Steel wool in vinegar dye

[Brett]

Hi!
I'd read thread at this forum about steel wool in the vinegar dye, excellent info, thanks!

I did it too (for 14 days), but how to store it: remove wool, with wool, for how long, at the room temperature or in the refrigerator?

Thanks,
Brett

[MtMike]

HI Brett -- I think that was my post, so I'll answer -- I don't know (yet) the best way to store it, right now I have a batch cooking up in a large Planters Peanut jar next to my work bench. It seems to reach full strength at about 2 weeks, at which time I remove the wool and filter the whole mess thru a Mr Coffee filter. Then it just goes back on the shelf at room temperature. If you want to put a glossy, deeper black finish on after using the vinegar/wool mix, one coat of spirit based Fiebings usually does a great job. I've found an advantage of the vinegar method is thatit really penetrates well -- the finish isn't as prone to scratching down to the natural leather color.
Dont you just love the smell!! I suggest air drying sheaths outdoors unless you really like the vinigrette atmosphere in your shop. Wonder if an uncured sheath would draw rabbits?
MtMike

[Chuck Burrows]

It will keep longer in the fridge, but it sure doesn't go bad quickly either way.

Another "natural" dye - brown - is to take a plug of chawing tobacco (break it up real good - W & B cut though is loose and works the best and an alternative is plain pipe tobacco or a couple cheap cigars) and add a pint or os of alcohol depedning on how much tobacco (about a 4 to 1 ratio works good). Let it set a couple of weeks and then strain it good, being sure to squueze out all the "juices" from the baccy. Looks kind of funky when first applied but it gives a real nice rich brown. Experiment on scrap as always.

Chuck

[PrattBard]

Black walnut husk juice on leather? We have some walnut trees next door, we shelled some a few years ago. ya wait till the husks turn black, crack them with a hammer, and the insides are like this iodine coated fiber (not really iodine, but it stains your hands that way) It be an interest color to try. this might be something I'll give a shot at in the fall. Don't know how the leather will react to it though.

Lara

[Chuck Burrows]

Lara-
That's another old timer. Soak them in alcohol just like the tobacco or I know some guys have just steeped them in water for a couple of hours. Stainless steel pan is best if you do that.

[PrattBard]

Yeah I'm also told it used to used like a stain or a paint on wood in the old days. The man reason why barns are all red. was cause the walnut (the coating around the walnut shells) husks were used as a cheap paint back them. Pretty cool stuff, though if you going to do it, wear rubber gloves. the stuff doesn't wash off, it wears off! I had reddish brown hands for about a month from taking the fruit part off to get to the walnut, that we then had to dry so that we could crack and eat! LOL

anxious to see how leather takes the stuff.
Lara

[Chuck Burrows]

I'd like to do some trading for some next fall if you're into that.

[PrattBard]

Have to see how the crop is this year after the hard winter. Goodness. and if the neighbor will let us have some. and figure out how to send it..LOL


Next time I get out I'm picking up some steel wool to try that other trick! Need to start collecting empty bottles for this stuff.
Lara

[MtMike]

Lara -- you and Chuck bring out a good point about wearing gloves when handling the walnut concoction. An advantage of the steel wool/vinegar is that it does NOT stain your hands. In fact I've made a batch that never turned any darker than a dirty gray in the bottle, but still turned the leather quickly. I haven't tried a second coat of another color dye over the vinegar, but that might be worth doing, say a bright red. And before anybody asks, yes, I have tried (unintentionally) blood as a stain. It was right after that I discovered harness needles
Mike

[PrattBard]

I think we all tried blood as a stain at one point. Once I was sewing a mint tin sheath. And my holes weren't the best there was. Well I stuck my needle in the hole wiggled it around trying to find the other hole on the other side and nothing. So I pushed..still didn't go through. Had a leather scrap in my hand to help push the needle through. Kept pushing till the needle FINALLY pierced the leather (did I meantion I'm using egg eye needles too) Unfortuantly the needle pierced the leather in my HAND! So now I have this scrap leather, that I realize should have been a tad thicker, and not used in the same spot repeatedly like I had been doing, sticking out of my hand. LOL

Apparently when I stabbed my hole (in the sheath I mean) I didn't go all the way through on one of them. Needless to say, I learned to ALWAYS look to make sure that awl is sticking well out the other side!

And as for the dye, from what i gathered from previous discussions it is a chemicial reaction that turns the leather black, so it really doesn't matter how dark your "brew" is. Can't wait to try this one!

Lara

[MtMike]

Schwert just asked a question in an email--how does the vinegar alter the Ph in the leather, and will it affect blades. Answer: I don't know. Maybe a pet/aquarium store water testing kit could help, unless someone has already done this test. Chuck?
Mike

[PrattBard]

After ya dye with vinegar, ya dump baking soda on to stop the reaction. be liberal with it (hey it's cheap! better safe than sorry)

Chuck will know more he actually did it, instead of just reading the posts making notes, but always forgetting to buy steel wool! LOL

Lara

[Schwert]

Just doing a little research about this dye, as I think it would be neat to use on my kangaroo lace.

Steel Wool + Vinegar ==>Iron (II) acetate (aka Ferrous Acetate)

Iron (II) acetate + Tannic Acid ==> somehow makes black leather.

Not sure what the actual reaction is here but apparently it is a chemical reaction not a "dye" that is making the leather black.

This is indeed neat. When I braid two colors (tan and black) I always gets loads of bleed across which muddies the braid. If I could get black soft workable lace with this dye I would prefer to use it.

Acetic acid is volatile and will depart from the leather over time so the pH concern may not be warranted. Neutralizing with baking soda would be a good idea if the leather does not mind.

[Chuck Burrows]

The Vinegar/Steel wool "dye" usually doesn't completely penetrate the thicker leather used in sheath making, at least in my experience. I always color the inside of a sheath with regular dye and seal it well anyway. The baking soda shouldn't cause any problems other than maybe pulling some of the oil out of the leather. I've never used it as I always hang the sheath in the air for several days anyway. If you open your jar of "dye" for a while and let it breath some of the odor will be dissipate especially over time. Just don't let it evaporate completely.

Mike - It makes a nice black for sure, but I prefer shades of reddish brown so I'll put up with stained fingers. (the stains on mine are permanent by now anyway)

Might be worth a try to soak some steel wool in rubbing alcohol and see what happens. The water in the alcohol may cause the steel to rust in the same way that the vinegar does and then there would be no concern about acetic acid leaching through to the blade.

[Cliff Krug]

The colonial gun makers used vinagear and iron filings to stain stocks. The vinagear was full strength. A little iodine willgive a red tint.