Arggghhhh! Leeching dye

[Hoyden]

This has become the bane of my dog collars lately. Leeching dye!!!

I always finish the back of the collars with a complementary color and then I seal it - or try to - and nothing has seemed to prevent the dye from coloring the dog. I am using the Tandy and Feibings dyes.

I've used Satin sheen, Super Sheen, Leather balm with atom wax and mink oil. Nothing seems to keep the dye off the dog once the collar gets wet and Super Sheen makes the leather stiff when applied to the back side. No amount of neets foot oil or mink oil workedin by hand seems to soften it.

I'm having the same problem with the washable velvet pigskin suede. I washed the black suede first, let it dry and then used it to line a polypropylene collar. Not the dog is blue. I had also washed the polypro first.

Any suggestions???

Thanks

[Gregory B. Moody]

I am not going to suggest anything which your description has not pretty much said by itself... only assure you that you are not ' missing out' on some secret which the rest of the leatherworker community is keeping from you...

It is the nature of dealing with organic spongy materials which makes sealing it when faced with the kinds of variables which you have described pretty much impossible. Some reduction of transfer is possible with buffing and those sorts of things... but basically in a friction situation like against your dog's neck pliable clear finishes are just not going to last forever... even in the unlikely event they work well initially..

So, Don't put finish on the back side of your projects which might rub off on animals , people, or people's clothes...

This is also why , about 40 years ago I started using only one finish... based on Fiebings Antique and covered by neutral shoe polish... Two coats carnauba cream, medium brown Fiebings Antique ( the almost paste consistancy ), and then neutral shoe polish ....

And even that finish I do not put on the backside of belts... years of friction and sweat and dirt are very hard on the backside of belts...

It is a Zen type thing.. go with the flow created by the physical properties of the materials you are working with...instead of fighting them...

Greg

This has become the bane of my dog collars lately. Leeching dye!!!

I always finish the back of the collars with a complementary color and then I seal it - or try to - and nothing has seemed to prevent the dye from coloring the dog. I am using the Tandy and Feibings dyes.

I've used Satin sheen, Super Sheen, Leather balm with atom wax and mink oil. Nothing seems to keep the dye off the dog once the collar gets wet and Super Sheen makes the leather stiff when applied to the back side. No amount of neets foot oil or mink oil workedin by hand seems to soften it.

I'm having the same problem with the washable velvet pigskin suede. I washed the black suede first, let it dry and then used it to line a polypropylene collar. Not the dog is blue. I had also washed the polypro first.

Any suggestions???

Thanks

[Johanna]

I had a Rottweiler who would break out into a rash from veggie tanned leather, once it got wet. I never noticed if any dye came off, (he was black!) but his skin would become extremely irritated, and he would try to scratch at it. I have seen other dogs with similar allergies, so I don't advise people to put raw veggie tanned leather next to the dog. You can line the collar with lining leather, which is what I did for Jake, or you can leave it undyed, but if you do, but it still must be sealed, and even the sealing may not prevent an allergic reaction. On my other dogs' collars, I used Carnuba Cream and neutral shoe polish, or Leather Balm with Atom Wax to seal the inside of the undyed collar, and with those two dogs, I never had a problem. In the years I had a shop, I noticed more allergy problems on the smaller breeds (maybe less fur?) and sometimes I would just glue a liner leather (like you would use for inside a wallet) to the backside, or charge more and stitch it.

I once had to buy a pair of pants for a customer who had a belt ruin a pair of khaki colored pants, but I think it was some kind of fluke. I can tell you that Rottweilers think that a rawhide mallet is a really nice lollipop, and have one that had to be shaved down quite a bit. By the time I got home, it was soggy, and could have been shaped into anything. ;-)

Johanna

[Gregory B. Moody]

Putting a finished leather towards the dog is a great idea...

and contact cements are good enough by themselves... no need to sew unless you just want to...

Remember, shoe soles are held together with this stuff.. the sewing around the edge is eyewash... the evidence ? Your soles don't fall off even after you wear through the stitching from the bottom...

You can use your skiver to take the edge to nothing and you won't even be able to see if from the side...

[abn]

Hoyden,

I agree with the recommendation to start using a lining leather. Frankly, given your needs, I think I'd go with Tandy's mission-grain pigskin. It's a durable lining that's pre-finished to a slick, almost vinyl, feel. It comes in brown and black, is durable, and has a nice texture. Best of all, it's inexpensive.

It'd be very easy to add to your collars. As Greg mentioned, I'd just glue it in and not worry about the stitching.

Good luck, -Alex

Edited September 19, 2006 by abn

[Johanna]

sometimes I would just glue a liner leather (like you would use for inside a wallet) to the backside, or charge more and stitch it.

Never turn down a chance to extract more money for "extras". If you can charge an extra $20 to stitch it, and it takes you 20 minutes... gotta love the math!

Johanna

[Gregory B. Moody]

That is one of my favorite leathers.... in the mottled brown I use it for lining things like jewelry boxes... it is so thin that you can glue it down to the center of a cube and use your fingernail or bone folder to take it into the corner and then cut it with an exacty knife... no trying to line the stuff up dealing with small pieces and contact cement .... you know how that ' grabs' ...

Also, and I was already planning on doing a show and tell with it , covering books with it is a breeze...

If I can find the covered one I have here I will post a picture soon... Greg

I think I'd go with Tandy's mission-grain pigskin. It's a durable lining that's pre-finished to a slick, almost vinyl, feel. It comes in brown and black, is durable, and has a nice texture. Best of all, it's inexpensive.

Good luck, -Alex

[Hoyden]

Putting a finished leather towards the dog is a great idea...

and contact cements are good enough by themselves... no need to sew unless you just want to...

Remember, shoe soles are held together with this stuff.. the sewing around the edge is eyewash... the evidence ? Your soles don't fall off even after you wear through the stitching from the bottom...

You can use your skiver to take the edge to nothing and you won't even be able to see if from the side...

What kind of glue would you suggest?? I have Contact Cement and Barge Cement, are either of those two okay?

Here is an exampe of the abuse my collars get put through. watch half way through the video and keep an eye for Rumble, a little red pitbull. That dog is extreme and so far, other than a little leeching dye he hasn't been able to kill them yet.

http://www.madmaine.com/mikeshouse/