Alcohol on a Todds?

IndianaBogart · Post by **IndianaBogart** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:52 pm

My first question: What exactly does alcohol do to a leather jacket in the first place?

My next question: What are the effects of alcohol on a lambskin jacket?

And my last question: What does alcohol do to a Todds standard jacket?

Any help with these questions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
IB

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:59 pm

Having just distressed a Todd's lamb for FordPerfect and using just a tiny bit of alcohol on it, I think I'm equipped to answer this question. ;-)

IINM, the real active ingredient in the alcohol is the acetone. In alcohol with lower amounts of the stuff, the only difference you'd see is a dulling of the shine on the jacket. But if you have more acetone, or a jacket that's not very shiny to begin with (like the Todd's), the acetone's primary effect is to actually lift the dye out of the jacket, allowing you to give the jacket a faded look.

Now, I didn't use very much on FordPerfect's jacket, because I wasn't expecting that to happen (I had used it on my Wested lamb before and just dulled it). But once I saw what it was doing, I used it a little around where I'd sanded to smooth out the edges of my sanding and make it look more natural, as well as using it on the shoulders and a little bit on the chest.

Hope that answers your question(s)!

Shane

conceited_ape · Post by **conceited_ape** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:05 pm

Any pics of this, Shane? Hopefully FordPerfect will chime in and cough up some afterphotos. I'm asking because I'm expecting a Todd's in the next few days.

NatiJones · Post by **NatiJones** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:06 pm

McFly wrote:Having just distressed a Todd's lamb for FordPerfect and using just a tiny bit of alcohol on it, I think I'm equipped to answer this question. ;-)

IINM, the real active ingredient in the alcohol is the acetone. In alcohol with lower amounts of the stuff, the only difference you'd see is a dulling of the shine on the jacket. But if you have more acetone, or a jacket that's not very shiny to begin with (like the Todd's), the acetone's primary effect is to actually lift the dye out of the jacket, allowing you to give the jacket a faded look.

Now, I didn't use very much on FordPerfect's jacket, because I wasn't expecting that to happen (I had used it on my Wested lamb before and just dulled it). But once I saw what it was doing, I used it a little around where I'd sanded to smooth out the edges of my sanding and make it look more natural, as well as using it on the shoulders and a little bit on the chest.

Hope that answers your question(s)!

Shane

I agree, Use little alcohol diluted prefered I used it around the edges of a Wested and it worked great to get that "aged" look after I sanded it down... REMEMBER FIRST SAND then RUB... Brings me to my next point make sure you do not place the alcohol directly on the jacket b/c then it will leave stain marks ... instead use a rag to apply the alcohol on your jacket. The key is to always start slow and work your way up to get the right distressed look...

Hope this helps!

Nati

IndianaBogart · Post by **IndianaBogart** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:16 pm

So it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do the whole jacket, right? Just certain areas? And dilute it before applying it to the jacket, right?

NatiJones · Post by **NatiJones** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:23 pm

here's what I did I did rub alcohol all over the jacket to get the shine off... BUT WITH A RAG .. then sanded and went over the sanded areas with more alcohol DILUTED OF COURSE

Just whatever you do DON'T POUR THE ALCOHOL DIRECTLY ON THE JACKET! let me know if ya need anymore help

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:38 pm

She's right - use a rag or something similar. I used cotton pads, but they're not the best because they leave fluff on the jacket that you have to brush off afterwards. Although using a rag I think you'd leave stains on the rag from the dye - so use one only if you want to use that rag for... like....... well I guess whatever you'd use a rag for.

Who cares if a rag is stained?

Here's a few pics of FordPerfect's jacket (though there are no "before" pictures because the jacket came right from Todd's shop to me, and I started work on it the day it came) Next I'm sending it to him - he doesn't actually have it yet. It's sitting here with me, and I'm waiting for him to give me the go ahead on it (whether he likes it or not) so I can send it to him in England. So he hasn't even seen it before, and as a side note, this is my second jacket I've done for him. Anyway, here's a few pics - I used some alcohol around the storm flap and on the shoulders a little bit, and also a little towards the middle of the chest, but you can't see it in the photos (most of my work is just sanding and wrinkling):

Bogart - I recommend just using sandpaper. You have more control over it, and you can just be slow with it instead of worrying about how the acetone will look.

Shane

IndianaBogart · Post by **IndianaBogart** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:43 pm

Thanks guys. This will help me out a lot if decide to distress my jacket. I'm not opposed to artificial distressing, but part of me is wanting to stay in Michaelson's class as far as my jacket is concerned.

NatiJones · Post by **NatiJones** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:48 pm

McFly wrote:
Bogart - I recommend just using sandpaper. You have more control over it, and you can just be slow with it instead of worrying about how the acetone will look.

Shane

Make sure its super fine sandpaper or else you start to tear the skin.. and then you have bigger problems

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:50 pm

^ That too!!!

Nati, you're on top of things!

Shane

NatiJones · Post by **NatiJones** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:52 pm

It was my FAVORITE item to distress next to the Alden's !!!

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:05 am

McFly wrote:Having just distressed a Todd's lamb for FordPerfect and using just a tiny bit of alcohol on it, I think I'm equipped to answer this question. ;-)

IINM, the real active ingredient in the alcohol is the acetone. In alcohol with lower amounts of the stuff,

Shane

Acetone and Isopropyl alcohol are two different substances. Isopropyl alcohol can oxidize into acetone, but their chemical compositions are a little different.

Isopropanol (Rubbing alcohol) = C3H8O
Propanone (Acetone) = CH3COCH3

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:38 am

I use a 70% Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol, whose "inactive ingredients" are listed as containing acetone, but I think that when you put it on a jacket, the acetone has an effect.

Shane

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:44 am

McFly wrote:I use Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol, whose "inactive ingredients" are listed as containing acetone, but I think that when you put it on a jacket, the acetone has an effect.

Shane

Ah, ok C2H6O, ethanol, or grain alcohol. If it has acetone added then that would make a difference.

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:26 am

IndianaBogart wrote: but part of me is wanting to stay in Michaelson's class

Stay there...

CM · Post by CM » Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:38 am

McFly wrote:

Bogart - I recommend just using sandpaper. You have more control over it, and you can just be slow with it instead of worrying about how the acetone will look.

Shane

Oh my God! You've ruined a perfectly good jacket! ;-)

Satipo · Post by **Satipo** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:52 am

McFly, that's some seriously good distressing. I didn't realise you were in the business of offering this to other's jackets. Nice work!

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:08 am

Thanks! Though I do ask for a small payment...

Just $700 plus a $100 gracious holy-man contact fee. But if somebody wanted me to, they could send me their jacket and I'd distress it like that, or more, or less, for them and send it back, providing they paid for shipping and all that.

CM - I know!

It's scary the first time you do it, too. Somebody you haven't met sends you a brand new jacket that they haven't even seen yet and you're supposed to sand it?!

Shane

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:41 am

IndianaBogart wrote:Thanks guys. This will help me out a lot if decide to distress my jacket. I'm not opposed to artificial distressing, but part of me is wanting to stay in Michaelson's class as far as my jacket is concerned.

Fight the 'dark side', my son.

;-)

Regards! Michaelson

theinterchange · Post by **theinterchange** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:40 pm

Michaelson wrote:
IndianaBogart wrote:Thanks guys. This will help me out a lot if decide to distress my jacket. I'm not opposed to artificial distressing, but part of me is wanting to stay in Michaelson's class as far as my jacket is concerned.
Fight the 'dark side', my son.

;-)

Regards! Michaelson

He will join us or DIE!

I think I might LIGHTLY distress my jacket when I get it.

Randy

Bullitt · Post by **Bullitt** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:07 pm

IMO I think it depends on what you like in a Raiders jacket. For example, the jacket in the spider sequence was really dull all over except for the pleats. However in most of the rest of the film, I see very shiny parts on the jacket. Therefore I decided to not use any alcohol on the jacket. Just water treating it, sanding it with 400 grit sandpaper and scuffing it with a Swiss Army Knife to get the illusion of random texture differences.

Shane, that jacket looks great! It looks quite a bit darker than other standards.
What unorthodox method did you use in the end to get the wrinkling?

Richard

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 2:44 am

I think I've finally decided my idea of distressing is a light rub down with alcohol, some water treatment, drying with the sleeves cinched up, the collars adjusted while wet, plus some fuller's earth. I can't quite bring myself to administer sandpaper or a pocket knife to perfectly good jacket leather. Guess I'm halfway between the

school and the other one.

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:54 am

Bullitt wrote:Shane, that jacket looks great! It looks quite a bit darker than other standards.
What unorthodox method did you use in the end to get the wrinkling?

I crumpled it into a ball and let my backpack sit on top of it for a night!

(Personally, I think that's a perfectly orthodox way to wrinkle a jacket! lol)

Thanks though! [shameless plug] If anybody wants their jacket distressed, PM me and we'll talk dates / prices / etc. I usually ask for somewhere around $50 to distress a jacket, depending on how much time I end up spending on it because of the amount of distressing asked for. [/shameless plug]

Shane