Belting Like A Boss

[Leonidus]

Hi everyone,

Newbie to the forum in need of some sage advice.

I have been working on a number of belt projects on my own with pretty good results (photos attached below). However, I am running into a few issues with finishing / staining. My standard process has been as follows:

1. Tool / Stamp Belt

2. Coat back of belt with Neatsfoot Oil to make it more playable.
3. Stain belt with Deco Flo Prof. Water Stain

4. Once dry, coat stained surface with Carnauba Creme
5. Once dry, finish belt with Fiebing's leather sheen

First question, how are you finishing the back (non-viewable surface) of your belts? Outside of the Neatsfoot application above, I have been leaving mine the natural leather color, mostly for fear that the stain will come off onto the clothes of my friends / clients. That being said, the belt feels unfinished without a bottom stain. Should I just do one coat with a water stain and then seal / condition with another product?

Second question, I have been having the issue of surface cracking on my painted belts (the blue long belts). After completing the process above, the first time I ran my belt through the buckle it peeled off a lot of the edging and stain material which looked awful. I solved the problem partly by rounding the edge of the belt more, but I am still having pealing / cracking around the area where the belt fits into the buckle. The surface looks almost cracked or worn, after wearing it only one time, so in my mind this is a finishing issue. Any ideas? If this is unclear I can take more pics or a video.

Thanks for input. I'm happy to be on the forum.

Leo

[Northmount]

Cut your blank a little narrower so it doesn't rub on the buckle. Skive the buckle end, dampen, then form the belt around the buckle. Then do the painting and finishing. Paint doesn't stretch when the belt is bent sharply.

Nice belts!

Tom

[Leonidus]

Thanks Tom!

I'll give that a go.

Any advice on finishing the underside of the belt? My worry is that the dye will come off on the wearers clothes. How are you finishing that side? I don't mind leaving a belt unfinished on my own projects but feel it looks incomplete for those I plan to sell.

Thanks,

Leo

[Nuttish]

The obvious but more expensive answer is to buy leather like latigo or bridle that has a pasted back that's more or less the same color as the grain.

If you're dyeing, you could try dyeing the back and then waxing the shit out of it with Fiebing's Atom Wax and a iron (no steam) over several layers of paper grocery bags. Atom Wax is a suspension of carnauba wax. Do not use paraffin or beeswax. They won't work. Definitely don't try bowling alley wax. You could also try sealing it with Resolene or acrylic floor polish like Orange Glo 4 in 1. I have a sneaking suspicion that Resolene is actually repacked Orange Glo. You'll have to experiment.

[Boriqua]

When I dye the inside of anything that will touch people I have taken to doing it with the Tandy Pro waterstain. I know its something else to buy and that sucks but of the many things I hate about the new Tandy the one thing I do like is their ecoflo water stains for interiors

http://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/eco-flo-professional-waterstain

For most things I still like the fiebings and have gallons of it but the waterstains I have tried do not rub at all. I used the black for the inside of a shoulder strap and handed it to the wife and worked fine. It also has the benefit of making a nice even finish on the rough side ... something difficult to achieve using solvent dye.

If I use solvent dye for the interior of say a belt I dye it ... then let it dry a day or 2. I then take a damp sponge and some glyceryn soap (neutrogena at the moment) I rub the bar with my damp sponge and then rub the dyed fuzzy side. Once its good and coated I take a piece of glass and forcefully smooth down the fuzzy side. Smooths out to a nice even color quickly. I use a top from a glass jewellery box I got at good will but I used to use the bottom of a butter dish also from good will. So long as it is good and thick. They sell pieces of glass for burnishing at leather supply places for $25 dollars. I got my jewellery box at good will for $2.

After I let that dry overnight I come in and put a coat of resolene ... mop and glo cut 50/50 with water will work as well but has a cleaning agent I think so stick with resolene if you can. No color rubbing. but like I said. for the last 8 months or so whenever I do the underside of a guitar strap, belt or shoulder strap that will stay unlined I have been using the tandy waterstains. I hit it with some resolene just to be sure but I have tested the stain without resolene and have had no rubbing. YMMV!

If you are going to paint your belt with acrylics I wouldnt put anything on the belt first. I couldnt tell if you were using carnuba on the leather before you painted. If I do a big carve on a belt and have wet it a bunch I will put a light coat of neatsfoot oil on it before I paint but I dont touch it for at least 2 days to insure it is well soaked in and then I buff the surface well before I start any application of paint. On a relatively simple design like the one you showed that will require very little water to the leather I probably would just go ahead and paint without the neatsfoot.

I never paint with the acrylics straight from the bottle, tube. I cut them and build up the color. my first coat is usually pretty thin .. almost water color like so I get some good penetration and then build up the colors instead of one thick coat.

Im not entirely sure leather sheen will stick to anything pre treated with carnuba but intuitively I wouldnt think so. I will let someone else jump in there.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Boriqua