Edge Finishing Problems

[DACLAP]

Hi Everyone. First time posting,  beginner.

I'm having trouble with dye bleeding into the flesh side when edging. I also have problems when burnishing (with a normal round hand burnisher) as the edges tend to become quite soft and plasticised somehow and are consequently somewhat misshapen when I burnish them flat. All this makes the edges look quite scruffy and unprofessional (photos attached).  I do, at some point, hope to recoup some of my outlay by selling pieces but am not happy with the quality yet.

I use 1.8 -  2mm veg. tan shoulder or side, and am currently making (attempting) notebook covers and small card wallets. I use Fiebings spirit dyes and either tokonole or tan Kote for flesh side. Method -  I cut then oil / finish skin side, tan kote or tokonole flesh side, then sand edges then dye edges then burnish edges with a little water. I try to be really careful when dying the edges (with a Q-tip) but it seems that I either don't get enough on to cover or it bleeds in almost uncontrollably.

Any help or advice would be gratefully received.

Best regards

David  

[billybopp]

You may not be able to prevent this entirely, but try this:  Before you dye your edges, burnish with water and saddle soap.  Let it dry, then edge dye. That will lessen the dye absorption from the edge - If saddle soap doesn't do the trick, try a little gum tragacanth.  I'd also suggest something a little firmer than a Q-tip - a small foam brush or a little piece of felt held in a clothespin.  Make sure that whatever you use isn't too heavily loaded with dye: Just enough to do the job.

Hopefully that helps.

- Bill

[chuck123wapati]

or you can dip dye the whole thing.

[YinTx]

I have seen and tried using crayola for burnishing wax, seems to work so so.  Also, Sharpie markers seem to work well, also they sell pens that you fill with dye that help with more accurate placement of edge color.

If you are using an edger, doing so after the edge dye can remove some of the bleed.

Sometimes, when it seems you have not put enough dye, it is enough when you start to burnish.  Try putting on very very little, thinned a lot if needed, then burnishing.  You will find the burnishing distributes the dye some and also darkens the edge sufficiently to look nice.

Or no dye at all can look decent on edges.

Just some options.   Edge paint if all else fails.

YinTx

[Arturomex]

I buy those heavy, firm felt pads that go on the bottoms of furniture legs and cut them into strips about half an inch wide and then cut a piece off that just a touch wider than the edge I'm going to dye. I have a little clamp on a stick that I hold them with but as Bill said, a clothespin will do the trick. The felt is nice and firm and holds and releases the dye well. And, as Bill said, burnish the heck out of the edges and let them dry before you apply the dye. A lot of that bleed is, I think, due to capillary action and sealing the edge fibers will help eliminate that.

Right now I'm using a little "bath" system that for dying the edges of belts. Basically it's a small tank of dye with a longer piece of felt immersed in the dye. The dye wicks up into the felt, which is proud of the top of the dye "tank" and the belt edge can be run over the felt horizontally.  When time permits I'd like to build a little "guide" that will allow me to set the height of the edge relative to the top of the felt.

If you do go the edge paint route, don't burnish your edges first. Sand them down but remember that, unlike dye, the paint needs something to adhere to.

Regards,

Arturo

 

[zuludog]

When you burnish the edges try not to press down too hard with the burnishing tool. Use fast strokes with only just enough downwards pressure to keep it in place and generate the heat

[Danne]

Yes, burnish with water before dyeing edges, this way you push down the fibres on the flesh side (at the transition between edge and flesh) and avoid it bleeding into the flesh.

Also consider using a cloth instead for burnishing. (A lot of people prefer canvas, I use a heavier cotton cloth) 

I rarely burnish edges but I show you two examples. The cognac colored one is painted with oil dye, the black one is just burnished.

My method:

1. Sand flat

2. Burnish with water (using a cloth)

(3. paint with oil dye)

4. Burnish with Tokonole

5. Sand 800-1200 grit

6. Burnish with Tokonole.

7. Keep sanding and burnish with Tokonole until I feel satisfied.

8. Melt paraffin on the edge and burnish. (Didn't do that on the black strap)

 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Danne

[DACLAP]

I thank you all sincerely for your helpful comments. I have tried a different method today and it has worked much better. I burnished with water before dying the edge, put on less dye than usual - this was almost automatic as the edge was much smoother of course, and this also made it easier to control exactly where the dye was going. I did still use a q-tip but kind of further down the bud towards the stick if you follow, and this was much more controllable.

So a mixture, really, of your kind advice and I am very much encouraged with the results. I will post a pic tomorrow. Nowhere near the quality of Danne's work as yet but there you go. Something to aspire to.

Once again my thanks and best regards.   

David

[zuludog]

I used to use a Q tip/cotton bud to apply edge finish, but found it held too much and spread the Edge Kote too much. This was not helped by the fact that the thing started to disintegrate and flop around

Now I use a pencil for thicker edges, say where 2 or 3 layers of 2 or 3mm leather are sewn together; they're cheap; you can vary the amount you pick up; and with a bit of practice you can control the application quite precisely

For thinner edges like wallets I've seen people use a round awl, though I have yet to try it myself

Those are for Edge Kote and similar dyes. For Gum Tragacanth and Tokonole I use the tip of my finger