mwp
Temple Guard
Posts: 101
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Post by mwp on Nov 6, 2008 19:11:08 GMT -5
I am about to try and moderately "age" my Todd Indy...I have already roughed up the seam edges with sand paper, but I want to do a little aging and wearing to the leather.
Because it is so lightweight leather, I am at a loss on how to make the leather look faded it spots and not damage it.
I don't want to make it dirty using Fuller's Earth. I want to make it look as if the dye has naturally faded in spots from wear..
Anybody have any ideas??
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Post by IndyBlues on Nov 6, 2008 19:51:14 GMT -5
Well, there are alot of ways to do it, but once it is done, there's really no turning back.
Please proceed with caution, and don't blame me if you ruin your jacket, lol.
What I do is rub the whole jacket down with alcohol and a rag. This will take the initial shiny look away, and give the jacket immediate character. Then, you should soak the jacket. Either wear it in the rain, or put it in the shower, whatever it takes. Wear the jacket for a bit with the sleeves rolled up on your forearms. This gives the sleeves those wrinkles everyone wants. Wetting it also gives the whole jacket a well worn appearance.
Now, for worn areas, you can either use the alcohol, or (not for the faint of heart) acetone.
Just rub those areas a little harder, but go slow. The area will initally look DARKER, until it dries. Then you will see it lighten up.
All jackets are different, so I would try the alcohol (or acetone) on an inconspicuous area, such as under the collar, or inside the jacket, where you'll never see it. Wipe a small area, let it dry, see if you like it.
Good luck!!
Mike
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mwp
Temple Guard
Posts: 101
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Post by mwp on Nov 7, 2008 2:11:58 GMT -5
Thanks..What kind of alcohol? Rubbing 70%...95% or denatured?
Will the rubbed out spots turn white, or will they retain a light brown hue?
Also, won't the wet jacket shrink? Mine is a bit tight already.
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Post by Tyrloch on Nov 7, 2008 6:49:08 GMT -5
mwp, Ive been wondering the same thing, as I'm thinking of breaking in a G&B goatskin jacket by washing it, as themechanic did with great results. My only fear is if the jacket fits great before the wash, am I going to wind up with a broken in too small jacket afterwards? Themechanic washed his in warm water & dried it mostly in the dryer -- would there be less/no shrinkage if I washed it in cold water? And/or dried it in the dryer with no heat? Will it still break in nicely without the heat from the warm water and/or the dryer? It's a bit risky putting a $450 jacket in the washer/dryer...I'm not too concerned with the sleeves shrinking as I think I have a bit of leeway there, but if the body gets too tight...definitely not a fan of the "wetsuit" look...  ~Jace |
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Post by New Yorker Jones on Nov 7, 2008 7:50:38 GMT -5
Jace,
I also have a G&B jacket (mine is lambskin) and I wouldn't dare stick it in the wash or dryer. If I was to, I would use cold water and dryer with no (or low) heat. I've heard stories of people's linings shrinking. So the jacket may not, but the lining may.
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Post by Tyrloch on Nov 7, 2008 7:59:00 GMT -5
I haven't yet committed to washing/drying it, but if I do it will be baby steps...maybe a wash in cold water with a low/no heat dry, with constant try-ons to make sure it still fits correctly. I may then just soak the sleeves in warm/hot water to shrink & wrinkle them up a bit. I've already owned a G&B goatskin so I know that the sleeves on the 40R will be okay if they shrink up 1/2" or so...
~Jace
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mwp
Temple Guard
Posts: 101
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Post by mwp on Nov 7, 2008 11:54:51 GMT -5
What about the alcohol Q's??
Again...70%, 90%, denatured?
I don't want a white patch which is what I see when I sand/fray the seam edges...I want that lighter BROWN look.
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Post by IndyBlues on Nov 7, 2008 16:41:17 GMT -5
You have to go easy, start with 70% alcohol. It will barely remove any color.
AGAIN, try it in an inconspicuous area, so you can see the results, and others won't, if it's too much.
Mike
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mwp
Temple Guard
Posts: 101
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Post by mwp on Nov 7, 2008 17:10:11 GMT -5
I used 90% alcohol becuase that's what i had...
covered whole jacket lightly, then rubbed into "wear" areas.....
The Todd lambskin Indy must be indestructible, as it didn't do nada!!!
No loss of dye, no dulling of sheen...
What am I doing wrong?
I don't want to screw up using acetone..
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Post by Tyrloch on Nov 7, 2008 18:42:40 GMT -5
Alcohol will remove the shine, but usually not much color, if any. Be EXTREMELY careful if you decide to use acetone -- it will remove ALOT of color. You may want to dilute it...
~Jace
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Post by Ragingblues on Nov 7, 2008 20:04:57 GMT -5
Drying it in the dryer using heat will definitely shrink it, while doing so with no heat will just help break it in.
Once you've removed some of the shine rubbing alchohol, soak it with water, then wad it up and tumble dry it with no heat. You can let it dry the last little bit while you wear it, to help set your own shape into the jacket.
If you need color removed from specific areas, rubbing those spots with a piece of brown paper bag. It acts as an ultra fine grade of sand paper and will burnish the color off in a very controlled fasion. IMO, Acetone just isn't necessary and is too risky.
I also recommend doing the last stage a little at a time. What might not seem like enough can look perfect when you come back to it later. It's much safer to take off a little at a time.
Ken
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mwp
Temple Guard
Posts: 101
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Post by mwp on Nov 7, 2008 22:34:48 GMT -5
Thanks...REALLY...a brown paper bag is rough enough to remove the dye from lambskin?
Well, it's worth a try.
I will report tomorrow.........
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mwp
Temple Guard
Posts: 101
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Post by mwp on Nov 8, 2008 9:57:17 GMT -5
Well I tried the brown bag method on the back where "wear" would begin....no luck..
The Todd lambskin, while paper thin is impervious to anything short or actual sandpaper...
...and what I want to do is not rough up the jacket..the leather is too fragile and might rip..
I just want to remove some color.
The above methods (except acetone) might work on cow or goat, but it did nothing for the dye in my Todd lambskin.
Has anyone actually tried to distress a TODD'S jacket? and what luck did you have...
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Post by Ragingblues on Nov 8, 2008 11:42:21 GMT -5
Well I tried the brown bag method on the back where "wear" would begin....no luck.. The Todd lambskin, while paper thin is impervious to anything short or actual sandpaper... ...and what I want to do is not rough up the jacket..the leather is too fragile and might rip.. I just want to remove some color. The above methods (except acetone) might work on cow or goat, but it did nothing for the dye in my Todd lambskin. Has anyone actually tried to distress a TODD'S jacket? and what luck did you have... It's simply a matter of elbow grease. the brown bag method is sometimes used on wood during furniture making, to burnish the finish really smooth. If it works on wood, it works on leather.... and did so just fine on my Wested lambskin as well. Ken |
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crismans
Map Folder
Mayor of Strunk
Posts: 42
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Post by crismans on Nov 8, 2008 15:25:22 GMT -5
I've washed every Indy jacket I've owned (except my TN Indy IV) with good results. I usually play it safe and go with cold wash/cold rinse and let it air dry to knock off the shine. When it's damp, I wear it and this really sets the wrinkles in the sleeves.
As for a Todd's, I had a custom cowhide that I washed, worked on with a high grit sandpaper, and drug behind my four-wheeler for a bit over a dirt/gravel road. Afterwards, I washed it again and Pecarded it. Came out looking great and had a lot of character (this is the only jacket I've really tried to artificially distress). As for the standard Todd's, I know that IndyFalco has beat his to *%&* and back and it's held up really, really well.
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