TRying to find out how much

[Ace Lungger]

I am going to make the black vineger dye, and i was wondering if someone could tell me the ratio's, I can get all the metal shaving I want, I just don't know how much cider vineger to put with the shaving, one the spec thread it say's to cover the shaving, I got a 3lbs can of fine shaving, and split them, so I have 1/2 in each can, Should I put a quart or a 1/2 gallon in there before i cook it?

As Allways, I will be very great full for the help!
Ace

[David Carrico]

I'm sure I will ruffle some feathers here, so take this for what it's worth. Look at an old piece of leather harness or tack. Where is it the weakest or most rotten? Where it was in contact with the iron hardware. Now, you are going to soak your whole piece of leather in iron? I make Civil War tack for a living. Almost all of it is black. Fiebings makes a nice black dye, believe me, it is much easier and better to use that. When I first started, the hardcores wanted it dyed with the iron filings. You always are needing to add more vinegar or more iron to make the batch right. Try this, get two pieces of like leather, soak one in normal black dye, soak the other with the iron/vinegar mixture. Now, go nail the pieces on a wood post outside. Come back in a week or two and see which one tears easier. I just don't think it's good to soak leather in iron filings, and it's much, much easier to open that jug of Fiebings, which is consistent every time. Just my $0.02 though!

[Ace Lungger]

David,
I thank you for your reply, since I am just starting I don't have a clue of what I am doing, I didn't have any dye to do my first rig, and I was at a Flea market and found a box of Ritz clothes dye for 25 cents and that is what I used.may not last, but i don't care! As far as dyeing other rigs I want to due it right, the thing I like about the old time dyes, is the fact that the cost was going to be a little of nothing! I am still not decided what I am going to do, but you also must remember I live in the middle of no where and I have to order everything I use!
What stuff I have bought has been ebay or Tandy. I spent allmost all day yesterday trying to find a place to buy wholesale concho's, buckles, and all the bling bling things, with very little luck.
Monday, my wife and my son, who is back from the west coast, went flea marketing, was at a place that sold reproduction Iron goddies, ect and she had some spots with Stars on them, I didn't have a clue of what a person could buy them for, she sold me them for a dime a peice, I bought 40 of them, after getting home I got to looking at the Packing Iron book seen some stuff I would like to try sometime, and realized 40 won't due the job, tandy don't have them, so I was looking for a sorce for them, with no luck. So like I said, I am new and I was just going to try that!

Thanks for your Advice

Ace

[HorsePen Henry]

Hidy Ace,

Sometimes for a warm honey tan color I just set the piece in the sun for a suntan. The longer ya leave it in the sun the darker of a reddish brown you'll get. That is the cheapest coloring I ever got on leather and it looks real good. It'll never get black though. This is only good for brown shades. Just a tip ya might wanna try sometime.

X Horse Pen

P.S. I almost fergot. Do the suntanning before you sew it up. It needs to lay flat until it reaches the color you want. Then you can do the assembly work.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

When I use the vinegaroon, I neutralize it with a baking soda mixture then follow that with a light coat of olive oil. I suspect that may take care of the weakening aspect. Of course, I haven't tried to test the leather after that. I may have to do some testing just to find out.

I never adjust my iron/vinegar proportions. I put one large steel wool pad for one quart of vinegar. I don't heat the vinegar, either. A week at room temperature works fine. It seemed to want to build a light pressure for the first few days so I left the lid loose just to be sure. That has worked fine so far.

[cowboywc]

Howdy All
Speaking of sun tanning leather, here are before and after pix of the saddle I'm working on. The color is just
pure neatsfoot oil and sunshine.
I'm using Skidmores Leather Cream as a finish. The seat has not had a much time in the sun as the rest of the
saddle.
WC

[Ace Lungger]

Marshall Will,
What do you do to make your baking soda wash, just take some baking soda and mix it in waster stir untill the soda is dissovled, then wipe the leather good, the wipe dry and put a light coat of oil oil?
  I am not trying to start any trouble, I just want a good black finish and I have seen yours, and i thought WC used it to, but I might be wrong! I am most of the time!! And you all KNOW that I need all the help I can get!!
Thanks, and i hope to here from you guys about the baking soda wash!

SEE YA
ACE

[cowboywc]

Howdy Ace
I use Fiebings dye for my black.
WC

[Marshal Will Wingam]

What do you do to make your baking soda wash, just take some baking soda and mix it in waster stir untill the soda is dissovled, then wipe the leather good, the wipe dry and put a light coat of oil oil?

I stir it up until it's dissolved. Then I submerge the leather in it for a minute or two until the bubbling slows considerably.

Here's a link to the thread where all this gets covered over the course of the discussion.

Old time dyes: a How to