The merits of quick casing. Or how to start a fight with Leather workers :)

[immiketoo]

We fight high humidity all year round on the island, but its way worse in the winter.  We run a dehumidifier constantly from October to May.  Probably pull 5 gallons a day.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

8 hours ago, YinTx said:

 

Ok, I'm confused. One person has problems at 60%, another stores stuff at 60% humidity.  I would think mold would be an issue at that range?  What other problems do you get?  I was quick casing, and put just one spray too much and had to wait nearly 2 days for the leather to come back running refrigerated air (which helps dry the air) here on the coast.

YinTx

I should have clarified, when I said 60% humidity, I meant that 60% is the lowest it will reach during the day.  Overnight, it is much higher, sometimes even 100% without raining.  So that amount of humidity continually for 2 or 3 days, with temps in the 80's or 90'F, or even cooler. . . 60's and 70's will do it, and I will have mold growing everywhere.  It probably gets started on the nasty old neglected repair work that comes in, and it will spread to any used leather that is not treated.  New, high quality leather fresh from the tannery is not so much a problem. Cheap, imported leather seems to grow mold quickly, and I don't want the stuff in the shop, even in a finished product that comes in for repair.  That mold will spread throughout the shop in a short time; boxes of scrap that I have under benches and in tubs by the clicker will start to grow mold.  Last summer, I had a hell of a mess.  I was still operating out of the old shop, but had moved some extra inventory and used stuff to the new shop, plus had leather and finished goods in my garage.  Temps and humidity went up, and I ended up spending $1200 on dehumidifiers and air purifiers.  I can't even imagine what 5 and 7% humidity feels like?!  When it gets down to 25-28% here in the winter, we complain about the dry air and static electricity.  Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, we just can't be pleased.

[BDAZ]

12 minutes ago, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

I should have clarified, when I said 60% humidity, I meant that 60% is the lowest it will reach during the day.  Overnight, it is much higher, sometimes even 100% without raining.  So that amount of humidity continually for 2 or 3 days, with temps in the 80's or 90'F, or even cooler. . . 60's and 70's will do it, and I will have mold growing everywhere.  It probably gets started on the nasty old neglected repair work that comes in, and it will spread to any used leather that is not treated.  New, high quality leather fresh from the tannery is not so much a problem. Cheap, imported leather seems to grow mold quickly, and I don't want the stuff in the shop, even in a finished product that comes in for repair.  That mold will spread throughout the shop in a short time; boxes of scrap that I have under benches and in tubs by the clicker will start to grow mold.  Last summer, I had a hell of a mess.  I was still operating out of the old shop, but had moved some extra inventory and used stuff to the new shop, plus had leather and finished goods in my garage.  Temps and humidity went up, and I ended up spending $1200 on dehumidifiers and air purifiers.  I can't even imagine what 5 and 7% humidity feels like?!  When it gets down to 25-28% here in the winter, we complain about the dry air and static electricity.  Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, we just can't be pleased.

I had a belt to dye this morning with Feibings USMC. It is a woman's belt at 38" total. The first part was dry by the time I was finished with the other end. At 10am the belt was around 130F in the sun while drying. 50%-60% seems to be the ideal humidity for wood instruments. The leather is along for the ride!

When I lived in Florida, everything in the garage turned green!

Bob

[YinTx]

4 hours ago, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, we just can't be pleased.

I guess I can scratch South Dakota off of the list of possible retirement locations...  Here it is just too hot.. too wet.. too hot and too wet, or too hot, wet and windy from a hurricane.  It snowed a couple inches this winter, everyone freaked out.  I woke up late and never saw it.

YinTx

[immiketoo]

Lol...I came from Chicago where in winter 5% was considered high!  Poor cat couldn’t walk without static discharges.  I swear she would glow at night!  

Now, as mentioned above, it can be 100% and not rain here with the salt air and the basin I live in.  Sometimes there are droplets if water hanging from the ceiling!

I went from one extreme to the other.  On the plus side, my wood handles and guitars are much happier.  Down side is mold.  Lots and lots of mold. 

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

8 hours ago, YinTx said:

I guess I can scratch South Dakota off of the list of possible retirement locations...  Here it is just too hot.. too wet.. too hot and too wet, or too hot, wet and windy from a hurricane.  It snowed a couple inches this winter, everyone freaked out.  I woke up late and never saw it.

YinTx

Yes, if you don't like extremes at both ends of the spectrum, sometimes within the same week, you would not do well in SD.  To be fair, the western part of the state is an entirely different climate.  While it will always get cold in the winter, and hot in the summer, the humidity is much lower out west.  I contemplate making a move there myself.