Members Dwight Posted January 17, 2018 Members Report Posted January 17, 2018 I don't want to sound mean spirited, . . . but quite frankly I've been using Resolene for well over 10 years now, . . . NEVER have I had a serious "brush stroke" or "streak" problem. I use cheap bristle brushes bought at Harbor Freight . . . rinse it out after each use, . . . usually it lasts a month or so and then the bristles start falling out so I pitch it and get a new one, . . . they're about 50 cents each. I use 1/2 resolene and 1/2 water mixture, . . . brush it on fairly thick to start, . . . brush quickly to get a "lather" of bubbles all over the area I'm working, . . . then very lightly brush left / right / up / down / oblique left / oblique right, etc., . . . until there are no more bubbles. It is a satin finish, . . . if I want more shine, . . . add another coat. THIS has always worked for me, . . .i have the compressor and air brush, . . . just too much aggravation and trouble to use it when I can get great results with a brush. Especially with it being 8 degrees outside, . . . and I'm just not uncorking a spray gun inside without a spray booth, . . . which I don't presently have. Practice it a bit on some scrap, . . . May God bless, Dwight Quote If you can breathe, . . . thank God. If you can read, . . . thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran. www.dwightsgunleather.com
alpha2 Posted January 17, 2018 Report Posted January 17, 2018 (edited) See? Now that's the kind of stuff I hang out on here to learn. I figured there had to be a technique that worked, I just hadn't found it yet. I'm trying that soon, maybe today. I'm just finishing up a hat-band that I practiced my first ever "arrowhead backetweave" stamping on. Thanks, Dwight! Spraying Resolene is a time consuming affair. Even if it is 24 degrees here, instead of 8. Kinda balmy, if you know what I mean. Edited January 17, 2018 by alpha2 Quote So much leather...so little time.
Members f1humlam Posted January 17, 2018 Author Members Report Posted January 17, 2018 19 minutes ago, Dwight said: I don't want to sound mean spirited, . . . but quite frankly I've been using Resolene for well over 10 years now, . . . NEVER have I had a serious "brush stroke" or "streak" problem. I use cheap bristle brushes bought at Harbor Freight . . . rinse it out after each use, . . . usually it lasts a month or so and then the bristles start falling out so I pitch it and get a new one, . . . they're about 50 cents each. I use 1/2 resolene and 1/2 water mixture, . . . brush it on fairly thick to start, . . . brush quickly to get a "lather" of bubbles all over the area I'm working, . . . then very lightly brush left / right / up / down / oblique left / oblique right, etc., . . . until there are no more bubbles. It is a satin finish, . . . if I want more shine, . . . add another coat. THIS has always worked for me, . . .i have the compressor and air brush, . . . just too much aggravation and trouble to use it when I can get great results with a brush. Especially with it being 8 degrees outside, . . . and I'm just not uncorking a spray gun inside without a spray booth, . . . which I don't presently have. Practice it a bit on some scrap, . . . May God bless, Dwight Awesome! I was thinking using an air brush would also be kind of hard since what I am really focused on are small leather projects such as watch straps and wallets at the moment. Do you just take the bottle of resolene and mix with the water as soon as you get it and work from there or mix on a project by project basis? Quote
alpha2 Posted January 17, 2018 Report Posted January 17, 2018 (edited) What I do, is thin about half of the bottle, so I have some full strength available if I need, but now that I think about it, I've never yet used it full strength. So, I guess I need to re-think my way of doing things! Edited January 17, 2018 by alpha2 Quote So much leather...so little time.
Members f1humlam Posted January 17, 2018 Author Members Report Posted January 17, 2018 Haha I have been using it full strength on a damp part of towel this whole time, so I guess it isn't quite full strength. I have found that it is only the smooth leather that the streaks are most noticeable. I have some textured leather I use that it seems to go on more evenly, but I will try the new process tonight. Nothing like a little whiskey and leather work, good for the soul. Quote
Members Dwight Posted January 17, 2018 Members Report Posted January 17, 2018 3 hours ago, f1humlam said: Awesome! I was thinking using an air brush would also be kind of hard since what I am really focused on are small leather projects such as watch straps and wallets at the moment. Do you just take the bottle of resolene and mix with the water as soon as you get it and work from there or mix on a project by project basis? No, . . . I've got a Skippy Crunchy peanut butter jar that has a line on it at about 2 inches from the bottom, . . . another at 3 and another at 4. When I get down to the 2 inch line, . . . I add water to the 3 inch, . . . the Resolene to the 4 inch, . . . shake, . . . and I'm ready to go. Put the lid on tight after every use. Have to change the bottles out every year or so, . . . they get cruddy and nasty up around the top. But it ain't no big deal, . . . cause I like my peanut butter. I have one bottle made up for black, . . . another made up for browns. Sometimes, the black will tend to pick up some of the dye as you brush it on, and I do a lot of black holsters here. Keeping two bottles also makes sure I've always got some, . . . especially if it is a black project. What is not mixed stays in the bottle up on the shelf. May God bless, Dwight Quote If you can breathe, . . . thank God. If you can read, . . . thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a veteran. www.dwightsgunleather.com
garypl Posted January 17, 2018 Report Posted January 17, 2018 3 hours ago, alpha2 said: Some kind of air pressure sprayer. I have a Passche (sp) airbrush, but just about anything like that works. I don't have any trouble spraying 50/50 Resolene/water with mine, even with the small tip. It does require some kind of compressor, though. I just got tired of the bubbles I got with any other kind of application. My problem though, is that I have my compressor in the garage, and usually take the hose and sprayer out onto the deck off the garage to spray, and it's TOO COLD out there now to spray! The garage isn't heated, either, so that doesn't help. You do get a nice, light even coat though. The upside is, you use a LOT less Resolene, and a LOT less dye when spraying dye. I agree with alpha - I use a cheapo airbrush and compressor from Harbor Freight to spray dyes and resolene. I think the compressor was $50 and airbrush was $8. I put a large disposable aluminum turkey pan in front of a box fan with a couple of furnace filters in front of it and spray away. I do this in the basement workshop - would probably not get nice looks from the wife if I tried it in the main part of the house. Most of my projects are smaller, so generates very little odor and furnace filters capture most of the overspray. I use much less dye and resolene that I use when applying it with a brush or sheepskin. Gary Quote Cowboy 4500, Consew 206RB-4
Members f1humlam Posted January 18, 2018 Author Members Report Posted January 18, 2018 23 hours ago, fredk said: Buffing wont remove the line marks. Forget the Resolene's own instructions. Dilute Resolene 1:1 with water [or even 2 water :1 resolene] and apply using a slightly damp sponge. Put it on wet and wipe in a circular motion until its covered and getting into the leather. A couple or three coats put on this way with time to dry between them. Or if you can, dip coat; put the resolene in a clean container like an oven tray and dip the leather item into the bath, hang up to drip and dry That would definitely help the little bottle I got go farther too haha. The first watch strap I ever made bled bad so I've been kind of overdoing the sealant ever since. I probably need to focus more on the amount of dye that is used too. For some reason, when I use dark brown it turns into a reddish color at the end of it all. Quote
Members f1humlam Posted January 18, 2018 Author Members Report Posted January 18, 2018 The mixing with water and using a brush helped a lot. Thanks! Quote
Members JMcC Posted January 18, 2018 Members Report Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) 17 hours ago, f1humlam said: That would definitely help the little bottle I got go farther too haha. The first watch strap I ever made bled bad so I've been kind of overdoing the sealant ever since. I probably need to focus more on the amount of dye that is used too. For some reason, when I use dark brown it turns into a reddish color at the end of it all. That could be the type of leather you are trying to dye as well. I notice that different leathers take the dye differently. I think it has to do with the grain of the leather. I just finished a leather knife sheath (I posted pics of it in the Show Off forum) that turned out a reddish brown marbled and although it looks good, it wasn't what I expected. And as for a sealant finish, I use Fiebing's Leather Sheen and I love that stuff! It comes in a spray can, is easy to apply and looks great when finished. See the link... You can find it online cheaper than that but the link was just so you could see what the product looked like https://www.amazon.com/Fiebings-Leather-Sheen-11-Clear/dp/B005JET47M Edited January 18, 2018 by JMcC Quote
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