Dip dying

[ffjdh]

I am working on a set of suspenders and I am considering dip dying them to get a durable yet even looking dark brown.   I have never dip dyed and am looking for some pointers to be successful.  

 

First, is diluting 50/50 enough for dip dying or should I dilute more?  For flat narrow projects like belts, is the whole item submerged or do you pull the belt through the dye?  If it is submerged how long does the leather stay in the dye?  Do you wipe the items down after dying or let the remainder of the dye soak in?  

 And latesly does anybody have any good videos on dip dying?  I looked but didn't come up with much.

 

 

 

 

[billybopp]

How much you dilute kinda depends on the dye and the result that you're looking for.50/50 is a good starting point, tho.  You do not need to submerge the whole thing at once.  Just get the item under the surface and pull it through relatively slowly .. Maybe 3-4 seconds submerged time for any one section. This way, you can use a relatively small container to dip items.  I lay items out flat on a cut open trash bag for a short time to let them dry as evenly as possible.  Some like to put belts up on edge, and then flip them after a few minutes.  I have wiped items if I see dye pooling in an area.

 

Hope that helps.

[bikermutt07]

Doing straps for a tote I just used a disposable food container. The kind from dollar general work fine. This way you can just put the lid on when you're done.

Mix up a little more dye than you need. The leather will really soak it up. Pat down any pooling areas.

Also, always do a test piece. Spend a little scrap before spending project time and money.

Leodis leather does a video on different dyeing techniques. He's on YouTube.

Good luck and have fun.

[ffjdh]

I tried out dip dying on a couple of pieces of scrap today.  While I was able to achieve a nice even brown, it didn't seem like I got very good penetration with the dye.  I am using fiebings pro dye.  After dipping the pieces for around 6 seconds I let them dry for about 30 min then I took a razor and cut a small slit in the top of the leather.  It appears as though only a small amount of the outer most part of the leather is absorbing dye.  Is their any way to get better dye penetration into my leather?  

[billybopp]

Dilute the dye and submerge longer.

[ffjdh]

I've diluted it to 50/50, dye and denatured alcohol.  Should I dilute it more?

[Red Cent]

Denatured alcohol is just rubbing alcohol with an ingredient added to make alcohol addicts throw up. Seriously. Save money.