holster bleeding into thread color

[ColbyHarrell]

Having issues with the wet mold process. When I wet form a holster my thread becomes a shade of brown from the dye bleeding off into the thread when its wet.... how do I correct that so that the thread stays a nice bright white?

Thanks guys.

[JLSleather]

Options, really.

• Dye the leather a couple days early.  Cut it oversize, dye it, FLUSH it with water, and when it's dry THEN cut out your pieces.  When you  form it, most of the "flushing" has already occured and unlikely to recur.  Pain in the back, but it will work.
• Dye the leather as usual, but when you go to wet form, dip the holster, and then change the water.  Perhaps more than once.
• Try poly thread.. this tends to pick up dye more slowly than nylon (at least, the brands I use are that way).
• Stitch the holster, wet form, allow to dry.  Then cut the thread OUT and RE-stitch with white thread.  Even bigger pain, but it WILL work.

 

 

[ColbyHarrell]

Thank you. I will give something a try.... looks SOOOO nice until I wet form and the flushing turns my white poly to an off white, makes me angry! obviously black on black is no problem but who wants to do everything black??!?!?

[Boriqua]

If I am going to use contrasting thread I dye after gluing the parts together and I let it dry a bare minimum of 24 hours but usually a couple of days. I just set it aside and dont think about it for a couple days. I then buff it until no dye comes off turning my rag often. depending on the dye this could be a few minutes or until your elbow bleeds. I then stitch it and havent as of yet have trouble with dye bleed onto my thread when I go to wet mold. You didn't say what dye you were using but some are more of a problem than others. I gave away almost a full qt of USMC Black because it just never seemed to stop rubbing for me. I hated it. I have some trouble with red sticking well too.

[dellis0709]

Do you apply a sheen to your finish before you mold it or after?

[Boriqua]

Sheen or resolene or whatever finish you choose is the last step.In order to mold the holster your leather needs to accept water fairly evenly and finishing stuff would prohibit that.

Alex

[JLSleather]

I don't think there IS such a thing as a "fix" here. I've bought drum-dyed (at the tannery) leather that was dry for a month, and when you form it, ya git a little bleed out.

And I aint sure what "apply a sheen ta yer finish" means, but yeah.. what alex said.

 

[Colt W Knight]

I ditched USMC black too, Never ended black rub off. The Pro oil Dye black has been a much better product for me.

[Michael Sheldon]

I've had the best luck with black, by using an airbrush to apply it. Good solid black with very little rub-off.

[dellis0709]

Ok. Just trying to figure out how to save this. Its antiqued, and i want to use colored thread. But im thinking it will bleed when i wet mold it. 

[johnv474]

How about coating your thread? After you wax it, if not prewaxed, burnish the wax into the thead by rubbing along it with a paper sack several times. Then, you could probably coat it by running it through diluted 50:50 water:Resolene to give an acrylic "shell". When done, brush the project to clean up the threads.

 

I've also just used saddle soap to clean up after dyeing and sewing, to clean up thread.