1989 Merkur Scorpio - Leather Seat with Cracks and Rip - How to Restore?!

A: Prep Cleaning


#1: This 19 year’s old front seats need restoration to cracks and rip.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/194.jpg



#2: The entire seat was prep clean using prepClean7.7 with a soft horsehair brush and leave to dwell overnight.
No solvent or alcohol was used as to prevent deteriorating the existing finish further and also not to diminish existing fatliquor causing the leather to dry stiffer and weaker.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/204.jpg



#3: A light mist with superCleaner4.9 were applied and agitate with leatherBrush1, nubuckBrush2, and anilineEraser4 thereafter extract with dry absorbent towel.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/242.jpg



#4: The sticky residue were clean off with cleaner3.8 with appropriate tools and dry towel extracted until towel shows clean.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/247.jpg



#5: Thereafter were acidifier rinse with rinse3.0 and dry towel extract until towel shows clean.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/250.jpg




B: Hydrating & Fatliquoring


#6: The leather internal structure was further hydrated with hydrator3.3 to relax the leather so as to reduce the stresses.
The cause of the crack is the diminishing of the original fatliquor.
As the leather fatliquor continues to dries through the years it widens the cracks in the process.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/257.jpg



#7: The entire seat was wrapped with plastic sheet to control evaporation and leave to dwell overnight.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/254.jpg



#8: fatliquor5.0 was thereafter introduced into the leather structure, wrapped up again and was left to dwell overnight too.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/259.jpg



C: Dry Prep


#9: Excess surface non-penetrated fatliquor was clean off with rinse3.0 > clean3.8 > rinse3.0.
Thereafter when dry the surface went through a 1000 to 1200 grit sanding process to remove deteriorated finishes.
All dust was removed with compressed-air-gun.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/256.jpg



D: Repair


#10: All cracks were strengthen with impregnator26 a protein resin that becomes part of leather when it cures.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...rkoh/006-3.jpg



#11: A leatherBond3D is further applied to fill the deep gap to add strength.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...rkoh/014-1.jpg



#12: For cosmetics leatherFill90, leatherBond3D™ and color were mixed to further fill the cracks.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...erkoh/0162.jpg



#13: As for the rip, a thin 0.04mm vachetta leather was used as a sub-patch for added strength, and bonded with leatherBond3D.
This is a cold cure bond just like silicone without using heat (iron heat will further shrink the leather that makes repairs stiff and subject to cracks when flexed).
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...erkoh/0052.jpg



#14: leatherBond7A helps cleanup excess and smoothen the bonding seam too.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...erkoh/0082.jpg



E: Refinishing


#15: When all were sand and clean up, the first finishing coating was the adhesion coat with adhesor73 with padding.
Then pigment64 custom color with thickener48 were spray, followed with Topcoat'Pig56M matte. Thereafter a non-stick protector leatherScent'B
was finished off with a classic leather scent to charm.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...rkoh/034-1.jpg


The end result besides the aesthetic, the leather was soft and supple.

If the leather was not soften and strengthen again, all the aesthetic effort will go to waste as the leather will continue to crack!

You question are welcome.


Roger Koh
Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification #942
Leather Care Technician
Master Textile Cleaner
Master Fire & Smoke Restorer
Journeyman Water Restorer
Since 1973

how many products and what is the cost of a kit to redo auto seats???

i have a 2001 Surburban who's seats need refinished.

Let’s see some pictures and I shall go through the details with you!


Roger Koh


A: Prep Cleaner, Hydrator and Rejuvenator

Prep-7.7
Clean-3.8
Rinse-3.0
Hydrator-3.3
Fatliquor-5.0

C: Repairs

Impregnator-26
Bond-3D
Bond-7A
Stucco-90

D: Color Refinish & Non-Stick Buttery-Feel Protector

Adhesor-73
Pigment-64
Thickener-48
PigTop-64M
Protector-B+

E: Tools

leather Brush-1
Eraser-4
Tool-6

is that to repair and refinish 4 seats??? or will it cover more seats???

i'd like a kit i could do this work.

Please understand that products come in standard size bottle (7ml, 15ml, 30ml, 60ml 120ml, 250ml, quart, gal, 5gal) both ready-to-use or concentrates.

The smaller the packing the more expensive the product is.

Larger packing is more economical and for super savings on both shipping and value go for the concentrates.

prepClean7.7 for the four seats you may require the 120ml bottles.

cleaner3.8, rinse3.0, pigment64 & topcoat'Pig56 quarts is recommended.

leatherScent’B™ 120ml will have plenty of left overs.

Maybe, you have to try 2 seats first to determine how much you need for the other seats.

I can’t be precise on usage, it is always prudent to have left over’s for the next job than have to pay for urgent shipping.

Roger Koh.

this is magic! i thought cracked leather can't be restored
http://watchfree.me/62/w.png

That's fantastic work , are you familiar with leatherique products?

im about to make my first purchase of leather dyes, producst and start up kit, just wondering what you think of their products.

Thanks

>>> That's fantastic work, are you familiar with leatherique products?

I know nothing much about this product than already publicly known.

However, to soften leather there are the traditional products from the horse and buggy era that uses only oil such that you mentioned. Since oil has a larger molecule than water, it will require some heat to open up the pores before the oil can penetrate the surface. Such oils simply stuff or fill up the spaces between the leather fibril structure and excess oils are clean up thereafter. Stuffing or filling up the breathing pores retards or obstruct the natural leather transpiration for seating comfort. Another consideration is the potential darkening effect that does not makes a different to the almost dark colored leather of the horse and buggy era for practical reason over the elements, but today’s leather for auto is the interior protected from the weather with more lighter colors coming out each year and aesthetic makes a different. Oils that are stuff in will later leaks out again when temperature rises that open up the pores. This technology is a carried over to this modern era rather than specially design for it.

Today’s advanced technology is based on science and logic and instead of using just pure oils is an ionic negative (-ve) charged emulsion of fat, oil and water. Fatliquor-5.0 technology is a formulation of fat, oil and water that works in conjunction with Hydrator-3.3. Hydrator-3.3 is the pre-conditioner for the Fatliquor-5.0 and one of its multi fold function is to protonate the leather protein fiber ionic more positive (+ve). This pre-conditioner evaluating will determine the outcome of the leather rejuvenating process and if the leather is wetable, relaxable or hydratable the leather will be as soft as you wish when proceed with the replenishing process with Fatliquor-5.0. When the leather surface is pre-conditioned the ionic negative (-ve) charged fat and oil encased within a water molecule is being ionic attracted by the protein fibrils and the water breaks free creating a breathing space as it evaporates off the leather surface. Hydrogen bond between the ionic positive (+ve) and negative (-ve) takes place like a magnetic effect (rather than stuffing or filling the old fashion way) and the fat becomes solidifies and plumps the leather for fullness while the oil lubricates each of the millions of connecting fibers working like hinges allowing them to slide one over the other smoothly without stressing or breaking them for suppleness with softness and strength.

Traditional oil is the only medium for softening leather by stuffing. While modern technology makes use of two extras, the fat that plumps to prevent leather fibrils from collapsing into unwanted creases and and the water content evaporates that creates breathing spaces for natural leather transpiration for more seating comfort.

The traditional procedure of creating the interior into a warm atmosphere may have ill influence to modern gadgets and potential mold growth is replaced with new improve process working at room temperature utilizing the surface-active-agent ingredients of the Hydrator-3.3 to do the pre-penetrating work with visual effect to predetermine the potential effectiveness of the on-going leather rejuvenating process. In traditional process the mess is already created in the first instance and whether it will work will still depend on other factors associated with the process based on hope rather than with science and logic.


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com
[email protected]