Leather finish problem!

[fredk]

Here's how I would tackle this;

Veg tan leather, use a swivel knife or even a very sharp craft knife to cut into the grain side the pattern required - just a very shallow cut. Apply main colour dye in areas not to be painted. Thin the paint, to milk like. Apply paint in several thin coats, allow the first, second and even the third coats of thinned paint to soak into the leather, let them dry a bit, about a 1/2 hour between coats. Further coats just to get the colour density, not too many more coats. Let everything dry for at least 24 hours in a warm environment. Then apply thinned Resolene or Super Sheene. Let first couple of coats dry as per the paint. A couple more coats [4 in total] should have it all sealed. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours in a warm environment, then let it cure for at least another 24 hours - there is a difference between 'dry' and 'cured'.  Resolene is an acrylic finish which needs time to cure.

Thats just the painting bit. Hardware attached and edges bevelled and slicked before painting and after pattern cut.

 

My old favourite; this painted knife sheath. Painted with modellers acrylic paints. Lasted about 8 years in and out of a box full of chainmaille armour and other stuff. Never looked after. Still a little bit presentable but needs a repaint - when I find it again in my 'to do' boxes!

New; 

Later:

[vovi]

This looks pretty good for 8 years if you ask me. Tomorrow i will try it again with all your suggestions guys. What about sanding the top of leather off where the pattern is?

[fredk]

6 minutes ago, vovi said:

What about sanding the top of leather off where the pattern is?

Not recommended at all

[Northmount]

Thick layers of paint or finish crack and flake off with continual flexing.  Need to minimize the total thickness to avoid early failures.

Tom

[vovi]

I can see now that the first thing i should do is to thin the paint, because it builded up on top of the leather

[MarkCdub]

Also remember, you are painting a flat surface then bending it into a circle which causes the leather and paint to stretch.  I would recommend bending the collar into a circle first and that will pre stretch the leather, paint it while it has some curvature (not completely flat) to it.  Also try using the other tricks others have mentioned they will all help with a longer lasting product.  Good luck.

[wizard of tragacanth]

I could be wrong, and frequently am, but I think you are going in the wrong direction with this project.

Instead of paint and Resolene, you should be using dye with a flexible top coat, such as neutral shoe polish or Snow Seal. 

However, you will also have to totally change your design concepts. You will not be able to use colors which are lighter than the leather that you are using and you will not be able to make small design elements shown in your example because dyes bleed.

Hey, I just had an idea! Try using some felt-tip pens for your design elements. I have never used them, but I think that they should work. I just tried a black Sharpie on a scrap of leather and it went on very cleanly with a crisp edge, no bleeding. Make sure that they are "permanent" markers.

nick

[GoldenKnight]

Using Sharpie permanent markers is nothing new, and a good option for small detailed work.  I have done this on several small projects for outlining the stamped letters of a name, adding more color or shading to other figures (grass, flowers, wood edges of a tree or log, ...).  The Precision/ Ultra Fine tip ones are great for that and Sharpies come in a great range of colors, so you don't have to custom mix dyes and you have color consistency for shading IF that's what you need and when they get used up a little or dried out, they are actually really useful then for light shading on figure carvings that won't see use except for being be wall hangers or shelf sitters.

However, for my larger projects nothing beats a brush and dye from a bottle - the proven way to know it is getting deep saturation into the leather.  For outdoor and animal use gear, this is essential.

It all depends on your project, depth of dye penetration needed, etc.  For veg tanned - yes, Sharpies will work for some projects for a limited task, but they need to be limited in use because they cannot be refilled, they do run out of consistrnt ink flow,  you cannot control saturation like you can with a brush, etc.

I would use the previously recommended dye techniques combined with the previous advise provided (proper swivel knife outline cuts, possible some beveling) prior to dying.  I think you'll see the results you are seeking.

Best of luck.

Edited July 22, 2019 by GoldenKnight