[TheForge] Restoring bellows leather

[Dave Brown]

At 13:18 03/09/03 +1030, you wrote:
>I have a large bellows in need of some TLC and I guess linseed oil is the
>thing to treat the leather with, is this right? do I need to dilute it at
>all to help it soak in? The leather is pretty dryed up.

If the leather is old and dried up there may be no help for it if it's to 
be put into service.  But whatever you do, don't use linseed oil ... it 
hardens (catalytic reaction on exposure to oxygen in the air).  If you 
think it's dryed up and hard now, it'll be much harder when the linseed oil 
hardens.

You'll be better off treating it with some neat's foot oil, mink oil, or 
some other leather conditioner.


Dave Brown
Heritage Smithing
Green Bay, WI
ABANA, UMBA, GoM, MODA, ARG