Questions about dyeing, sealing, and everything in between..

[sonataworks]

Hey guys,

Pretty new to leather here but getting pretty involved. Just have a few questions about things that I haven't quite found good answers to.

Fiebings Pro Dye - I've started using the Royal Blue lately. I'm trying to make a wallet and I've cut out a 10" x 18" piece of leather to work on. Applied the Royal Blue directly from the bottle using a dauber and it just looks....very uneven. I buffed it immediately afterwards but it didn't seem to change much.

1. I see a good few posts about cutting the dye. What's the best ratio to cut to? 1:1? 10:1? 
2. I know that dip dyeing is very popular - so I'll try it for the next time. But for larger pieces, what's the best way to apply the dye? Daubers seem pretty bad, and I don't exactly have good access to woolskin. Is it acceptable to just use a sponge and work it in?
2a. Is there any way for me to fix the piece after I've put in such a heavy amount of Fiebings pro? Lol.
3. Seen a few things about sealing the dye - wasn't aware I needed to do that. On a previous project I used Super Shene, but apparently that is terrible? How should I be sealing the dye? Neatsfoot oil, acrylic resolene, or tan kote?
4. Just with regards to cutting - how do you get nice rounded edges? I use a fairly sharp Olfa knife on a good mat, but I can't seem to get those beautiful rounded edges I see. I normally use a washer as a guide.
5. The first piece of leather I ever bought was..well apparently it was pretty crappy. I managed to slick down the roughness of the suede with some gum trag, but do you guys have any other suggestions?

Again, I'm sure many of these questions have multiple answers of personal preference, but I just want to learn from the wisdom of you guys. Thanks so much!

[Hildebrand]

Not sure where you are at but I have had good luck using the disposable stain applicators from the big box home improvement stores they are about 3X5 inches and come in packs of about 6.  I can get a much more even coat with them than I can with daubers.

[Rockoboy]

I know you said it's hard to come by for you, but I use lambs-wool hide, that's about 1" x 2". If its got too much height, I cut the wool down so it's only about 3/8" high and I use a rubber glove. (If the wool is left long, it sucks up a heap of dye, which is wasted in the wool).

I could be wrong, but I think the problem with daubers is the size of the wool. When the dauber is loaded with dye, 1st touch on the leather dumps a heap of dye right there, and you end up with a dark patch. All the surrounding areas are then dyed with that same dauber which has less dye on it, there's your lighter patches.

I tried to dip dye some leather once. That was mildly successful. I used a cheap oven tray that is about 3/4" deep and about 20" X 11", but the whole thing came out really dark.

Do you have space and ability to spray? Apparently it does not give the same penetration into the leather, so I have heard, but it can give great looking results.

Some people suggest a coat of pure neatsfoot oil before or after dye is applied. I think this is supposed to help the dye to even out its penetration and coverage, but I have not tried for myself yet.

[sonataworks]

Thanks for replies guys - yes, I'll try and get some lambs wool imported.

I definitely feel like I need to cut my dye by at least 50/50.

Rockoboy - do you have any suggestions on a good sprayer? I have plenty of compressors, but not sure about a good kit.

[Rockoboy]

On ‎3‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 12:11 AM, sonataworks said:

do you have any suggestions on a good sprayer?

 

I have a couple of spray guns, one is a mini air brush, but I have never used either.

If you research the question, try the section for Dyes, Antiques, Stains, Glues, Waxes, Finishes and Conditioners, because I am sure I have seen comments on the best spray equipment. 

[DV8DUG]

On 3/20/2019 at 9:11 AM, sonataworks said:

- do you have any suggestions on a good sprayer? I have plenty of compressors, but not sure about a good kit.

I personally use an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS Gravity Feed Dual Action Airbrush. My compressor is just the Harbor Freight model. I installed a second regulator on it to get low pressure spatter for antiquing.

Antiquing is the only time I reduce any dyes at all. I use dyes full strength for any other leather and then add multiple coats to darken the color. This is achieved by learning the proper distance from the item being painted and how well the dye penetrates. Always spray onto leather that has been moistened with water first as this helps with penetration.

Hope some or all of this helps.

[JazzBass]

The best thing I learned about dye, is that it is not paint. It is meant to penetrate, not to cover.
After allowing dye to dry, the surface should be brushed, to remove any pigment that has not penetrated the material, otherwise it will run or rub off at the first opportunity.
After brushing, then it can be sealed with waxes, or acrylics etc.

[bikermutt07]

A really sharp knife will help with the round corners. Look for a clicker, detail, or pattern knife. 

Learn how to sharpen and strop it. Even if it has "razor sharp" disposable blades. Learning to sharpen is an often overlooked aspect of this craft in the beginning. I was guilty of it too. We just don't know what we don't know in the beginning. There are lots of things to learn in this craft. And, to become great at all of them takes time, mistakes, utter failures, box fulls of abandoned mishaps, and perseverance. It is the most fun frustration you will ever endure.

I have been playing at this for almost 5 years and still consider myself a novice to intermediate level. Some commit much more time to it than I do and have far exceeded my skills in less time. But, I'm still having fun. 

Batchwork of small items will produce the most amount of experience and best yield of materials.  This will give you a longer period with each step of the process giving time to improve skills, gain muscle memory and allow you to continue forward thru mistakes. Chunking a small piece to multiple projects to the side and moving (using that as a test piece for the next steps) forward is less frustrating than botching one or two pieces of a single project stalling the whole process.

When I screwed one piece to a single project I would get frustrated and chunk the whole thing to the side and be discouraged for weeks. 

After learning about batchwork, I find less frustration and can keep moving forward.

A set of corner punches can also come in handy. If you have a hard time accessing them, they can be made out of different diameters of metal pipe. 1/4 of the circumference will produce a 90 degee turn. 1/2 of the circumference will produce a half round punches for strap ends.

I find it best to lay out your work where corners and final edges are trimmed with as much assembled as possible. Figure out how to get interior pieces lined up and glued to outer pieces and make your final cuts on the outside edges thru everything at once. This will raise your clean lines level a few notches.

Also, don't underestimate the power of sandpaper. It is your friend for making nice finished round edges.

I guess I rambled a bit.