Wilson's productmanagers share their secrets for prepping a football for the NFL and NCAA. Step 5: Allow The Leather To Air-Dry. Carroll Kelly is a Shoe Care Specialist and the Owner of Austin Shoe Hospital in Austin, Texas. The leather successfully darkening will usually depend on the quality of the leather. Step I: To prep your Wilson genuine leather game ball, youll need a Wilson Football Brush, Tack Bar, Football Tack Spray, and Football Prep Conditioner. Pour a teaspoonful of neatsfoot oil onto a soft clean cloth. Dont cake the ball in mud. WebSome leather materials dont immediately respond to darkening methods. Using a glove, spread this solution evenly on the deflated ball. Step 4: Re-Condition The Darkened Leather With A Good Leather Conditioner. For maintenance, only use tack spray once every 1-2 weeks during season. Depending on the type of leather you have, you can decide which method of darkening is best suited for the job. Dip the rag into the oil. This will help to thoroughly clean the leather. Apply a thin layer of oil to the surface of the football. Pour some oil into the bowl. These products are available at most craft stores and shoe repair shops. Do these after you have oiled your leather with the neatsfoot oil will definitely put the final nail in the coffin. Brush the cloth on your boots and in a circular motion. Heres how you achieve this. Vaseline after it has been applied on the surface of the leather will oxidize which then darkens the surface of the leather. Last Updated: March 25, 2021 Some of the leather darkening methods include using oils, coffee, leather polish, or sunlight. Try wrapping 2 layers of clean white newsprint and ironing the surface. Leather dyes are the most popular choice for darkening leather, providing a deep, consistent color. While you can use olive oil to darken leather, it isnt the best choice. Rub the oil-smeared rag in a circular motion all over the leather boots. Leave the oil on the leather overnight, or for at least 12 hours. Use circular polishing motions until you have achieved your desired look. This will help to remove any excess polish and also even out the leather surface. Let the leather boots air dry for at least 24 hours. Use a brush made for brushing footballs. Using coffee to darken leather is a pretty natural chemical-free approach and essentially a very easy home DIY since coffee is a very common household item. You can particularly use oils to darken any kind of leather including the very sophisticated suede leather.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'favoredleather_com-leader-2','ezslot_13',627,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-favoredleather_com-leader-2-0'); These leather oils are easy to come by as there are several brands of them on the market. To apply a finish, wipe it with a clean cloth and let it dry. Multiple applications of your chosen darkening method, will cause your leather to naturally saturate and return a much nicer darker hue. Related Article: Step-By-Step Guide On How To Darken Leather With Sunlight. 2023, Moonster Leather Products, Enter your email address below to claim your discount code. Apply a light layer, rub it in with a clean dry rag, and let it sit overnight. Heres how to do it. For more tips, including how to darken your leather with polish, read on! Learn howgame-changing tech breakthroughs helped Wilson LABS create the best-performing MEET GEN GREEN: EQUIPMENT DESIGNED WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN Super Bowl LVII Artist Spotlight: Lucinda Hinojos, Everything You Need to Know About the Omega Football. If the ball is still damp when you brush it, the coatings will grind down the pebbles on the ball, so make sure it is completely dry. Follow the steps below to ensure that your item is ready: Once youve prepared your leather item, choose your preferred darkening method. However, rubbing alcohol should never be used to clean or polish leather items; this will damage the surface and may even cause the item to fade. But darkening leather this way will come with a few downsides with the most common one being the leather item becoming pale or faded instead of darkening. The leather absorbs conditioner more easily with less tension as skin does, so deflate the ball to around 8psi. Once you have successfully darkened your leather item, the color is not guaranteed to last. Spray tack spray once per panel and let dry 5 minutes. Before darkening leather, remove any dirt currently on the leather with a vacuum brush or a damp rag with a drop of dish soap. Dont use a hot rag or wet rag of any sort to remove the initial preservative. Ensure your workspace is well-ventilated with adequate airflow, as the fumes from most leather treatments can be hazardous if inhaled in large doses. I'm Nakie and I am passionate about helping you guys give your precious leather goods the best tender loving care it needs so that they remain pristine while serving you a lifetime. The color change and darkening that occurs when polish is used can be attributed to the wax content in the polish. You will want to maintain a gentle circular cleaning motion when doing this. Always use specific leather cleaning and conditioning products on your leather items. I started this blog to share my knowledge of leatherworking with others and help people learn about this amazing craft. Put a drop of mild dish soap into a damp rag. If otherwise, repeat the tan process a few more hours the following day and see how your leather item becomes darker. To get the best results when dying leather, use a brush or other applicator rather than applying the dye with your hands. Just make sure that you always allow the leather to dry fully between layers so it doesnt end up over-saturated or too dark. Follow these steps to darken leather using oil: Wet one of the soft white cloths with about 1 teaspoon of the oil. 5 Home-Remedies To Remove New Car Leather Smell: Free Guide. Step 4:Leave the mixture to sit for about 1-2 weeks. Step 3: Place The Leather Item At A Place With Direct Sunlight. This method is so effective that it will even work on leather surfaces that have been finished, protected, unfinished, or sealed. Regardless of your chosen method, its important to be patient with the process and check back periodically until you achieve your desired color. You can simply use a medium bristle brush or a vacuum to take out all excess or loose dirt, dust, or debris or particles from the leather. This will give the leather a nice shine while also darkening its overall appearance. Oiling is just adding moisture to the leather, which darkens the leather considerably. When I was a teenager, my father taught me the basics of leathercraft. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Once the leather item is thoroughly air dry, apply your leather conditioner to the surface. But if youre not following then heres the deal with this method. Manage Settings Apply the leather darkening product, in thin coats, to the entire surface. Otherwise, repeat steps number 2 and 3 two or three times more. Heres how to darken your leather items using coffee; Trust me, these experiments were really fun and I was able to achieve some fantastic results. Apply the leather oil in a uniform layer using back and forth motions. You can also place the leather item briefly under the scorching sun for about 15-20 minutes. If you have a pair of leather boots, a favorite leather jacket, or any other goods, you may want to darken them to give them more of a sophisticated and vintage-like appearance. Austin Shoe Hospital is a family-run business that started over 105 years ago from a single horse-drawn carriage. WebIntroduction: Leather American Football. Make your coffee and make sure to make it strong and boiling hot. Now leave the shoes or boots you have darkened to dry. At this point, the ball will appear dusty. Once the leather item is thoroughly air dry, apply your leather conditioner. In the southeast, it can take a day or two to dry due to the high humidity. Next, condition the leather with a leather conditioner and then leave the leather item to air-dry before using the item. Football player Mason Dark, 16, was left with serious injuries across 75 per cent of his body after he attempted to create a makeshift blowtorch. Using sunlight is one of the natural ways to darken leather goods if you do not want to use dyes or do not have leather dyes readily available. You can also put the leather you have applied the vaseline on in the sun. No matter how long it takes to darken leather, it is important that you take the necessary steps to protect the leather and maintain its new color. So heres how you darken your leather using walnut hulls. Step 1: Put on a pair of gloves and apron because this method will stain like a permanent tattoo. Step 2: Load up your walnut hulls halfway into your container. Step 3: Fill up the rest of the container with water. Step 4: Leave the mixture to sit for about 1-2 weeks. Another option is to use a dye. Continue with Recommended Cookies. To comply with these regulations, Wilson sources the ingredients in the tack spray, tack barand ball conditioner from the processes used by Horween. Make sure not to load too much polish on your brush or applicator cloth. However, some processes that involve aging the leather, such as using burlap or tea bags, can take several days to complete. What you will need at this point is a piece of cloth, mild dish soap, and running tap water. You can stain leather boots with dyes. Put the dish soap into the rag and run it under To ensure that the darkness remains, you can apply a conditioner or sealant such as mink oil, neatsfoot oil, or beeswax to protect it from further damage. However, if you leave the leather in the sun for too long, it could damage it or cause it to dry out and crack. If you're looking for a more simple ball prep method, skip to our Quick & Easy Ball Prep Guide. You can use natural oils like mink oil, neatsfoot oil, or vegetable oils to darken your leather. So basically it involves putting the leather item outside in direct sunlight for a few hours, and it will darken. Make sure to have the coffee stirred continually to prevent the coffee ground from settling beneath the coffee jar. Work using gentle circular motions to clean the entire surface. Eventually, the cinch will catch up to the saddle. If you want to know how to darken leather boots or other leather goods using coffee, here are the steps to follow: If youre wondering how to darken finished leather, you can also use shoe polish. This heating process makes the ball very sticky, so be prepared. You can either soak your leather into the solution or apply it by rubbing it over the leather.