Dye loss

[Wolfpaw]

Hi

I'm very new to leatherwork and have been making a few simple things like bracelets recently. I have been using 'dyed through' veg tanned leather straps but I've noticed that the edges have been bleeding dye if they come into contact with moisture, so I started burnishing the edges using the water technique but still there is a little bleeding. Can anyone give me some advice on how to prevent this and seal the edges  

Many thanks

[Mattsbagger]

Beeswax burnished on the edge will help.

[Wolfpaw]

Thank you. I will try that. 

[Matt S]

Once you've burnished with water burnish again with a thin solution of gum tragacanth, gum Arabic, pearl/hide glue or PVA glue. Then one it's dry buff with beeswax.

[Wolfpaw]

Thank you. With the beeswax, is that a solid hard piece of 100% beeswax or the softer mixed type you get in a tin?

[Mattsbagger]

I do a 50/50 mix off beeswax and parifin wax. Some also add neetsfoot oil. I don't want mine that soft. Just melt the waxes together and pour in a muffin papers and make yourself little pods. Ta. Matt.

[Wolfpaw]

Oh ok I'll give it a go. Cheers

[NVLeatherWorx]

18 hours ago, Wolfpaw said:

Hi

I'm very new to leatherwork and have been making a few simple things like bracelets recently. I have been using 'dyed through' veg tanned leather straps but I've noticed that the edges have been bleeding dye if they come into contact with moisture, so I started burnishing the edges using the water technique but still there is a little bleeding. Can anyone give me some advice on how to prevent this and seal the edges  

Many thanks

Are you using a pre-dyed vegetable-tanned leather or an drum dyed oily leather?  This makes a difference.  The other side is, did you dye the leather yourself or purchase it that way?  Oily leathers tend to release excess dye pigments because they don't have enough absorbing structure to latch on to; if you dyed the leather yourself then oiled it the oil content may be too high which will cause the same issue.  The reality is that if there is too much pigment contained within the cell structure of the leather no amount of burnishing the edges or attempting to "seal" them is going to "stop the bleeding"; this is where the science of this craft comes into play and there are just some things that will prevail no matter what we try and do to prevent them.

If you dyed the leather yourself then you need to make sure that you have buffed off all pigment before you do anything else; when applying oil replenishment conditioning do it in light coats and only enough to reestablish the natural suppleness of the leather (if it feels spongy or stretchy then it has too much oil/conditioner in it and will start to release anything you have applied).  

I am sure that you weren't looking for a science lesson here but there are times where they do come in handy.

Good luck and keep us posted on the progress and results.