If a pump leather is dry but uncracked is it worth soaking in kerosene or should it just be replaced?
Soak it in motor oil. You might heat it and the oil up a bit to open the leather so it absorbs the oil. That's my recommendation I'm sure others will chime in with their advice. If it's uncracked it's definitely worth saving. Ben
This is the strength of leather over o-rings. It can be revived by re-oiling it. Ben's method is the best. If you can't heat the oil, just leave the leather to soak longer; you can massage the oil in with your fingers to speed the process up. If you're in the field, use any kind of oil you have. ....Arch
Good question. It depends what you mean by “a long time”. I’m usually trying to shorten the soak time so I can fire up the stove. My instinct is that you shouldn’t store pump cups in oil, but I really don’t know if that would damage it or not. ….Arch
Hello I had one leather cup which was super dry almost same as a Stone from an ebay seller who are located in UK, the quality was not so good. I wasn't satisfied with. Anyway did soak in 100Mineral oil during around 3months without any movement or touch it, but the Stonelike leather cup was not damaged. And still maintained as a Softer Stone. So the mineral oil is not very suitable for this purpose...
Try soaking in penetrating oil such as Plus gas to start? Something a bit more liquid just to get into the pores of the leather to get things moving for a start. Then maybe a light oil such as 3in 1?
Hello I know of the UK seller Yun124 is referring to. I purchased a bunch of these pump leathers and was not happy with them. Long story I will make short, I soked them in 50/50 mineral oil and kerosene for two years. I consistently monitored them (monitoring a two year pump leather soak is where the long part of the story takes place). As a matter of fact, last week was when I took them out of the solution. They seem like they will be fine now. Soft, playable and they don't seem to be falling apart. I wish I thought of Ben's method when I first purchased them.
Yes I have some of those leather cups, i think they are probably made out of the hide of an endangered species, you know the big ones with a thing long thing hanging hanging out front. I have some permanently soaking in a small tablet container filled with "Tanners oil" which is a thin mineral oil. They still need a bit of massaging before being put into use. They work but not well, a soft pliable leather to start with is the best way to go. I am trying to find a source of off cuts to make some of my own. The old dried leather cups that I have found in stoves that I have purchased have always come right with a soak in thin oil, unless the are rotten and torn of course.
If you want a really cheap source of mineral oil buy cheapest supermarket baby oil and cut it with paraffin/kerosine to the required consistency. Also makes a great honing oil. If only the rufty tufty teenagers in my practical classes had realised they were sharpening their tools using baby oil!
I always thought that neatsfoot oil (compound) was the best and that's what I use. Yes, you do want to work the oil into the leather, regardless of which oil you use. However, if the leather is currently very hard, I suggest you give it a day or so before trying to work the oil into the leather.
@BigScott thanks for the tip, I think baby oil is what we call paraffin oil here in NZ. Kerosene would be perfect to thin it if that is the case. I think i have some in my shed.
I also use the Neatsfoot oil. I keep all my spare leathers in a jar suspended in the stuff. It works pretty well and is less nasty than motor oil being that it’s an animal byproduct, but to me it smells worse.
I have neatsfoot oil as well, the leathers that I have soaked in it have not beeen the best. the oil is solidified in the winter and in the summer I find that i need to put it out in the sun before it thins out. The stoves that i have used the leathers in do not pump well until the tank and pump have warmed up. The saddle shop recommended the Tanners oil as an alternative, I believe that it is just a "clean" mineral oil, ie none of the additives that may be in motor oil.
That's interesting. I keep mine in my shop and have yet to see it solidify. It's possible mine is not pure. It's oily as all hell and works well for me, but whatever gets the flame going is what we should use.
It could be that those using neatsfoot oil and having issues are using pure neatsfoot oil versus neatsfoot oil compound. I just checked my Fiebing's container and it's the compound. It states that it contains neatsfoot oil and other beneficial oils, but doesn't state what they are.
Hello, 2years...! I had done soaking also in the water and realized that the pump leather washer is having several parts they were not originally from the same leather textile. Two part were bonded. I think nobody will like it. Thank for your comments. I am sure as others advices, warm oil and a little massaging would be very good and the lastly use the petroleum jelly as a Vaseline. Motor oil is not my taste, I don't like so many additives which i don't know the exact compositions.
