Sheilajeanne Report post Posted August 30, 2018 Having been very unsatisfied in the past with Eco-flo Satin and Super Sheen as resists, I finally decided to give Resolene a try. Works MUCH better as a resist! As a matter of fact, I had to work much harder to get it into all the nooks and crannies. Unfortunately, the finish didn't turn out that great. Parts of the piece are a different colour (reddish brown) than the rest of it, and they look streaky. Any way to fix this? And what would be the cause? Here's what I did: I mixed the Resolene 50/50 with water and applied with a wool dauber. I did see some areas where it looked like it had pooled, so I tried to brush those out. I noticed that it seemed the Resolene had already started to dry on some of those areas, so I am guessing that was what to blame for the uneven finish. Antique was Eco-flow tan. Wish it had turned out a bit better but will definitely try Resolene again! It's one of those things where you probably wouldn't notice it from a distance. Am very happy with how the other portions of the bag turned out. I used Fiebing's chocolate brown for the first time, and have NEVER before had a dye go on so smoothly and evenly! It only took one coat, followed by a few minor touch-ups on spots I'd missed! Made me wonder if Fiebing's had made any recent changes to their dyes, or whether it was just that this was much better than average leather for a Tandy kit! I have been wanting to do this particular bag (Molly tote bag) for several years, and was overjoyed to finally find one of them still in stock at the local Tandy's, as they have discontinued it. Will be using it as a template for future bags! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJole Report post Posted August 30, 2018 I like the playfulness of the big paisley patterns -- that's a nice design! Also, congrats on scoring a bag design that you were searching for. I can't comment on the Resolene though; I don't have the expertise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted August 30, 2018 (edited) I was a biology major in uni, so I can't help but think of big, hairy amoebae or paramecium when I look at it! And of course, it begs to have your own little touches added to it...like the heart and the Celtic scrollwork in a shape that was otherwise open in the center. Leather carving is still my favourite thing, but this was a pretty easy piece to bang out with all the stamping. But oh, some of those bigger stamps need a LOT of force to get a good impression! Edited August 30, 2018 by Sheilajeanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alpha2 Report post Posted August 30, 2018 I've found that with Resolene, you need to let the first coat completely soak in, before doing anything else. Then another thin coat if it needs it. The stuff soaks in unevenly, so it may just look like it needs touch-up. Jeff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted August 31, 2018 alpha2, no this is not a matter of it soaking in unevenly. It's a matter of the leather being discoloured in spots. I DID let it dry for 24 hours before applying the antique, so there shouldn't have been an issue. Another question: the handles for this bag are stiff as a board, so stiff and sandpapery in texture that I am afraid the leather will crack. I applied Atom Wax Leather Balm, but that only improved them a bit. My go-to remedy for softening leather has always been neatsfoot oil, but would that possibly stain clothing? What about the risk of putting it over top of dye? Would the dye maybe dissolve and cause stains? I never saw this happen with horse tack, but don't know if that's comparable to what I'm trying to do here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScoobyNewbie Report post Posted August 31, 2018 I love your paisleys! Did you do them by hand, or is this part of the kit pattern? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
