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Questions!
04-08-2013, 10:13 AM
I see your products well recommended in detailingspot.com, but have been unable to find The Leather Doctor Kit mentioned there. I have owned a 2003 BMW M3 with black leather seats since new, and they show the accumulated effects of 90,000 miles and only sporadic care using commonly available Autozone leather care products. I would like to bring the seats back to as good a condition as is practical. The worst damage is to the bolsters on the driver’s seat, of course, with abrasions from entering and exiting the seat (I’m not a little guy.) How can I obtain the kit mentioned by detailing spot? Some pix enclosed.

Getting a truly representative photo was harder than I thought. Here are a few, but I could not eliminate sun glare. Most are driver’s seat, with one (numbered .925) of the lightly used rear seat. The black/white object in some pix is a matte black board with white typing paper attached, The leather is advertized as black, but is really a dark grey, with hints of navy blue, especially where it’s worn.

Ev

2003 BMW M3



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Roger Koh
04-08-2013, 09:18 PM
The condition of this side bolster calls for a refinishing that involves these steps:

1. Stripping Existing Deteriorating Finishes
2. Degreasing
3. Hydrating
4. Fatliquoring
5. Holes Repairs (overlooked)
6. Surface Repair
7. Color Matching
8. Color Application
9. Topcoat Application
10. Rub-Resistant Protection.


1. Stripping Existing Deteriorating Finishes:
This simple stripping is done with Stripper-2.3 to remove deteriorated finishes with the help of Eraser-4 and towel extraction.
The sandpaper is used to removed uneven finishes and not the leather (the leather fiber becomes coarser when sand).
Note: Prior to the stripping process, the surrounding areas have to be block off with plastic sheets and tape off. Work can be done section by section. Assuming we are starting with the worst area of the side bolster.

2. Degreasing:
Degreasing is done with Degreaser-2.2 follows with Acidifier-2.0 concentrating on finishes damages areas and then reaching to the entire section.
Degreaser-2.2 is apply with the detail horsehair brush concentrating on the worn and exposed areas and extending to the entire section. Let the product dwell a while about 15minutes or before it dries before applying Acidifier-2.0 to rinse the suspended soiling with towel extraction until squeaky-clean.

3. Hydrating:
Hydrator-3.3 is used to relax the leather structure by saturating it and keep it in dwell for until the leather is softened up. This is done with the help of cling wrapper to seal it to control evaporation and may be left it overnight.

4. Fatliquoring:
Fatliquoring is the process of replenishing the fat and oil with Fatliquor-5.0. The application process is similar to the above hydrating. As the water evaporates subsequent application is repeated until it saturates.

5. Holes Repairs*:
Holes repairs were initially overlooked until this detailed inspection. This will be the same spot that will be subject to heavy abrasion when one gets in and out to the seat. To secure the holes would best used a thin 0.04mm leather Patch-4S as insert into the holes, bonded with a flexible leather Bond-3D that will withstand constant compression without cracking. The lost fiber of about 1.3mm thickness has to be built-up with donor fiber from any piece of leather from the suede side. Best is to get from a black piece of leather. Like fiberglass laying, the suede fiber and the bond will eventually becomes part of the leather to withstand future abrasion.

6. Surface Repairs:
Surface repairs is done with Adhesor-73 to smoothen out and built a surface skin on abraded surfaces. This is done with the help of the foam brush

7. Color Matching:
Pigment-64 black is the base color with white to adjust close to the existing color. With the plastic dropper, count 20 drops of black with 1 drop of white into a small dish or plastic cap. Stir mix and place onto the edge of a white printing paper, speed dry and bring closed to the existing color for comparison or adjustment until the desired is reached. Determine the ratio mix of the black, then weight them according and you will have the formula of the color. To confirm the actual color luster the topcoat has to be applied to the color sample for a direct comparison.

8. Color Application:
Test and practice spraying with plain water on cardboard to get a feel. Use less feed and more airflow, so that the spray is dryer with less streaks.

9. Topcoat Application:
Use the same technique as the above color spray.

10. Rub-Resistant Application:
Shake well and transfer to foam brush and apply direct to avoid overspray if used direct from spraying bottle.


Please ask for clarification.

Roger Koh
[email protected]


Products mentioned are found in this Kit Ap7.cl

1225

Roger Koh
04-09-2013, 11:28 AM
Without scrutinizing the details of the abrasive damages by sight it is difficult to ascertain how best to repair them.

The thinning of the leather thickness may gradual from a few microns to the entire thickness of averaging 1.3mm.

Besides adding and building the thickness up to level the existing overstretch not-through damages may require a re-strengthening with Impregnator-26 in conjunction with Bond-3D. Bond-3D is positively required for the repairs with Patch-4S as a base and donor black suede fibers for filling up the wear.

Bond-7A is only used to correct any surface unevenness created by Bond-3D, this is the only product that will melt and correct the 3-D when dry. When the 3-D is used carefully and neatly Bond-7A does not come into play.

Stucco-90 is used for filling up holes in an easy fashion, but on high stress areas it will soon give way and it is not recommended in this instances.

Repair products priority:

1. Bond-3D
2. Patch-4S
3. Impregnator-26


Products Information:

Leather Doctor® leather Bond-3D is for leather structure bonding repairs. This waterbased medium soft polyurethane leather bond will not lift the leather finishes unlike other dry solvent-based glue. Works in conjunction with leather Patch-4S as sub patch and suede fibers as fillers.

Leather Doctor® leather Patch-4S is use as a sub-patch during surface skin repair in conjunction with leather Bond-3D. This is 0.4mm thick vegetable tanned full-grain leather.

Leather Doctor® Impregnator-26 is design for structural weakness on pigmented and aniline smooth leather types. It is is a protein compact resin blend compound impregnator for impregnating worn leather grains and micro cracks. It is to seal, strengthen and leveling out uneven absorption for further coating process. It fills and tightens with good leveling properties that is film forming for improve abrasion resistance.

Leather Doctor® leather Bond-7A is a bond smoothening aid and excess clean up after Bond-3D. This is a soft nitrocellulose lacquer emulsion bonding aid to level and remove excess Bond-3D from leather surface safely without the need for sanding.

Leather Doctor® leather Stucco-90 is design for leather filling repairs or working in conjunction with leather Bond-3D, colors and dyes. This is a waterbased high concentrated compact resin blend leather stucco.


1226

Roger Koh
05-06-2013, 08:52 AM
>>>First steps have gone well. Not much was removed during stripping - towels were only lightly soiled upon drying. Overnight hydrating under plastic wrap left glazed areas from contact with plastic, which I remoistened and wiped, then applied thick coat of fat liquor. I sealed in plastic wrap and will replenish later today, maybe twice). Now what? I plan to wipe down and allow to dry all day tomorrow (Monday).

Would like to see how it looks after the fatliquoring if you have pictures.
Steps to be taken after Fatliquor-5.0
1.] Use Eraser-4 to work over the entire bolster.
2.] Wick-up soiling on abraded areas will appears lighter in most cases and the leather is ready for repairs.

Repairs:
1.] It would be good to have a close-up picture of the two holes for repairs.
2.] Patch-4S is cut a quarter inch larger than the holes and inserted with the suede side facing out.
3.] The edges is bond with Bond-3D with a help of Spatula-6 or any other tools to dispense the Bond-3D between suede to suede.
4.] Bond-3D is a very slow dry bond that allows you sufficient time to reposition the Patch-4S neatly.
5.] When in good position a heat blower can be used to speed up the drying.

>>>Then repair holes. The leather you sent me is very light in color. Would it be better to cannibalize some dark leather from inside of old Coach leather purse? I'm not sure air brushing will bring light leather to same final color as incumbent dark grey. I gather for layup of leather patches I should razor-split leather into 3 or 4 thin fibrous layers with only last layer having finished surface.

1.] This Patch-4S becomes the base of the repair for donor suede fibers and Bond-3D to build upon, so it will be hidden beneath the new filling.
2.] The first half of the filling with donor suede fibers is lay and compresses with Bond-3D like manner to a fiberglass fabrication.
3.] Subsequent application for aesthetic is accomplished with addition of Pigment to the repairs and level up.

Abrasion Repairs:
1.] Scaly finishes is smoothen with help of 2000grit sanding.
2.] Impregnator-26 is applied to saturate the abraded weaken areas, tightening up the leather structure and restore a smooth skin to the leather.

We should have to look at the result before the repairs are cover-up with finishing.

Roger Koh
[email protected]

Newt
05-06-2013, 05:29 PM
>>>First steps have gone well. Not much was removed during stripping - towels were only lightly soiled upon drying. Overnight hydrating under plastic wrap left glazed areas from contact with plastic, which I remoistened and wiped, then applied thick coat of fat liquor. I sealed in plastic wrap and will replenish later today, maybe twice). Now what? I plan to wipe down and allow to dry all day tomorrow (Monday).

Would like to see how it looks after the fatliquoring if you have pictures.
Steps to be taken after Fatliquor-5.0
1.] Use Eraser-4 to work over the entire bolster.
2.] Wick-up soiling on abraded areas will appears lighter in most cases and the leather is ready for repairs.

Repairs:
1.] It would be good to have a close-up picture of the two holes for repairs.
2.] Patch-4S is cut a quarter inch larger than the holes and inserted with the suede side facing out.
3.] The edges is bond with Bond-3D with a help of Spatula-6 or any other tools to dispense the Bond-3D between suede to suede.
4.] Bond-3D is a very slow dry bond that allows you sufficient time to reposition the Patch-4S neatly.
5.] When in good position a heat blower can be used to speed up the drying.

>>>Then repair holes. The leather you sent me is very light in color. Would it be better to cannibalize some dark leather from inside of old Coach leather purse? I'm not sure air brushing will bring light leather to same final color as incumbent dark grey. I gather for layup of leather patches I should razor-split leather into 3 or 4 thin fibrous layers with only last layer having finished surface.

1.] This Patch-4S becomes the base of the repair for donor suede fibers and Bond-3D to build upon, so it will be hidden beneath the new filling.
2.] The first half of the filling with donor suede fibers is lay and compresses with Bond-3D like manner to a fiberglass fabrication.
3.] Subsequent application for aesthetic is accomplished with addition of Pigment to the repairs and level up.

Abrasion Repairs:
1.] Scaly finishes is smoothen with help of 2000grit sanding.
2.] Impregnator-26 is applied to saturate the abraded weaken areas, tightening up the leather structure and restore a smooth skin to the leather.

We should have to look at the result before the repairs are cover-up with finishing.

Roger Koh
[email protected]

Thanks, Roger

I will try to get a photo tomorrow morning. The steps I have taken for the entire driver's seat, with particular attention to the bolster are as instructed:
1. Surface stripped with Stripper 2.3 and Eraser-4, and rinsed (per bottle instructions) with Rinse 3.0. Towel dried. This knocked down the rough edges on damage to bolster but not much more visible change.
2. Degreaser 2.2 worked in liberally with brush, with special attention to damaged areas on bolster. 15-minute+ dwell, then towel dried and neutralized with Acidifier 2.0 and towel dried. Not much soil visible on towels. (I had never let the seats become really soiled.)
3. Hydrator 3.3 applied liberally over entire seat, sealed in plastic wrap 18 hours. Surface was largely dry, with glazing where plastic contacted seat. Wiped with towels.
4. Fatliquor liberally applied and new plastic used to seal. Fatliqour re-applied 3 times over the next 8 hours, then left overnight. Surface was damp/greasy in the morning. Towel dried and left 8 hours.
5. The surface of the seat tonight is supple and healthy-looking. The bolster still shows the same damage, but muted by moisturized leather. The seat is darker and more deeply colored than original.
6. I am ready to repair the holes in the bolster, starting Thursday morning. Photos to you tomorrow. I see your recommendation against Stucco 90 due to high stress location of damage, and believe I have all the materials needed to proceed. Will acquire air brush momentarily.

QUESTIONS:
1. I am not sure whether the original stripping process was adequate. I soaked and rubbed and brushed and toweled, but only light soiling appeared on the towels. Is there still a surface layer that I need to worry about?
2. If I apply the Patch 4.0 suede side up, finished side down, then I will be bonding the finished side of the patch to the finished side of the resident leather surrounding the holes.
3. I understand that next I will split a piece of black leather with a razor to produce a thin piece of 2-sided suede, and bond that over the Patch. Do I repeat this? Is there a final layer of black leather with finished side out? Or just more fibrous suede?
4. In any event, the result seems like it should have raised edges all around each patched area. Or should I be feathering the edges to minimize this effect, maybe with sandpaper? If not feathered, how do these edges get leveled?

I ask this because there will likely be no time to stop and ask while in the middle of the hole repair.

Regards,

Ev

Questions!
05-07-2013, 10:11 AM
After another night, the surface on damaged areas has dried and returned to original condition, but smoother.

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Roger Koh
05-07-2013, 10:17 AM
Looking forward to your repairs.

Roger Koh
05-22-2013, 04:20 PM
>>>I guess I don't understand the difference between the patch and "suede fibers." Do you want me to shred a piece of leather into fibers?

Shredding of suede fibers is taken from the reverse side of any leather pieces.

In this picture, a circular blade is used.

When used a flat blade fold the suede side outwards and shred accordingly.


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Newt
05-22-2013, 04:32 PM
Now it seems clear. Thanks. Ev.