robs456 Report post Posted September 25, 2018 On 9/25/2018 at 4:06 AM, VabaX said: sorry, but from a chemistry/physics perspective, that is not at all how dye absorption works. It has nothing to do with the dye being applied by force. no matter what method you use, It is absorbed through the leather the same way that a sponge absorbs water; going from a wet/concentrated medium into an unconcentrated/dry medium ala ozmosis effect. ie, it gets sucked in to the material the ONLY reason why airbrushing doesnt usually penetrate as deeply as wool dauber application is because you're applying far less of it. I will bet you my life savings that if you measure out identical volumes of dye and apply them to fixed/measured out areas of leather, one sprayed on in very heavy volume, and one applied by sponge/dauber, it will have exactly the same penetration. The solution to more penetration is to open up that airbrush nozzle and let the leather drink up as much dye as it can. still better than dipping because its still more efficient in terms of dye use, far less messy, lower spill risk, easier to do several colours of dying in one batch, etc Sorry, but from a practical standpoint that's exactly what I said. You don't get an argument from me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toe2short Report post Posted September 28, 2018 On 9/21/2018 at 12:21 PM, ScoobyNewbie said: I’ve been told to “open the pores” of the leather before dying. I’m confused on what this actually means. Do I water soak it, use just a little water, like when I’m stamping, or do I use oil? I’ve been told quite a few ways. It seems to change not only person to person, but project to project. I had a project that I oiled one part after dying, and other parts before dying and I got what I feel is wildly different effects. Can you explain what is meant by “open the pores”? Try to use a dye prep before you air brush it , give it two coats after the first one is completely dry. The color will be darker when using the dye prep. It obsorbes the dye better. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites