>>>First steps have gone well. Not much was removed during stripping - towels were only lightly soiled upon drying. Overnight hydrating under plastic wrap left glazed areas from contact with plastic, which I remoistened and wiped, then applied thick coat of fat liquor. I sealed in plastic wrap and will replenish later today, maybe twice). Now what? I plan to wipe down and allow to dry all day tomorrow (Monday).
Would like to see how it looks after the fatliquoring if you have pictures.
Steps to be taken after Fatliquor-5.0
1.] Use Eraser-4 to work over the entire bolster.
2.] Wick-up soiling on abraded areas will appears lighter in most cases and the leather is ready for repairs.
Repairs:
1.] It would be good to have a close-up picture of the two holes for repairs.
2.] Patch-4S is cut a quarter inch larger than the holes and inserted with the suede side facing out.
3.] The edges is bond with Bond-3D with a help of Spatula-6 or any other tools to dispense the Bond-3D between suede to suede.
4.] Bond-3D is a very slow dry bond that allows you sufficient time to reposition the Patch-4S neatly.
5.] When in good position a heat blower can be used to speed up the drying.
>>>Then repair holes. The leather you sent me is very light in color. Would it be better to cannibalize some dark leather from inside of old Coach leather purse? I'm not sure air brushing will bring light leather to same final color as incumbent dark grey. I gather for layup of leather patches I should razor-split leather into 3 or 4 thin fibrous layers with only last layer having finished surface.
1.] This Patch-4S becomes the base of the repair for donor suede fibers and Bond-3D to build upon, so it will be hidden beneath the new filling.
2.] The first half of the filling with donor suede fibers is lay and compresses with Bond-3D like manner to a fiberglass fabrication.
3.] Subsequent application for aesthetic is accomplished with addition of Pigment to the repairs and level up.
Abrasion Repairs:
1.] Scaly finishes is smoothen with help of 2000grit sanding.
2.] Impregnator-26 is applied to saturate the abraded weaken areas, tightening up the leather structure and restore a smooth skin to the leather.
We should have to look at the result before the repairs are cover-up with finishing.
Roger Koh
[email protected]
Thanks, Roger
I will try to get a photo tomorrow morning. The steps I have taken for the entire driver's seat, with particular attention to the bolster are as instructed:
1. Surface stripped with Stripper 2.3 and Eraser-4, and rinsed (per bottle instructions) with Rinse 3.0. Towel dried. This knocked down the rough edges on damage to bolster but not much more visible change.
2. Degreaser 2.2 worked in liberally with brush, with special attention to damaged areas on bolster. 15-minute+ dwell, then towel dried and neutralized with Acidifier 2.0 and towel dried. Not much soil visible on towels. (I had never let the seats become really soiled.)
3. Hydrator 3.3 applied liberally over entire seat, sealed in plastic wrap 18 hours. Surface was largely dry, with glazing where plastic contacted seat. Wiped with towels.
4. Fatliquor liberally applied and new plastic used to seal. Fatliqour re-applied 3 times over the next 8 hours, then left overnight. Surface was damp/greasy in the morning. Towel dried and left 8 hours.
5. The surface of the seat tonight is supple and healthy-looking. The bolster still shows the same damage, but muted by moisturized leather. The seat is darker and more deeply colored than original.
6. I am ready to repair the holes in the bolster, starting Thursday morning. Photos to you tomorrow. I see your recommendation against Stucco 90 due to high stress location of damage, and believe I have all the materials needed to proceed. Will acquire air brush momentarily.
QUESTIONS:
1. I am not sure whether the original stripping process was adequate. I soaked and rubbed and brushed and toweled, but only light soiling appeared on the towels. Is there still a surface layer that I need to worry about?
2. If I apply the Patch 4.0 suede side up, finished side down, then I will be bonding the finished side of the patch to the finished side of the resident leather surrounding the holes.
3. I understand that next I will split a piece of black leather with a razor to produce a thin piece of 2-sided suede, and bond that over the Patch. Do I repeat this? Is there a final layer of black leather with finished side out? Or just more fibrous suede?
4. In any event, the result seems like it should have raised edges all around each patched area. Or should I be feathering the edges to minimize this effect, maybe with sandpaper? If not feathered, how do these edges get leveled?
I ask this because there will likely be no time to stop and ask while in the middle of the hole repair.
Regards,
Ev