I have a problem I need help solving with finish work

[WoodysWorkshop]

This is the Sheath I'm making my son. I used Dye for the letters, and Super Shene on top.

I then used a few coats of Neats Foot Oil on the back side to bring some softness into the leather. The formed part was soaked in water and clamped to shape, making it very stiff. The Flat piece was not soaked.

It seams the water soaked stiff leather brought the Oil to the surface more than the piece that wasn't soaked.

Now, both pieces are sticky as heck. They have been sitting for 4 days now.

Also, a couple patches for rocket friends. One is dark, and one is light. The dark one is a patch to sew on and I didn't not put anything on the back. Just used Neats Foot Oil.

The lighter one I put  dye on the back as it is a tree ornament for the Xmas Tree. Both were finished on the front side with Super Sheen and the Darker One is very sticky. The lighter one is sticky, but not as bad.

So how and the heck to I deal with this sticky finish now?  It's obvious that it isn't going to go away with time.

I can't ship the patches the way they are, and my son's sheath is useless the way it is.

I need some expert advise on how to deal with this.

 

[alpha2]

I've only recently started using neatsfoot oil, so take this with a grain of salt. "a few coats" of oil may be the original issue here. I use one light coat then let the piece dry for at east a full 24 hours. I don't use any at all on things that are going to be formed wet. 

As to what you can do to solve the issues now, I'll defer to someone more experienced. I'd try some Fiebings deglazer maybe, but that will remove more than the stickiness. You have dye, and stain maybe, and paint to think of. 

[battlemunky]

I think you may be using too many products at a time.

Finishing is tricky and requires the one ingredient I have the least of....patience. Oils will interact with other oils/oil type stuffs and I think that perhaps the NFO may have undone some of the super sheen curing or something and made it gooey. I don't know if it can be undonr but at this point trying deglazer or Heet or 91% alcohol may be able to get rid of some of the tack, I just don't know if you'll be able to do much after that. I don't see it reversing things, just maybe helping remove the gloop.

[WoodysWorkshop]

The Super Shene dried for over a week before I put the oil on.

I don't any deglazer, and like I said before...

I don't have any money so what I have is all I have.

Was thinking maybe putting them in the oven for a few minutes?

[Northmount]

1 hour ago, WoodysWorkshop said:

The Super Shene dried for over a week before I put the oil on.

I don't any deglazer, and like I said before...

I don't have any money so what I have is all I have.

Was thinking maybe putting them in the oven for a few minutes?

Heat depending on temperature will cause the leather to harden and shrivel up.

Too much oil is a big problem.  Try placing in a pan of cornstarch or kitty litter for a few days to absorb the oil.  Stir it around every few hours to put dry media in contact with the oil.

NFO usually darkens leather.  Sometime much darker than you expect.  Always do test pieces to see what works and doesn't work before hitting a project you have put a lot of time and effort into.  Use leather from the same hide as they don't all behave the same.

Tom

[buzzardbait]

 

use the oil before you use the super shene. use light coats on the grain side not the flesh side. give it a few days to absorb be careful not to saturate the leather then use super shene to seal it. 

[alpha2]

THERE'S the info we needed, I told you someone would be along! Thank God for this forum.

[WoodysWorkshop]

I tried washing off the shene with soap and water.

No luck.

I can't think of what to use next to try and wash the sticky off.

Maybe Mineral Spirits, or Lacquer Thinner?

[battlemunky]

Mineral spirits or lacquer thinner is likely to ruin the piece, so if you do know that as a risk. Those are oil based products and likely to make the goo gooier. I wish I knew chemistry better but I don't.

Edited September 12, 2017 by battlemunky

[WoodysWorkshop]

Well, they are pretty much ruined now. No one has come forth with a reasonable solution (without buying something I don't have money for) so what is there to loose at this point?

Edited September 12, 2017 by WoodysWorkshop

[Mattsbagger]

DEGLAZER. A little goes a long way. Can get a 4 oz bottle at Tandy for a col bucks.

[WoodysWorkshop]

50 minutes ago, Mattsbagger said:

DEGLAZER. A little goes a long way. Can get a 4 oz bottle at Tandy for a col bucks.

7.99 plus tax of 6% and shipping.

Comes to $22.24 for 4oz bottle.

Nearest Tandy is 80 miles from me.

It would be nice if someone that has a bottle could give me the make up of the contents. I might have something around here similar that would work.

Have to remember, I am going through SSDI procedures and currently have no income. Living graciously off tax payers contributions and help from relatives.

[Bodean]

22 minutes ago, WoodysWorkshop said:

7.99 plus tax of 6% and shipping.

Comes to $22.24 for 4oz bottle.

Nearest Tandy is 80 miles from me.

It would be nice if someone that has a bottle could give me the make up of the contents. I might have something around here similar that would work.

Have to remember, I am going through SSDI procedures and currently have no income. Living graciously off tax payers contributions and help from relatives.

click the link

http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/25883-deglazer-substitute/

Edited September 12, 2017 by Bodean

[robs456]

Acetone.

Then:

 

[TonyRV2]

We're going to have a few sunny days here in northern MI for the next few days (I'm in West Branch).  Try putting those pieces outside in the sunshine for a few days.  This will lighten up anything that has neatsfoot on it.  In the future, when applying neatsfoot oil, apply only light coats and allow thorough drying.  Too much oil on leather is actually worse than no oil at all.

[battlemunky]

lmao at paint it black.....

@robs456

[YinTx]

6 hours ago, WoodysWorkshop said:

Well, they are pretty much ruined now. No one has come forth with a reasonable solution (without buying something I don't have money for) so what is there to loose at this point?

I get the frustration, I have a few pieces in the bin or on the side waiting for a solution to my screw ups.  I agree that putting the NFO on after the super sheen is probably the problem.  It's possible a bit of saddle soap, which you may have a can of laying around from shoe shine days, or a buddy may have, with a bit of water could help.  Acetones, reducers, mineral spirits, etc. will likely wreck the paint jobs.  A bit of denatured alcohol might do the trick.  If all else fails, yah, paint it black, chalk it up to learning, and put time in again on new pieces, which I find always seem to come out better than the ones I did before, on account of all my "learnings."  At least your leather pieces aren't all that large - I have some sizeable bits that are currently complete fails.  I've started doing practice runs on unusable odd sized pieces and belly leather to try out my ideas on before I go after the final object, because I dislike wasting good materials.

YinTx

[HoundsNest]

I'm new to this group, but have played with leather for years, so I'll offer my two cents.  The suggestion that you put the items in the sun is great - and I'd add that if you put something absorbent under them (like paper towels) in full contact with the porous back side of the leather,  that plus the heat will take out some of the excess oil that has dissolved the sealer.  I'd also suggest that you experiment with using castor oil in future.  It softens leather and gives it a rich translucent look rather than the flat dead brown that you get with most other oils.  An old horseman from Virginia taught me that trick 50 years ago and I still use it.

[WoodysWorkshop]

I used some 92%, not rubbing, alcohol on the items above. Took the sticky stuff off pretty good.

The darker patch lost most of the silver as well and the numbers lost the dark color. Fixable.

At least I can get to stitching the sheath together this weekend.

Thank You All Kindly for the help!

[battlemunky]

Dude, post some pics if you get the chance. I'm interested to see how it is coming along. I'm glad something workable at least, is coming back. Sounded like you put some good effort into it and it sure would have sucked to have to see you scrap it.

[PhilipHN]

Okay coming to this very late, but do you mind me asking why are you using neatsfoot? As someone hugely more experienced than I am said to me recently, neatsfoot is perfect for working-leather, out in all the elements, but not good for anything that will touch clothing because it never really dries and will absorb colour from the leather and transfer it to whatever rubs against it.

[sheathmaker]

On 9/10/2017 at 1:26 PM, WoodysWorkshop said:

1. The Super Shene dried for over a week before I put the oil on.

2. Was thinking maybe putting them in the oven for a few minutes?

1. There's your first mistake.  If you are going to use Neatsfoot or any other oil it should go on first and be allowed to level.  The Super Sheen used first acts as a resist and won't allow the oil to penetrate properly and  cause the "goo" you experienced.

2.  Never a good idea to put leather in an oven, PERIOD.

Neatsfoot Oil should be used very sparingly applied to the grain side only.  It will penetrate all the way through to the flesh side as it levels out, therefor applying to the flesh side is not necessary and should not be done, except in very rare and unusual cases. In every case each subsequent top coat (different product) should only be applied after the previous coat is completely dry or has leveled out.

The foregoing is my personal opinion based on my experience and others may differ.

Paul

Edited November 11, 2017 by sheathmaker

[WoodysWorkshop]

Thanks for the advise.

I put the super shene on one side, the neats foot oil on the other.

I'm a figurin I put too much oil on and it soaked through to the front side and goed the shene.

Lesson learned.

And per the link and advice, I used some household alcohol and scrubbed with an old toothbrush and all turned out well.

I've got 3 other sheaths in the making, but they are on hold as I've taken them as far as I can.

Need to acquire some funds for color to finish.

All 3 are for fixed blades. One I made a mold and formed it, one I used spacers, and the last one I did a fold w/spacer on one side.

One will laced, one stitched, maybe 2 row stitched (by hand) and the last rivited (maybe stitched too) to work on those processes.

[WoodysWorkshop]

8 hours ago, PhilipHN said:

Okay coming to this very late, but do you mind me asking why are you using neatsfoot? As someone hugely more experienced than I am said to me recently, neatsfoot is perfect for working-leather, out in all the elements, but not good for anything that will touch clothing because it never really dries and will absorb colour from the leather and transfer it to whatever rubs against it.

I'm really new to all of this. I learned some 40+ years ago in middle school. After life changing events I no longer have my wood shop, so I'm taking something up to take up my time that I can do in the apartment here.

So it's a learn as I go type thing.

As for color bleeding, I don't think that will happen. All the color I used was paint, not dye or stain..

But good questions!