[Jewelry making - Article 00085] - Re: [Orchid] Dried out leather cords

[Ron Charlotte]

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>     Or would a good overnight soak in Leather CPR repair the damage for
>     future use? I cringe at the idea of tossing it all. Any similar
>     experiences with dried out leather cord? 

    Leather, I can talk about (my metal and lapidary are mostly findings
    for my leather pieces). Leather CPR is a basically a lanolin balm,
    and can't hurt. Read the instructions carefully and don't
    _oversaturate_ the leather. It sounds like your cord's been allowed
    to dry out too much. 

    Treat a chunk of each spool and set them aide for a couple of days
    and then give them a bit of a stress test. If the dry rot has made it
    all the way through the material, all of the leather dressing in the
    world will not save it. Hopefully if you can get the strength back
    into the grain layer, it may be ok. 

    Be careful with overloading leather with dressings. It will make it
    feel better, initially, but in the long run, it will essentially rot
    from the inside out. For storing natural leather like this, the best
    bet is a large zip bag, but don't seal it completely. The small
    rubbermaid tubs are good as well. That way it can breath and you
    don't get mold/mildew issues, but it's less likely to dry out. Also
    keep your leather away from climate control vents. 

Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL
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