Finishing leather projects

[Badger 73]

Hi all, not been around for a spell hope all's well. I wonder if anyone can give me a bit of advise on finishing/sealing the leatherwork after dyeing. ie- products used and recomended. Also do you treat it with water resistance in mind or not ( i mean sheaths etc) Any advise would be gratefully recieved. Hope you all have a good 2015. Daz.

[Valantine]

So many options for finishing. I sometimes dye the leather depending on colour I want, and I now always saturate with wax.

[Badger 73]

Thanks for your reply.I'm sure this is a daft question to those in the know but what kind of wax do you use. Atb.

[Thumbcrusher]

I also saturate the leather in warm beeswax. i brush it on the use a paint stripper gun to heat it until the wax soaks in. careful not to get it too hot though!

[Valantine]

You can buy ready made wax products on evil bay for waxing horse blankets and waxed coats. Or mix your own using paraffin wax + turpentine + bees wax.(some contain linseed oil but this will yellow over time, good for wood though).
The more bees wax or less turpentine you add the firmer the wax will be.
And as Thumbcrusher stated use a heat gun to melt it in to the item but don't over heat it.

[Badger 73]

Thanks for taking the time guys, atb. T^

[ian c]

I used to use a hair dryer set on hot, to heat bees wax on to my ammo boots prior to bulling them, my boots never cracked unlike some of the other blokes.

[Valantine]

I only ever had one piece over heated and that was a test piece ;)

[Bushdoctor]

I used to use bees wax and a hair dryer (until the wife caught me) bees wax is also good for dressing walking sticks instead of varnish.

[ian c]

I was lucky my girlfriend at the time had a spare hair dryer which she gave me and it lasted a good few years.

[biker-bri]

Carr's leather oil bought from any horse tack supplier -as it contains beeswax it conditions the leather and makes it water replant .

[Badger 73]

Carr's leather oil bought from any horse tack supplier -as it contains beeswax it conditions the leather and makes it water replant .

Can i add this straight on top of freshly dyed leather? cheers.

[biker-bri]

Can i add this straight on top of freshly dyed leather? cheers.

Yes mate - it contains "neatsfoot oil and beeswax" use it once or twice a year depending on how much you use the item - top up the shine with a horse tack pure beeswax polish.
ATB Bri

[Badger 73]

T^ Ta. Next stop tack shop! Atb Daz.

[Badger 73]

Hi again guys. Going back to the beeswax and paraffin mix, do you use flakes and also where is a good place to source them from? My wife has seen beeswax flakes in hobby craft used for making candles. Would this be the same stuff albeit poss' a bit more expensive? Cheers Daz.

[ian c]

you can get beeswax off evil bay and the grate it to save money.

[Humakt]

Are there any beekeepers local to you?
Ask them - they'll have loads of the stuff (some time ago I bought a carrier bag full of beeswax from a beekeeper for ten quid).

[Valantine]

Recently found a better recipe consisting of petroleum jelly and bees wax in a ratio of 3 to 1. I tried it on a leather belt i had just made and it gives a lovely supple finish.

[Badger 73]

Thanks fellas, the neighbor of the house i'm working at this week keeps bees! Bonus! i'll be popping round tomorrow then. Sorry Alan was the ratio 3 parts beeswax to 1 pet' jelly? Atb.

[Valantine]

NO its the other way round. 3 jelly 1 wax. 25% bees wax.
Less wax gives a softer finish and more wax for a harder finish.

[Badger 73]

Great, ta.T^