Need Help With Dyeing Problem

[zzazura]

Hi all, I encountered problem with dyeing leather. I really need advice from the experts on this.

This is so far my 3rd attempts dyeing leather. The 1st and 2nd attempts were okay, but on the 3rd attempts, this is what I've got (pls see pic)...

I use Fiebings oil dye, and after dyeing, I apply Fiebings Tan-Kote. Before dyeing, i did moist the leather

May I ask why do I get those grey spots on the leather. I wonder what went wrong during the dyeing process. I tried using saddle soap to remove the grey spots but it came back after a while.

Please help. Any remedy and answers would be greatly appreciated.

[grmnsplx]

I also had this problem using feibings oil dye - saddle tan.
I dyed one piece and it came out beautiful.

A few weeks later I went to dye a few other pieces. This time I had cut the dye with alcohol (methanol, not isopropyl or ethanol). And It came out like absolute crap. and there was some kind of grey something on it. No Idea if it's fixable or what I did wrong. I guessed it was the alcohol but I dunno...

[Dwight]

Hi all, I encountered problem with dyeing leather. I really need advice from the experts on this.

This is so far my 3rd attempts dyeing leather. The 1st and 2nd attempts were okay, but on the 3rd attempts, this is what I've got (pls see pic)...

I use Fiebings oil dye, and after dyeing, I apply Fiebings Tan-Kote. Before dyeing, i did moist the leather

May I ask why do I get those grey spots on the leather. I wonder what went wrong during the dyeing process. I tried using saddle soap to remove the grey spots but it came back after a while.

Please help. Any remedy and answers would be greatly appreciated.

What process do you use? Frankly, . . . I dip dye virtually everything I do, . . . and never have a problem like that.

And I use Feibings oil dye almost exclusively.

May God bless,

Dwight

[zzazura]

I also had this problem using feibings oil dye - saddle tan.

I dyed one piece and it came out beautiful.

A few weeks later I went to dye a few other pieces. This time I had cut the dye with alcohol (methanol, not isopropyl or ethanol). And It came out like absolute crap. and there was some kind of grey something on it. No Idea if it's fixable or what I did wrong. I guessed it was the alcohol but I dunno...

That's exactly what I was using - fiebings saddle tan oil dye. It seems like we hv the same problem using this dye. I didn't cut the dye with alcohol stuff, but I did apply a coat of fiebings tan-kote. Did u finish it off with fiebings resolene or tan-kote?

[zzazura]

What process do you use? Frankly, . . . I dip dye virtually everything I do, . . . and never have a problem like that.

And I use Feibings oil dye almost exclusively.

May God bless,

Dwight

Hi Dwight, here r the steps I follow

1) moist the leather

2) dye with fiebings saddle tan oil dye

3) seal off with fiebings tan-kote

I use a cotton ball to coat in circular pattern. I apply the same methods on 1st and 2nd attempts but they were okay. So I couldn't figure out what went wrong this time.

[Dwight]

You got me, . . . I cut all my dye 50/50 with Feibings thinner, . . . whatever it is, . . . and dip dye.

No problems,.............. well, . . . almost no problems, . . . saddle tan does sometimes come out darker than I wanted it, . . . but we're talking degrees, . . . not total failure.

I couldn't tell how big that piece is, . . . looks large, . . . try dipping it, . . . worst thing can happen, . . . it's really messed up worse.

Oh, . . . and I never moisten the leather. I know people swear by it, . . . but think about it, . . . leather is differently dense from one square inch to another, . . . you put water into it first, . . . then try to dye it with an oil based product that may displace the water in this square inch, . . . but not over there where it is more dense or less dense. Nahhhh, . . . get it wet, . . . OR, . . . dye it, . . . but don't do both, . . . that's my motto.

May God bless,

Dwight

[AndersenLeather]

You got me, . . . I cut all my dye 50/50 with Feibings thinner, . . . whatever it is, . . . and dip dye.

No problems,.............. well, . . . almost no problems, . . . saddle tan does sometimes come out darker than I wanted it, . . . but we're talking degrees, . . . not total failure.

I couldn't tell how big that piece is, . . . looks large, . . . try dipping it, . . . worst thing can happen, . . . it's really messed up worse.

Oh, . . . and I never moisten the leather. I know people swear by it, . . . but think about it, . . . leather is differently dense from one square inch to another, . . . you put water into it first, . . . then try to dye it with an oil based product that may displace the water in this square inch, . . . but not over there where it is more dense or less dense. Nahhhh, . . . get it wet, . . . OR, . . . dye it, . . . but don't do both, . . . that's my motto.

May God bless,

Dwight

What kind of tray would you use to dip dye that big a piece?

[zzazura]

You got me, . . . I cut all my dye 50/50 with Feibings thinner, . . . whatever it is, . . . and dip dye.

No problems,.............. well, . . . almost no problems, . . . saddle tan does sometimes come out darker than I wanted it, . . . but we're talking degrees, . . . not total failure.

I couldn't tell how big that piece is, . . . looks large, . . . try dipping it, . . . worst thing can happen, . . . it's really messed up worse.

Oh, . . . and I never moisten the leather. I know people swear by it, . . . but think about it, . . . leather is differently dense from one square inch to another, . . . you put water into it first, . . . then try to dye it with an oil based product that may displace the water in this square inch, . . . but not over there where it is more dense or less dense. Nahhhh, . . . get it wet, . . . OR, . . . dye it, . . . but don't do both, . . . that's my motto.

May God bless,

Dwight

Many thanks for sharing. It does make sense. Now when I think about it, it could be the water and the oil dye or tan-kote is forming some weird chemical reaction. I will try one time on a smaller piece of leather without moisten the leather.

Edited March 2, 2016 by zzazura

[Dwight]

What kind of tray would you use to dip dye that big a piece?

Generally, the biggest pieces I dye are flapped western style holsters, . . . or the cartridge belt for that holster. I use the 9 x 13 (or somewhere thereabouts) cake pan I cabbaged from my wife's stash of pots and pans.

I actually have three: one for black, . . . one for browns, . . . one for "others".

I pour something near a quart of dye, cut 50/50 with Feibings thinner, . . . and just snake the piece through it, . . . making sure every nook and cranny gets covered.

And when I say dip, . . . that is very accurate, . . . I do not leave it in the dye any longer than it takes to take on the color by getting wet in it. It takes me all of probably 30 seconds to dip dye a 40 inch gun belt from stem to stern.

Hope this helps, . . . may God bless,

Dwight

[ninety5percent]

Oil and water don't mix. If you use neats foot oil or extra virgin olive oil to coat the leather before you use oil dye it could help even the dye. It will also show you the "hidden" spots on the leather that may not be visible until you apply a dye or stain to it.

[zzazura]

Oil and water don't mix. If you use neats foot oil or extra virgin olive oil to coat the leather before you use oil dye it could help even the dye. It will also show you the "hidden" spots on the leather that may not be visible until you apply a dye or stain to it.

Thanks for sharing! I will try that next time

I tried to remove the grey spots by re-dyeing but it didn't work. The grey spots reappear, and the surface on the grey spots have a fine layer of "powdery" stuff on it. It can be wiped off but it will come back. It's weird. I guess I have no choice but to start on a new piece of leather.

[ninety5percent]

Thanks for sharing! I will try that next time

I tried to remove the grey spots by re-dyeing but it didn't work. The grey spots reappear, and the surface on the grey spots have a fine layer of "powdery" stuff on it. It can be wiped off but it will come back. It's weird. I guess I have no choice but to start on a new piece of leather.

This might be a long shot.... but I have seen some with white residue type stuff on their leather and all they did was heat it up with a hair dryer or heat gun and it just "melted" back into the leather. It turned out it was dried up oils in the leather and it come to the surface of the leather and it kinda look like sweat or salt water residue.

Good luck.