One More Dyeing Question

[JD Alan]

At least one more for now! My original thought was to avoid dyeing the back of the belt. It's not lined, and I'm concerned about the color rubbing off onto clothing.

I know people dye belts without getting any on the back, because I've seen pictuires right here on this Forum. I'm hoping someone can tell me what they did to keep the dye from the back side.

The leather I used for the belt (different than the holsters) is quite rough on the back. I thought about using blue masking tape to protect it while dyeing, but I know the effects of tape on the flesh side.

I've got a dozen pieces of scrap with dye in the shop right now, and I'm experimenting with various things after dyeing. I used EVOO, Skidmores, and Lexol, each on different pieces that were dyed with pro oil dye, light brown, cut with alcohol 3 to 1 dye. The darkness is the same as I've listed them, darkest to lightest. I just applied Bag Kote to all 3, and they are drying.

After my dyeing experiences, I'm thinking of mixing some dye with the EVOO and trying that. I figure this is the time to try as much as possible with scraps before committing to dyeing the project.

One more thing. With the light brown oil dye, everything is still coming out with a strong redish tone in the brown. I'm wondering if there is a brown dye out there that doesn't have red as a base?

I finally understand why it is that Chuck goes through so many steps to get the color and finish he wants. He is the Master, no doubt about it.

Any feedback would be received with appreciation, JD

[knucklehead]

JD,

of all the gun belts and holsters that i have made and use, not one of them has left the color on my clothes.

i have herd of the color bleeding onto clothes but i havent seen it on my stuff.
most of my gun lether has been sealed with neat lac.
just started using bag kote with atom wax and this hasnt blead on my clothes as of yet

[RollingThunder]

It really depends on what kind of dye you're using. If you're antique staining it, it's gonna be messy when you rub it off. Be careful that the area you are working on is neat and clean, and that you don't touch the sides if you can help it, or the back. For those pieces, I'll usually use Fiebings EdgeKote in black to clean up the edges after slicking them. For EdgeKote, I shy away from the foam applicators, and use a Robert Simmons Tolemaster Round Scrubber brush made for fabric painting, as that stays good and stiff and is flat enough to follow the slicked edges without much issue.

In the end, though, it's a matter of taking your time, and being neat and organized. Be careful, and just work slowly. You'll be fine, I'm sure!

[JD Alan]

Thanks Knucklehead, and Rolling Thunder, I appreciate your advice and experience. God bless you both!

[knucklehead]

not a problem.

allways happy to answer questions.
you have asked questions that make me go hmmmmm, wish i had asked that question.
therefore i have been learning via your questions as well. just gotta love this forum

one thing i forgot to mention is about your question on the tape idea.
i use the blue maskin tape on the backside of the leather instead of glueing it down on something when i tool it.
the tape seams to work fine in keeping the leather the same shape with little stretch as oposed to nothing on the leather to help from stretching.

when i take the tape off it tends to pull on the leather causing it to leave that side a little rougher than before the tape was attached to the leather.  now that side has fuzzy look to it.

on the leatherworker.net website i read about using gum trach(spelling sucks) on the flesh side of the leather to aid in smoothing it up a bunch.
i have tried this method on a inside the waist band holster and it did work for the most part. i didnt spend a lot of time on the inside of the holster. but did smooth it up far better than what it was before i started the holster.

i used the gum trach after i dyed the holster with no problems. and the holster took the finish coat just fine. i used neat lac on the holster.
forgot to take a picture of this holsterr but i know the new owner very well and will remember to take a pic next time i see him

[JD Alan]

Thanks once again Kuncklehead. I think I've got enough info now to take a swipe at it now.

[Dalton Masterson]

On gun belts, I dont smooth the inside with anything, opting to leave it naturally fuzzy. I think this lends itself to keep itself in place. Making the inside ultra smooth might make the belt a bit slippery on the back.

I do dye the inside of some of mine. It depends on the look I am looking for mainly. If I do dye the inside, I give it a coat of Skidmores. Havent noticed any rub off.

Also, be sure to buff your dye job when you are done. That will remove some of the excess powder from the dye.

DM

[JD Alan]

Hey Dalton, I remember you were the one who told me about this forum, when I was wandering around over at the SASS Net, so thanks very much once again, and for your comments.

My main reason for not dyeing the back is the possibility of bleeding of the dye. I bought some leather suspenders last year, not knowing a thing about leather, and they messed up a good shirt. Since then I've been rather leery of dye.

I agree that keeping the back fuzzy helps keep the belt from slipping.

This evening I mixed pro oil dye with Saddle Oil from Bee Natural, 5 to 1. I tried cased and dry. Oil and water really don't mix! The dry piece seems to look better than the cased, at least initially.

I had a hard time getting dye in the stamped parts with the alcohol dye mix, but the oil dye mix covered the stamped area
really well.

I've got some time in the morning, so I'm going to take the plunge. Thanks everyone, JD

     

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy All

     JD, I guess there are several ways of doing things, myself when I do a belt, I never dye the inside of the belt, whether it's lined or or not, on a lined belt I just put a few coats of either EVOO or Neatsfoot oil, on an unlined belt I just leave it alone and let it breath, like Dalton said the roughness off the flesh side of the leather will help in keeping your rig in place, if finished and smooth  it will have a tendency to slip, this will happen with a lined belt also unless lined with a courser leather like suede, but I still like a smooth leather lining over suede, suede over time gets dirty, and because it is thin has a habit of tearing and wearing out faster. if doing an unlined belt I would just leave it alone, and do your dyeing very carefully and try not to get any on the back side, if your using Fiebings  dyes, with the natural dyes you don't have to worry about this. Hope this helped, and again this is just my opinion. My old friend Alfonso Peneda made my friend an unlined gun belt in 1966, and it is still in great condition, I also have an unlined gun belt made by Hunter from the same time period that is also in great condition, so I think the process speaks for its self.


                                                           tEN wOLVES 

[JD Alan]

Thanks 10 Wolves, I appreciate your experience. Having Alfonso Peneda as an old friend seems like quite an honor to me, pretty cool.

I have taped off the back of the belt with blue masking tape. I'm going to testr a few more colors, with alcohol and oil, then pick the one that looks the best ans go for it.

Thanks everyone for all the encouragement and advice. JD

[Marshal Will Wingam]

One thing that I find helps to dye just the outside is to run a cotton dauber with some dye in it along the edge before beveling the back side. Careful not to have the dauber sopping full of dye or it will bleed beyond the edge into the back of the belt. Then I dye the outside, not having to concern myself with the edge. Once the edge is beveled, you have a crisp line to the dye.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

One thing that I find helps to dye just the outside is to run a cotton dauber with some dye in it along the edge before beveling the back side. Careful not to have the dauber sopping full of dye or it will bleed beyond the edge into the back of the belt. Then I dye the outside, not having to concern myself with the edge. Once the edge is beveled, you have a crisp line to the dye.

Marshal Will you bring out a good point, this is the way I also do my dyeing, if I dye a belt, I'm not concerned with the edges, because I always use a colored Fiebings edge kote , and I apply the edge kote with  Q-Tips, very carefully as to not get any on the back or front side of the belt, the Q-Tips work real well for me and when they start to come apart you just grab another one,  they give you greater control. and as Marshal Will said, after you have dyed the finished side of your belt, and after the dye has dried , I bevel the edges front and back, this gives me a nice clean line front and back to put on my edge kote, and then I'll burnish with bees wax and a rub stick, I use a tine of deer antler for this. just remember when dying a belt , don't try to dye the edges, this makes it real easy to concentrate on the finished side of the belt, the finished side is what your going to look at anyway, then when done and dry, you can finish the edges.


                                                           tEN wOLVES 

[JD Alan]

Will and Ten Wolves.

After experiementing again this morning with various colors (Chocolate and Walnut oil dye) cut with alcohol and with EVOO, I've decided to oil these, and try to use the sun and extra coats to get sort of where I want to go.

While stuff was drying I cut out and stamped the keepers, and attached them. I figured I'd better fit them up before any color or finish work.
Next time I will get them set before stamping them, to do a better job of centering the design on the keeper. Live & learn


I've got an opportuntiy to go shoot for a while, with a very rare sunny 50 degree day in Oregon. Sunday they are calling for snow, and we've got a Western 3 Gun meet. I don't usually make those, but I've got a day off this Sunday, so I might be shooting in the snow!.

Thanks again guys, JD

[HorsePen Henry]

Those are nice flowers, JD. Nice stamp work.
Horse Pen

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Good job on those, JD. They'll look nice with the finish.