Dyeing leather indoors

[Allotment17]

I'm looking to start dyeing veg tan leather. I have a workspace in a spare bedroom so I'm looking for a dye that is safe to use indoors where there is very little ventilation. Can anyone recommend a tried and tested product available in the UK. Many thanks.

[Mattsbagger]

Any water based dye should be fine. Idk what is readily available in UK.

[Ed in Tx]

Do a search for a European supplier that carries products made by Fenice of Italy. They make water based dyes that are the best I have ever used.

[Allotment17]

1 hour ago, Ed in Tx said:

Do a search for a European supplier that carries products made by Fenice of Italy. They make water based dyes that are the best I have ever used.

Thanks Ed. 

2 hours ago, Mattsbagger said:

Any water based dye should be fine. Idk what is readily available in UK.

Thank you. 

[fredk]

On 7/25/2019 at 11:03 AM, Allotment17 said:

I'm looking to start dyeing veg tan leather. I have a workspace in a spare bedroom so I'm looking for a dye that is safe to use indoors where there is very little ventilation. Can anyone recommend a tried and tested product available in the UK. Many thanks.

I use standard Fiebing Acrylic dye, bought out of Le Prevo, Newcastle.

C30 and C17 on their list:

http://www.leprevo.co.uk/dyes.htm

I've been using it for 20 years, the last 14/15 years  in my spare-bedroom leather working room. No problem with any vapours at all, even when I spray it.

[Allotment17]

56 minutes ago, fredk said:

I use standard Fiebing Acrylic dye, bought out of Le Prevo, Newcastle.

C30 and C17 on their list:

http://www.leprevo.co.uk/dyes.htm

I've been using it for 20 years, the last 14/15 years  in my spare-bedroom leather working room. No problem with any vapours at all, even when I spray it.

Hi Fred, I've just looked this up, it comes in some nice colours. I've got a quite a shopping list for Le Prevo, I was so impressed with their customer service when I bought some leather that I want to give them my future custom. I'll add a pot of this dye to the list. What do you use as a finish with the acrylic or is ok left as is? 

[fredk]

As final dye sealant I mainly use Feibings Resolene, C54 & C55 in the Le Prevo 'Finishes' list

and sometimes Tandy Super Sheene

https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/eco-flo-super-shene

which was easier to get when there was a Tandy branch in the UK

Lately I've also been giving a coat or three of 'Astonish' wood floor 'polish' which is actually a water thin acrylic varnish. Available at many branches, but not all,  Home Bargains for £1 for 750ml

Resolene and dye can be diluted with water. I usually go about 2 water to 1 dye, 1 water to 1 resolene. Sometimes I add in some meths for a speedier drying time, but that adds some smell so you might not want to do that.

My method is to dampen the leather and apply several coats of dye thinned with water until I get a colour density I like. Let that dry almost completely then apply several coats of thinned resolene. After that is dry I sponge on up to 3 coats of Astonish varnish. No more than that as if it gets too thick it gets hard.

Edited July 26, 2019 by fredk

[Allotment17]

12 hours ago, fredk said:

As final dye sealant I mainly use Feibings Resolene, C54 & C55 in the Le Prevo 'Finishes' list

and sometimes Tandy Super Sheene

https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/eco-flo-super-shene

which was easier to get when there was a Tandy branch in the UK

Lately I've also been giving a coat or three of 'Astonish' wood floor 'polish' which is actually a water thin acrylic varnish. Available at many branches, but not all,  Home Bargains for £1 for 750ml

Resolene and dye can be diluted with water. I usually go about 2 water to 1 dye, 1 water to 1 resolene. Sometimes I add in some meths for a speedier drying time, but that adds some smell so you might not want to do that.

My method is to dampen the leather and apply several coats of dye thinned with water until I get a colour density I like. Let that dry almost completely then apply several coats of thinned resolene. After that is dry I sponge on up to 3 coats of Astonish varnish. No more than that as if it gets too thick it gets hard.

Thank you for your help Fred. It's good to have these pointers to get me started with dyeing.  

I made my first ever trip to Home Bargains this month and was pleasantly surprised (I picked up a granite chopping board and a cork block), I'm going again this weekend so I'll get some of the Astonish floor polish while I'm there (if they've got it).

[Handstitched]

@Allotment17 What I have done in my workshop , is keep my dying bench well away from the tooling & cutting bench to avoid any.... expensive accidents ...hmmm?? It can be so easy to accidentally knock over a bottle of dye ruining hours of work ( words of experience there )   . Even if  your space is limited , you may wish to separate the tooling/ cutting  area from the dying area, just a thought . 

Hope all goes well  

HS 

[Allotment17]

8 hours ago, Handstitched said:

@Allotment17 What I have done in my workshop , is keep my dying bench well away from the tooling & cutting bench to avoid any.... expensive accidents ...hmmm?? It can be so easy to accidentally knock over a bottle of dye ruining hours of work ( words of experience there )   . Even if  your space is limited , you may wish to separate the tooling/ cutting  area from the dying area, just a thought . 

Hope all goes well  

HS 

That is some very good advice, thank you Handstitched. I'm lucky to have a good sized room to work in so can easily set up a separate area.

 

[Mattsbagger]

21 minutes ago, Allotment17 said:

That is some very good advice, thank you Handstitched. I'm lucky to have a good sized room to work in so can easily set up a separate area.

 

I agree. I have 3 benches. Cutting,and anything I hit with a mallet. A dye booth. And a a glue and assembly bench. Keeps cross contamination to a minimum. Lol