Leather Paint/Dye

[crober53]

Hey all! Bought some OTC leather paint. Did a spot on my backseat which rarely gets used. Turned out great. Still hasn't worn off. However, did it for a customer and it wore off after getting in and out of the seat a few times. Any ideas on a better approach, product, or how to?

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[Evan.J]

Hey all! Bought some OTC leather paint. Did a spot on my backseat which rarely gets used. Turned out great. Still hasn't worn off. However, did it for a customer and it wore off after getting in and out of the seat a few times. Any ideas on a better approach, product, or how to?

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What about a sealant after the dye dries like Ultima interior guard?
Ultima Interior Guard Plus 12 oz., interior protectant, rubber & vinyl protectant, dash dressing (http://www.autogeek.net/ultima-interior-guard-12.html)

[swanicyouth]

Leather is a whole can of worms. You have to prep the leather right and get the right products. The issue for me has been matching color and sheen (matte/gloss). I think because your backseat is rarely used, that's why it's hiding up.

Prepping the leather involves cleaning it well removing enough of the coating for the new colorant to "bite". The coating can be removed with 800 grit sandpaper, then followed up with a lighter grit. Then you have to clean it with something like benzene or IPA so its free of all cleaners.

Then you apply the colorant, and the "clear coat" on top of that. Application shod be done to a whole panel of leather for best results, and the dye and coating should be applied with an airbrush.

I did all this once and didn't have an issue with the bonding of the products, but with the color match. Besides the right shade of color, you have to get the matte/gloss sheen right. I can be hard to tell what is "off".

The products I bought were from Furniture Clinic in the UK. I've considered doing the panel over many times with the Swissvax Leather Healer, but the cost is very high. As you need their prep stuff, colorant, matte corrector, gloss corrector, etc... And since everything from Swissvax is a hundred bucks, that's a big investment to gamble with.

[crober53]

I'm assuming that's where I messed up. I did not put any protectant over the paint. I will have to test that theory out!

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[judyb]

The preparation is key to this. With modern/professional colour systems there is no need to remove the top old top coating first but the leather needs to be thoroughly clean and primed first to get the best adhesion possible. We usually avoid sanding as this can flatten grain pattern etc. once applied the colour will need a clear coat finish on the top (not a protector - these are two different things) to make it hard wearing.
Colour can be mixed to a sample or if you are a regular detailer there are colour readers available to make life easier. Colour mixing is always the hardest part if a technicians job.
Hope this helps
Judyb