Order of finish

[327fed]

Got some vinegroon brewing. Never used it before. I usually use  Neatsfoot oil. Vinegroon, then neatsfoot, or give versa? 

[maxdaddy]

Apply oil after the 'grooning. I always have a gallon or so of the stuff cooked up in the corner of the shop and there's no faster way to make a bunch of small to midsize pieces black, in my opinion.

I think that the smell is weaker with older vinegroon than new vinegroon. I haven't tested this hypothesis scientifically though, so I'd be interested in your thoughts after a few months of using it on various projects.

Be careful when attaching metal rivets, d-rings, conchos, etc. to the 'grooned leather pieces as certain metals can corrode very rapidly from direct contact.

[327fed]

Thank you.

[327fed]

Strange stuff but effective.Made about 2 cups with white vinegar and washed steel wool. Let it work about 2 days. Tried to keep the wool submerged but it kept bubbling up. Took the wool out and it was clear. Started to apply it the next day and full of chunks of rust. Strained these out with blue shop towels. Dye went on great and looks perfect after neats foot oil. Looked in the jar today and it was full of rust again. Strained it again and there is not much left. Guess I just need to make a batch with every holster. Man is it black.

[1961Mike]

On 12/9/2020 at 10:22 PM, maxdaddy said:

I think that the smell is weaker with older vinegroon than new vinegroon. I haven't tested this hypothesis scientifically though, so I'd be interested in your thoughts after a few months of using it on various projects.

Hi, the Vinegaroon quits smelling like Vinegar when the acid has reacted with the steel to become Vinegaroon.  This stuff is great, and really pretty cheap.

Later

 

[maxdaddy]

On 12/13/2020 at 6:44 PM, 327fed said:

Guess I just need to make a batch with every holster

Nah, since the formula is vinegar plus iron plus time, I'd say just keep it onhand. I keep a gallon of it brewing at all times in a big pickle jar. The longer it sits and ‘cooks’ the better. While it’s fermenting it will bubble off gasses, so don’t seal the lid of the jar tightly, rather, leave it covered loosely just to keep out large debris and bugs. Since it will smell like a festering bottle of vinegar, and looks nasty, you’re not gonna want this mixture in the house so hopefully you have a safe place away from your normal living area where it can sit. Every few months I'll feed it another handful of nails or steel wool to keep the chemistry going. 

I don't even worry about straining it anymore either. I just pour it in a plastic container for dipping or if it's going to be used as an edge treatment I just scoop a little pill bottle amount out to dip a small brush in.

 

 

[1961Mike]

OK, mine has NEVER looked that bad and I"m on my second batch.  The first lasted a year or so, and I"m say 4 months into the second batch.  I keep it in a tall skinny jar from Hobby Lobby.  Tall makes for better belt dipping.  I have a five gallon bucket ready, but would like to have a house first.

Later

 

[battlemunky]

The 'roon is miraculous stuff.

If it works looking all gross like that and doesn't mess up the leather, who are we to judge? I strained mine but next batch I may not since I know you don't have to. It looks like hell though.

[327fed]

Treated something last week with the December batch. It is grey, not black, even with 2 heavy coats. Kinda charcoaley. 

[1961Mike]

If you haven't put any Neats foot oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) on it, it will look gray.  I'd let it air out, then put the oil on it.  Takes some of the vinegar smell away.

Later

 

[Zonker1972]

you can and should treat the leather with a sodium bicarb solution to neutralize the acid in the 'groon. for a sodium bicarb solution, dissolve some baking soda, not baking powder, in water. i heated mine up on the stove. let it cool and store in a bottle just like the 'groon. dip the leather in the sodium bicarb solution for about 5 minutes. this sodium bicarb treatment will neutralize the  acid, vinegar is a weak acetic acid, and get rid of some of the vinegar smell.

this treatment may address the corroding/tarnishing of some metals that maxdaddy spoke noted

[maxdaddy]

23 hours ago, 1961Mike said:

OK, mine has NEVER looked that bad and I"m on my second batch

  That jar has remnants of every nail, steel wool, washers, and other flotsam that has ever been put in it going back about five years. Maybe once a year I'll scoop off the solids from the surface but I never empty it out and start from a fresh clean jar. When the liquid gets low I just stir in more vinegar and nails. It has never failed to produce nice deep black results. 

[327fed]

I made a reinforcement panel for an Avenger type holster. Dyed it with vinegroon before stitching. Apparently hardened the leather. My machine won’t sew it, but sews un dyed scraps of the same hide fine.