I've tried leather dye on wood and I'm having trouble with this stuff bleeding all over me. Tried putting them in a drying box and it still bleeds on sweaty hands. Is there a certain brand you all are using?

Are you applying finish after dying? I haven't had any trouble like that. >>>>------> Ken

fiebings leather dye is all I have ever used on all selfbows and BBOs...just let it dry and then get several good coats of poly or a similar finish over it, and you should not have any bleeding through problems.

Some leather dyes have to be set or they will bleed. It's been too many years since I worked in the tannery to remember how we did it. I'm pretty sure that using a mild acid solution will do the trick, but please do some research first or contact the dye man ufacturer for instructions.

Fiebings leather dye is my go-to bow stain. Once it's dry I just start rubbing on coats of tru oil. I might get a little smudge on my hand if I'm not careful but once the finish is on it's not an issue. The Ironwood bow that I posted in the selfbow section was done with fiebings leather dye.

Thanks all. I'll try some of your suggestions

I am no expert but I think, well leather dye is for leather.

Feibings leather dye for me with no issues. The alcohol evaporates FAST and there is no smudging or smearing, unless you really try to.

Just google wood working supplies and you can find powdered dyes that mix with alcohol in every color of the rainbow and not that expensive either. The "leather dye" route seems an odd approach knowing it wasn't made for wood.

Here, just follow this link;

https://woodworker.com/alcohol-soluble-brt-yellow-golden-oak-aniline-dye-mssu-845-541.asp

Nearly everybody who is anybody in the self bow world uses leather dye. Dye is dye. Don't make this complicated and scientific, its not.

I tried many of the best wood stains mixed with alcohol...none work as well as the leather dye. It's quick and easy and the colors are great. I like the green on the belly of an osage bow. :)

Dye is different from stain and it works on just about everything. >>>>-----> Ken

I could care less, use what ever you want...but I have to ask; why use leather dye??? Is it a certain color that you guys are after that only comes with the use of leather dye??? Do you find it is "better" for some reason??? Again, don't get me wrong I could care less and for certain not trying to compete with or get into anyone's rice bowl, just wondering and thanks for any info.

It has rich, varied colors. It works really well on hard, tight grained wood that we use for bows. The colors are easy to blend together in creative ways on the wood. It's easy to fix spots if I need to redo an area. It dries fast. There might be other dyes and stains out there that work well, but I haven't found any reason to use anything else because the leather dyes do everything I need them to do and they do it well.

I've never used leather dye on a self-bow. I guess I am a nobody in the self-bow world. I've used it on scuffed up shoes. I've used water based stains, oil based stains, ritz's dissolved in alcohol and no stains.

Jawge

I'll have to try it one of these days for grins and giggles so I can be somebody in the self- bow world. :) Jawge

Hold on to my a$$!!!!! Those are some really beautiful bows Weylin!!!! Never had a self bow {well I made one when I was 13, but it didn't last too long}, now I gotta spend money on one of them.....

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