Wax Question For Duke Gavin Kilkenny

[RenJunkie]

What should I look for when choosing a acrylic wax for putting the finish coat onto hardened leather? Anything in particular?

Or is it one of those things where, if it's acrylic clear floor wax, it's fine?

Thanks!
Christopher

[Vladimir]

A friend of mine has had some success with "Future" acrylic floor wax.

I've tested it on some scrap. The most important thing seems to be, don't let it soak too long.

don't know what "too long" is though.

[losthelm]

With the water hardening method usualy you just soak it long enuff to get wet and evenly change color.
I think Gavin was useing the stuff from the big box store like HD or posible sam's club where the 5 gallon type runs around 35.
I'm sure he will respond shortly.

[Kilkenny]

I've actually noticed some differences between different acrylic floor polishes and their performance for hardening leather.

I've used Future (not cost effective for any serious production work), a couple of Johnsons and Johnsons products (personal favorites) and Red Devil (I think it's yellower than the J&J and Future, right from the start).

As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as leaving the leather in the polish "too long" - short of letting it stay there until the polish solidifies around it This applies when actually using the floor polish as your hardening agent. If it's just a seal coat, I merely roll the piece through a pan of polish, making sure everything gets coated, then hang it up to drip and dry.

[RenJunkie]

Yeah, I was looking to use it as a seal coat. I'm too at the mercy of the weather to keep using spray stuff, I haven't been able to get resolene or anything to coat in a way I like. And if it's got paint on it, that limits me to pretty much the resolene or super sheen, leather sheen, whatever.

You've used the wax as a hardening agent without the baking? How hard, and what longevity are you getting doing that?

And now to derail my own thread....

Do you ever have any trouble with your Titebond mixture? I've found it interferes with a lot of my dyes. But I'm one of these oddballs who seems to get better results dying the piece *after* baking. My dyes always get splochy and pale if I do it before baking.

Thanks!
Christopher

[Kilkenny]

Yeah, I was looking to use it as a seal coat. I'm too at the mercy of the weather to keep using spray stuff, I haven't been able to get resolene or anything to coat in a way I like. And if it's got paint on it, that limits me to pretty much the resolene or super sheen, leather sheen, whatever.

You've used the wax as a hardening agent without the baking? How hard, and what longevity are you getting doing that?

And now to derail my own thread....

Do you ever have any trouble with your Titebond mixture? I've found it interferes with a lot of my dyes. But I'm one of these oddballs who seems to get better results dying the piece *after* baking. My dyes always get splochy and pale if I do it before baking.

Thanks!
Christopher

The longevity and hardness of acrylic hardening is less than heat hardening methods - but it's on the order of 70% performance for 10% effort. It's also easy to "refresh" the acrylic hardening - just let it soak in the polish for a few minutes again.

I find that dying after baking is much less consistent than dying before baking. Both the glue and the chemical changes in the leather make the surface more variable in its acceptance of dye. I find it works better with paint after baking than before - probably because the surface, while varying in absorbency, is more consistent in texture after baking than before.

In a word, yes, the Titebond seems to interfere with dye - but so does baking without the titebond, in my experience.

[RenJunkie]

Hmmm, looks like more experimentation for me!

I'm currently testing how vinegaroon handles baking, how it absorbs after baking, and how an oil top coat affects everything. Been a busy morning...lol

And testing out the vegetable oil technique since we are oddly abundant in it at the moment.

Thanks!
Christopher

[Raeven]

I'm with you Chris. I have better results dyeing after hardening the leather, using a small spray bottle to put the dye into the leather.

I wonder if maybe the difference is only using water and heat to harden the leather, vs. a glue solution?

[RenJunkie]

Maybe. Of course, I've only ever gone over the glue with black. Before I started using the glue, I never had a problem with any color.

I wish I could do the spray thing. Seems a lot more pleasant that my foam brushes...lol

Thanks!
Christopher

[AwP]

Has anyone tried baking and then soaking in acrylic as opposed to just sealing? Does it make it harder than baking alone?

[RenJunkie]

Yup, Duke Gavin does.

Altho, where do you get this? I was at Lowes, and found like a quart sized bottle of the stuff. Only Johnson and Johnson acrylic floor wax they had.

Thanks!
Christopher

[Kilkenny]

Yup, Duke Gavin does.

Altho, where do you get this? I was at Lowes, and found like a quart sized bottle of the stuff. Only Johnson and Johnson acrylic floor wax they had.

Thanks!
Christopher

Actually, I don't soak in acrylic polish after baking, just a quick dip to seal everything. At that stage, I use it as a very inexpensive substitute for Resolene.

I get mine from either Lowes or Home Depot, in the gallon size jugs. However, last time I bought I had to settle for the Red Devil stuff because they did not have the J&J in the gallon size.

I'm sure there are janitorial supply houses that carry it - may even be available at one of the warehouse stores like BJ's or Costco (I'll try to remember to look next time I'm in there).

[Aaron]

I had this vision of Duke Gavin doing "Wax on, wax off..."

[eidelon]

does the floor wax only work on veg tanned leather for hardening or will it work on heavy oil tanned leathers like latigo?

[Kilkenny]

does the floor wax only work on veg tanned leather for hardening or will it work on heavy oil tanned leathers like latigo?

I wouldn't try hardening latigo. The tannery went to great lengths to insure that it would remain supple and keep some stretch. It's not a likely material for any kind of hardening process.

For the floor wax process in particular, you need to get the acrylic absorbed into the leather. Latigo is pretty well full of oils and waxes already, with no room left for absorbing the acrylic.

[Raeven]

Maybe. Of course, I've only ever gone over the glue with black. Before I started using the glue, I never had a problem with any color.

I wish I could do the spray thing. Seems a lot more pleasant that my foam brushes...lol

Thanks!
Christopher

I use a little misting bottle I got from walmart. I think I got it in the cooking section. Works great and only costs a dollar or two. It only holds like an ounce or two.

[RenJunkie]

Well, there's also little aerosol cartridges I can get, but I don't have any place to do it. Inside, it'd be a bloody disaster for the apartment. Outside, the wind causes problems. I suppose I could use Mrks box idea, but that's a bit in the future.

Do you mean the little spray bottles that are like miniature Windex bottles? I didn't know you could use those for dye application.

Thanks!
Christopher

[Kilkenny]

Well, there's also little aerosol cartridges I can get, but I don't have any place to do it. Inside, it'd be a bloody disaster for the apartment. Outside, the wind causes problems. I suppose I could use Mrks box idea, but that's a bit in the future.

Do you mean the little spray bottles that are like miniature Windex bottles? I didn't know you could use those for dye application.

Thanks!
Christopher

I think, but am uncertain, that he's talking about little bottles with built in pumps and aerosol nozzles that you pressurize with a few pumps and then push the button and presto, aerosol spray.

I have a rather fancy one meant for oils and such in the kitchen - I use it to mist the oven when I'm baking bread.

I had not considered that they might work as a field expedient "air brush". Was just looking at one in the clearance basket at Sur la Table yesterday....

mm

[RenJunkie]

I didn't know you could get those in the cooking section.

Probably cheaper than I can get them at Tandy.

Thanks!
Christopher