Sealing engraved leather
Hey, everyone!
What are you guys using to seal laser engraved leather?
I'm trying to make custom engraved leather kits for Polaroid SX-70 cameras (with the intent to expand to other cameras in the future) and I'm having a really hard time dialing in the process.
For context, I've been using 1.1mm thick veg tanned leather (with a matte natural finish) on a Sculpfun S9 laser. The engraving looks awesome right out of the scanner but keeping it that way is a real pain. I've used an acrylic leather sealant (spray) but the leather color shifted dramatically (darkened but not in an uniform manner) after 3 coats of spray. And the soot still seems to lift if I rub the engraving. I had also used compressed air to blow the really loose soot.
The leather panels will be handled a lot so having a sealed surface is essential.
The first image is just after the engraving and the second one is from after the last layer of sealant has dried. Third and fourth are direct comparisons between the acrylic sealed panels and my completely chaotic previous attempt to clean the soot (I initially treated the leather with leather conditioner and after engraving it I washed the panels with water, dishwasher soap and a soft toothbrush, followed by another layer of leather conditioner).