Figured out why my leather dye was blotchy after 4 wallets

I kept getting these dark spots on my tooling no matter how careful I was with the applicator. Turns out I was skipping the deglazer step on the belly cuts where the grain is tighter. Anyone else find a specific prep step that made a big difference in their finish?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael_coleman1024d ago

Prepping doesn't fix bad dye application though. Try lighter coats.

janarivera24d ago

A buddy of mine tried dyeing some old leather boots last month. He went heavy on the first coat, thinking it'd save time. Ended up with this thick, goopy mess that flaked off as soon as he walked around. Had to strip it all down with acetone and start over. Now he does multiple light passes and lets each one dry for at least an hour between coats. Much better results on his second try.

phoenixb3424d agoProlific Poster

Janarivera's buddy probably spent like 3 hours doing acetone cleanup, which is a PAIN. So what kind of prep did he actually do before he put that first heavy coat on? Did he deglaze the leather or just wipe it down quick? I've seen people skip the deglazing step because they think it's optional, but that's usually what makes the dye grab uneven and spotty. Lighter coats are the way to go for sure, but with leather you also need the surface to be clean and open enough to accept the dye properly. Otherwise you're just painting a layer on top that will peel off.