How To Repair Stiff Cracked Leather
Leather can be restored in 2 ways:
- Using the Leather Recolouring Balm. This is a simple wipe on and vitrify off awarding, notwithstanding information technology requires the leather'south surface to be absorbent in order for the balm to properly penetrate. It also works if the surface blanket has split/cracked exposing a lighter color below. The advantages of using the balm are that it is cheap and like shooting fish in a barrel to utilise, and the results are very pleasing. However, it only restores the colour, if the leather is cracked, it volition not actually gear up the cracks - just hide them with colour. Encounter the video to a higher place to run across what you can look.
- Using the Leather Colourant Kit. If the damaged area is not absorbent or the cracks are darker than the leather, then you'll need to restore information technology using the Leather Colourant Kit.
For a full list of our products used for restoring leather, please visit our Leather Restoration section.
Method
In this guide nosotros will restore the two seater sofa shown in the photo on the left.
The leather is heavily cracked and so nosotros will be using Leather Binder, Flexifil and the Leather Colourant Kit to conduct out the restoration.
If the leather had petty or no peachy, yous would not require Flexifil, in this case, skip the department of the guide on filling cracks.
All of the products mentioned in this guide can exist purchased from this guide folio, or on the relevant product pages on the site.
Step 1:
The first step is preparing the leather ready for applications of colour. Nosotros do this to remove whatsoever waxes, oils or silicones that may be present on the leather, not removing these could cause adhesion problems. Prepping the leather also removes the manufactured stop. If the leather is very dirty, make clean information technology first with the Leather Ultra Make clean.
Different prepping techniques can be employed with like results but we volition show you the almost thorough way in this guide and explain the reasons for doing so along the style
i. Practice the back and sides commencement. A lot of furniture these days have cheaper leather (split hide) on the back and sides and using a strong cleaner like the Leather Prep would strip the colour off and then we won't be using it on the sides. For the sides all you lot demand to exercise is wipe them down with some Alcohol Cleaner on a material. Non prepping the back and sides as thoroughly every bit the residual of the leather won't bear on the end results. This is because the back and sides aren't really used so come under no, or very little stress.
2. Because the seating cushions and other areas come nether more stress (clothing & tear) it is important to prepare them. To do this it is best to rub them with the Leather Prep and an Annoying Pad, this awarding removes the leather finish. However, because this leather is very badly worn, it is best to just wipe the leather down with the Leather Prep and a textile. The Annoying Pad would make the slap-up even worse in this case.
The leather is correctly prepped when you start to come across colour transfer from the leather onto the Annoying Pad or fabric. This indicates that the terminate has been removed exposing the color beneath.
iii. The above process will have removed the manufacturers stop and any silicones that are soluble in solvents. There are however some silicones like spray on polish and waxes that aren't soluble in solvents, so to remove these we need to use the Alcohol Cleaner. After using the Leather Prep wipe the leather down with a cloth dampened in the Booze Cleaner and for ease of utilise you could also spray the Alcohol Cleaner directly onto the leather. Now wait xxx minutes for the prep to evaporate.
STEP 2:
The to a higher place two photos bear witness the seating absorber in very bad condition. The photo to the right is an up-shut photo of a section of the cushion. The cracks have occurred through 20 years of wear and tear on the leathers surface causing the pigment to 'crack' equally the leather flexes. Regular applications of Leather Protection Cream could have prevented this!
The process will exist to make full the cracks and then colour the leather.
Step 3:
Strengthening the leather with Leather Binder
The Leather Binder is applied with a sponge and is captivated by the leather holding all the worn leather fibres together. Apply approximately 3-v coats to the entire surface, leaving time for each glaze to dry earlier applying the side by side.
Notation that it is important that excess binder that may build upwards around areas of stitching should be wiped away before it dries.
Note that the Binder will alter the look of the leather slightly at this phase, in this example Information technology may appear as though information technology has coloured the cracks. All information technology has done is darken them as they absorbed it. Practise not call up this has sorted the problem!
Stride 4:
Applying the Flexifil (heavily croaky leather only)
Later on the Leather Binder has strengthened the leather to prevent future groovy; Flexifil is used to repair existing cracking.
Notation: It is not suitable for repairing damage such equally holes, cat scratches, tears, cuts or burns. For areas that have suffered this kind of harm y'all require the Leather Repair Kit.
To employ the Flexifil, simply have a palette knife or spatula and utilize a small amount to whatever areas of cracking on the leather. Then, carefully run the border of the palette knife over the filled area to smooth it out and remove any excess. In one case all of the cracking has been filled, leave this to dry for 30 minutes and so take some fine sandpaper (1200) and shine the expanse downwardly.
To the left is a photo showing a close up as before. This fourth dimension you volition observe where the Leather Binder has filled in some areas and the Flexifil others.
Annotation: It is fine to apply another coat of Binder on tiptop of the Flexifil if necessary. Even if you lot apply colour and think it could be re-filled, it is ok to apply Flexifil on peak of the color. This helps to achieve a smooth finish.
STEP five:
Applying the Leather Colourant.
Shake the bottle of Leather Colourant for about 3 minutes to make sure information technology is well mixed. Cascade a small corporeality onto a sponge and rub into the leather. The idea is to sponge on a thin coat of colour working information technology into any gaps, creases and hard to reach areas. Apply light pressure here to work the colourant into the grain. If you apply also much force per unit area you may get a cream of colour on the surface, this is not a problem, just wipe it away with the sponge (gently).
The image to the left is the before close up with a glaze of colour sponged on. Afterwards applying one base coat of colour a sparse spray coat can then exist practical to further enhance the finish on the leather.
The Leather Colourant dries naturally or you tin can speed it upwardly with a hair dryer.
STEP 6:
Spraying the colour.
Wait 30 minutes for the colourant to thoroughly dry and then proceed to spray the leather. Set your spray gun or airbrush and and so spray the leather at a comfy distance, not to over employ the colour. It is best to practice a chip on a piece of newspaper to get the hang of spraying first. Spray the colourant on in thin layers. This avoids runs and then makes for a nicer finish.
Because the colourant we're using is h2o based it takes a few minutes to dry. Nosotros therefore advise you to spray i expanse and then dry it using a pilus dryer. Doing it this way reduces the take chances of runs. If you do see a run, just wipe information technology off with a cloth or sponge so re-spray the area.
There is no right number of coats that should exist applied to the leather. Spray on one coat and dry out information technology off, then just keep spraying on a glaze at a time until all the base color is hidden.
STEP 7:
Spraying the Leather Finish
The Leather Finish is applied in the exact same way equally the colourant. Thin layers are the key!
The Leather Finish is the aforementioned finish that we removed at the start of the procedure. It's applied by airbrush so information technology'southward of import to ensure your airbrush is cleaned thoroughly after spraying the Leather Colourant.
The kit contains both Gloss and Matt versions of the Leather Finish, which tin be mixed together at different ratios to accomplish the right level of sheen for your leather. Here is a quick guide to achieving different sheens:
Gloss: 100% Gloss
Semi-Gloss: 75% Gloss and 25% Matt
Satin: fifty% Gloss and 50% Matt (this is often used on leather article of furniture)
Semi-matt: 25% Gloss and 75% Matt (this is what you lot'd usually find on a car interior)
Matt: 100% Matt
It's important to thoroughly shake each bottle earlier opening.
Mix the finishes together to create the version that you're after, using the guide higher up as a reference. One time mixed, exam the end on an inconspicuous are to make sure you're happy with it. Yous tin can adjust information technology by calculation more than matt or gloss, as needed. If you're unsure what finish y'all want, start with Satin and adapt as required from there
Once you've found a mixture you're happy with, information technology's time to add the Crosslinker Eco. This should exist added at a ratio of roughly 1:viii. For reference, add 15ml of Crosslinker to 125ml of Finish.
The finish is applied exactly the same mode every bit the colourant. When you spray the Leather Finish onto the leather, make sure it is dry out before spraying on a 2nd glaze. Like the Leather Colourant, you tin use a hairdryer to speed up this procedure.
In one case the job is complete, wait one day before using the leather.
FINISHED WORK:
The above two images are of the seat thoroughly coloured. Every bit standard the leather has a slight shine to it. This can be either increased using a gloss terminate, matted down using a matt stop or kept the aforementioned using a satin terminate. In this case we used a satin finish to match the original sheen.
We take a full range of products for leather restoration that includes leather dyes, leather repair products and leather color restorers.
Source: https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/e-learning/how-to-restore-leather/
Posted by: moodyanighbold.blogspot.com
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