PDA

View Full Version : Aniline (Full) - Restore Aniline Sofa



gelere
01-07-2016, 04:03 PM
I have aniline sofa with some issues:

1. 2 of the 3 cushions have some cracking, one fairly severe in spots to the point where the leather is weakened.

Photos: (Added some more with better lighting conditions)
16.00.56.jpg(Cracks throughout lower half. Weakened leather area left center of cushion)
16.01.24.jpg
16.01.38.jpg5999600060016002

2. One of the arms has an area with a deeply cracked area in the center about 2"x4"

Photo:
16.01.33.jpg

3. There is a small rip in the other arm in a pretty unobtrusive area where the coating has worn away.

Photo:
15.06.15.jpg(Actual rip is about 1" long. Worn spot is about 2" high)

Roger Koh
01-08-2016, 11:14 AM
>>> cushions have some cracking . . . Cracks throughout lower half. . . a deeply cracked area in the center about 2"x4"

CRACK, CRACKED & CRACKING are the result of leather dryness of its original fatliquor (fat and oil). When leather dries of its fatliquor it becomes stick together stiff and when flexed will lead to cracks. The first attempt is to relax the stick-together fiber and open it up to loose of its stiffness with Hydrator-3.3. When the leather stiffness becomes limp and fibers separates while still damp Fatliquor-5.0 is replenished just like we top-up our car engine oil until the leather is fully saturated and when dry reads about 14% with a leather moisture meter or an equivalent wood moisture meter. Without this “leather rejuvenating” system with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3, any repairs to the crack will continue to crack without this vital “suppleness” essential for leather usefulness.
Repairs to open cracks is perform horizontally with a sub-patch using Patch-4S and bonded suede side to suede side using Bond-3D which becomes part of the leather homogeneously without deteriorating or loosing its strength as compared with glues. The vertical joints are caulk with a mix of Bond-3D + Stucco-90 + Micro-54 to match close to the original color. Recommended that ‘restoration cleaning’ is performed with Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 prior to ‘leather rejuvenation’ to avoid product contamination with surface soiling.


>>> one fairly severe in spots to the point where the leather is weakened. . . Weakened leather area left center of cushion.

Leather weakness is the result of over-stretching and is restored by tightening back with ‘Impregnator-26’. Leather weakness restoration is performed from the suede side of the leather with better access to the more open suede fibers. Impregnator-26 is applied after Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system.


>>> a small rip in the other arm in a pretty unobtrusive area . . . Actual rip is about 1" long

Same technique is used as repairs to cracks mentioned above.


>>> There is where the coating has worn away. Worn spot is about 2" high

Worn spot with rough abrasion is smooth with Adhesor-73 prior to color repairs. Repairs are performed after Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system. Color repairs are performed with Micro-54 an opaque pigment to block off base color. Aniline-76 a transparent coating dyestuff brings the beauty of depth and AnilineTop-76 seals the coloring. Protector-B (scentless) or B+ (leather-scented) prolongs the wear to the leather, cutting friction-rubbing noise, which translates, to reduce wear to the finishes.