New dye in progress! Pic's have been posted

[Ace Lungger]

 :)Howdy Pards,
The otherday i picked up a hand full of green pecans and boiled them in a little water, and got a kinda nice color!
So I went and got a 32oz cup of green pecans and cooked them like the walnuts.
So I tried a test strip, 30 hours in the dye and the leather is as dark as 7 days in the Walnut, I have a new peice soaking for a 48 hour period. I will show pic's Wensday! I will show 3 pieces of leather, all out of the same peice of leather. You will see a 7 day walnut dyed, a 24 hour pecan dye, and a 48 hour pecan dye! i think you will be amazed
The pecan dye will let you have sevaral differnt shades of brown in a short time frame , instead of having to soak for 148 hours, you can get the same color in 30 hours and a lighter in 20, and lighter in 4 hours!
I think you all will like the Results I hope!!
ACE

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Pard

                                         Sounds good Ace, can't wait to see the results 


                                                                tEN wOLVES 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The otherday i picked up a hand full of green pecans and boiled them in a little water, and got a kinda nice color!
So I went and got a 32oz cup of green pecans and cooked them like the walnuts.
So I tried a test strip, 30 hours in the dye and the leather is as dark as 7 days in the Walnut, I have a new peice soaking for a 48 hour period. I will show pic's Wensday! I will show 3 pieces of leather, all out of the same peice of leather. You will see a 7 day walnut dyed, a 24 hour pecan dye, and a 48 hour pecan dye! i think you will be amazed
The pecan dye will let you have sevaral differnt shades of brown in a short time frame , instead of having to soak for 148 hours, you can get the same color in 30 hours and a lighter in 20, and lighter in 4 hours!
I think you all will like the Results I hope!!

I don't think I'd have thought of that. this could be a good idea. If it works that well, start selling pecan hulls, I'll take some.

I can't imagine soaking anything for 148 hours, though. 

OK, OK, I couldn't resist.

[Gun Butcher]

  okay, my shop now smells like boiling pecans. Since they were tearing up my lawnmower anyway I just picked up a bucket full and started boilin' them.
             Man, I am sure glad my shop is not in the house like it use to be    You guys are either a bad influence or a good one according to which side of the house I am on
                                 
                                                                 Gun Butcher

[Ace Lungger]

MW,
I can pack enough green pecans in a $4.95 flate rate folder to make you 3-4 gallons, All I ever ask any one is to pay for the shipping! I will pull the leather tomorrow afternoon, that will be a 48 hour soak and then let it dry and put some EVOO on itThursday and post some pic's for you guys!
I am very impressed with it!
Later  ACE

[Ace Lungger]

Here it is!
The one on the left is 2 days soak, the one on the right is 1 day soak. Both peices in the top pic are Pecan, the only dif is time they were soaked1
I have a small color blind problem only in shades, so I allways have other people look to see if there is a shade differnt!
Both have EVOO on them.
ACE
Hope this works right on the second pic, the one on the left is one day in pecan, the one on the right is 7days in walnut they are bare no treatment on them>

[Dalton Masterson]

Ace, is the top pic both Pecan? They sure do make a nice dark color. I think that would really antique out nicely. Good experimentin. DM

[Ace Lungger]

Dalton, i am sorry about that, the right one is walnut! I will go fix that now!
Thanks
ACE

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Ace 

   WOW I see what you mean, nice color in a really short time, this looks like a winner, you say you mixed them up and the one on the right is the pecan dye and the other walnut, I think we will be able to get some really nice variation useing these nut dyes, I 'm looking forward to doing some test my self.

                             Thanks Ace for taking the time to do these testings, and for sharing them with us.             


                                                                    tEN wOLVES 

[Gun Butcher]

  Ace, I don't know if anyone has asked this or not but here goes. How can I keep the excess dye? Can it be frozen to keep it fresh ?  HAs anyone done this before? 
   Out of a 1 lb coffee can of pecans I have enough dye to last until I am too feeble to unscrew the cap on the jar.

:-[Oops, I should have read further      I answered my own question in the "How to links".   Marshall< there is enough information there to write a complete book and I promise I will read all of them before I ask another question.

[Ace Lungger]

TW, NO the one on the right with out any EVoo is 7 days in the Walnut dye, the pecan works 4 times faster and more easlier to control your color, I will try to post a muzzel loader pistol holster that I play with tomorrow.

GB, just go get you some denatured alcohol and put 4 oz to a 2litre, and just shake it a couple times once a week!
A measuring cup and 1/2 of pecans will make 4 gallons at least.

I got one more up my sleeve, but I am going to keep it a secret for now, because the natural ingredits are not ready yet!
I got to go garage saling and get me another hot plate!
ACE

[Gun Butcher]

  Thanks Ace.  I will try the alcohol.  What I want to do is cook it down real thick and then cut it wth alcohol to get different shades.     GB

[Ace Lungger]

GB, when you figure that out, please let me know! I have tried for 3 weeks with no luck!
You will need to go back to chemestry 101, to find a bonding agent that will not hurt the leather and allow it to thicken! TW and I have nbeen trying. You might, trythe last little part that you have in your container, put a pint of rubbing alcohol and simmer it down, your alcohol should burn off quick!
Let me know, when you figure it out!
Later
ACE

[Gun Butcher]

  Ace, what I am going to try may or may not work. Nolan Sackett is my inspiration for this experiment. If you take a look at page three of the How to on making dyes he talks about it. I will let you know how it turns out.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Great stuff, Ace. I'm looking forward to making some myself. Then, there's mixing.....

I put about 1/3 cup of alcohol in a gallon of the stuff I have to prevent molding. To get a lighter shade, just pull it out sooner.

Out of a 1 lb coffee can of pecans I have enough dye to last until I am too feeble to unscrew the cap on the jar.

You'll probably forget what it is and drink it long before that.

I keep mine in the fridge for now. Some guys are freezing the stuff until it's needed. I have an old freezer I may pull into use for it.

[Gun Butcher]

You'll probably forget what it is and drink it long before that.

Heck MW, the way my memory is that could happen today

[Ace Lungger]

 :)GB,
I cooked one batch of wanuts completely down to mush, they cooked so much that you could squezze the stocking that the walnuts were in and it was just mussy, I still couldn't get a thick syrup!
I hioe you figure it out, because it would be nice to have a rub on dye!

Keep everyone up to date on this!
Thanks
ACE

[Gun Butcher]

  Well Ace, you could be right. I cooked just the liquid all day today and it feels just slightly like syrup. But if I keep cooking it I ain't gonna have any left. Started out with about a gallon and a half and I am down to about 2 quarts right now. It seems to be evaporating faster than it cooks down.  What about using corn starch?  Does anyone have an opinion on that? It thickens most other things but would it harm the leather.
Oh, the liquid has not gotten darker since I removed the pecans but it is a nice dark , dark brown.   GB

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I wouldn't thicken it or the stuff may not penetrate the leather to take the pigment into it. Just add some water. Mine is rather thin but it still works. At least the walnut stuff works that way.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

                GB, make sure you have enough water in the pot , and don't boil it , just bring it to a boil , THEN REDUCE THE HEAT TO A VERY SLOW SIMMER, ( WITH THE LID ON ), if you don't keep a lid on it , it will evaporate.....just cook it to where it looks like a THIN syrup only, and then your done.

                                                  TW