Questions about oiling leather and using a finisher

[Goblin210]

Im trying something new by using veg oil on my stuff and this is my first issue. So I tried to dye my leather first then I used Satin Shene on the dyed parts once that dried I put veg oil on the both backsides. Thinking nothing of it also to keep the sheath oiled. What ended up happening was my tooling went dark on me. Will it lighten up again or am I screwed? I shouldn't have used the finisher before the oil just yet but I had forgot to oil my project and figured what the hell. What I "think" my steps should be is to dye the background first, oil, add a finisher (I used Eco-Flo Satin Shene instead of Tan Cote) then add my antiquing. Im trying to do it how Don Gonzales does this in his video on making pancake knife sheaths. The picture obviously the right side should be first.

[fredk]

In my experience oil darkened leather does not get any lighter. It does not dry out as does water

It sill looks grand tho.

Why use vegetable oil? Pure NeetsFoot Oil is better. 
To feed a project after dyeing and working on it, to replenish the oils I use a beeswax & NFO mix. There is very minimal darkening if any

[Goblin210]

Yea im going to buy NeetsFoot but I guess I was just experimenting. I think I just put way too much and it soaked all the way through. I am trying out another one with way less oil right now. just too see what it does, next time I go to tandy ill get some NeetsFoot and also some Tan kote.

[fredk]

Make sure you get pure NFO and not compound

[Goblin210]

This is my second attempt. This time I put one application on vegetable oil on the back side and it did not bleed to the other side like the other one (which leads me to believe I put too much). I did dye the background then the rest of the sheath second. I applied Satin Shene and I did notice the tooling got a little dark but wasnt too bad. I then added the antique and this was the end product. Still not bad but not what im looking for. I dont mind the tooling a little darker that normal but this is way too dark for what I am going for.

[Goblin210]

This is what im going for. The design way lighter, the tooling dark because of the antiquing, and the rest of the leather with colored with whatever dye.

[YinTx]

But why are you putting the oil on the backside?  In order for it to show up on the front like that would seem to be a lot of oil!  Try a lighter coat on the frontside before any tankote/antique?

YinTx

[chuck123wapati]

My only experience with veg oil is from people trying to use it as a lubricant in the food industry on meat slicers. It turns to gummy mess, then hard as heck not to mention the rancid smell. Hope you have better luck than that. I use any of the leather products traditionally used, Neets foot oil ,mink oil, sno seal, etc. Never had a problem most oils will darken your leather that I have used. There is a new post from someone who tested a bunch of products, seems to be good info. 

[robs456]

On 10/25/2019 at 7:24 PM, fredk said:

Why use vegetable oil?

Vegetable oil is preferred by all the leatherworking vegans...

[fredk]

On 10/25/2019 at 9:10 PM, Goblin210 said:

. . . I applied Satin Shene . . . 

Give that up. Use 'floor polish'. The liquid 'floor polish' was sometimes called 'Pledge with Future Shine' - the makers keep changing the name. But its not a 'polish'. Its actually a water-thin acrylic varnish which is great as a dye blocker on leather as well as sealant. Just don't put more than about 5 coats on as the thicker it gets the harder/stiffer it makes the leather and the surface finish of the varnish can crack. But up to 3 coats are more than enuf.

32 minutes ago, robs456 said:

Vegetable oil is preferred by all the leatherworking vegans...

 

[Halitech]

On 10/25/2019 at 2:02 PM, Goblin210 said:

Im trying something new by using veg oil on my stuff and this is my first issue. So I tried to dye my leather first then I used Satin Shene on the dyed parts once that dried I put veg oil on the both backsides. Thinking nothing of it also to keep the sheath oiled. What ended up happening was my tooling went dark on me. Will it lighten up again or am I screwed? I shouldn't have used the finisher before the oil just yet but I had forgot to oil my project and figured what the hell. What I "think" my steps should be is to dye the background first, oil, add a finisher (I used Eco-Flo Satin Shene instead of Tan Cote) then add my antiquing. Im trying to do it how Don Gonzales does this in his video on making pancake knife sheaths. The picture obviously the right side should be first.

Watch Don's videos again, it's not vegetable oil that he uses, it's Extra Virgin Olive Oil. And it looks like you dunked the leather in it. I have a small amount of oil in a small jar with a sponge brush. I lightly brush it on the back after I've tooled and dye so it doesn't affect the coloring hardly at all.

On 10/28/2019 at 11:58 PM, YinTx said:

But why are you putting the oil on the backside?  In order for it to show up on the front like that would seem to be a lot of oil!  Try a lighter coat on the frontside before any tankote/antique?

YinTx

I do it all the time. Easier to apply a light coat on the back and let it soak in the apply too much on the front and be screwed

[Goblin210]

On 10/28/2019 at 9:58 PM, YinTx said:

But why are you putting the oil on the backside?  In order for it to show up on the front like that would seem to be a lot of oil!  Try a lighter coat on the frontside before any tankote/antique?

YinTx

I basically dont know what I was doing and just turned it into practice.

 

On 10/31/2019 at 9:41 PM, Halitech said:

Watch Don's videos again, it's not vegetable oil that he uses, it's Extra Virgin Olive Oil. And it looks like you dunked the leather in it. I have a small amount of oil in a small jar with a sponge brush. I lightly brush it on the back after I've tooled and dye so it doesn't affect the coloring hardly at all.

I do it all the time. Easier to apply a light coat on the back and let it soak in the apply too much on the front and be screwed

will do thanks for the heads up. Ill pay close attention again.

[chrisash]

On 10/29/2019 at 6:22 PM, robs456 said:

Vegetable oil is preferred by all the leatherworking vegans...

100,000 sunflowers were massacred to make this oil, stop this cruelty 

[Dwight]

On your next "test run", . . . lay down the piece of leather you are going to use, . . . have it cut to the proper size and shape, . . . 

Take a bristle brush (one of them cheap Harbor Freight, . . . 1 inch, . . . 50 cent models), . . . and use neatsfoot oil (absolutely nothing else) and give it just enough coat that it is 90 % covered, . . . and I mean LIGHT.  Just enough oil so it turns a "wet" color, . . . 

Don't get involved in covering every last square millimeter on the piece, . . . just a quick 90 % covering is great, . . . long quick strokes, . . . looking at that piece of leather, . . . should take all of about 15 seconds.

Lay it on a piece of cardboard in a dark corner of your shop, . . . or put it in a drawer (keep it out of the light).

48 hours later, . . . go to your cutting / stamping / dying / antiquing, . . . etc.

You'll like the result.

Vegetable oil is for salads, steaks, spaghetti, and dried and cracked hands.  NOT for leather.  

May God bless,

Dwight