Pigment sofa repair

Hello,
I have attached pictures of a sofa I have been asked to repair. I know it has body oils but do not know how to explain the peeling. I have used a solvent based degreaser in the past to remove body oils which does work but the pigment dyes I use and the top coat become tacky when re exposed to the body oils which caused the initial damage. The dyes used originally do not become tacky in a body oil environment even when the leather is damaged. This is a very common issue in my area and I have not found a good way to resolve the issue. Do your products hold up on these type repairs? Would you provide products and procedures to repair this damage?
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
FrankAttachment 7924Attachment 7925Attachment 7926Attachment 7924Attachment 7925Attachment 7926

>>> but the pigment dyes I use and the top coat become tacky when re exposed to the body oils which caused the initial damage. The dyes used originally do not become tacky in a body oil environment even when the leather is damaged.

Not too sure I understand you, could you re-phrase it?


>>> I know it has body oils but do not know how to explain the peeling.

Peeling of finishing has a relation to the leather crust. In low-end leather corrected grains are used, that is the grains has been buffed that is not as strong as full-grain without correction or buffing. Sometimes a split may be used on the lower-end leather, thus lower density of grain. Solvent-based degreaser removes the primer that strengthens the tightness of the leather crust surface. When leather is dry of its original fatliquor it looses its strength as well. When strength is lost from the primer (Adhesor-73) and fatliquor (Fatliquor-5.0), the leather crust fibers exfoliate. Thus in such cases the loose deteriorated fiber is still attached to the base of the pigment.


>>> Do your products hold up on these type repairs? Would you provide products and procedures to repair this damage?

In order for new finishes to have good anchorage or piling the recommended procedures are:

1- Degreasing
with Degreaser-2.2

2- pH balancing, Rinsing and Ionic Positive (+ve) Charging
with Acidifier-2.0

3- Hydrating
with Hydrator-3.3

4- Leather Rejuvenating or Softening
with Fatliquor-5.0

Note: above product suffix number denotes its pH value.

5- Impregnating
with Impregnating-26

6- Primer / Sealer / Adhesion Promotion
with Adhesor-73

7- Pigment Coating
with Micro-54 + Thickener-48

8- Top Coating
with MicroTop-54S/G/M

9- Tacky Control
with Crosslinker-25 added to the top coating.

10- Rub-Resistant Protection
with Protector-B/B+ to reduce peeling.


Roger Koh
Leather Care System Formulator
Consultant / Practitioner / Instructor
web: www.leatherdoctor.com
forum: www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com
email: [email protected]

Hey Roger,
First, I must thank you for the time and excellent information you have provided. I have reviewed all your responses and I am confident your products will work well. My concern is the time and cost it takes to achieve the results. I understand the oils and cracks have come from a long period of neglect and wear and it takes time to reverse those damages. However, I am a small, independent, mobile repair service and I need to turn the projects around in a short period of time at a reasonable cost. The time it takes to resolve the repair with your products appear to be too costly to utilize on multiple jobs.
For instance, to repair cracking leather on a car seat or even on a removable sofa cushion it is easier, faster, and less costly to replace the damaged panel and color to match. Please know that I am responding this way because I have not used your products to know if this is accurate. Please help me understand where I am wrong because I do see great promise with your products and would like to find the right place to use them.
Regards,
Frank

Roger,
I will try to explain my situation more clearly. The pigment dyes that I use cannot be used if body oils are present. If I apply them when there are body oils they become tacky. I can remove the body oils and redye with pigment dyes and top coat but if the person gets body oils on it again the dyes will become tacky. When the sofa comes from the manufacturer and the person has body oils the dyes do not become tacky even if the leather is damaged so it seems the pigments and/or top coats I am using are different than those from the manufacturer. Body oils and cracks are my biggest issue. Any suggestions?
Regards,
Frank

>>> Body oils and cracks are my biggest issue. Any suggestions?

These problems are already solved and if you check out ‘chet’ posting you see these are the common issues that bring him business in Madison Height Michigan USA.


>>> I am using are different than those from the manufacturer.

Leather Doctor system is comparable with modern tannery refinishing system practice worldwide, thus refinishing back to the original.

Recommendations:

A- Body Oil Removal:
Body oil includes grease and sweat that is removed and decontaminated with Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 >
Hydrator-3.3 in conjunction with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 as a holistic ‘wet processing’
System especially when there are already evident of cracking, otherwise without fatliquor replenishing the
cracking will accelerate more critical in vegetable-tanned leathers then others.

Tips: note the above mentioned product suffix numbers represent its pH value (all on the acidic side of the pH scale to be scientifically correct).

B- Cracks:
The leather structure need to be rejuvenated to increase its suppleness prior to any repairs, otherwise the stiff leather will continue to crack in this system: Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 in conjunction with Impregnator-26 > Bond-3D > Stucco-90 > Adhesor-73 prior to color coating Micro-54 + Thickener-48 > MicroTop-54G/S/M.

C- Finishes Tacky Problem:
Add up to 10% Crosslinker-25 to the last color Micro-54 coating and to the continuing MicroTop-54 coating.
When rectifying finishes tackiness the recommended system is Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 > MicroTop-54 +
10% Crosslinker-25. When dry a non-stick protector is used with Protector-B/B+.

Roger Koh
Leather Care System Formulator
Consultant / Practitioner / Instructor
web: www.leatherdoctor.com
forum: www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com
email: [email protected]

That is a usual thing happened to the leather.

"Peeling" is common with "coated" or laminated leathers.

Usually the leather crust becomes too dry and weakens to hold up the coatings or lamination is one reason.

During refinishing, there is a sequence of procedure to ensure that peeling is minimized or controlled as well.