Vinegaroon

[Dave Fox]

The other "Vinegaroon", Judge Roy Bean's saloon/court in west Texas.

 

[Red Owl]

Whenever I'm sanding walnut my hands get stained. I know folks have boiled walnut HUSKS to get a dye but can you do the same with dust from sanding? I have no idea where to get walnut husks. My brother gave me a bunch of pecan husks but they boiled to a blackish color.

 

[Red Owl]

I love that part of Texas- have seriously thought about moving to Del Rio. On the leather color. I boiled down two tea bags in an inch of water in a quart pot- for about 15 minutes. I added black peppercorns- maybe 20- not sure that made any difference. Soaked 1/2 hour- dried lighter than I wanted. Rubbed with neat's-foot oil and waited half a day. That darkened it but lighter than I wanted. A second dip for about a half hour in the tea.- that darkened it further. Getting there. Put it in the sun half a day- darkened more- came out just about where I wanted it- a medium brown. I didn't think I could get that dark a color just from tea. Like this:
https://www.crispedge.com/faq/what-is-the-color-of-amber-brown

 

[smo]

Coffee works too.. I’ve never used either on leather , just cloth.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Steel Wool set in vinegar for a few days. Strain and use the clean liquid to blacken wood. This old process is simply called “Ebonizing”.

 

[William Sublette]

Thelyphonida is an arachnid order comprising invertebrates commonly known as whip scorpions or vinegaroons. They are often called uropygids in the scientific community based on an alternative name for the order, Uropygi.

 

[Red Owl]

I don't get all the issues about an insect with the same name, so what? I MUST BE MISSING SOMETHING.

 

[Red Owl]

Okay, just fooling around. I tried tea. two bags in a quart pot with an inch of water- boiled 15 minutes. For some odd reason 8-10 pepper corns (whole) seem to improve things. Let the tea cool- hot water will shrivel up the leather.
1. Soak leather- comes out "fawn" Let dry about a day and put a very light coat of neat's foot oil on it. Then put out in the Sun for half to a full day. Comes out a little darker.
2. Repeat everything, now a little darker.
3. I've needed a third effort and this time a lot more Neat's foot oil- the end product is sort of like Latigo leather and about the same color. I wish I could post photos but mid to slightly darker than mid-brown. I didn't think I could get that dark a color from tea. I soaked the leather and rubbed it on a white rag. It didn't bleed out and color the rag- seems like a "fast" color.
If anyone is interested, don't try on a project- just test with some scrap leather. The Sun treatment is definitely required
I did two projects, one with the leather pieces before being sewn together and another -a small bag- after sewn together. Both work but treating before sewing together is best. The tea is cheap, a couple of pennies but be prepared to use some Neat's foot oil. You need to soak the leather. This softens the leather SO it won't be appropriate for all purposes AND I am just starting on this, no test of time. I'll see if the color stays the same. Nice even result, no streaks or blotches.

This Color:

 

[Red Owl]

Still working on this. I tried the Fiebing's dye in medium brown. Same old deal- first coat is okay but not even. If I used more dye it comes out too dark. I really like the tea so far.

 

[Brokennock]

Are you making the leather damp with water before applying the dye?