Nu Life Leather/Vinyl Spray?

[jason1976]

Ok, I've managed to kill too many projects trying to die leather, so I am looking for a spray die. I've heard good things about this "Nu life" stuff, but I can't find it anywere locally, and I REALLY don't want to order it on line.

Does anyone know who caries it? (like wal-mart. etc.) Or, is there another brand I should look for? I would also appreciate any other tips, tricks, info, etc. you-all would like to pass a long.

Thanks

 

[Jumpin Jax]

Most any auto store carries vinyl/leather dye in a can. Dupli-color is at most if not all Shucks stores, they recommend it for vinyl but it works just fine on leather, example:

These boots were black, I laid down a layer of white Dupli-color then red dye over it. Not one flake has happened in three years.

Ok, I've managed to kill too many projects trying to die leather, so I am looking for a spray die. I've heard good things about this "Nu life" stuff, but I can't find it anywere locally, and I REALLY don't want to order it on line.

Does anyone know who caries it? (like wal-mart. etc.) Or, is there another brand I should look for? I would also appreciate any other tips, tricks, info, etc. you-all would like to pass a long.

Thanks

 

[jason1976]

That's awesome! I was looking so hard for "NU life" for cloaths, that I didn't even think about the fact that Auto folks would need something like that for the leather in their cars.

 

[TimDrakeRobin]

http://www.storesonline.com/site/458256/page/97014

 

[Jayn]

Most of your local shoe/luggage-repair shops will carry nu-life spray, ( a coating, not a true dye) comes in a good variety of colors, but can be expensive if you need a lot for large projects. I think it is just a little better in quality than the automotive brand leather sprays, (which are good too..) I prefer to use leather paint, which is cheaper,can be mixed to spec.and applied by spray methods or brushed on with great results.

 

[jason1976]

Well, I am working on a number of different projects, but the main thing I need this for is a couple of jedi belts. I made one a few years ago (Obi-wan's) but I was never albe to finish it, because when I dyed, it turned out supper blotchy, and got dye all over. (it kind of bled dye) I SUCK with a brush, so I thought if I could get a good spry of kind, that, that might be the ticket. expensive to get a side, and the dyed belt blanks, aren't wide enough.

I looked at Meijers last night, and wall that do have the auto vinyl paint, they didn't have brown, so I'll have to look around, and wall I'm at it, I'll see if I can find a shoe repair place.

 

[jason1976]

Ok, I found a shoe repair place, and got some NU life. The color is great, and it goes on easy, but the finish isn't even at all. it's shiny in spots, and dull in others. (that may be my fault for not properly prepping the leather.) Anyway's I'm letting it set for a week, or so, to see if when it gets completely dry, if it's looks better.

I have some Tandy "Supper shene leather finish". Do you think I could us that to even out the finish, and seel it, so it doesn't come off on my costume? Or, do you think it would just mess it up?

 

[SFPROPS]

You're not getting an even coat because you aren't using enough of either product (Nu Life or Dye).

I've used both for belts with really good results - I used to sell them and got great reviews. I had the same initial problems you did though. I wasn't getting a good dye job, so I went the Nu Life route. At first, I was getting the uneven sheen, but once I REALLY laid on a thick coat (multiples in fact) I got a really nice finish. I won't come off. The sheen will work okay as well. I'd put a light coat on, but before it dried completely take a SLIGHTLY wet rag and buff it out. That sort of made it so it was a satin finish instead of a glossy finish.

I went back and later tried dying again and got even better results than the Nu Life. You REALLY have to sop the dye onto the leather to get a good even brown. I used to take a belt blank and put it down on a piece of cardboard. I'd transfer my leather dye to a large bowl and take one of those 2" foam paint finishing brushes and dip it in the dye. I'd then run the wet brush over the leather belt blank back and forth until the dye started to pool slightly on top of the leather. At that point, I'd let it dry and check the color. If it needed to be darker, I'd simply repeat the process. Eventually you'd get a really nice, deep dark brown. I think it usually took me two heavy passes before I'd get the right shade. I'd put out a book/pattern set a year or two ago with the info on putting together belts. I wanted to quote from the book but I can't find my original files now. They are apparently archived somewhere

 

[SFPROPS]

ps. If you live in Columbus, there's a Tandy Leather on Morse Rd. that should have everything you need I think.

 

[jason1976]

Well, fist of all I have your book, I got it a few years ago, with the Han pattern, very cool stuff. I did use a ton of dye the first time, and I kind of figured if I just kept doing that I might get a good result, but I just didn't want to risk it. The NU life went on smooth and easy.

No offence, but I don't think my current problem (since I used the NU life) is too little NU life. In fact, I put a LOT on. One can that ended up being too light, and when that dried, I put on another whole can of a much darker brown.(in coats, not all in one fail swoop. ) I haven't looked at it, for a day, or too, because I was going to let it dry for a week or, but the problem since I sprayed it isn't so much an unevenness in color, but and unevenness in finish. It ranges from glossy (like glass), to extremely flat (like sand paper. ), and everywhere in between. That's way I thought the shene stuff might help.

Oh, and I've been in that leather shop on Morse Rd. many times (their not far from me at all ), they don't seem to have NU life, but ironically there is a shoe repair place in that same shopping center, that does carry it.

 

[SFPROPS]

Oh, and I've been in that leather shop on Morse Rd. many times (their not far from me at all ), they don't seem to have NU life, but ironically there is a shoe repair place in that same shopping center, that does carry it.

They used to carry it back before Tandy bought The Leather Factory. I remember seeing the shoe repair place and wondering if they stocked it, but never went in.