Obtaining Multiple Colours Of Leather

[acook59]

Hey guys,

So yes i am new to this leather working thing so stay with me. I've done some research and found a brilliant supplier of all kinds of colours of leather and finishes. But for "belt" like purposes, at 1.8mm thick, it's not really thick enough. So it was suggested i dye veg tanned leather. But can this really be dyed to look brlliantly bright and opaque neon and red and white and all the other sorts of colours, or won't it just look a bit dark and non-vibrant. Is there a way to dye leather by hand to look bright and vibrant. Would acrylic leather paint be an option, or would this just flake off and look terrible? Failing all of this, is there a way to glue thinner leather to thicker leather so as to get a thicker strap thickness of 3mm, without sewing anything together? I'd post a picture but i don't know how to do that

Really need your help,
Thank you,
Andrew

Edited January 23, 2016 by acook59

[Ole South]

Ummm... have you considered chrome tan laminated and sewn to veg? You're gonna have to paint the edges anyway so burnishing is just to get a smooth edge.

[acook59]

Well i was hoping to get away from sewing because i've never done any and i don't own a leather sewing machine. Is there no way to glue them together without sewing? I'd post a picture of what i mean but i don't know how to do it you see.

[Colt W Knight]

If you want bright/brilliant colors, you can airbrush Angelus acrylic leather paints onto the leather.

[acook59]

Oh wow those results are amazing! So what is the finish like? Does it crack or flake off or wash or rub off? Is painting it with a foam brush no good? Have you anymore pictures of the paint? I'm amazing at how good it looks. Would it withstand being made into a belt using that paint, would you paint it before you bent the ends or after?

Edited January 24, 2016 by acook59

[Colt W Knight]

Angelus leather paint is made for customizing tennis shoes. You can look up a ton of videos on youtube about sneakers.

You can brush it on.

[acook59]

Yeah i've watched the videos, but i'm wondering about the flexibility of it in terms of putting it on leather you're going to make into a belt which you then fold over and rivet at the end, would the finish not crack or flake off or is it flexible enough?

[Colt W Knight]

Its never came off my guitar straps, but I apply mine with an airbrush to get nice thin layers. Thick layers of anything are more prone to chip and crack.

And unlike alcohol based dyes, it doesn't harden veg tan leather.

[acook59]

Awesome! Should I apply it before I bend the ends tho? Which airbrush do you use?

[Art]

For a simple setup, the Badger 250-3 kit is a good starting point. There should be a bunch of youtube videos on it. For more detailed work, a Veda 180 is a perfectly capable brush at a reasonable price.

You might want to wet the crease and bend the ends first. There is a tendency for the crease to crack if you don't. Not just the paint will crack, but the grain of the leather might crack also.

When painting, use thin coats and a hair dryer to help them dry faster.

If new at this, you need to experiment to find what works best for you. Acrylic Paint is a forgiving medium, if you make a mistake, you can go back and paint over it, and if you are quick, you can erase with a wet cloth right away.

Art

[Beret]

Acrylic Paint is a forgiving medium, if you make a mistake, you can go back and paint over it, and if you are quick, you can erase with a wet cloth right away.

Ditto this. I also finish my painting with a thin acrylic resolene top coat. I've put my collars through hell too, and no cracking, etc.

Fun tip: Saliva is an excellent emulsifier, even after the paint has dried....