>>> restoring dried animal rugs
Dried skin is the result of diminishes original fatliquor (fat & oil) content and restored by Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system. The dried skin is hydrated with moisture oozing between finger and thumb when gently pressed and leave to relax the dried skin with control evaporation up to 72hrs. When the skin is plumped it will all lay flat and the some “mud cracking effect” vanishes. This preconditioning opens up the inter-fibrillary spaces and allows easy excess for the fatliquor to distribute evenly. As the water contents of the fatliquor evaporates more is replenished until the suede side is fully saturated and when complete dry may read up to 14% of moisture (fat and oil) contents. This process is done on periodic basis (yearly to 3yearly depending from location to location or the surrounding environment) just like the topping up of our car engine oil. When fatliquor content stays within 10 to 14% the skin will NEVER crack!
>>> restoring cracked animal rugs
Repairs to cracks are by Bond-3D with donor fiber from skin of similar tanning type. The donor fiber is bond to the suede skin with the help of Bond-3D similar to fiberglass repairs technique. The end result the bond and donor fiber becomes part of the skin itself with a darkening effect looks like healing natural scars, stronger than surrounding areas.
>>> to add some reinforcement
Adding of reinforcement for weak leather structure after fatliquoring is done by impregnating Impregnator-26 into the leather structure and becomes part of the skin.
>>> In addition, a friend of mine suggested that I add some kind of fresh leather (buckskin or other) patch to the back of the skin where its cracked to add some reinforcement and backing to help slow the further deterioration.
Pictures from the suede skin side will help determine the tanning type, example bluish grey would suggest “Chrome-Tanned” and white or cream color may suggest “Alum-Tanned”. Alum comes in washable and non-washable and need to be careful not to leach out the tanning-agent for the non-washable types (that is do not allow any liquid to leach out of the skin, otherwise its un-tanned or denatured. Recommend to used the same tanning type of donor fiber, which is “buckskin” tanning type that matches the tiger tanning type. Note: Long-term repairs are done with donor fiber so that it is homogenous lightweight and strong just like fiberglass repairs, without piggy backing and stressing the tiger out.
>>> which kit your recommend for using on this project.
Leather Doctor Kit H7 - Hair-on-Hide Rip Repair & Standard Care kit
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Leather Doctor Kit H7 - Hair-on-Hide Rip Repair & Standard Care kit is with two add-on products Bond-3D and Patch-4S to our standard care Kit H4. Leather Bond-3D is for hair-on hides and skin rip and tear repair. This water-based medium soft polyurethane bonds the leather fibers when dries and becomes part of the leather. It will require close contact until it dries to bond that becomes part of the leather. Reinforcement is either with donor suede fibers taken from surrounding areas or scrap pieces similar to fiberglass repairs techniques for better appearance or with Patch-4S for extra strength. Generally repair is done after the hide or skin in rejuvenated with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 system. Prior to rejuvenating the skin or hide to soften and strengthen it, dry soil is removed by using suede Brush-3 and Eraser-5. General cleaning is done with Clean-3.8 follows with Rinse-3.0 on the skin or hide side. The hair side is clean using Clean-5.5 follows with Rinse-4.0. Protector-S+ impart a rub-resistant silky-feel to lubricates the hair from abrasion wear and a non-stick properties to shield the hair from sticky soiling with a classic leather scent to charm. Note that the mentioned product suffix number denotes its pH value in this leather-safe holistic care system for hair-on-hide.
Leather Doctor Kit H7 - Hair-on-Hide Rip Repair & Standard Care kit is with two add-on products Bond-3D and Patch-4S to our standard care Kit H4.
Leather Bond-3D is for hair-on hides and skin rip and tear repair.
This water-based medium soft polyurethane bonds the leather fibers when dries and becomes part of the leather.
It will require close contact until it dries to bond that becomes part of the leather.
Reinforcement is either with donor suede fibers taken from surrounding areas or scrap pieces similar to fiberglass repairs techniques for better appearance or with Patch-4S for extra strength.
Generally repair is done after the hide or skin in rejuvenated with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 system.
Prior to rejuvenating the skin or hide to soften and strengthen it, dry soil is removed by using suede Brush-3 and Eraser-5.
General cleaning is done with Clean-3.8 follows with Rinse-3.0 on the skin or hide side.
The hair side is clean using Clean-5.5 follows with Rinse-4.0.
Protector-S+ impart a rub-resistant silky-feel to lubricates the hair from abrasion wear and a non-stick properties to shield the hair from sticky soiling with a classic leather scent to charm. Note that the mentioned product suffix number denotes its pH value in this leather-safe holistic care system for hair-on-hide.
We will go into more details the best approach when you have your products ready.
Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
[email protected]
www.LeatherDoctor.com
For your general reading. . .
Leather Approximate Quantity or Percentage of Fatliquor:
The quantities of fatliquor (fat and oil) contents retained in the leather after an universal tannery fatliquoring process may varies up to 14% depending on the leather types and it usage. This percentage drops as the fat and oil content diminishes or leaches through ageing, water, heat or chemical overexposure.
Leather rejuvenating or fatliquor replenishing is base on weight of the leather in relation to the percentage of remaining fatliquor. A simple calculation of percentage of fatliquor topping up requirement would be as follows:
If the weight of the leather in question is 100gm and fatliquor (fat and oil) content meter reading is less than 1%.
By applying 80gm of Fatliquor-5.0 to it will deliver an end result incremental of 13.3% fatliquor when dry as the 66.6% water contents evaporates.
In the leather rejuvenating Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system, Hydrator-3.3 plays an important role by relaxing, opening up the inter-fibrillary spaces, facilitating and redistributing colloidal water movement, protonating and doing all the pre-conditioning work prior to fatliquoring including cleaning up any excess surface remnants to have a sticky-free surface. In practice the ratio for Hydrator-3.3 is 2 to 1 of Fatliquor-5.0.
It works out to be approximately 160gm of Hydrator-3.3 plus 80gm of Fatliquor-5.0 to replenish a 100gm dry leather from less than 1% back to the original tannery up to 14% fatliquor content.
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Leather Doctor® Impregnator-26 is design for structural weakness on pigmented and aniline smooth leather types. This is a protein compact resin-blend compound 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.
Instruction:
1. Shake well; pad to saturate all weak and absorbent areas.
2. Concentrate on weak areas otherwise wipe off unnecessary excess to reduce buildup.
3. Sand off surface buildup when dry with 1000/2000grit sandpaper.