Aniline Wax Pull-up Leather - How to Repair, Degrease, Hydrate, Soften, Strengthen, Revive, Re-Dye and Re-Finish?

Need your recommendation to restore this wax pullup sofa.

I will need procedure and products necessary to complete the job.

I have mailed you a sample from the piece.

Thanks, Chet


Picture of the whole sofa
Attachment 3723



close up of tear/ cut
Attachment 3724


close up L arm
Attachment 3725

close up backcushion head oil stain


http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../5-2-09037.jpg


Attachment 3726

close up center back, where arm was rested across top back
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...koh/center.jpg



R back cushion
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../5-2-09039.jpg

Here is the product sequence necessary to complete the job.

1: Bonding Repairs (To Tear/Cut).
Tips: skin4 > leatherBond3D > leatherBond7A

2: Grease Removal & Prep Cleaning
Tips: d’Oil4.4 > clean3.8 > rinse3.0 (scrub with anilineEraser4)

3: Dry Prep
Tips: razor60 > stake70 > fine 1500 grit sanding

4: Impregnation (To Strengthening Worn, Weak and Stretched Leather Structure).
Tips: impregnator26

5: Re-Dyeing (To reduce shade differences).
Tips: aniPureDye21

6: Hydrate Leather Structure (To reduce creases and wrinkles).
Tips: relaxer3.3

7: Re-Fatliquor (To replenish diminished original fatliquor).
Tips: fatliquor5.5

8: Re-WaxEffect (To replenish leather structure diminished original wax effect).
Tips: waxEffect95

9: Adhesion Coat (To seal the surface wax effect).
Tips: adhesion73

10: Dye-On (To level-up shade difference).
Tips: anilineDye27 (transparent) > anilineColor25 (translucent).

11: Topcoat Protection
Tips: anilineTop79G (gloss), anilineTop79M (matte), or anilineTop54HG (high-gloss)

12: Non-Stick draggy-feel conditioning with a classic leather scent.
Tips: leatherScent’D

Shall we discuss?

The what?

The why?

The when?

The how?


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

I'm curious, why don't we need d'Ink7.7 prior to cleaning as the primary Prep Cleaning step?

Cleaning off the skin of the leather is OK with d’Ink7.7.

Cleaning from within the leather structure is another - safety to the leather structure comes first.

The pH value of average leather is 3 - 5.

d’Ink7.7 pH value is 7.7.

d’Oil4.4 pH value is 4.4 (leather-safe) half the cleaning power but keep the leather structure chemistry integrity intact.


It is a very simple question but the answers involve leather chemistry that may bore you:

1. Hydrogen Bonding

2. Leather Constituents

3. pH Scale

4. Isoelectric Point

5. Denaturing


Roger Koh

Is the skin for subpatch, I normally use Linen, doesn't the skin show through?

skin4™ is 0.4mm thick vegetable tanned lambskin used as a sub patch or as a surface skin repair.

Note the thickness is only 0.4mm as compare to standard upholstery leather from 1mm.

As the leather bonds are in between the suede in the repair: thus makes this version of repair homogeneous as the bonds too becomes part of the leather.

All repairs we do carry a life-time warranty, on condition that we do clean and condition them thereafter.

This bonding repairs are done on very delicate fashion jacket like: Zegna®, Brioni®, Cucinelli®, HugoBoss®, etc and yet to have comments by customers or stores like harryrosen.com that it did show through!

We also tell our customers that if anyone can do a better job and can show us a repair better than the Leather Doctor® system within a year, they get their full refund.

Roger

#1: Cleaned and staked, do we need to clean further?
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...6-29-09034.jpg

#2:
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...6-29-09033.jpg

#3:
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...29-09032-1.jpg

#4: Closeup
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...6-29-09031.jpg

#5: Half done with staking
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...6-29-09029.jpg

These must be “Inspection Pictures" after accomplishing steps 2: & 3:

2: Grease Removal & Prep Cleaning
Tips: d’Oil4.4 > clean3.8 > rinse3.0 (scrub with leatherEraser4)

3: Dry Prep
Tips: razor60 > stake70 > fine 1500 grit sanding


Picture Comments:
#1: Need to be re-cleaned.

#2: This cushion looks good (but it is better to look uniform with the rest of the other cushions).

#3: Need to be re-cleaned.

#4 & #5: Have you done with razor60 and fine sanding?


Note:
Like to see an overall picture of the entire sofa before we move on to the next step.


Roger

We recleaned 5 or 6 times loosing count, we only get color off, no oily residue appears on our towels.

(The definition of insanity is doing the same over and over again and expecting a different result).

Staking and shaving make it look good but if you rub it or fine sand it, it will darken and appear oily again.

I'm out of time, unless there is a way to remove the oily residue, we have to proceed.

The following picture is the middle back cushion with impregnator26 mixed with 10% aniPureDye 21.

It looks very good and uniform.

However the worst area appears slightly darker, stretching it made it look bettter.

Should we proceed with impregnator from here?


Front side middle back looks great.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...6-30-09132.jpg


Back side middle back, slight dark area, looks good.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...6-30-09133.jpg


Back side close up of darker area, before stretching.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...6-30-09134.jpg

Yes, please proceed!

This is after spraying with impregnator26 tinted 10% with aniPureDye21.

Some areas don't look as good or feel right, they still feel oily greasy, and are darker?

Left arm front is darker
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-1-09038.jpg

Left back cushion dark
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-1-09037.jpg

Entire sofa
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-1-09036.jpg

It seems that we can’t rush, the oil certainly need to be removed thoroughly!

Perhaps as you said with towel-vacuum-extraction after d’Oil4.4 > clean3.8 > rinse3.0

Give it a try!

Back of middle cushion
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-7-09058.jpg

Middle cushion
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-7-09057.jpg

L arm
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-7-09056.jpg

L top cushion
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-7-09055.jpg

L top cushion
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-7-09054.jpg

Full view
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a.../7-7-09053.jpg

Are these pictures “Work-In-Progress” or are they finished!

And are you happy with the result?

Note:
Try taking pictures at an angle to avoid the “flash glare”.

Close up
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-14-09081.jpg

Close up of top cushion
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-14-09082.jpg

Top of cushion
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-14-09083.jpg

After recleaning with d'Grease2.2 twice & impregnator26 with aniPureDye21.
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...14-09080-1.jpg

Yes we can!

It is best to stay at this degreasing phase until complete satisfaction.

Putting the impregnator26 too early in place that seals the inter-fibrillary space, makes degreasing more tedious as the passage way may be block by the impregnator26.

Let us know the improvement you have made.

And how the grease may be eliminated

May the positive force be on your side!

Close up.
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-17-09022.jpg

Another close up.
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-17-09021.jpg

Full view after degreaser. All three pictures are after degreaser.
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-17-09020.jpg

Tips:

1. Warm blow-dry (helps the grease to move faster) the grease areas to crispy dry, then erase with leatherEraser4.

2. Stretch with stake70 or any blunt smooth object to open up the inter-fibrillary spaces.

3. Apply d’Grease2.2 and rub it in to get to the bottom of the grease or oil.

4. Let it dwell maybe up to 30 minutes or before it starts to dry.

5. Acidify rinse with rinse3.0 until there is no suds, hand scudding to squeeze out the suspended soil particulates.

6. A squeaky feel will definitely be an indication that it is well degrease.

7. Allow to air dry with blow-dryer at an angle.

8. As it dries the soil particulates will be moving up to the surface by the natural wicking process, wipe it off periodically allows the continuous movement of the soil particulates upwards.

9. Optional reapplication of rinse3.0 helps the continuous movement of the soil particulates too.

10. Repeat the entire process as deem necessary.


I often “Slave” to “Master” it!

It is also the rite of passage we have to endure to master it!

That’s why there are few technicians that master “the art and science of leather degreasing”.

Only a few among the thousands can be proud of what he or she can accomplish.

I believe if you have not been too quick to apply the impregnator26, the degreasing task might be easier than you think!

Give it another go!

Roger
Leather Doctor®

Full view of finished product.
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-23-09016.jpg

What you folks here thinks?

Remove the masking tape and take another picture for a final look, please!

When the situation gets tough, the tough-minded like you gets going!

And since you are already there, might as well enjoy the fun of doing it and the day pass so fast you wish to sun could have moved backwards 10 degrees for you!

Keep it up!

Three cheers to you!

http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-24-09019.jpg

http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-24-09020.jpg

Tips:

To restore those brass tack - use d'Tarnish1.3

Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®

Roger,

I just delivered the sofa and she was very happy.

I thought it looked great.

I know your caption says first timer, i just wanted to clarify that Jermaine has been working with me for a couple of years now, howver this was the first wax pullup we completely restored, instead of just covering it up with dye.

Tihs sofa feels and looks great, however we have too much time invested to make money on it.

Hopefully we can make some adjustments to speed up the process.

We charged $1800.00 for the work and $400. for pick up and delivery, and had new foam made for the cushions another $400.00.

Total for this sofa $2600.00.

I'm not sure how many people will invest that kind of money on a used sofa?

I find that if the client trusts your ability they will pay because this piece matches their decor, it may have sentimental value, and a new piece of this quailty will cost $5,000.00