OK - another silly question on "vinegaroon"

[bedbugbilly]

Have been reading the posts on vinegaroon - have been given a lot of good ideas - re-read the info in FAQ - now I have what is probably a stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyways as others may be a wonderin' as well.

If I've missed the answer to this I apologize.

Once you get your "brew" made up - if you just want to dye the hair side only - can you just bush on the vinegarroon with like a small paint brush or swab - let it set - and if not dark enough - reapply another coat until you get the look you want and then neutralize it?  I know it has to be neutralized afterwards with baking soda slurry but that could be done in a sink, rinsed off and the leather set aside to dry.  Or - is it necessary for the leather to actually "soak" in the solution?  What I'm thinking is - in my particular case - if it can just be brushed on, it would be a lot easier to make up a smaller quantity of it.  If it can be brushed on - I'm assuming it will work the same on both the flesh and the hair side?  I know the better-half would be a lot happier with not having several gallons of it setting around as well as sotrage boxes, etc. used as containers to soak the leather in.  Thanks.   

[marine-mp]

tripleB,
   Yes, you can brush on the 'roon, but be aware that it will migrate to the flesh side, no matter.  If you just want the smooth (hair) side colored,and not the flesh side, then your better off using dye.  It basically stays on the surface.  I hope I answered the question as asked.
   Now, if Mama don't want containers all over the hacienda containing 'roon and the other containers for rinsing, just make up a small batch, (I use a half gallon at a time in a blue Maxwell House coffee container).  So I have 4 containers at a time.  The 'roon storage, 1 'roon soaker, 1 nuetralizer in a ...yup, you guessed it, a Maxwell House coffee container, and 1 empty rinse container for the nuetralizer.  These all can be stacked on each other.  I also always have a x-tra batch of 'roon cookin', but she don't know it!!!!!!!!!!  Too easy.  I wash off the nuetralizer in the sink, so that container is the sink, and leave that clean so Mama can do the dishes!!!!!  Semper-fi   MIke

[Wild Billy Potts]

With vinegaroon you can brush, wipe and I will assume that you can dunk it as well. I usually just wipe mine on with cotton balls, no run thru that way. All you are doing is adding disolved iron into the leather, and you can repeat until you get the shade you want. The batch I made up I can get anywhere from a brownish gray to a deep blue/black look just by applying various coats. I don't neutralize mine as the acid is very weak and should be played out by the time it has done the job of disolving the iron. Of course there are many opinions on that part. When done dying do the surface treatment that you desire.

I got the black down, now if I could just get a nice natural brown I would be a happy man. I may try the rusty water method soon.

[Freedom]

I never soak my leather in roon. I just apply it with a dabber.  (a  Light pre-wetting with water from a spray bottle seems to give favorable results) If you are careful and don't over-use the roon it will not migrate through. I have tested it with a stitch groover and penitration is Plenty Deep.


I often use an artists brush to paint intitals with roon.. WORKS GREAT (and the best part is that if you keep some Ox acid nearby, you can fix any screw up easily...this is impossible with feibings ) but I have found that it is probly easier just to be careful of how "loaded" you get your brush.

I use W&C russet for most of my projects and it takes on a real dark black. It kind of starts to grey as it drys, but when the neatsfoot oil is applied it gets Black... a good dose of skidmores and it seems to seal it for good.. I have a couple peices that are several years old and they still look real black.

A few things I have noticed... I tried "BagKote" and anywhere the leather flexed the kote is now visible with tiny cream colored wrinkle lines... So my advice... don't coat roon with Kote  

I  only rince my roon leather now with plenty of fresh water... Never soak or wash in Soda anymore.. I saw much more long term damage as a result of the soda (even very mild solutions) to ever risk it anymore.. And I saw (smelled) NO Change in the smell of the roon after the so-called neutralizing... but I did get some nice surface cracks on some projects

I inquired about the acid # of skirting and from what I can find...it is nearly Neutral, being just a little acidic... A good brew of roon that is a month or more old seems to have very little acidity left in it... I bought PH testing strips and was not that impressed with my testing results. But I can say that the roon tested WAY weaker than the straight AppleCiderVine.

Hope this helps...

[bedbugbilly]

Thank you all very much!  For some reason, I got it in my head that the leather had to be soaked.  I'm glad to hear it doesn't ahve to be. Usually, I dye both sides of the leather in my holster making.  I probably would only have a very few things that I don't do that way.  So, as long as I know it can be done by applying it that way, I'll start my "brew" as soon as I can get to the store to get the things I need.  I'm the "curious sort" so it will be fun to experiment with.  I'd also like to experiment in coming up with a dark tan/light to medium brown.  I know that some of you use walnuts.  I have access to some when I'm back in Michigan so will give those a try when I can. 

Years ago when I was a kid, I ran across an old formula for making stain to use on muzzloading stocks - maple in particular.  Basically, it was nothing more than putting a pouch of chewing tobacco in a quart of regular ammonia and letting it sit for a while.  They you strain it through an old nylon (I'm dating myself - that was back when women wore nylons!).  I used it with some limited success on curly maple but then switched to aquas forte.  I'm just curious - have any of you ever tried using chewing tobacco in some type of liquid to make a dye?  I'm not a chemist so I don't know what I'd try for the liquid to let it sit in.  Maybe vinegar would work?  I'm wondering what shade you'd come up with if you boileed a quart or a half gallon of vinegar with a pouch of Red Man in it?  If I get bold and try it, I'll post the results.

Many thanks for the great information - I really appreciate it!   

[Wild Billy Potts]

Collected a nice sized box of 1018 steel chips today at work and then forgot to grab it as I was leaving work, so will have to wait until Monday to start my rusty water batch for experimentation. I may grab some more JIC the leather needs to be dipped in a pot of heated rusty water.