What Am I Doing Wrong Here

[eransh10]

I'm trying to use super sheen to resist the antique gel in order to have the gel only (mostly) in the cuts and stamps.
For some reason I'm getting the attached result.

Steps I follow:
One coat of super sheen and than antique gel.

Issue obviously is - why am I getting this stained look (which I'm not after)??
Any help would be appreciated.

Edited January 1, 2016 by eransh10

[TomG]

Well, There should be about as many opinions as there are users . BUT.. I don;t use Super Sheen for anything any more. Super Sheen is water based and I found that almost anything "wet" washes it off. That's what you are probably experiencing..

I use Leather Balm with Atom Wax on top of my dye. Let it dry for an hour or so, buff thoroughly with a piece of fleece, then apply Fiebings antiquing gel. Let that sit for a few minutes and then use a folded stiff rag (like a flat pad) to wipe the surface gel off.

[NVLeatherWorx]

If your leather is still damp when you apply your resist (regardless of what it is) then it won't set into the leather and do the trick; don't know if that was the case here though. When using Super Shene or Satin Shene you need to apply multiple coats (3 is recommended by the manufacturer for proper sealing) or apply it very heavily in the areas that you intend on resisting and then let it dry completely (about 8 to 12 hours) before applying anything else over it. If you are using a water based stain, i.e. the Gel Antiques then you should not have any issues with it but you can not use spirit based products over a water based product as it will work right through it. To use a spirit based product you would need to use Clear-Lac (or similar type item) and treat it the same way when using it as a resist.

Before using ANY of the water based products make sure you shake the living you know what out of it as the ingredients do tend to separate and you won't be getting the results that you are looking for or expecting otherwise; down side of water based products.

Good luck with your endeavors and keep us updated as to where you go next with it.

[eransh10]

Thank you for the tips.

I guess I made 2 mistakes than:

1) applied only 1 coat of super sheen.

2) didn't wait for leather to dry.

[thefanninator]

Dye - dry

Oil - dry

Clear lac - dry

Antique - dry

Tan-Kote dry

Clear lac

Video where I got my technique -

[NVLeatherWorx]

And that is exactly how it should be; allow the leather (or whatever application you just put on it) to dry completely until moving on to the next step. This is an easy thing to do when you have multiple projects on the table at the same time and it makes for a much more efficient operation once you get it down.

[club49]

Thank you for the video, you do very nice work. I have a question. I am doing a belt for a friend. I am stamping ( Vietnam Vet) the belt and I want the letters to stand out a little.I am going to brush Bag-Kote on the letters as a resist. Then I am going to spray a light brown dye, then antique it with Fiebings paste and use Fiebings leather Balm. Will that work? Please let me know if I am doing anything wrong.

Jim

[thefanninator]

The video is not my work. I do follow his technique when antiquing.

I've never used Bag Kote so I can't say if it will work as a resist or not.