Aniline - Faded Aniline Repair

We have a loveseat and sofa that is sun faded along one side and the top and back. Let me know procedures to follow for repair and how much dye may be necessary and which dye.

From the pictures they look to be in great shape with only fading on arms and back, top of back cushions. I did not see the leather someone else sold the job.

clients name; Gharibian

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From sample received and tested shows its absorbent and aniline dyed.

I believe with an adequate Hydrating and Fatliquoring most of the color would return to the surface that will make the difference less apparent.

As there might have some sort of topcoating or other products applied to it, using a transparent dye “stain” (Aniline Dye-21) may NOT produce an even appearance.

It is therefore recommended to use a transparent dye “coat” (Aniline Dye-63) that coats over with better appearance.

Transparent dyes are more difficult to work with than Translucent (Aniline Dye-69) or Opaque types (Pigment Micro-54); it requires the highest level of skill to layer up to the desired Chroma (Saturation or Intensity).

When skillfully done so will produce more value to the finish; and having a waxy-matte topcoat (Topcoat Aniline-59WM) will make the leather look and feels more luxurious than the gloss (Topcoat Aniline 79G).

How much dye is necessary, is difficult to be accurate to estimate; it is either based on previous similar jobs or after a test finish on a cushion to determine its coverage (2 quarts dye and 1 quart topcoat is where I would start out with).

When performing a transparent dye refinishing; the test piece has to go to the worst after cleaning result; unresolved soling will show; thus it is either to re-clean or to downgrade the finish to Translucent (Aniline Dye-69).


The Preparation Cleaning is as follows:

1] Use Prep-4.4; allow sufficient dwell-time for the product to do its work of penetrating, lubricating and suspending prior to towel extraction.

2] Use Cleaner-3.8 to remove all suspended soiling and residues with towel extraction.

3] Use Rinse-3.0 to acidify rinse until towel shows clean to a squeaky clean.


The Leather Rejuvenating is as follows:

1] Use Hydrator-3.3 to saturate the leather structure so that the dyestuff will be activated and moves to the surface to reduce the color difference when dry especially to the faded areas.

2] Use Fatliquor-5.0 to lubricate the leather structure fibrils to soften and strengthen it for suppleness.


The Aniline Refinishing System is as follows:

1] Dry prep may be necessary to correct surface roughness; and only use 1500 sanding grit (no grain damages is allow as it will show through with transparent dyestuff).

2] Airbrush to level up the color intensity difference from the lightest upwards to blend in by layers.

3] When the appearance look evenly done; it’s time to spray on the topcoat of choice.


The Non-Stick, Rub-Resistant Protection choice:

1] When matching Topcoat Aniline-79G (gloss); use Leather Scent-B (buttery-feel).

2] When matching Topcoat Aniline-59WM (waxy-matte); use Leather Scent-W (waxy-feel).


Do you have questions?


Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®

Roger
I have a quart of 53WM will that work or do I need 59WM?

Is the dye ready to ship yet?

53WM, 54WM and 59WM are the same, the current number is 59WM.

The dyes should be ready to ship out today.

This is a pebble grain aniline leathers and I think should retain the original characteristic as much as possible.

So I am recommending that we should stick with Aniline Dye-21 with Topcoat Aniline-59WM if the skin condition is good.

Prior to the dye application; an important step is to check for leather absorbency with a mist spray of Hydrator-3.3 with light soft brushing to even out the surface tension; if there is evenness of a darkening shade then we can proceed with the dye application even though the leather surface is still damp.
This is solve our problem of the fear of patchiness problem.

A back-up plan is to add 10% of Adhesor-73 into the Dye-21 to increase the adhesion and coating to problematic area to solve this patchiness problem if any.

What we are trying to do is to retain the original value of the leather.

This proposal is based on sample I tested.

That allows the leather to breathe better!


Note:
If you like it finer and closer to Nubuck then use Color Fix-99 instead of Topcoat Aniline-59WM.


Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®

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Thanks for the pictures.

What do you like to share with us?

Roger Koh
[email protected]

Roger, They have been cleaned, rinsed, and hydrated. We left them hydrating over the weekend, however there are some very dark areas where the plastic was touching the leather, should we proceed with fat liquore or???

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Roger, the dark areas blended in quickly after removing plastic. The concern now is with some spots that remain.

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This one looks like blood
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This area looked like head oil, I used eraser and it lightened up
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Which product you used prior to Cleaner-3.8?

Blood stains - Use d'Protein-11.0 on a cotton swab to contain the application within the stain; agitate with bamboo skewers (break the sharp end) to help break up the coagulation; with repeat solution application > agitation and blotting up the suspended particulates.

The remaining rusty color if any can be further treated with d'Tarnish-1.3; to remove the iron rust in the blood; and to neutralize the high alkaline pH of 11.0 at the same time; follows with Rinse-3.0.

It is best to apply Hydrator-3.3 to the entire panel to balance the pH entirely prior to redyeing (avoiding patchiness with dyeing).

Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®

Roger,
Some spots still remain, however we now have rings forming. After working on spots yesterday we thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, Hydrated and Fatliquored entire sectional, then covered overnight. I wet out outer area of rings with hydrator and are letting air dry. Any other suggestions to help get rid of rings?

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Roger, We have erased massadged and hydrated with heat until rings don't look to have as sharp of a line. Spots still remain, I rehydrated evenly agitated in fatliquore to these cushions and recovered.

Will the dye cover the stains, and faint rings?

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Rings are floating colloid or particulates within the leather structure wicking to the surface following the movement of water as the structure dries.

Sufficient soaking with Hydrator-3.3 will do a better job; squeeze the wet out leather between your finger and thumb; hydrator should oozed out; that is the soaking water content that will sufficient wick out the suspended particulates.

Scudding with Spatula-6 or a blunt object (edge of spoon) and extract with white absorbent towel repeatedly with Hydrator-3.3 until towel shows clean.

Extend the surface with tissue paper to catch the rings through the tissue paper; when crispy dry go over with leather Eraser-4.

The technique is to lay tissue paper; spray over with Hydrator-3.3 and brush off air bubbles; making an air-tight wet contact to enable the suspended particulates to wick through; then cover the tissue paper layer with a white clean absorbent towel; ensure that the tissue is dry and stick to the surface before the towel is removed; let it continue to dry; you should see the rings on the tissue paper; when the leather is dry.

Remove the tissue paper; fast dry the surface; and work over with Eraser-4 to removed lodged particulates on the grain surface.


Let me know your progress!


Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®

Will the dye cover the stains, and faint rings?




Aniline Dye-21 is a transparent dyestuff; it will show through the “beauty” and the “blemishes”.

I believe the rings can be further improved with the tissue paper technique.

The stains, since it is small may be block-ff with an opaque custom pigment like Pigment Micro-54 neatly prior to transparent dyeing.


Note:
Using Aniline Color-69, a translucent color may block off the rings; but loose to the beauty of Aniline Dye-21 in visual aesthetic.



Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®

Roger, I believe we're ready to dye. These were the worse 2 cushions, the first one still has a slight ring, very faint which we will try to feather in with dye. The second one doesn't show the ring but looks like color loss, so I think that one will dye and feather in easier. Do you think were ready to proceed?

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Roger we dyed the pieces this morning. This is how they look now (no topcoat yet). I put a swatch of original color in each picture to show how well they look.

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The close up of the 2 difficult cushions, at first glance they look good but if you look close they still look different. Any suggestions?

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We were going to mix up some some pigmented dye to touch up these spots with the head of a toothpick.

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As mentioned above when using “Transparent” dye you get both the beauty and the blemishes of the grain.

The blemishes can be mask-off partially with “Translucent” color – either use custom color Aniline Color-69 or possible adding 1: 1 (Aniline Dye-21 with Pigment Micro-54).

Or mask-off obvious stains with Pigment Micro-54.

Both masking is the last resort when cleaning fails to produce the desire result.

Masking should be done as the bottom layer; otherwise it looks too obvious.

And practice makes perfect; like all artists do!


Roger Koh
[email protected]

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Looks Good!

How about the three-dots stains and the problematic cushion; how do they look?

Which Topcoat do you used:


a] Topcoat Aniline-79G (gloss)

b] Topcoat Aniline-59WM (waxy matte) or

c] Color Fix-99 (natural) ?


Anything you learn from this experience; that you would improve for the next similar encounter?


Roger