# Did two tone dye leather stain on exterior doors



## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

This fall did a two tone dye leather stain on an exterior door, what a different.
The customer asked me put a clear coat on these doors, after sanding the doors with 120, 180 before going to 220 i clean the door with paint thinner or Naphtha I thought it would be good to bring the grain out, went to the customer and told them about it and what is the cost going to be get the green light, that's the result.
I used English Tan leather dye went heavy let it dry next day I sand it back left the dye in the grains than i went back did a deluded by 50% wipe it back with cloth, put the yellow dye on top, let it dry sealed it and 2 coats marine.
First picture is with out the dye.
What is your view on that?


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## Lazerlnes (Sep 9, 2017)

Damn nice!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Looks very nice but guess I would stick with a product meant for wood. Perhaps leather dye isn’t any different than stain for wood - but why take the chance? Just my two cents.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

What kind of wood is that? It looks great. My concern would be long term adhesion with the clear coat though.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

RH said:


> Looks very nice but guess I would stick with a product meant for wood. Perhaps leather dye isn’t any different than stain for wood - but why take the chance? Just my two cents.


If it's an alcohol based stain or dye, you should be fine. I used Mohawk dye powders with alcohol to match many times. With both solvent and water-based stains and dyes available today, there really isn't much of a difference what application they're used for. They're only providing the color and will be covered with clear anyway.


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## Delta Painting (Apr 27, 2010)

RH said:


> Looks very nice but guess I would stick with a product meant for wood. Perhaps leather dye isn’t any different than stain for wood - but why take the chance? Just my two cents.





Woodco said:


> What kind of wood is that? It looks great. My concern would be long term adhesion with the clear coat though.


Oh look some armchair critics...

Look's sweet, love the way the dye brought ot the flame's in the wood...


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## Tprice2193 (Oct 3, 2017)

I like both finishes but the yellow dye sure provides a rich contrast. Is that mahogany? I doubt that you will have any problems with using leather dye vs wood dyes. Pretty much just a matter of solubility, water, alcohol, or naptha...I haven had good results with water soluble dyes on mahogany though...Did you have a particular look in mind when deciding to use leather dyes? Looks great!


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## Susan (Nov 29, 2011)

My thought..is that you deserve either a better camera, or a professional photographer, because you are doing stellar work and it deserves to be shown. Should be affordable if you're appropriately compensated for your efforts. Kudos,


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## Tprice2193 (Oct 3, 2017)

By the way at least 50 percent of us on here are deluded. Must have been the high VOC stuff....


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Delta Painting said:


> Oh look some armchair critics...
> 
> Look's sweet, love the way the dye brought ot the flame's in the wood...


Armchair critics? What kind of crack are you smoking??? Did I NOT say it looked great? BUT, do you NOT think there might, possibly, be an adhesion issue, and it might, possibly be in ones best interest to determine that beforehand? Its most likely fine, but there a small possibility. I've seen it happen, cuz, you know, Im an "armchair critic." Im not a professoinal or anything...


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

+1 Wolfwang.
This is an alcohol base product, in general I think dye has better penetration true the wood than other stain.
I did few guitars for my friend few years ago and I did some of my gun stock with leather dye plus I always do samples without any problem at all.
I always do use sealer before top coat.


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

RH said:


> Looks very nice but guess I would stick with a product meant for wood. Perhaps leather dye isn’t any different than stain for wood - but why take the chance? Just my two cents.





Woodco said:


> What kind of wood is that? It looks great. My concern would be long term adhesion with the clear coat though.





Tprice2193 said:


> I like both finishes but the yellow dye sure provides a rich contrast. Is that mahogany? I doubt that you will have any problems with using leather dye vs wood dyes. Pretty much just a matter of solubility, water, alcohol, or naptha...I haven had good results with water soluble dyes on mahogany though...Did you have a particular look in mind when deciding to use leather dyes? Looks great!


Yes that's mahogany, yes I did have a particular look in mind.
it's an alcohol base I use it strait from the bottle put it on a rag, the way to check how the top coat going to look is to clean it with naphta will give you the idea of the finish.
I think Yellow always make the brown come to life, If I'm doing sun burst I will add orange to it. Love this stuff specially on curl wood.
Thanks Dan.


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

Csheils said:


> My thought..is that you deserve either a better camera, or a professional photographer, because you are doing stellar work and it deserves to be shown. Should be affordable if you're appropriately compensated for your efforts. Kudos,


Csheils, thanks for the kind words, you are right about the camera I use my phone most of the time, I should use my camera more offen.
I was compensated for my efforts :wink:
Regards Dan.


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## Tprice2193 (Oct 3, 2017)

Thanks for diligently answering all our questions. Also thanks for the yellow dye on brown tip. My doors look like your first pic. Now I know how to make it pop and cant wait to try. Bet that yellow dye works on walnut too. I do have a couple more questions about your process if you dont mind.. What sealer do you use? What is the marine topcoat you use? I use shellac as my sealer and Waterlox marine varnish as my topcoat for exterior doors. Phone pics or not you can see the quality of that finish. Thanks again for sharing!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Delta Painting said:


> Oh look some armchair critics...
> 
> Look's sweet, love the way the dye brought ot the flame's in the wood...


When a member posts something and asks for opinions, it’s not necessarily being critical to offer up one. Using leather dye on wood isn’t something I’d ever heard of so I was simply making an observation. No need for you to try and stir things up.


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## Delta Painting (Apr 27, 2010)

Woodco said:


> Armchair critics? What kind of crack are you smoking??? Did I NOT say it looked great? BUT, do you NOT think there might, possibly, be an adhesion issue, and it might, possibly be in ones best interest to determine that beforehand? Its most likely fine, but there a small possibility. I've seen it happen, cuz, you know, Im an "armchair critic." Im not a professoinal or anything...



No need to call me a crack head. You wanna be critical someone calls you out and you get your depends all in a bunch calling people names grow TFU!


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## Delta Painting (Apr 27, 2010)

RH said:


> When a member posts something and asks for opinions, it’s not necessarily being critical to offer up one. Using leather dye on wood isn’t something I’d ever heard of so I was simply making an observation. No need for you to try and stir things up.


If I was gonna stir things up Dan I would have gone much further that what I wrote. But it's okay for the person above to call me a crack head? Mr mod! This person nailed that door with a leather dye, you have never tried this method your opinion is just that yours and so is mine don't really care if you like mine or not... I have matched stain using leather dye many a time as Wolf pointed out it just alcohol based stain...Sheesh one would think I told you to FO or somthing...


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Let's all appreciate the good work displayed here, and turn the argumentative tone of this conversation down a bit. It's totally unnecessary, and being blown a bit out of proportion.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

This thread got so sad. Are these symptoms of cabin fever? For what it's worth, I think the door looks nice...


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Wildbill7145 said:


> Let's all appreciate the good work displayed here, and turn the argumentative tone of this conversation down a bit. It's totally unnecessary, and being blown a bit out of proportion.


Gee, you think?


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

CApainter said:


> This thread got so sad. Are these symptoms of cabin fever? For what it's worth, I think the door looks nice...


No, these are the manifestations of cabin fever. Replies are taken wrong, butts get chafed....same old same old year after year.

And the doors look great!!!


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

My father in law has built several guitars using stamp ink, some use printer ink too. My first thought was exactly what was expressed here regarding what could happen down the road but they still look great.

The way a lot of guitar builders bring out the grain on flamed maple guitars (think Les Paul style) is by starting with a couple coats of black ink. Then to get the sun burst effect they sand down the middle of the guitar more than the edges and use whatever color ink after that.

He never used a sealer after ink (I would) just clears it with either tung oil or a gizilion coats of Tru Oil.

The doors look fantastic! 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## canopainting (Feb 12, 2013)

That looks great


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