Dying stamped letters

[Frodo]

If this hs been asked 100 times, please forgive me for not reading every old post.

 

I have a project coming up, the wallet is to be mahogany and the stamp lettering  black

What is the best way to dye the bottom of the stamped leather 

[fredk]

If its the whole letter ~ a very small paint brush

If its the outline of the letter ~ a gel ink or a fine tip paint pen

[mikesc]

Watch out for the "gel inks" ..a lot of them ( even sometimes from the same manufacturer some will, some won't ) will "smear" if you put a water based acrylic ( like say resolene and similar ) over them*, could try a waterproof sharpie , might still "smear", or not, ( fine or broader, depending on if it is the letters or their outlines that need to be black ) , test first.

* Can be a nice effect and quite controllable if you are looking for that in an illustration, if you aren't though...

btw..what you are trying to do is colouring with paint or ink..( "paint , ink sits mostly on the surface" ) dyeing is something different."dye penetrates the surface, sometimes right through, which can be a problem", think "blotchy marks on the inside"..Just to complicate things, some "inks" are partly dyes..as are some "paints".

To further complicate things..a lot of the waterproof pens and markers, use water soluble inks, which, when dry, are then insoluble ( "waterproof" to varying degrees ) in water, or water based liquids and finishes.Some might be insoluble in water, but soluble in something else which is in the "finish"..which is why you have to test. You can't trust the labels to be true for every use.

Edited September 11, 2019 by mikesc

[DJole]

I have used permanent Sharpie pens to color fine lines like you describe.
There are also re-fillable dye pens which might work for your project: (https://www.dharmatrading.com/tools/angelus-dyeliner-refillable-dye-pens.html)

[HeatherAthebyne]

I recently used a Fantastix pen (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013JN8DI/) to good effect for detailed dye work.

[Sheilajeanne]

And to complicate things, most dyes contain alcohol. Some things that aren't soluble in water are soluble in alcohol, so if the sharpie ink is touching a dyed area next to the letter, that can cause problems, if the dye isn't completely dry!

Always wise to do a test piece first!

[garypl]

I use a small bottle equipped with a needle point to paint letters with acrylic paint.  Allows for very precise placement of the paint.  I then seal with Resolene or you can use the finish of your choice - everything I have tried seems to work okay over acrylic paint.  Here is a project I worked on last night using the acrylic paint bottle.  I bought the bottle and needle tips on Amazon, but you can probably find them at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores.

Gary

[HeatherAthebyne]

4 minutes ago, garypl said:

I use a small bottle equipped with a needle point to paint letters with acrylic paint.

 

Sheesh, and here I was getting out the tiny brushes. I like your way much more.

[DJole]

4 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

And to complicate things, most dyes contain alcohol. Some things that aren't soluble in water are soluble in alcohol, so if the sharpie ink is touching a dyed area next to the letter, that can cause problems, if the dye isn't completely dry!

Always wise to do a test piece first!

Always do a test piece on a piece of the same leather the project is made from!

[TargetRockLeather]

2 hours ago, garypl said:

I use a small bottle equipped with a needle point to paint letters with acrylic paint.  Allows for very precise placement of the paint.  I then seal with Resolene or you can use the finish of your choice - everything I have tried seems to work okay over acrylic paint.  Here is a project I worked on last night using the acrylic paint bottle.  I bought the bottle and needle tips on Amazon, but you can probably find them at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores.

Gary

That came out really great. Can you post a picture of the bottle with needle so I know what I'm looking for? I've used the fine paint brush with acrylic paint option which works ok but not nearly as nice as yours. This is how mine came out:

[garypl]

44 minutes ago, TargetRockLeather said:

That came out really great. Can you post a picture of the bottle with needle so I know what I'm looking for? I've used the fine paint brush with acrylic paint option which works ok but not nearly as nice as yours. This is how mine came out:

I’ll post a picture tomorrow and I will try to find the Amazon link where I purchased it.

[Frodo]

3 hours ago, garypl said:

I use a small bottle equipped with a needle point to paint letters with acrylic paint.  Allows for very precise placement of the paint.  I then seal with Resolene or you can use the finish of your choice - everything I have tried seems to work okay over acrylic paint.  Here is a project I worked on last night using the acrylic paint bottle.  I bought the bottle and needle tips on Amazon, but you can probably find them at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores.

Gary

 

Beautiful work !

Would a syringe and needle work?

[mdv99]

1 hour ago, TargetRockLeather said:

That came out really great. Can you post a picture of the bottle with needle so I know what I'm looking for? I've used the fine paint brush with acrylic paint option which works ok but not nearly as nice as yours. This is how mine came out:

District Leather Supply sells them...

https://districtleathersupply.com/collections/featured-products/products/needle-tip-applicator-bottle-3-pack

 

[toxo]

9 hours ago, garypl said:

I use a small bottle equipped with a needle point to paint letters with acrylic paint.  Allows for very precise placement of the paint.  I then seal with Resolene or you can use the finish of your choice - everything I have tried seems to work okay over acrylic paint.  Here is a project I worked on last night using the acrylic paint bottle.  I bought the bottle and needle tips on Amazon, but you can probably find them at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores.

Gary

That's really good. I used the same letters on my daughters bag but I had to leave it plain because I didn't have these. Just ordered some. Thank you.

[TargetRockLeather]

8 hours ago, mdv99 said:

District Leather Supply sells them...

https://districtleathersupply.com/collections/featured-products/products/needle-tip-applicator-bottle-3-pack

 

Thank you very much!. I found a set on Amazon with multiple sized needle tips. It's more money but that way I can experiment to see which one works best for me. I didn't know they existed until I read your post.

[garypl]

Sorry it is so late - been running around all day.  Here are the bottles I ordered on Amazon in 2017:

6pcs 1 Oz. Multi Purpose Precision Applicator Squeeze Bottles+ 16 pcs Needle Tips+ 6pcs Needle Tip Caps

Sold by: D-WORTHY

Return window closed on Oct 15, 2017

 

They cost $12.59 for 6 bottles and 16 tips.  I checked and Amazon no longer sells this set.  Here is a picture:

 

You can can see the wide range of tips - I use the smallest tips for better precision.  

22 hours ago, Frodo said:

 

Beautiful work !

Would a syringe and needle work?

I think a syringe and needle would be too small unless you really dilute the paint.  I use cheap acrylic paint from Wally World and thin it with distilled water so it flows through the fine tip easily.  It has been holding up well in projects for a couple of years now.  

[Frodo]

A nurse buddy, Is putting together a care package for me

using 60ml syringe and IV needles

think it will work?

 

[mikesc]

Nope..you'll not have enough control via the plunger as if you were squeezing the sides of a more flexible bottle..its going to risk the paint coming out in a rush and ruining your work..and you'll wish that you'd bought the little bottles..they are re-usable.

[TargetRockLeather]

3 hours ago, mikesc said:

Nope..you'll not have enough control via the plunger as if you were squeezing the sides of a more flexible bottle..its going to risk the paint coming out in a rush and ruining your work..and you'll wish that you'd bought the little bottles..they are re-usable.

He didn't mention what he intends to put in the syringe. You're assuming he's going to put paint in it

Edited September 13, 2019 by TargetRockLeather

[mikesc]

This is true...in which case , make sure and get the air out, an air embolism can really ruin your day..and 60ml may be a touch "overkill", if you'll excuse the phrase..

Edited September 13, 2019 by mikesc

[garypl]

8 hours ago, mikesc said:

Nope..you'll not have enough control via the plunger as if you were squeezing the sides of a more flexible bottle..its going to risk the paint coming out in a rush and ruining your work..and you'll wish that you'd bought the little bottles..they are re-usable.

Mike is right on - you have to go really slow to prevent overruns, which is why I use the smaller tips.  I usually seal the surface with Resolene before I paint, so if I get paint out side the border I can quickly wipe it off without staining the leather.  I seal the paint after it dries.

Gary

[Frodo]

12 hours ago, mikesc said:

Nope..you'll not have enough control via the plunger as if you were squeezing the sides of a more flexible bottle..its going to risk the paint coming out in a rush and ruining your work..and you'll wish that you'd bought the little bottles..they are re-usable.

I simply hate being wrong. completely messes up my day

but when your wrong you are wrong and the syringe idea will not give me control of the solution 

[Sheilajeanne]

I use 1 ml. syringes for measuring dye and transferring it from the dye bottles to my painting palette. One thing I notice is the rubber plungers on the syringes seize up after awhile, and don't want to slide through the syringe barrel. Then, of course, when they do move, there's so much pressure on them that the dye comes out really fast. This would really make a mess if I was using a syringe and needle for painting, and not just transferring the dye.  (I don't need needles for transferring the dye, of course.)

Some general tips for dyeing that I've picked up, and which you may/may not know already. When dyeing, a little goes a really long way. A 60 ml. syringe would be way, way too big. If I were working with a large project like a messenger bag, I might use a 3 ml. syringe for measuring and mixing dye, but would never need anything larger. Dye is usually diluted about 50/50 with denatured alcohol.

One of the biggest risks when working with dye is spilling it and ruining your project. That's why I NEVER leave an open bottle of dye on my work surface. I take what I need out of the bottle, wipe the cap so it doesn't stick next time I need it, then recap it and put it away. I have some heavy bottomed glass shot glasses that I use when I'm dyeing. They are less likely to tip than light-weight containers. I used to use disposable plastic shot glasses (also used as medication cups in hospitals) but they were too easy to tip.

Many leather workers have designed something to hold their dye containers when dyeing to keep them from tipping. One person has something like a wooden test tube rack with holes in it just the right size for the containers, which like mine, are the size of shot glasses. 

If I'm working with a small project or dyeing a really small area, I use a plastic painting palette, like the ones Tandy sells. The little cups only hold about a maximum of 1 ml. which really helps reduce the mess if something spills!

Going to look into those needle bottles - they would DEFINITELY come in handy for dyeing small areas!

 

 

[RockyAussie]

SHeeesh mate....all ya need is a little laser and some masking tape......and a 3dprinter and ya own font of course. Easy - https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/82905-is-there-a-font-for-ivan-alphabet-stamp-set-8132-00/

and maybe....never mind

[fredk]

47 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

I use 1 ml. syringes for measuring dye and transferring it from the dye bottles to my painting palette. One thing I notice is the rubber plungers on the syringes seize up after awhile, and don't want to slide through the syringe barrel. Then, of course, when they do move, there's so much pressure on them that the dye comes out really fast.

Try using plastic pipettes. They are cheap. Can be bought in capacities of 0.2ml and upwards. I regularly use 3ml size. They can be cleaned out and reused and when too dirty they are cheap enough to dispose.

example; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100PCS-0-2-3-5ML-Graduated-Pipettes-Disposable-Pasteur-Plastic-Eye-Dropper-YNUK/123660469990?hash=item1ccabd06e6:m:mIe58KaeefBBUdGtT-qMGlA