Bartender's Friend/ Oxalic Acid mix ratio?

[CaptQuirk]

Anybody else using Bartender's Friend for cleaning leather? What kind of mix ratio should I use? I tried the search function, but with a really bad connection, it literally took 5 minutes to load "0 Results Found".

[thunter9]

wow I watched the barkeepers friend video never know the they are both the same. I've always bought by weigh never knew that the other is oxalic acid . that said I was told that the water will only absorb only so much of the crystals.  I always keep it in a plastic  squeeze bottle with a spout. add a little water add some crystals. you just need to make sure you rinse the thing your cleaning well with clean water and set to the side to be molded or just dry. me I'd mold the leather wipe it down and block it so the surface smooth clean it with the acid then rinse it and let it dry . at least that's how I was taught.

 

[TonyRV2]

About 1 tablespoon of BKF to a pint of water seems to be the usual mix.

...Tony

[CaptQuirk]

@TonyRV2-Thanks!

@thunter9- I'm not sure how much oxalic acid is in it, but it is a large percentage. Kinda like the difference between Neatsfoot Oil, and Neatsfoot Compound. Oxalic Acid is also used by Beekeepers, for cleaning out parasites from the hives. And, honey that the bees make, is used in making Mead, a sort of ancient beer/wine beverage, which is not served by barkeepers. How's that for the circle of life?

[TonyRV2]

Now I understand why I like to drink Mead while working on leather!  If memory serves, I think BFK is 5% Oxalic Acid.

[CaptQuirk]

@TonyRV2- I made some mead once... actually it was Orange Melomel, a Mead with orange in it. It took an unreal amount of honey to make. If I didn't have a bee hive, I would have ended up spending a boatload.

[thunter9]

oxalic acid is fairly cheap I get from Montana leather out of billings MT

 

[Jimmy McLaughlin]

I tried it on a piece of scrap and it seemed to dry out the leather to much.There are a lot of other chemicals in it,Why take a chance, buy some oxalic acid from one of the leather sites or on line. 

 

Jim

[CaptQuirk]

Yeah, oxalic acid is cheap, but then you add several days to a week to get the order in, and it still costs $5-$10 to ship it. If I can get pretty much the same thing around the corner, for about the same price without shipping, and the same day I need it. That's why. I know that I should order it when I order other stuff, but sometimes that doesn't happen.

[thunter9]

so you buy  one or two pounds of the stuff . keep it in a plastic coffee can. make up enough to fill a qt squeeze bottle. plastic and your good to go. I buy it from Montana leather  billings mt

 

 

Edited December 5, 2016 by thunter9

[TonyRV2]

In the for what its worth department....I just looked on ebay and you can get oxalic acid there with free shipping for anyone thats interested.  Prices seem reasonable for a 99.6% purity around 15 bucks shipped for 5 lbs.

[CaptQuirk]

Thanks Tony, I'll look into that! However, I also need thread, and Tandy is having a killer sale on all stamps starting Friday. $2.95 each. I'll load up on all this stuff at that time. Of course, the local Pawn shop has a 1928 .25 cal semi auto I want, and the local gun shop is having a going out of business sale... crap. Anybody need a kidney?

[TonyRV2]

Has the kidney seen much use? 

[CaptQuirk]

Slightly used, but not terribly abused. Still ticking like a Timex