back and forth within 6 to 8 hours, . . . found out that will prevent any cracking. Hate it when that happens.

6. FWIW, . . . I did have a belt crack badly on me one time, . . . and I did a little "experiment" so to speak. I took an old piece of a tee shirt, . . . got it wet in acetone, . . . and rubbed the whole belt like I was buffing the black after dyeing it. It took some of the resolene finish off, . . . and I was able to re-coat it and save it. I think part of the success might have been that I got to it before it got fully cured, . . . but at least in that one instance it did allow me to salvage an otherwise candidate for the round file. Have not tried it since.

It does not leave a Fashion 500 finish, . . . but it is a good finish, . . . sometimes there are some little streaks, . . . but they are indentations in the finish, . . . not color changes like the OP had up there.

BUT, . . . resolene DOES darken every thing you put it on, . . . except black. It is a predictable darkening after you've worked with it a while, . . . but it is not a neutral finish, . . . it WILL darken the piece you put it on.

I've tried a bunch of others, . . . keep coming back, . . . have never had a customer give me the business over the finish.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited March 21, 2015 by Dwight

[thefanninator]

I'd just throw away the Eco-Flo.

Buy Fiebing dyes and then Tan Kote.

[BDAZ]

I'd just throw away the Eco-Flo.

Buy Fiebing dyes and then Tan Kote.

Any oil or alcohol dye works well. I use a $14 detail spray gun from Harbor Freight and put on a moderate coat. Enough so there is some pooling in the depressions, but the Reso dries clear and totally protects any coring or overlay paint I may use. I would NEVER use it with any water based "Eco" dyes. For that you need a solvent based sealer.

Cya!

Bob

[venator]

Any oil or alcohol dye works well. I use a $14 detail spray gun from Harbor Freight and put on a moderate coat. Enough so there is some pooling in the depressions, but the Reso dries clear and totally protects any coring or overlay paint I may use. I would NEVER use it with any water based "Eco" dyes. For that you need a solvent based sealer.

Cya!

Bob

What's an example of a solvent based sealer?

[BDAZ]

http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=431

Just an example. Typically anything is a spray can will be solvent based.

Cya!

Bob

[Northmount]

Water is the universal solvent. So describing a finish as solvent based does not say what the solvent is. A lacquer type finish uses acetone or similar petrochemical solvents. A water based finish uses water as the solvent. Most petrochemical solvents will soften or dissolve many water based dyes and finishes.

Before applying a finish, water based or petrochemical based solvents, make sure the dye has properly dried and buff the surface until no more pigment lifts off. Then apply your finish. Avoid too much scrubbing action, or you may lift some dye back to the surface and spread it around. Water based finish on water based dyes don't usually lift too easily. But lacquer types will lift water based dyes quite easily.

So air brushing light coats rather than a scrubbing action is less likely to get you into trouble. Air brushing or sheep skin applicators or brushes work. They all take some practice to work out the best method for your type of work. So do some experimentation, develop what works for you, then stick with it.

Tom

[BDAZ]

Water is the universal solvent. Right!? Try dissolving plastic in water..ain't nothing universal about water as a solvent. I am in the soy solvent business and hold patents in solvents.

Nomencature in many fields INCLUDING leather differentiate between water based and solvent based products, solvent referring to a high VOC solvent like alcohols, Acetone or various other solvents.

Most petrochemical solvents will soften or dissolve many water based dyes and finishes.

The reason this MAY occur is that there is often water in the solvent. it may be 10% or less but it will have an effect.

Please do your homework before hitting the submit button.

Cya!

Bob

[silverwingit]

I don't want to seem argumentative but any high school chemistry student learns that water is indeed the universal solvent.

Michelle

[Northmount]

Water is the universal solvent. Right!? Try dissolving plastic in water..ain't nothing universal about water as a solvent. I am in the soy solvent business and hold patents in solvents.

Nomencature in many fields INCLUDING leather differentiate between water based and solvent based products, solvent referring to a high VOC solvent like alcohols, Acetone or various other solvents.

Most petrochemical solvents will soften or dissolve many water based dyes and finishes.

The reason this MAY occur is that there is often water in the solvent. it may be 10% or less but it will have an effect.

Please do your homework before hitting the submit button.

Cya!

Bob

The point I was making is that water is a solvent, so a solvent based finish doesn't tell much about the type of finish.

For your edification here are a couple links you can look up.

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/solvent.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_solvent

You could do a Google search and find many more if you are so inclined.

Our purpose here is to help members and visitors learn and develop their craft and abilities. Think about it, then review your comment.

I think we all know that there is no universal solvent that will dissolve all types of materials. If there was, what container would you keep it in?

From my limited experience, acetone doesn't contain water, but will still lift water based dyes.

Tom

[theclarkkids]

do you have to use resolene on a dyed leather product?   if i was dying something black do i have to seal it? or can you just leave with the black and touch up now and then?

[BDAZ]

I seal ALL dyed leather, and I only use alcohol based dyes. Resolene is my sealer of choice, one or two coats, but there are many to select from. Resolene, like all acrylic paints and finishes polymerizes as it dries and forms a plastic finish over the dyed leather. There will always be some excess be some pigment or dye left on the surface which will rub off, possibly on clothing or furniture, so sealing is a good idea.

Bob

[axmay]

Water is a solvent. Just because plastic doesn't dissolve in water means nothing. Liquid CO2 is a solvent and it won't dissolve plastic. The properties of the solvent and its target are both relative. There are compatibility issues and incompatibility issues that's all. 

[RockyAussie]

14 minutes ago, axmay said:

Water is a solvent

Dammm....I been drinkin that stuff.......I knew it wasn't the beer

[Mel99]

I’ve been having the same issues with resolene so I’ve tried spraying it. Mixed it 50/50 water sprayed it on and now it looks speckled. I can actually feel the resolene as I run my finger over the belt. Did I not put enough on the belt or to much?

[Dwight]

I've been using Resolene for about 14 years, . . . NEVER had but one problem with it, . . . a couple times I put on too many coats.  Other than that, . . . as Paco Pedro used to say, . . . "No Problemo".

I first mix it 1 to 1 with tap water, . . . shake it up every time I use it, . . . keep it in a Skippy peanut butter jar with the lid tightly closed.

Second, . . . ALWAYS rub whatever you are doing to get any loose pigment off it, . . . I like paper towels, . . . old cut up tee shirts, . . . old cut up PJ's.

Third, . . . I use a cheap, . . . Harbor Freight 50 cent bristle brush, . . . about an inch wide, . . . start brushing it on left and right so it gets a good liquid coat on my project, . . . continue brushing left / right / up / down / oblique angles, . . . making sure I had enough product to get a little "froth" of bubbles all over the project.   

Once that is achieved, . . . continue brushing until all the bubbles disappear.

Hang up to dry, . . . if it is a product that will flex, . . . come back in about 20 minutes and flex it gently.

Otherwise, . . . it is ready to use in 12 hours or so in 70 degree atmosphere.

NEVER had any real issues with anything other than that mentioned above.

May God bless,

Dwight