i use water base dye they have a built in wax that keeps the dye from bleeding in to adjacent work after i compleat the work i then give the hole thing a coat of Atom wax that seals every thing so much so if you do a good job you could drope it in a bath tube and it would float not that iv tryed that but i have spieled on a belt that was waxed and it was totally fine don't forget to do the backs of things unless you are going to put fabric on them the glue will not stick to wax and it would kill the fabrics looks