Hard boiling

[Dylan1195]

Can I hard boil my leather first then dye it? 

I'm using 12/13 oz cowhide is there a way to make the leather softer? Because as it is it's quite rigid which works great for after I am finished working with it. 

[MADMAX22]

"Hard boiling" will make it harder. If you need it softer to mold it then you will need to wet it (cold water) or by casing it. This will allow you to mold it to whatever you want for the most part.

[Boriqua]

if you are worried about its current ridgedness in order to form it on a form ... dont .. when you boil it it will become a floppy somewhat slimy hunk when you boil it. It will also thicken some and shrink. I have only done hard boiled 8/9 oz I cant even imagine how thick the 12/13 oz will become.

Cant answer the dying as I never tried it but the leather gets much darker when boiled. I used acrylics on my project after it hardened.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Boriqua

[Dylan1195]

Im assuming you put a sealant over the acrylics to make it hold. 

But I will probably end up using dye.

On another note. What's the proper storage for my leather. I have it just in my closet for now which has made my room smell beautiful. But I live in a very humid environment and the leather is already getting softer by the day which is no problem but is there a point where it does become a problem? 

[Harry Marinakis]

I found that hardening leather makes it almost impossible to dye, even when using black dye.

Boiling your leather is going to harden the leather, not soften it. Back in the medieval period, leather was boiled to make it rigid for leather armor. Look up cuir bouilli. 

So are you trying to boil your leather or soften your leather?

Edited August 23, 2016 by Harry Marinakis