Ferric nitrate as a leather dye?

[Larry Luck]

Does anyone heve experience using FeO3 as a leather dye?

I was getting ready to dye some leather and planned to use some vinegar/iron solution I mixed up a while ago.  The vinegar solution was a rusty mess and did not work at all on scrap, so I cut the FeO3 solution (1:5 originally) to about 1:20 and used it.  An immediate blue/black color change to the veg tan leather resulted.  Finished project looks good.  I'm wondering what are the long-term effects of a nitric based dye as opposed to an acetic based one.

Thanks,

Larry Luck

[RoaringBull]

Did you neutralize the acidic solution?  That may lead to bad results.

[Mark Elliott]

I have been using AQ and vinegar and iron for some time.    I have had a couple of problems with leather dry rotting, but I now believe it was because I used too much baking soda to neutralize it.  Based on some of the advise here,  I am going to stop neutralizing both leather and wood, for different reasons.   Both the stains do dry the leather out considerably.   Make sure that you oil the leather good if it seems a bit stiff after staining.   Otherwise,  you risk cracking the leather.   Of course, you might want to do that. 

Mark E.
   

[Larry Luck]

Thanks, guys.
Larry

[sonny]

how do you make this leather dye for orig looks???.......sonny

[RoaringBull]

This is the thread that I learned most of what I know...and that is not a smidgen of what the rest of these fellers know.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=10251.0

[longcruise]

These two were both stained with feric nitrate solution





The go black or very dark gray immediatley.  I did neutralize in warm water with a bit (no measurements made) of baking soda.  Both were oiled with neatsfoot oil once dry.  No problems so far.  Both are about five years old.

Not fancy, but both have been there and done it many times.