Best sealant after acrylic dye?

[LeatherLyfe]

Hi folks! I've been airbrushing leather with Fiebings acrylic dye and then using diluted acrylic resolene as a top coat. The end result looks great and is quite flexible, but I'm finding that the acrylic dye is getting chipped or removed very easily, such as when I put the dyed leather through a buckle (the first time, not even after doing it repeatedly).

My question is, is there a better sealant I could be using as a top coat to protect my leather dye? Should I use more acrylic resolene? Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

[fredk]

1. if the dye is getting removed you're not putting enough on for it to get deep into the leather

2. I'm now using a floor 'polish'. It has various names such as 'Pledge with Future shine' or Future or Klear. Its actually a water thin acrylic varnish. 2 or 3 coats will seal dye nicely

[LeatherLyfe]

If the colour is already opaque, should I still be adding more layers of dye? Is there anything else I can be doing to help the acrylic dye sink into the leather?

[fredk]

Dampen the leather before applying the dye.

Just do a few more coats to get that dye to go into the leather

You may need to do some more test pieces to see if you can it the way you like again

[LeatherLyfe]

12 hours ago, fredk said:

Dampen the leather before applying the dye.

Just do a few more coats to get that dye to go into the leather

You may need to do some more test pieces to see if you can it the way you like again

How long should I wait between coats? Should I let each coat dry before I apply the next one, or will letting the base coats dry prevent the dye from sinking deeper into the leather?

[fredk]

I let the dyed leather start to dry. Its still a bit damp to the touch, but a lot dryer. As it dries it shows how the colour is, usually a lot lighter.

[Stevestikihut]

Fieblings acrylic dye is terrible stuff. It will smear, lift, crack... I am becoming the poster child of Angry Californians who cannot get any chemicals but water based ones. I just received some Low-Voc dye, first impressions are meh. Uneven and splotchy. 

[Rannoch]

I just did some painting with Angelus acrylic paints.  I put a couple of coats of Resolene on top and hope it stays there.  RTC might do a better job of protecting and sealing the paint, however.  Others tried it on Angelus paint?  

I have had problems with spray on Saddle Lac chipping and flaking off, so I wouldn't recommend that.  Maybe I applied it incorrectly?  I've stayed away from it ever since.