pella Report post Posted January 28, 2008 (edited) i case leather and there is mold on it now...what can i do, is that salvagable? or good for scrap? oxalic acid can remove that? thank for your advices Edited January 28, 2008 by pella Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greg gomersall Report post Posted January 29, 2008 Pella if it is just surface mold white vinegar will take it off and kill the mold spores. If it has ate into the leather itself throw it in the profit pile. Greg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Mclean Report post Posted January 29, 2008 If you try the oxaltic acid make sure you do the whole piece, not just where the mold is. When you use this stuff it changes the way the leather will take a finish or oil. Not sure what it is you are working on, but it is worth a try. If you don't have a source for this let me know and I can send you a small amount it doesn't take very much. Good Luck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pella Report post Posted January 29, 2008 thank you for the help. It is black mold all along the edges and some spots on the grain side, and i decide to scrap it. I will cut a new strap (for a carved dog leash) and be careful that time to use a "clean new plastic bag"... it very tricky. I do have oxalic acid from my father, an old glass amber jar. I will try the oxalic and vinegar to see what it do, as a test on my scrap piece. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yaklady Report post Posted January 30, 2008 Lemon juice can also help as long as the mold isn't too bad. Sometimes black dye is the only alternative. Black didn't help my yak any, he wasn't salvageable. Is that a Rocky Mountain Horse you're sitting on? Kathy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pella Report post Posted January 30, 2008 Is that a Rocky Mountain Horse you're sitting on? No it's a mix of i dont know what, i think belgium horse cross, he's 14hands. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yaklady Report post Posted February 2, 2008 Oh yeah, I see the Belgian in him, but that's awful short for a draft horse! Love the color. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vroom Report post Posted December 29, 2012 When doing a leather project I often find that I don't have the time to complete the tooling in successive days. So, after casing and partial tooling I store my project in a sealed plastic bag. Sometimes I don't have the time to get back to it for several days and when I do it has spots of mold on it. I have tried storing the sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator, but this does not seem to make any difference. Still have growing mold. 1. How do I prevent this from happening?? 2. How do I clean the mold off, stop its growth and prevent it from continuing to grow?? I am currently trying to salvage a project and I have tried two applications of vinegar. First, a weak solution and secondly a stronger solution, then storing it in a sealed plastic bag over night. This didn't seem to help at all. I have now wiped it down with a isopropyl alcohol solution and I have returned it to the sealed plastic bag. I know that I can stop or prevent the mold growth by letting the leather dry out, but I have been told that multiple casings and re wetting cause the leather to stiffen, dry out and make it extremely hard to cut and tool. Any help out there???? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted December 29, 2012 1. How do I prevent this from happening?? Use Pro-Carve from Bee Natural and you will not get mold. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David8386 Report post Posted December 29, 2012 (edited) I have also heard of putting a few drops of listerine in the water you used to case the leather. I have never tried that. I do use a couple of drops of dish washing soap in it. David You are not using the same plastic bag are you? If so trash it and get a clean one. Edited December 29, 2012 by David8386 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted December 29, 2012 I have also heard of putting a few drops of listerine in the water you used to case the leather. I have never tried that. I do use a couple of drops of dish washing soap in it. David When I have ran out of ProCarve Water/listerine/dishsoap is my standby. It smells good when you spray it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vroom Report post Posted December 30, 2012 Thanks guys, your replies give me a couple of more options. I will try the Pro Carve and the listerine to see if I can hold off the mold in the future. In the mean time I have rubbed down my cased leather with Isopropyl alcohol and it seems to have stopped the mold growth. As an answer to the same plastic bag question-Yes I am using the same plastic bag and unfortunately don't have another to substitute. I am traveling right now and it is not convenient for me to get some new ones. But, in the future I will remember that possible cause for the continued mold growth. Just read a post on casing leather and some one there mentioned the use of water, lexol and baby shampoo. This is exactly what my friend Pete Gorrell recommends and I have used it in the past without getting any mold. Just couldn't use it this time around. I have to be real careful because I don't often have the time to tool on consequtive days and get the work done quickly. Thanks again, Larry Vroom Sun City, Arizona Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
