2006 King Ranch F350 – Leather Faded.

[Questions!]

I recently purchased a 2006 King Ranch F350.
The seat backs and center console are very faded.
During a search for a way to restore them I stumbled upon your products.
I am wondering if you could tell me what products you recommend and what my cost would be to restore and maintain the integrity of my seats and console.
I am also wondering if I can use the same products for the steering wheel.
I thank you for your time and knowledge.
Attached you will find pictures of my front seats and back seats.
The previous owner had towels on the seat bottoms, which I believe kept them, protected better.
The front seats are worse which leads me to believe the sun did the damage.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Jared

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[Roger Koh]

>>> I am wondering if you could tell me what products you recommend and what my cost would be to restore and maintain the integrity of my seats and console.

1.
For an ultimate restoration of color lost by sun fading a coating transparent dyestuff seems inevitable.

2.
However, sun effect also causes dryness of the leather, as the original fatliquor diminishes from up to 14% through evaporation that contribute to the color intensity as well as providing suppleness from leather cracking.
A moisture reading between the faded and the non-faded areas may show difference in percentage of fatliquor content still remaining. A lower percentage of fatliquor will also associate with loss of color. Thus evening or topping up the percentage will also help balance up the color intensity.

3.
Aniline leathers are dye through, thus the reverse suede sides takes the same color as the grain sides. And much of the dyestuff are still in between that could be activated to resurface. Just like activating tea or coffee with hot water to release its color. Hydrator-3.3 is also used in this aspect to release the dormant or excess dyestuff and should be the first step to restore sun-fading leathers.

4.
Topcoat magnifies or amplifies the color intensity as well and a little test should able to tell us wheather redyeing is indeed a must for appearance satisfaction.

5.
A coating transparent dyestuff is used instead and we will go into details about this subject how best to go about getting the color shade to satisfaction.

To summarize color restoration is in this sequence – Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Aniline-83 > AnilineTop-83G > S (luster adjustment) > Protector-B+.

Needless to say all foreign contamination need to be removed (especially the driver’s armrest and the back console) prior to color restoration and the first process is to degrease and pH balance it with Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0. All other remaining stain types are removing accordingly with specialty products.


>>> I am also wondering if I can use the same products for the steering wheel.

Yes, the same system applies to the steering wheel as well.


Let me know of your continuous interest and we shall discuss further.


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
[email protected]




http://www.leatherdoctor.com/leather...finishing-kit/

Matching color Aniline-83 with Aniline-76 (clear-700) for color intensity adjustment is an optional add-on to the Kit-K7.tc.

Leather Doctor® Kit K7.tc, King Ranch leather topcoat refinishing kit is designed for periodic maintenance to bring up appearance to a higher level of acceptance. Leather is subject to friction wearing and becomes evident as accidental scratch; scuff and abrasion to deteriorating from greasy sweat stains. A preventive measure to reduce topcoat wearing is by a routine application of Protector-B+, which imparts a natural buttery-feel and cuts friction noise that translates to less friction wear thus prolongs the wear of the topcoats from sliding in and out of seats. Prior to application of topcoat the leather surface should be free of stains or surface contamination to be sensible otherwise both the beauty of the grain and the beast of the blemishing stains will be magnify or amplify through as well.
Corrective or restorative cleaning is the first process and typically degreasing is the basic as otherwise any greasy surface may be a detrimental to topcoat lasting adhesion. Degreaser-2.2 with a pH of 2.2 takes beyond surface degreasing is also design for deep penetrated body oil, grease and sweat. Its pH value helps stabilize the leather chemistry integrity by protonating the protein fiber ionic more positive (+ve) while degreasing takes place simultaneously. Acidifier-2.0 is the recommended rinse with a pH value of 2.0 acts as a bleeding controller eliminating any rings when the leather dries. Suspended body contamination within the leather structure that still produces a darkening effect may need the help of Hydrator-3.3 to moves the colloid within the inter fibrillary spaces through consecutive wicking process by stretchable paper towel reverse transfer technique. This proven technique allows the soiling particulates to be trapped by the paper towel to be peel off when crispy dry then still remaining on the leather surface. An inspection with Eraser-4 removing any surface wick-up soiling will decide its readiness to proceed with top coating. Other soiling and stains such as blue jean dye, leather belt, plastic ink print, newsprint, ballpoint ink, stamp pad ink, sticky label residue, crayon, chewing gum, silicone shine, permanent marker or accumulated soiling may require the attention of Prep-4.4 to do the lubricating, penetrating and suspending action follows with Clean-3.0 to removes the sticky residue and Rinse-3.0 to rinse to a healthy squeaky clean. Other stain types may need matching solution such as protein stain and tanning stains, etc. Until all stains are taken care of that the renewal of topcoat becomes practical, otherwise camouflaging dyestuff need to come into play.
Sun fading is inevitable or unavoidable due to UV sensitivity of aniline dyestuff, besides the loss of color; heat affects fatliquor by escalating evaporation thus diminishes the intensity of the color appearance as well. However activating the dormant dyestuff within the leather structure to resurface and replenishing of the fatliquor for color intensity as well correct color loss to a degree. The activating of the dormant dyestuff is done with saturating Hydrator-3.3 up to 72 hours with control evaporation using cling wrapper thereafter replenishing of the fatliquor follows with consecutive evaporating cycle until saturate and leave for natural drying for extra softness. Any surface residue is drive-in with Hydrator-3.3 to a healthy squeaky feel, let dry and surface is dry prepared with Eraser-4 prior to top coating.
AnilineTop-83G, gloss is used first to amplify or magnify the color intensity with drying and optional sanding in between coats of roughness to satisfaction prior to adjusting its luster level with AnilineTop-83S satin or a mix between to have a custom gloss. Application is done with lint free towel, foam brush or airbrushing for professional result.
A choice of protector with scentless Protector-D for steering wheel and shift gear with a draggy non-slip grip, while classic leather scented Protector-B+ a non-stick, rub-resistant protector imparts a buttery-feel, reduces noises that translate to less friction wear from sliding in and out of seats or a mix of both for individual preferences.
This kit comes with reduced weight option to save on shipping thus the 250ml concentrate ratio such as Clean-3.8, Rinse-3.0, Acidifier-2.0, Hydrator-3.3 and Fatliquor-5.0 has to be cut or filled up with distilled water prior to use. Note the suffix number denotes the product pH value.

[Roger Koh]

>>> Am I correct in reading that I need the Degreaser-2.2 and Acidifier-2.0 for cleaning?

Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 is design to degrease body contamination and also pH balances the leather protein fiber. This is a leather safe degreasing system with pH value in mind. The suffix numbers denotes the pH value of the product, thus 2.2 is pH2.2 and 3.0 is pH3.0. Vegetable-tanned leather has a lower pH value than the common chrome-tanned leathers and is more pH sensitive thus is vital not to disrupt the amphoteric leather protein fiber but to maintain its pH chemistry integrity while degreasing the foreign contamination. The sweat that ferments in most cases shift the pH value higher thus fatliquor and dyestuff easily breaks bonds and the leather denatures, so the need of a leather-safe system when degreasing below surface stains.


>>> Then for color and total restoration I should use the Hydrator-3.3, Fatliquor-5.0, Aniline-83, AnilineTop-83G, S (luster adjustment) and Protector-B+ correct?
Correct, each of the process will contribute to the overall appearance back to the original tannery sequence of processes.
Do not forget that the base color will still show through both the beauty of the grain the the unwanted blemishes or soiling. Even each panel shows difference in color intensity or uneven fading from panel to panel.


>>> Does that leave a lot of unused items from the kit?

Stains besides grease is more effective with Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 system for restorative cleaning such as for common stains like ink and dyestuff color transfer from fabric, paper and plastic.
The tools are just basic in conjunction with the appropriate products. This kit caters for common soiling for grease and heavy stains as mentioned. Other soiling type if any will be handle accordingly with the procedure from the leather problem-solving guide. You may use the below guide for reference what you wish to accomplished and order individual items instead.

Vegetable-Tanned (V.a) – Aniline Vegetable-Tanned Leather Problem Solving Guide.
The left column shows the problem commonly encounter and the top horizontal row shows the product used. The number indicates the sequence to follow. Any three group of Soiling Type, Stain Type and Odor Type is processes during the wet process prior to Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system for Structure Problems. Finishes Problem is to be handle last.