mixing colors and resolene ruining my finish

[kwrcst]

Hi all,

I have made a few dog collars this weekend and mixed my colors with the Tandy Leather Eco-Flo Leather Dye Pack.  for whatever reason, the leather just sucked up the dye and left it very faintly colored and it took 4-5 coats to get the color dark enough.  I did a teal by mixing the green, blue and a little white.  all said and done, I got it colored and dried real nice.  I applied my first coat of resolene and now it has stripped color off in places and it looks as if it has got between the dye and leather and lifted it off in puddles.  Why is this happening and how do I recover? or can I? Looking at the pic, minus the bright spot from the flash, it did the same on the pink.  I wonder if those colors just do not mix right and that could be the problem.

[fredk]

1. I find the Eco-flow dies to be mostly water and little pigment

2. did you wet your leather before dyeing? a dry leather will certainly soak up the dye and usually unevenly too. A wettish leather, as wet as needed for tooling/stamping will allow and even help the dye to spread more evenly through the leather

3. I get (got) that colour-lifting with resolene as well. Years ago It didn't do that so I wonder if the formula has changed. In the meantime I now use an acrylic floor 'polish' for a first and second sealing coat. The floor 'polish' used to be called 'Pledge with Future shine'; it keeps changing its name.

4. some thoughts on how to fix.

4a. prepare a stock of your colour.  Pour mix into a basin type container. Give the strap a good soaking with an alcohol, IPA or similar. Whilst still wet from this dip it into the basin of dye. Make sure the strap is covered and allow it to soak, for a long time. Check it from time to time but I reckon it'll take a half to one hour for the dye to get really into the strap. Take freshly died strap out of basin of dye, pull though rubber/latex gloved fingers as a squeegee, hang up to drip dry, run gloved fingers over the strap as it does to prevent colour build up at the lower end. Option 1.When nearly dry, damp and cool to the touch, apply a thinned coat of the acrylic varnish, dipping is best. Some colour will come off. Option 2. Wait till the strap is dry, buff it and buff it some more. Some colour will come off on the buffing cloth. Then seal with a thinned coat of the acrylic varnish. Both: when dry add a coat of bees'wax/nfo mix and buff in.