Sheepskin - How to solve these Sheepskins that bleeds and the skin shrunken like a rock? Questions by Rachel

Hello,

I have some pieces of sheepskin that were dyed for troll hair.

However, the dye is not set and WILL NOT WASH OUT.

I wash and wash and rinse and rinse and there is still color coming off the leather.

Could you please advise me what I can use to either remove all the dye or set the dye?

TROUBLE...the dye runs horrible out of the skin and the leather is shrunken and like a rock.

SO...I wash the leather until it runs clear. I condition the leather while it is still wet.

The edges are still like a rock but the rest of the leather and hair are fine.

So I work the edges over the back of a chair until soft.

All of this is way too time consuming.

The condition of the leather has only got to be soft and colorfast.


Here are the Photos of the trouble sheepskin.

How hair comes to me.
#1 http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...edWool1of5.jpg

Leather condition when it arrives---leather is around 3 inch by one inch.
#2 http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...edWool2of5.jpg

But it is curled upon itself hard as a rock from acid dyes.

#3
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...edWool3of5.jpg
After I have soaked it overnight in gentle cleaner and washed it 3 times it almost has all the dye out of it and the leather is back to its original size.
#4 http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...edWool4of5.jpg

After I have conditioned it while it is still wet and allowed it to dry.
#5 http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...edWool5of5.jpg
By the way ----the "finished" last picture #5----the skin is still crocking when wiped with a wet white cloth.

I also cannot find any way to dye sheepskin to get the result I want...colorfast dye and leather still soft.

How do we improve the skin stiffening problem from picture #5 with 3 steps process.

Step 1
Apply Hydrator-3.3 with a Poly-Brush® to saturate the skin wet and leave it in a Ziploc bag overnight to swell the skin.

Step 2
Towel off the wetness and apply Fatliquor-5.0 with another Poly-Brush® to soak up the fatliquor (fat, oil and water).
Optional reapplications when the skin is semi dry again.

Step 3
Leave to slow open drying overnight.
When dry, stretching and flexing the skin will soften up as soft as you wish.

These 3 steps should solve the skin stiffening like a rock.


How to reduce Crocking after softening the skin?

Foam brush or airbrush Nubuck Fix-99 and leave dry – thereafter stretch and flex again to regain softness.


Do you think it will work out the stiffness and bleeding with a smile?


Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®

The relevant product description is as follows:

Leather Doctor® Hydrator-3.3: for Pigmented, Aniline, Nubuck, Suede, Hair-on and Woolskin leather types.
This is a pH 3.3 aqueous leather-safe hydrator. It’s for hydrating dried, stiffed or shrunk leathers (to separates the crushed, stick together fibrils and relax them) prior to Fatliquor-5.0. And it’s also used for facilitating colloidal water movement within the leather structure capillary motion during the wicking process. That will cause suspended soil particulates to be moved to the leather surface to be extracted with rag while damp and erase with Leather Eraser-4 when dry.

Leather Doctor®Fatliquor-5.0: for Pigmented, Aniline, Nubuck, Suede, Hair-on and Woolskin leather types.
This is a pH 5.0 anionic charged micro emulsion fatliquor leather rejuvenator. It’s for replenishing original fatliquor that diminishes thru sun-bleaching, ageing, heat and alkaline exposure or cleaning. It penetrates and lubricates the leather fibers so that after drying they will be capable of sliding over one another smoothly. Besides softening the leather with stretchability, compressibility and flexibility, fatliquor enhances its rip tensile strength greatly. Thus relaxes coarse breaks, creases and wrinkles to provide drapes, suppleness and prevents cracking. It helps to keep leather at its optimum physical performance and prevent premature ageing.

Leather Doctor® Nubuck Fix-99: for Pure-Aniline, Nubuck and Suede.
This is an aqueous formulation color fix spray to abate crocking.
Crocking is greatly reduced or eliminated on most leather with good fixing of both dyes and micro pigment colors.
It improves wet rub fastness and reduces bleeding.
It maintains the natural feel and “finger writing effect” of the nap.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roger Koh

Hello,

I have some pieces of sheepskin that were dyed for troll hair.

However, the dye is not set and WILL NOT WASH OUT.

I wash and wash and rinse and rinse and there is still color coming off the leather.

Could you please advise me what I can use to either remove all the dye or set the dye?

TROUBLE...the dye runs horrible out of the skin and the leather is shrunken and like a rock.

SO...I wash the leather until it runs clear. I condition the leather while it is still wet.

The edges are still like a rock but the rest of the leather and hair are fine.

So I work the edges over the back of a chair until soft.

All of this is way too time consuming.

The condition of the leather has only got to be soft and colorfast.

---

Your might like to integrate this dye setting process of Acidifying the protein fibers replacing your tedious washing prior to Hydrating, Fatliquoring and Fixing
with Acidifier-2.0.



Leather Doctor® Acidifier-2.0: for Pigmented, Aniline, Nubuck, Suede, Hair-on and Woolskin leather types.
This is a pH 2.0 aqueous leather acidifier. It’s for cationizing the leather protein fibers below its isoelectric point to increase hydrogen bonding with the anionic aniline dyestuff for bleeding control. Also it’s commonly used to neutralize alkaline exposure that cause marks, streaks, brightness tackiness or sliminess from stains or cleaners