Getting a faded black with vinegaroon?

[santee]

Messing around with the rusty water dye, and getting some great browns.
Thinking about whipping up some vinegaroon and wondering if it only gives black...or will it do grayish (like a faded black)?

[Johnny McCrae]

When using Vinegaroon  I leave the Holster in the solution for approximately ten minutes and rinse it with a Baking Soda slurry. This always results in a rich solid Black color. It would be interesting to leave the Leather in for shorter periods of time. I'll do some experimenting and report the results

[santee]

Good info so far, Johnny. I saw a youtube video and the leather turned black soon after the person applied it. I'l be interested in what you come up with.
Chuck Burrows diluted some with Walnut dye...that could work, too.

[Johnny McCrae]

Just dipped three pieces in Vinegaroon as follows:

Quick in and out dip (one notch)
In for 30 seconds (two notches)
In for 10 minutes (three notches)

There doesn't seem to be much difference. See the picture.

I will know more after it dries thoroughly and I apply some oil to it.

Gotta mention.. I'm not an authority on this. I've just been doing what works for me. Someone else  may have some more ideas on using Vinegaroon.

[santee]

Interesting, Johnny. I might try a batch and weaken it a bit. Thanks for posting your findings!!

[Cliff Fendley]

The amount of time doesnt really effect the amount of black. Only the concentration of the vinegaroon. Pure vinegar solution will turn the leather black very quick if you dip it.

You might try rubbing some on very lightly for a more faded look.

I have thought about doing a mix with walnut dye like Chuck did but never have gotten around to experimenting with it. I know Chuck got some fantastic results with it.

[Johnny McCrae]

I have thought about doing a mix with walnut dye like Chuck did but never have gotten around to experimenting with it. I know Chuck got some fantastic results with it.

I'll have to try this. Thanks for the tip Cliff.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The only time I got grey with vinegaroon was an old batch that had been around for a loooong time, perhaps a couple years and it didn't get that rich black. There was a layer of whitish sediment in the bottom of the jar.

With all other batches, the leather turns jet black almost immediately. I look forward to hearing how mixing it with walnut dye works.

[santee]

Here's the belt Chuck did with walnut dye and a vinegaroon mixed

[Johnny McCrae]

After drying, I oiled the three pieces that were dipped in Vinegaroon. There is virtually no difference in color.

I mixed around 3-parts Walnut dye to 1-part Vinegaroon. See sample with 4-notches. Its almost pure black. Apparently it doesn't take much Vinegaroon to turn leather black. I'm trying a much weaker solution to see what happens.

The pictures are a bit deceiving.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Santee, that belt color is very nice. Ovbviously he experimented with how much of each to use. The result is really nice.

Johnny, probably the best approach is to take walnut dye and add a little at a time until the darkness is where you'd want it. Next time I have an old batch that has lost its strength to make a nice, rich black, I'll save it for future use. Maybe that would mix nicely with the walnut dye.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

I find vinegaroon will turn leather more of a gray color as it looses it's strenght, if gray is what you're looking for a weak solution of vinegaroon will produce a gray,(old vinegaroon) or if you're wanting to gray a walnut dye you can just add that weak solution to your walnut dye, go easy, too much iron will darken fast, but experiment with it until you get the color you're after, and there again GREEN BLACK WALNUTS will give you the strongest deeper color, and on another note, adding more vinegar and iron to your vinegaroon will bring it back to full strength, as a rule I like keeping several large tub containers with different strength levels of both vinegaroon and walnut dye, that's just me, with my new shop I don't have the room I use to for storage...so I'm for a new way to store dye...

[santee]

I like the technique Cliff Fendley does with Walnut. After he stains it, he rubs the wet hulls on certain areas to show age. Great effect.

[Johnny McCrae]

Thanks for he tips TW. Now that you mention it, my Vinegaroon is getting weaker. I'll have to renew it.
(
Attached is a picture of a (10) to (1) Walnut dye to Vineagaroon mix. As Will and TW mentioned, it's a matter of experimenting until you get the desired color.

[Trailrider]

This is completely off the topic of vinegaroon, but my Faded Arsenal is done using a 50/50 mix of Fiebing's Black (NOT USMC Black) and Tan dyes, applied with a lamb's wool piece.  This generally results in a quite black color, but if the ratio of tan to black is increased, or the dye is applied in a varied amount over the surface, it makes it look like black that has faded to brown.  After drying completely, I give the leather an application of Bag-Kote (Tan-Kote will work as well, though it gives a bit more brownish tinge).  Just saying...

[Cliff Fendley]

I like the technique Cliff Fendley does with Walnut. After he stains it, he rubs the wet hulls on certain areas to show age. Great effect.

The only problem with that is it's not a very durable/permanent finish. It really is what it is and that is a dirty crust on top that can be rubbed off with water and a minor amount of elbow grease. It sets a little better after rubbing some bag kote over the top but you have to go quick and careful or the bag kote will 'clean' rub it off.

It does have the same look as a working piece of gear that has seen some grime, horse manure, etc. and once rubbing it on you can go back with bag kote and rub most of it off accept in the areas that normally are harder to clean so it has a more real effect to it.

[Massive]

There is a great instructable on getting grey on Will's site.  I love this colour, but haven't made up the process to get it yet.  Bottom of page.

http://www.willghormley-maker.com/MakingHOGRig.html

[santee]

Johnny....that's it! You did it. That's a faded grey, unless my eyes deceive me.

Great info, fellas. It appears many of you have experimented with this and had good results.